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This Page Last Updated: Sunday 28 July 2019

The Essentials

Call Letters: WZPL
Frequency: 99.5fm
City of License: Greenfield
Metro(s): Indianapolis
Power: 12,500 watts @ 991 feet (AUX: 47,000 watts @ 479 feet) (Class B)
Format: Hot AC
Address: 9245 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46260-1835
Phone: 317.816.4000
Ownership: Entercom Communications Corp.
Web Presence: http://www.z995.com

Station Personnel

Current

VP/Market Manager: Jenny Skjodt
Director of Engineering: Alex Keddie (Also Corporate Regional Engineer at Entercom Communications Corp.)
Chief Engineer: Mike Rabey
Director of Sales: Ben Hoffman
NSM: Tahlia Dunn
OM/PD: JR Ammons (November 15, 2010 - Current) (From PD at WSTR in Atlanta, Georgia)
APD: Hunter (Also Imaging Director/Nights)
MD: Taylor Scott (September 2016 - Current) (Also nights on sister WNTR)
Production Director: Greg Browning (June 1, 2002 - Current)
Imaging Director: Hunter (Also APD/Nights)
Director of Marketing and Promotions: Sheri Acquisto
Promotions Director: Jeff Kuhn
Mornings: Dave Smiley (May 13, 2002 - Current) (5am - 10am) (From mornings at KZON in Phoenix, Arizona)
Mornings: Toni Williams (Co-Host) (5am - 10am)
Mornings: Nikki Reed (Co-Host) (5am - 10am)
Mornings: Will (Producer) (5am - 10am)
Mornings: Chris Vansickle (Assistant Producer) (5am - 10am)
Middays: Jenn Wilson (10am - 3pm)
Afternoons: Chase Daniels (3pm - 7pm)
Nights: Nathan Graham (7pm - 12am)

Former

WSMJ-FM

GM: Curt Steele (1978-1979)
GM: Katie Fordice (1976-1978)
GM: Tom Reeder (1975)
GM: Tom Romine (1973-1974)
GM: Roy Whitton (1968-1973)
GM: Earl Francis (1964-1967)
GM: Jim Parker
Chief Engineer: Curt Steele (1974-1979)
Chief Engineer: Ernest Wells (1965-1973)
Chief Engineer: Jim Parker
PD: Tim Renshaw (1976-1979)
PD: Larry Lannan (Retired) (1974-1975)
PD: Dave Anthony (1974-1975)
PD: Judy Stanley (1972-1973)
PD: Jason Thomas (1971-1972)
PD: Louise Wilson
MD: Karen Wilson (1978-1979)
MD: Jim Walsh (1976-1978)
News Director: Barbara Hembree
News Director: Tom Ewing
News Director: John Charles
News Director: Tim Roberts
News Director: Paul Stevens
News Director: Bill Shoemaker
Promotions Director: Robert McDavitt
Mornings: Jay W. Riley
Mornings: Dave Anthony
Mornings: Jason Thomas
Middays: Barbara Hembree ("Heartland Exchange")
Middays: Cindy Mann
Middays: Judy Stanley ("Judy Calling")
Middays: Brother Don Logan ("Good Time Gospel")
Middays: Vivian Ramsey ("Visit with Vivian")
Afternoons: Karen Wilson
Afternoons: Jim Walsh
Afternoons: Larry Lannan
Afternoons: Mike Dean
Afternoons: Sam Wade
Afternoons: Jim Johnson
Nights: Ralph Adams ("Jazz Perspective")
Nights: Ken Hayes
Nights: "Croucho" Larson
Nights: Lew Thompson
Nights: Mike James?Nights: Doug ("D.J.") Davidson
Nights: Dave Harding
Overnights: Larry Lannan ("Night Action") (Retired)
Overnights: Art Murphy ("Night Action")
Overnights: Gary Lee ("Night Action")
Weekends: Jim Johnson
Weekends: Brian Stevens
Weekends: Chuck Meadows ("Big Band Ballroom")
Weekends: J. J. Walker ("The Love Express")
Weekends: Jay Arlan ("Hymns in Harmony" 1974-1979)
Weekends: Earl McClarnon ("Hymns in Harmony" 1962-1974)

