Indiana RadioWatch: June 26, 2004

Northeast

A historical public radio change last night. In Northeast Indiana, "public radio" means Classical/WBNI (89.1fm Fort Wayne) and sister station News-Jazz/W204BF (88.7fm Fort Wayne) which relays WBOI (91.3fm Orland). Last night, the formats and calls exchanged frequencies, leaving WBOI (89.1fm Fort Wayne) and W204BF (88.7fm Fort Wayne) which now relays the classical format of WBNI (91.3fm Orland). Station officials say the classical music format now heard on the 10-watt station in Fort Wayne will be streamed online from the Northeast Indiana Public Radio website at http://www.nipr.fm

Back towards the beginning of March, IRW noticed "Hits 96.3" [CHR/WNHT (96.3fm, Churubusco)] starting to skew more rhythmic CHR. IRW didn't see it as a sign of things to come. On Saturday (4 April), "Hits 96.3" began a continuous loop of Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" (sans Legal ID.) At 5pm, Monday 6 April, "Hits 96.3" changed monikers to "Wild 96.3" and became a tightly focused rhythmic CHR under OM/PD "Big Dave" Eubanks and consultant Jerry Clifton. Gone is SuperRadio's "Open House Party with John Garabedian." The airstaff lineup is:

Mornings: Goose (5:30am - 10am)
Middays: Van (10am - 3pm) (From morning co-host)
Afternoons: OM/PD "Big Dave" Eubanks (3pm -7pm)
Nights: Diesel (7pm - Midnight)
Overnights: Andy Mack (Midnight - 5:30am)

Former midday host Jason Lee remains on the airstaff of sister station Alternative/WXTW (102.3fm, Churubusco).

Hot AC/WMEE (97.3fm, Fort Wayne) morning co-host John O'Rourke exits. OM/Afternoon guy Mark Evans now sets his alarm earlier and joins Erica Taylor on the "More Music in the Morning" show.

The Main Street Tattler reports that Travis Broadcasting's Rhythmic CHR/WNHT (96.3fm, Churubusco) OM/PD/Afternoon guy "Big" Dave Eubanks segues to OM/PD/middays on sister AC/WYLT (103.9fm, Fort Wayne). Eubanks will remain OM at WNHT.

Bob Swinehart exits GSM duties at Fort Wayne's Country/WQHK (105.1fm, Decatur) for Director of Sales at Regent Communications in Peoria, Illinois. Before K-105, he worked in sales at sister Rock/WBYR (98.9fm, Van Wert) and was LSM at Artistic's Country/WBTU (93.3fm, Kendallville).

Rhythmic CHR/WJFX (107.9fm, New Haven) PD Tommy Frank exits.

Federated Media Director of Rock Programming and PD at Rock/WBYR (98.9fm, Van Wert, Ohio) Greg Gillespie exits.

Joe Maumee, afternoon jock at Rock/WBYR (98.9fm, Van Wert) exits for nights, and joins former "Bear" OM/PD Jim Fox at KRXQ in Sacramento, California.

Northcentral

Standards/WHLY (1580am, South Bend) and Sports/WDND (1620am, South Bend) swap frequencies. Again.

Eastcentral

Ball State University purchases WWHI (91.3fm, Muncie) from The Muncie Community Schools. Terms were not disclosed. Ball State will use it as an upgrade to Alternative/WCRD (91.3fm), Ball State's carrier current, student run radio station. The university intends on improving WWHI's 310 watt signal and plans to add a new antenna and transmitter. The station was previously located at Muncie Southside High School, and WCRD had contributed programming to WWHI in the past.

Vernon Baker's Positive Alternative Radio receives a CP for 94.5fm in Richmond (calls: W233AN). W233AN plans to run 27 watts from a tower on the 3200 block of Cart Road, which is northeast of Richmond and north of the I-70/IN-227 intersection.

Central

The Indianapolis Business Journal's Andrea Davis reports that Entercom Communications Corp. has agreed to a $73.5 million purchase of Michael (Mickey) Maurer's MyStar Communications. MyStar owns N-T/WXNT (1430am, Indianapolis), AC/WTPI (107.9fm, Indianapolis), and Hot AC/WZPL (99.5fm, Greenfield).

Southwest

Standards/WAMW-FM (107.9fm, Washington) hires Dewayne Shake for mornings. Shake arrives from middays at crosstown Country/WWBL (106.5fm, Washington). He takes over the 5am-9am slot for former morning man (& WAMW President/GM) Dave Crooks, who is campaigning for re-election as State Representative (District 63).

That's it for this issue. See you in a week!

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All pages Copyright Blaine Thompson. Articles, photos, corrections, and other contributions should be e-mailed to the editors.