Indiana RadioWatch: October 7, 2000
Northeast
Replacing Weasel as PD at Urban/WJFX (107.9fm, New Haven) is Phil Becker. Becker arrives from WBCD in Dothan, Alabama, but has had stints in Grand Rapids, Michigan (WSNX/WVTI) and Muskegon, Michigan (WCXT). Weasel becomes APD/MD.
Joining the morning show, alongside PD J.J. Fabini, at Alternative/WEJE (96.3fm, Churubusco) is Scott McGlasson from WTAO in Murphysboro, Illinois. Also joining "Extreme 96.3" is "Moe" who will do afternoons. Moe arrives from
Cumulus' WRWK in Toledo, Ohio. (IRW wonders: If Moe had a fanclub, would it be called the "Moe-fo's"?)
A new lineup at Rhythmic/WCKZ (102.3fm, Auburn):
6am - 10am Mike Thomas (formerly nights) and "Nate Dogg" (formerly middays)
10am - 2pm VP-Prog/PD Brian Michel (formerly off-air)
2pm - 6pm "Slammin'" Sammy (formerly weekends)
6pm - 10pm Aaron Bone (formerly weekends)
Morning co-host Jacki Jacobi departs Country/WBTU (93.3, Kendallville).
Limuel Woods (aka "Woody Woods"), last at Urban/WJFX (107.9fm, New Haven) heads to WRVZ in Charleston, West Virginia where he'll be MD & night guy.
Dawn Street continues as PD at WEXI (102.9fm, Huntington), but she'll be leaving her other job at Taylor Broadcasting's WEXI/WXKE (Traffic Manager). Incidentally, IRW has heard several different Legal ID's on the station now.
A note from the TV files: WKJG (Channel 33, Fort Wayne, [NBC]) GM Bob Klingle exits for Belo's WHAS (Channel 11, Louisville, Kentucky [ABC]) where he'll be VP/GM. Klingle served as WKJG VP/GM since 1997. Replacing Klingle at WKJG is
John Dawson, who has worked various places, among them as President/GM at WISH-TV in Indianapolis.
Northcentral
Jay Michaels departs mornings at Standards/WHLY (1620am, South Bend).
AC/WRSW(AM) & FM (1480am, 107.3fm; both Warsaw) will end their simulcast this month. The FM will continue its AC format while the AM will begin a sports format, airing ESPN Radio.
Tom Bugg is the new GSM at News-Talk/WTRC (1340am, Elkhart). Bugg was last a salesman at Fort Wayne's Country/WBTU (93.3fm, Kendallville).
Dan Daggett, afternoon guy at Country/WLNB (102.7fm, Ligonier) moves offair to sales for all 3 GBC Media stations (WLNB, WRSW(AM) & FM).
Oldies/WGTO (910am, Cassopolis, Michigan) is now broadcasting in AM Stereo.
Northwest
WZRK (101.7fm, Kentland) is sold by Lyle Robert Evans to Milner Broadcasting, owners of Oldies/WVLI in Kankakee, Illinois.
Artistic Media Partners' WAZY(AM) (1410am, Lafayette) drops its simulcast of AC/WAZY-FM and flips to Standards under PD Steve Clark. According to an article in The Lafayette Journal and Courier, WAZY's programming comes from
Westwood One, and they have added hourly CNN Radio News updates.
Attention Lafayette readers: IRW would be interested in hearing any reception reports on WFWR (91.5fm, Attica). We're unfamiliar with what format they're using and if they are on the air yet.
Eastcentral
Religious/WTGR (97.5fm, Union City, Ohio) adds a 2000 watt backup transmitter.
Central
After 53 years in radio, Talk/WIBC (1070am, Indianapolis) News Director Fred Heckman is retiring. According to Marc Allan's article in The Indianapolis Star, Heckman worked for 36 years with WIBC (1957-1993) and walked out when
WIBC's former owners wanted to change to a "headline news" format. In 1994, when Jeff Smulyan's Emmis Communications purchased the station, Heckman returned. Heckman enjoyed doing vignettes on news items he would hear in his travels,
calling them "My Town Indy". Always one to perform his civic responsibilities, Heckman was active with the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and the Boy Scouts amongst others. Heckman says "I've had a great run." IRW agrees.