WWFM-FM

WIKS-FM

GM: William S. Powell (1979)
GM: John Piccirillo (1980-1981)
Chief Engineer: Curt Steele
Consulting Engineer: Jim Loupas (1979)
OM: Charlie Kendall (1979)
PD: C.C. Matthews (1981-1982)
PD: Jay Michaels (1981)
PD: Jim Owen (1980-1981)
PD: Michael Hedges (1979)
MD: Mike Tinnes (1980-1981)
MD: Don Geronimo (1979)
MD: Fred Moore (1979)
News Director: Bruce Eric Smallwood (1981-1982)
News Director: Bob White (1979-1980)
News Director: Barbara Hembree (1979)
News Anchor: Linda Shane (1980)
News Anchor: Brian Stevens (1979)
Sports Director: Paul Page
Sports Director: Mike Fornes
Production Director: Steve Lushbaugh
Production Director: Jay W. Riley
Promotions Director: John Gillis
Public Service Manager: Hubert Davis
Public Service Manager: Ralph Adams
Mornings: Commander Hutch
Mornings: Adam Smasher
Mornings: Dave Dugan
Mornings: "The Magic Christian"
Mornings: Ken Cocker
Middays: Steve Taylor
Middays: Mike Tinnes
Middays: Larry Scott
Middays: Steve Mitchell
Middays: Dick Chaffin
Afternoons: Johnathon Doll
Afternoons: Bobby Hatfield
Afternoons: Don Geronimo
Afternoons: Charlie Kendall
Afternoons: "Skip" Davis
Nights: Jay Stevens
Nights: Harry Lyles
Nights: Tom Gilligan
Nights: Thom Robinson
Nights: Fred Moore
Nights: Ralph Adams
Weekends: Dave McCann
Weekends: Chuck Larson
Weekends: Neal Flowers
Weekends: Kristi Lee
Weekends: Thom Christi
Weekends: Chuck Crane
Weekends: Johnny George
Weekends: John Gillis
Weekends: Brian Stevens

