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This Page Last Updated: Monday 28 May 2018

The Essentials

Call Letters: WBNI
Frequency: 94.1fm
City of License: Roanoke
Metro(s): Fort Wayne
Power: 6000 watts @ 328 feet (Class A)
Format: Classical
Address: P.O. Box 8459, Fort Wayne, IN 46898-8459
Address: 3204 Clairmont Court, Fort Wayne, IN 46808-4513
Phone: 260.452.1189
Ownership: Northeast Indiana Public Radio, Inc.
Web Presence: http://www.wbni.org

Station Personnel

Current

GM: Peter Dominowski
OM: Katy Anderson
Mornings: Classical Music (Monday 5am - 9am)
Mornings: Tea and Symphony with Robert O'Neil (Monday and Friday 9am - 12pm)
Middays: Matinee with Stan Whippo (12pm - 4pm)
Afternoons: Evensong with Robert Paul (Monday 4pm - 7pm)
Afternoons: Classical Music (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 4pm - 7pm)
Afternoons: Around the World in 180 minutes with Robert Paul (Wednesday 4pm - 7pm)
Early Evenings: Chicago Symphony (Monday 7pm - 9pm)
Early Evenings: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (Tuesday 7pm - 9pm)
Early Evenings: Live at the Concertgebouw (Wednesday 7pm - 9pm)
Early Evenings: The New York Philharmonic (Thursday 7pm - 9pm)
Early Evenings: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Friday 7pm - 9pm)
Nights: The Modern Classical Experience with Doug Dennis (Monday 9pm - 11pm)
Nights: Deutsche Welle Festival Concerts (Wednesday 9pm - 11pm)
Overnights: Classical Music (Monday 11pm - Tuesday 12pm)
Overnights: Classical Music (Tuesday 9pm - Wednesday 12pm)
Overnights: Classical Music (Wednesday 11pm - Thursday 12pm)
Overnights: Classical Music (Thursday 9pm - Friday 9am)
Overnights: Classical Music (Friday 9pm - Saturday 9am)
Weekends: From The Top (Saturday 9am - 10am)
Weekends: Symphonically Yours with Rob Nylund (Saturday 10am - 11:30am)
Weekends: Best Seat In The House (Saturday 11:30am - 12:30pm)
Weekends: MET Opera (Saturday 1pm - 6pm)
Weekends: From The Top (Saturday 6pm - 7pm)
Weekends: Joshua's Corner (Saturday 7pm - 8pm)
Weekends: Lincoln Center Chamber Music (Saturday 8pm - 9pm)
Weekends: Keeping Score (Saturday 9pm - 10pm)
Weekends: Classical Music (Saturday 10pm - Sunday 6am)
Weekends: Sing for Joy (Sunday 6am - 6:30am)
Weekends: Guitar Showcase (Sunday 6:30am - 7am)
Weekends: Sunday Baroque (Sunday 7am - 11am)
Weekends: Con Brio with Stan Whippo (Sunday 11am - 2pm)
Weekends: Classical Music (Sunday 2pm - 5pm)
Weekends: Harmonia (Sunday 5pm - 6pm)
Weekends: Sunday Baroque (Sunday 6pm - 10pm)
Weekends: Classical Music (Sunday 10pm - Monday 5am)