Sports/WNDE (1260am, Indianapolis) debuts "Mark Patrick on Sports." Patrick, former WISH-TV (Channel 8, Indianapolis [CBS]) Sports Director, will host the daily 3pm - 6pm show with Indianapolis Star columnist Bill Benner.
Patrick and Benner replace Tim Bragg's "The Sports Daily", as Bragg is now a reporter/producer at WRTV-TV (Channel 6, Indianapolis [ABC]).
Bob & Tom add WCUZ in Grand Rapids, Michigan to their affiliate lineup. Staying in the Great Lakes State, we'll also tell you that due to a format change, Bob & Tom were dropped from WIQB in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Westcentral
Alternative/WZZQ (107.5fm, Terre Haute) morning man Monty Bagley (aka "Del Monte") exits. Also, night guy Aaron Green adds MD responsibilities. Finally, the station drops "The Edge" and is now "Z-107.5"
Congrats to Jeff McCall and the entire staff at DePauw University's WGRE (91.5fm, Greencastle). The Princeton Review ranked WGRE #1 in their category "Great College Radio Station."
Southcentral
An example of David versus Goliath: In this case, David is WYGB (102.9fm, Edinburgh) and Goliath is Country/WKKG (101.5fm, Columbus). WYGB signed on for on-air testing on 6 September by simulcasting sister Hot AC/WRZQ (107.3fm,
Greensburg). Basic radio programming tells you that a well-done stunt format will attract even the most hardened listener to curiously take a listen to your station. WYGB satisfied by playing Rolf Harris' "Tie Me Kangaroo Down
Sport" for 10 days straight. Mysteriously, a commercial appeared on WKKG for the fictitious "Southern Indiana Corn Producers"; a spot that had the word "Corn" spread throughout the entire production. WYGB officials deny buying the
adtime for the spot. If you're curious to hear the spot, check out:
http://www.korncountry.com/sicp.mp3
Oh yes, onto the particulars: WYGB signed on with a country format as "Korn Country" (obviously!) on the 21st of September. WYGB is being programmed by WRZQ PD Scott Dugan and is jockless at the present time.
New AAA/WTTS (92.3fm, Bloomington) PD Jim Ziegler takes afternoon drive. Ziegler replaces Jimi Hurley who exits. Also, Jill Savage removes "interim" and is now permanently in morning drive (well, as permanent as radio is these
days...)
Southwest
Cumulus Media has closed on the sale of the Connoisseur stations. However, the 4 Evansville properties have been spun off to Clear Channel, since Cumulus needs additional monies to fund the complete purchase of Connoisseur. Spun off
to Clear Channel is News-Talk/WGBF(AM) (1280am, Evansville), Rock/WGBF-FM (103.1fm, Henderson, Kentucky), Classic Rock/WTRI (94.9fm, Mount Carmel, Illinois), and Country/WYNG (105.3fm, Evansville).
Kevin "Crash" Davis is the new PD at Country/WYNG (105.3fm, Evansville). Davis is the former PD of Vail, Colorado-based Radio One Networks "Go Country!" format. Davis is no stranger to the Hoosier State: he was PD at Fort Wayne's
Country/WBTU (93.3fm, Kendallville) from 1997 to 1998.
Incorrect information into IRW lead to last issue's error concerning CHR/WSTO (96.1fm, Owensboro, Kentucky). Here's their correct lineup.
Mornings: PD/Dr. Dave Michaels & Diane Douglas
Middays: MD/Cat Michaels
Afternoons: APD/Jimmy Ocean
Nights: Ladonna Sutton
Late Nights: "Puddin' "
Overnights: Brent Knight
That's it for this issue! See you in two weeks...
Blaine Thompson
Indiana RadioWatch
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