WZPL-FM

VP/Market Manager: Tim Medland (1990 - 2004)
VP/Market Manager: Phil Hoover (From Market Manager at Entercom's New Orleans, Louisiana stations) (Retired)
GM: Roger Ingram (Now Station Manager at KHAT(AM), KIMX-FM, KRQU-FM, and KUSZ-FM in Laramie, Wyoming)
GM: Ken Wolt
Chief Engineer: Don Payne (Deceased 12 December 2010)
Director of Sales: Steve Hartley (Formerly GSM) (Now of radio)
NSM: Emily Nunley-Gillespie (Now an Account Executive for WZPL)
GSM: Scott Rogers (November 2004 - ?)
GSM: Steve Archibald
GSM: Rick Miles
OM: Kim Hurst
OM/PD: Scott Sands (OM: February 2004 - 2010; PD: 1999 - 2010) (From PD at KFMB in San Diego, California) (Now PD of WSPD(AM) and WIOT-FM in Toledo, Ohio)
PD: Tom Gjerdrum (1995 - October 1999) (Now OM for Backyard Broadcasting's Sioux Falls, South Dakota cluster, as well as mornings on KELO-FM as "Tom Mitchell")
PD: Jim Cerone (1994-1995)
PD: Gary Hoffman (1983-1984; 1986-1987; 1993-1994) (From PD at KKDA-FM in Dallas, Texas) (Deceased 14 June 2015)
PD: Don London (1989 - 1993) (Now OM for the Entercom/Norfolk, Virginia radio stations)
PD: Scott Wheeler (1988-1989)
PD: Cat Simon (1985)
APD/MD: Garett Michaels (October 1990 - June 1993) (Now PD at XETRA-FM in San Diego, California)
APD: Paul Kenny ("John Trout")
APD: Kari Johll (July 2002 - ?; Assistant Director for Programming & Promotions: September 1, 2001 - July 2002; Programming & Promotions Coordinator: August 2000 - August 31, 2001) (Now afternoons as "KJ" at WNTR)
Music Director: Dave Decker (Now weekends on the Air-1 radio network.)
Music Director: Rob Blair (1994-1996)
Music Director: Fritz Moser (1993)
Music Director: Scott Wheeler (1987)
News Director: Ann Craig (1988 - 1991)
News Director: Julie Patterson
News Director: Sam Hammer
Director of Imaging: A.J. (August 2003 - August 2005) (From Director of Imaging at Entercom stations in Indianapolis.) (Now Imaging Director at KDWB in Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Production Director: Greg Browning (June 2002 - 2008)
Production Director: Tim Cramer (1995 - June 2002) (Now out of radio)
Production Director: Johnny George (1986 - 1993)
Promotions Director: Terri Trotter (1993-1994)
Promotions Director: Kay Feeney-Caito (1990-1993)
Promotions Director: Jeff Graves (? - July 1999) (Now with the Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway, as Director of Special Events)
Promotions Director: Tami Muhn-Wellbaum (Now out of radio)
Promotions Director: Toni Williams
Assistant Promotions Director: Melissa Abriani
Remote Coordinator/Promotions Assistant: Shane Williams (? - October 2000) (Now doing sales)
Mornings: Melissa Bricker (August 2002 - ?) (Now out of radio)
Mornings: Brian Moore (Producer) (5am - 10am)
Mornings: Steve King and Julie Patterson (5am - 9am) (1998 - February 13, 2002) (Now out of radio)
Mornings: Mark Vanness (Now out of radio)
Mornings: Julie Patterson and Jim Vincent
Mornings: Julie Patterson and Jay Baker with Carlos Diaz
Mornings: Julie Patterson and Dave McKay
Mornings: Ann Craig (1988 - 1991)
Mornings: Steve Stiles and Melody Owens
Mornings: Cat Simon
Mornings: Jerry Dennis
Mornings: Jonathan Doll (Now weekends at KLUV-FM in Dallas, Texas)
Middays: Ryan Seacrest ("On-Air with Ryan Seacrest") (10am - 2pm)
Middays: Deacon (10am - 3pm) (? - 2014)
Middays: Dave Decker
Middays: Molly Hulett (1994-1995)
Middays: Brian Stevens (1993)
Middays: Crystal McKenzie (1990 - 1993)
Middays: Don Payne (1983-1990)
Afternoons: "Hunter" (4pm - 7pm)
Afternoons: Kelly McKay (3pm - 7pm)
Afternoons: Jason Hammer (3pm - 7pm) (Producer)
Afternoons: Jim Vincent
Afternoons: Paul Kenny as "The Fishin’ Musician" Jammin’ John Trout
Afternoons: Scott Wheeler
Nights: "South Side" Jim Parker
Nights: Ted Striker (7pm - 12am) (November 1998 - June 2000) (From morning show producer at KBKS in Seattle, Washington) (Now weeeknds at KBKS in Seattle, Washington)
Nights: Jason Burns ("Buzz Craven") (7pm - 12am) (October 2, 2000 - October 3, 2001)
Nights: Greg Browning (7pm - 10pm) (? - December 2002)
Nights: Kim Iverson ("Your Time with Kim Iverson") (10pm - 12am)
Nights: Hunter (7pm - 10pm)
Nights: Rob Blair (Now with KCBA-TV in Monterey, California)
Nights: Jason Addams (? - September 1998) (Now program coordinator for the NASH country music brand, based in Nashville, Tennessee.)
Nights: Adam Ritz
Nights: "Butter" Kincaid
Nights: Jeff "the Energizer" Lewis
Nights: Shadow Daniels
Nights: Boog Matthews
Nights: Jay Stevens
Overnights: Dan Andrews (12am - 5am) (? - August 15, 2000) (Now MD/nights at WLRW in Champaign, Illinois)
Overnights: John Mills (12am - 5am) (September 2000 - ?) (From weekends at WHHH) (Now at Metro Traffic Networks in Indianapolis)
Weekends: Scott Baker
Weekends: Marci Beeks
Weekends: Tom Berg (Deceased 11 September 2016)
Weekends: Mike Cruise
Weekends: Casey Daniels
Weekends: Jason Hammer
Weekends: Craig Hixon
Weekends: Matt Luecking (August 1, 2005 - ?) (Deceased 24 October 2016)
Weekends: Chaszney Lynn
Weekends: Jules McGivern
Weekends: Taylor Scott
Weekends: Scott Styles
Weekends: John Flint (Now morning co-host at KSON in San Diego, California)
Weekends: Beau Richards
Weekends: "World Famous" Dave Myers
Weekends: Randy Kenyon
Weekends: Brad Majors
Weekends: Ed Gaynor
Weekends: "BackTraxx USA 90's with Kid Kelly" (Sunday 8am - 10am)
Weekends: "Fox All Access with Chris Leary" (Sunday 10pm - 12am)
Scott Brodie
R.J. Miles