Former

WHOR-FM

WQTX-FM

WGL-FM

WYSR-FM

Owner: Frank Kovas (Deceased 29 January 2005)
GM: Connie Kovas
GM: Palmer Pyle (? - March 1998)
GSM: Brett Rump
SM: Nancy Cunningham (March 1998 - ?)
OM: Dave Lang (? - March 1998)
OM/PD: "Weasel" (January 1999 - February 1999)
OM/PD: Jo Valentine (October 1999 - February 2000) (Now nights, via voicetrack, at WYSX in Ogdensburg, New York)
PD: Natalee Parrish (July 1997 - May 1998) (From OM/PD at WWFX in Bangor, Maine) (Now middays as "Sky Taylor" at WWMJ in Ellsworth/Bangor, Maine)
PD: Brian Michel (February 1999 - February 20, 2001) (From WPTE in Norfolk, Virginia)
PD: Scott Kolesar (Also Production Director: March 1998 - December 1998)
PD: Kris Underwood ("Coyote") (May 1998 - January 1999) (Now middays at WAWC)
PD: Matt Bruce (April 1999 - June 1999)
PD: Phil Grosch (April 2000 - May 19, 2000)
Production Director: Brian Michel (October 1998 - February 20, 2001) (From WPTE in Norfolk, Virginia)
Promotions Director: Melissa McKee
Promotions Director: Tony Malone (June 1998 - May 1999) (Now out of radio)
Production Director: Roxanne McVay (March 2001 - March 2001) (Deceased 8 December 2007)
Mornings: Melissa McKee
Mornings: Jeff DeWeese (May 1997 - ?) (From APD at WLDE)
Mornings: Kris Underwood (July 1998 - January 1999) (Now middays at WAWC)
Mornings: Tony Malone (June 1998 - May 1999) (Now out of radio)
Mornings: Brett Rump ("Bo Kelly") (June 1999 - October 1999)
Mornings: Geno Burgess (October 1999 - January 2000) (From mornings at WJFX)
Mornings: Susan Harley (July 1998 - May 1999; Middays: May 1997 - ?) (From mornings at WDJB) (Now out of radio)
Mornings: Jeff Moore (March 2002 - ?) (Now Production Director and Weekends at WLDE)
Afternoons: Kris Underwood (June 1998 - July 1998) (Now middays at WAWC)
Nights: Jerry McCray (? - August 1998)
Nights: Kurt Winkelman ("Clark Kent") (7pm - 11pm) (July 1998 - April 1999) (Now out of radio)

WCKZ-FM

Owner: Frank Kovas (Deceased 29 January 2005)
President/CEO: Lloyd Roach (July 18, 2006 - ?)
President/CEO: Kristine Foate (May 2004 - July 18, 2006) (From VP/GM of the Illini Radio Group in Champaign, Illinois)
GM: George Hays (November 2001 - ?) (From GSM at WFWI)
GM: Connie Kovas
Director of Sales: David Wisniewski (September 2004 - February 2006) (From Station Manager at Artistic Media Partners in South Bend)
GSM: Vori Dhabolt (? - July 18, 2006) (Now GSM at WERK-FM, WHBU, WMQX and WMXQ)
SM: Rob Livergood (July 18, 2006 - ?)
VP/Programming: Brian Michel (August 2000 - February 20, 2001; PD: February 1999 - August 2000) (From WPTE in Norfolk, Virginia)
VP/Programming: Roy Jaynes (March 2001 - March 2001) (From the Cumulus stations in Chattanooga, Tennessee) (Now PD at WDZQ and WSOY in Decatur, Illinois)
Director of Programming: Bill Stewart (September 13, 2004 - July 18, 2006) (From GM at KIWR in Omaha, Nebraska) (Now VP/GM of the Meredith Communications' stations in Atlantic, Iowa)
Assistant Director of Programming: J.J. Fabini (January 2005 - ?) (Also middays at WCKZ)
OM: "Weasel" (January 1999 - February 1999) (Now PD/mornings at WPIA in the Peoria, Illinois market)
OM: Jack Holliday (? - February 1, 2002)
OM/PD: Bob Shannon (March 2001 - April 2001)
PD: BJ Steele (Now late nights at WNHT)
PD: Doc West (Now middays at WXKE)
APD/MD: John Fox
Promotions Director: Deb Washler (Now out of radio)
Director of Creative Services: Mathew Albro (May 2005 - ?) (From Production and Operations Manager for Bacon's Broadcast Monitoring)
Production Director: Roxanne McVay (March 2001 - March 2001) (Deceased 8 December 2007)
Newsperson: Rod Tanner
Mornings: Jeff Moore (September 2, 2001 - June 2, 2004) (Now out of radio)
Mornings: Tom Joyner (Trisha Cole was the local producer)
Mornings: Doc West (Now middays at WXKE)
Mornings: Leslie Stone
Middays: John Fox
Middays: Buzz Maxwell
Afternoons: Buster Meyer
Overnights: Jason Lee (Now nights at WXKE)
weekends: Aaron Bone
Weekends: Trisha Cole

