Indiana RadioWatch: December 3, 2008

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Northeast

Independence Media's Talk/WNUY (100.1fm, Bluffton) adds Don Imus from 6:00AM - 9:00AM and Jim Rome from 12:00PM - 3:00PM. Also, WNUY veterans Rob Caylor and Rick Elwell both exit the station. Caylor and Elwell were morning co-hosts. Also, "FM 100 Talks" makes a few schedule shifts; the new weekday lineup keeps Laura Ingraham in her time slot, shortens Dave Ramsey by an hour, displaces Bill O'Reilly to 6:00PM, and shifts Dennis Miller to 8:00PM.

AllAccess reports that both Federated Media Hot AC/WMEE (97.3fm, Fort Wayne) and Sarkes Tarzian Hot AC/WAJI (95.1fm, Fort Wayne) switched formats to holiday music within three minutes of each other, on Friday (21 November). WAJI PD Barb Richards tells IRW "Christmas music is like comfort food and we decided people needed the comfort starting NOW!" WMEE OM Rob Kelley reminds IRW that 2008 is the seventh year for Christmas tunes on WMEE.

Federated Media's Rock/WBYR (98.9fm, Van Wert, Ohio) changes its city of license to Woodburn, Indiana (the smallest city in Indiana).

A note from the TV desk: Granite Broadcasting NBC affiliate WISE-TV (Channel 33/DT19, Fort Wayne) has dropped NBC Weather Plus on its channel 33.3, replacing it with a local weather radar. Beginning Monday 8 December, channel 33.3 will become "INC Now," a 24 hour local news loop, which will also be streamed online at http://www.incnow.tv/

Northcentral

Several promotions at Talking Stick's Warsaw stations: Country/WAWC (103.5fm, Syracuse), Sports/WRSW (1480am, Warsaw), and Classic Rock/WRSW-FM (107.3fm, Warsaw). First, Dan Daggett is now Sales Manager of all three stations, Jay Michaels is now OM of all three stations, Roger Grossman is now Sports Director for all three stations, and Chris Cage handles promotions for - you guessed it - all three stations.

A sad day, as we note the quite untimely death of two radio personalities. First, Tommy Frank passed away. Born Thomas Foley, he passed away from a heart attack on Thursday 30 October 2008 in Ithaca, New York. Foley was a PD/morning co-host at a CHR station in Ithaca. The 43 year old Foley worked in Fort Wayne (WJFX), and South Bend (PD at WNDV) along with stations in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Foley is survived by three sons. A scholarship in Frank's name has been established at his alma mater, the New England School of Communications (NESCOM), 1 College Circle, Bangor ME 04401.

Second, Ken Knapp passed away on Tuesday 18 November 2008 at home. The 47 year old Knapp worked at radio stations in Fort Wayne, Lafayette, and last at Country/WAWC (103.5fm, Syracuse). Knapp is survived by two sisters.

Northwest

The FCC has granted the sale of AFA's Religious/WWLO (89.1fm, Lowell) to Northwest Indiana Public Broadcasting. A NWPB press release says the station will operate as "Lakeshore Public Radio" with anticipated call letters WLPR. The $1.05 million sale was announced in September, and this sale turns this group into a radio/TV facility, as Northwest Indiana Public Broadcasting owns PBS affiliate WYIN (Channel 56/DT17, Gary). The station will be WLPR and the format will include a variety of programming: in-depth news, talk, and sports programs, live call-in shows, and a contemporary music sound.

While still only a construction permit, Hyles-Anderson College station WRTW (90.5fm, Crown Point) files an FCC application to change the location of their antenna from just west of IN-55 in Gary to the WYIN-TV tower, also just west of IN-55 in Crown Point.

Central

William Goodrich's Horizon Christian Fellowship of Indianapolis spends $105,998.73 (how's that for exact) for a pair of Class B CP's: WHZN (88.3fm, New Whiteland) and WWDL (91.5fm, Plainfield). The seller is Michael MacIntosh's Horizon Christian Fellowship, based in San Diego, California.

A pair of notes from the TV desk (where our TV is DTV ready!): McGraw-Hill's ABC affiliate WRTV-TV (Channel 6/DT25, Indianapolis) welcomes Sheldon Ripson as News Director. Ripson arrives from News Director at KPLR-TV in St. Louis, Missouri. Also, over at Tribune's FOX affiliate WXIN-TV (Channel 59/DT45, Indianapolis), Gavin Maliska exits for the sunny skies of Florida, as he becomes News Director at Orlando's FOX owned and operated WOFL-TV.

Southeast

Cumulus Media Partners' Sports/WQKC (93.9fm, Sellersburg) changes call letters to WLCL. Also, 93.9fm's format changed on Thursday 20 November from Sports to Classic Hits, as "The New Classic Hits 93.9." Finally, the sports format remains on sister WAVG (1450am, Jeffersonville), however, WAVG uses primarily ESPN radio instead of the local hosts (Scott Padgett, Dave Ragone, Rick Bozich, Jody Demling, etc.) that WQKC had on-air. WAVG/WQKC Station manager Dugan Ryan tells The Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper that the format changes were "a corporate decision." The Courier-Journal also reports that IU football and basketball games are airing on WAVG. This late breaking note: IRW just discovered that the WQKC call letters have migrated to 1450AM.

Southcentral

Several of the NCE applications filed in October 2007's window are starting to become CP's. Mary's Children, Inc. now has a CP for a station on 89.9fm, licensed to Ellettsville. Once built, the transmitter will share space on WHCC's tower, north of IN-43, west of Bloomington.

Southwest

Sad news, as a former Evansville DJ passes away. Andrew Ashwood handled night, as "BJ Hunter," on WGBF. The 51 year old Ashwood passed away on Thursday 13 November at a hospital in Sherman Oaks, California. He was last VP/GM at FOX Sports Radio.

The radio industry website 100000watts.com reports two changes along the US-231 corridor: Hembree Communications' Classic Rock/WRZR (94.5fm, Loogootee) switches network affiliations from Jones "Rock Classics" to Dial Global's "Adult Rock n Roll." Also, DuBois County Broadcasting's Country/WBDC (100.9fm, Huntingburg) shifts to Dial Global's "Mainstream Country" format.

That's all for this issue. Thank you for your continued support.

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