Station History

99.5fm signed on June 1, 1962.

WSMJ-FM

Owned by Greenfield, Indiana pharmacist John Byrne, WSMJ signed on from studios at 640 W. 9th Street, Greenfield, IN 46140 (Telephone: 317.462.5511). In the mid 1970s, WSMJ relocated studios and transmitter to the former Smitherman Chicken Hatchery building at 1634 W. Main St., Greenfield, IN. WSMJ was unique among FM stations in that it used a separate horizontal and vertical transmission system, each fed by an RCA 10kw transmitter.

WWFM-FM

As part of the ownership transfer from WPFB Inc. to Heftel Broadcasting Corp., the WWFM call letters were applied for and assigned but never used. The format was to be beautiful music branded as "FM 100." Just prior to the transfer of license, Heftel Broadcasting Corp. — buoyed by the success of their "Kiss 108" WXKS Boston — abandoned the beautiful music plans for automated disco music as "Kiss 99" WIKS.

WIKS-FM

Owned by Heftel Broadcasting Corp. with studios at 1634 W. Main St. Greenfield, IN 46140 (Telephone: 317.924.9457). "Kiss 99" signed on with a disco music format at 12 midnight Saturday morning April 14, 1979. That afternoon, Tom Hoyt, president of Heftel Broadcasting Corp., described disco music as "the new beautiful music" in an interview with R.K. Shull, radio/television writer for the "Indianapolis News" afternoon newspaper.

WZPL-FM

With the launch of "99 and a half Indy’s New Apple" WZPL in 1983, the transmitter site was moved to the old WISH-TV (Channel 8) tower on the east side of Indianapolis. Studios relocated to 1440 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis — the site of the former studios of WISH-TV, AM & FM, then WIFE AM&FM and later WFYI and WPDS/WXIN television. Booth American Co. bought WZPL in 1986. In 1993, studios for WZPL moved to the College Park "Pyramids" at 3500 DePauw Blvd., Suite 1060, Indianapolis, IN 46268-1174 (Telephone: 317.899.9999). Booth American Broadcasting sold WZPL to Mystar Communications Corp. in 1994. In combination with co-owned WMYS-AM and WTPI-FM, the WZPL studios moved to 9245 North Meridian Street in 1995. MyStar sold WZPL, along with its sister stations, to Entercom Communications Corp. in April 2004 for $73.5 million.

For Further Reading...

Kukolla, Steve. "Unplugged Hoopla." Indianapolis Business Journal July 12 - July 18, 1993. Page 11A.
Kukolla, Steve. "WKLR lands ex-ZPL production chief." Indianapolis Business Journal July 26 - August 1, 1993. Page 10A.
Allan, Marc D. "Pair leave WZPL for rival WENS." The Indianapolis Star. 14 February 2002. Page A2.

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