WBNI-FM

GM: Bruce R. Haines (Now GM at WFWA-TV)
GM: Joan Brown (2008 - December 2010)
GM: Will Murphy (January 2011 - December 7, 2012) (from CEO/Station Manager at WFHB)
Assistant GM: Karen Fraser
Chief Engineer: Mike Peters
Chief Engineer: Ed Didier (July 2006 - ?) (Now Chief Engineer at the Adams Radio Group, Inc. radio stations in Fort Wayne)
OM/PD: Kevin Kreigh (November 2009 - February 2011)
PD: Andrew Anderson
News Director: Colleen Condron (July 1998 - ?)
Newsperson: Bill Rice (? - March 1998)
Mornings: Brian Eckstein (September 1995 - December 1997) (Deceased 21 November 2011)
Host: Rosalie Guillot ("Matinee", "Saturday Opera") (Deceased 21 January 2000)
Daniel Drayer
Tim Singleton

Station History

94.1fm signed on in 1992.

WHOR-FM

WQTX-FM

WGL-FM

WYSR-FM

94.1fm signed on as WYSR on Wednesday 19 March 1997. In May 1998, the station begun a simulcast with Kovas sister WGL-FM (then on 102.3fm). On Monday 7 June 1999, the station switched to Rhythmic Oldies. In 2001, for an upcoming format and frequency change, WCKZ (then on 102.3fm) simulcasted with WYSR from February 26, 2001 through March 11, 2001. On Monday 12 March 2001, at Midnight, WYSR's calls disappeared and the WCKZ call letters and format moved up from the 102.3fm/Auburn allocation. As a Modern AC ("Star 94.1.") format, they used the URL http://www.star941.com

WCKZ-FM

WGL-FM changes calls then to WCKZ, as approved by the FCC on April 2, 1999. In preparation for the impending format change and frequency move, WCKZ (then on 102.3fm) simulcasted with WYSR (previously on 94.1fm) from February 26, 2001 through March 11, 2001. WCKZ moved from 102.3fm to 94.1fm, and flipped formats to Urban AC on March 12, 2001. WCKZ was sold (along with the other Kovas stations) to Travis Broadcasting Corp. in December 2001 for $7.5 million. In October 2003, WCKZ changed formats from 1980's hits to classic rock. WCKZ was purchased, along with its sister stations by Summit City Radio Group in July 2004. On September 1, 2006, WCKZ dropped its "Z-94" moniker and began simulcasting with sister-WXKE, which returned on that day to its former Rock format, as "Rock 104." In 2007, Summit City Radio Group sold 94.1fm to Public Broadcasting of Northeast Indiana, Inc. On May 1, 2007 at 10:00AM, 94.1fm changed call letters to WBNI while the WCKZ calls moved to 91.3fm.

WBNI-FM (94.1fm)

With parent Public Broadcasting of Northeast Indiana, Inc.'s $1.75 million acquisition of 94.1fm in early 2007, the WBNI calls moved from 91.3fm to 94.1fm on May 1, 2007 at 10:00AM.

For Further Reading...

"Star 94.1 tries new lineup." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette 7 July 1998. Page 5D.
"Rumbles, Part 1 (Street Talk)." Radio & Records 15 January 1999. Page 27.
"Rumbles, Part 1 (Street Talk)." Radio & Records 23 April 1999. Page 28.
Strudler, Shelby. "Alternative Airwaves." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 5 May 1999. Page 6D.
"WYSR Makes Switch to Oldies." Fort Wayne News-Sentinel 7 June 1999. Page 3F.
"WYSR change." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette 8 June 1999. Page 1D.
Downs, Emma. "New format pushes WEJE up FM dial." Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. 9 March 2001. Page 5A.
Hans, Jennifer Dawn. "Leading Lady." Business People Magazine. November 2005. Pages 69-73.
Gingery, Derrick. "NIPR to buy Summit City Radio station." Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly. 12 January 2007. Pages 1, 22.

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