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This Page Last Updated: Sunday 6 March 2022

The Essentials

Call Letters: WBYR
Frequency: 98.9fm
City of License: Woodburn
Metro(s): Fort Wayne
Power: 50,000 watts @ 453 feet (Class B)
Format: Rock
Address: 2915 Maples Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46816-3199
Phone: 260.447.5511
Ownership: Pathfinder Communications Corp.
Web Presence: http://www.wbyr.com

Station Personnel

Current

GM: Ben Saurer (January 3, 2020 - Current)
Director of Engineering: Mogan David
GSM: Kassie Taksey (February 2020 - Current)
PD: Kyle Guderian
Promotions Director: Kaytlin Hart
Mornings: The Jason Lee and Kluck Show (6am - 10am)
Middays: Heather Rooney (10am - 3pm)
Afternoons: Gunner Haznogunz (3pm - 7pm)
Nights: hardDrive Radio with Lou Brutus (7pm - 12am)

Former

WERT-FM

President: Raymond I. Kandel
GM: Donna Wermer
Chief Engineer: Ray Tanner
News Director: Ken Devon
Promotions Director: Larry Rich

WKSD-FM

President/GM: Chris Caggiano ('Chris Cage') (Deceased 1 September 2015)
Chief Engineer: Bob Matthews
PD: James Dunn
News Director: Deborah Duncan

WBYR-FM

GM: Chris Caggiano ('Chris Cage') (Deceased 1 September 2015)
GM: Joe Conway (? - May 15, 1996) (Now Market Manager for the Cumulus stations in Fayetteville, Arkansas)
GM: Bob Schutt (1996 - November 2001) (Formerly with WRIF in Detroit, Michigan, and WDVE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
GM: Jim Allgeier (January 2, 2002 - ?) (From the Citadel Communications stations in Lansing, Michigan)
Director of Engineering: Jack Didier
Director of Sales: Mark Osborn (February 15, 2002 - ?) (From Sales Manager at WBYR) (Now LSM for the Adams Radio Group, Inc. radio stations in Fort Wayne.)
GSM: Dave Stevens
GSM: Chris Clendenon (? - June 1, 1998) (Now GSM at WROV in Roanoke, Virginia)
GSM: Bart Schacht (July 1, 2003 - ?)
GSM: Ann Earnhart-Tenney (? - October 24, 2012)
GSM: Joel Pyle (October 24, 2012 - ?)
GSM: Stephanie Todich (December 1, 2013 - May 15, 2015)
NSM: Mary DePrez
GSM: Rob Livergood (May 2015 - November 2015)
GSM: Shelly Steckler (February 2016 - February 2019)
Director of Non-Traditional Revenue: Jack Hammer (Now out of radio)
OM: Darren Arriens (June 1996 - July 1997) (Deceased 21 April 2020)
OM: John Rozz (August 1997 - June 1998) (From APD/PD at WBGG in Miami, Florida) (Now PD at WARO and WXNX in Fort Myers, Florida)
OM/PD: Jim Fox (OM: January 2001 - September 2003; PD: October 1998 - September 2003) (From PD at WMFS in Memphis, Tennessee) (Now OM of the Entercom radio stations in Sacramento, California and PD of their KKDO and KRXQ.)
OM: Billy Elvis
OM: 'Stiller'
PD: John Robertson (January 11, 1989 - ?) (Now PD at WRRK in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
PD: Buzz Casey (? - May 15, 1996) (Now OM for the Townsquare radio stations in Poughkeepsie, New York)
PD: Scott Hamilton (August 1998 - August 1998) (From OM/PD at WXFX in Montgomery, Alabama)
PD: Greg Gillispie (November 1, 2003 - March 16, 2004)
PD: Cindy Miller (May 2004 - September 2006) (Now PD at WSFL-FM in New Bern, North Carolina)
PD: Chuck Wright (June 18, 2007 - ?) (From PD/afternoons at WYPW)
PD: Matt Talluto ('Gasman') (January 6, 2014 - ?) (MD: April 1999 - December 15, 2006; Middays: ? - December 15, 2006, Mornings: May 2002 - January 2004. Afternoons before that.) (From afternoons at WHQG in Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
APD/MD: Roxanne McVay (Did Mornings alongside Lester St. James in 1989 and 1990. Left in 1990 and returned in 1993. From Mornings to ? in ?; From Nights to Middays in March 1994. APD: November 1997 - ?; Interim PD: June 1998 - August 1998; September 1998 - October 1998) (Deceased 8 December 2007)
APD/MD: Don Buettner (Now PD at the WLAB Radio Network)
MD: Woody (Now GM at WAWC, WRSW(AM)/WRSW-FM)
MD: Shannon Norris (May 2000 - January 2002) (From WIMZ in Knoxville, Tennessee)
Production Director: Earl Rolling ('Tuna' Jon Rose) (? - November 2001) (Deceased 11 January 2003)
Production Director: Dick (2000 - 2004)
Production Director: Steve Brelsford (? - August 27, 2012) (Now Production Director at WAJI and WLDE)
Production Director: Cliff Mitchell (August 27, 2012 - ?)
Promotions Director: Jodi Hamilton (June 2000 - ?)
Promotions Director: Nikki Jasperson (November 2009 - September 13, 2013) (From Promotions Director/Sales Assistant for the Cumulus Broadcasting radio stations in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)
Promotions Director: Kristin Craft (October 29, 2013 - April 2015)
Promotions Director: Suzanna Pynakker (April 22, 2015 - March 29, 2016)
Promotions Director: Sally Allgeier (March 21, 2016 - July 14, 2017)
Promotions Director: Krystal Smith (March 9, 2018 - ?)
Promotions Coordinator: Paige Fransen (March 9, 2018 - January 29, 2019; Promotions Director: July 17, 2017 - March 8, 2018)
Promotions Coordinator: Clare Ramel (February 18, 2019 - ?)
Mornings: Lester St. James (1989 - 1990)
Mornings: 'Psycho' Joel Haas (June 1997 - May 2000) (Producer) (Now with XM Satellite Radio in Washington, DC)
Mornings: Billy Elvis and Jack Hammer (January 1991 - March 8, 2002)
Mornings: Laureen (6am - 10am) (? - January 2004)
Mornings: Tommy Collins (6am - 10am) (January 12, 2004 - ?) (From Promotions Director/afternoons at WXNR in Greenville, North Carolina)
Mornings: Parker Thomas ('Parker') (6am - 10am)
Mornings: 'The Bob and Tom Show' (6am - 10am) (March 29, 2012 - December 2015) (syndicated from WFBQ)
Mornings: 'John the Mexican' ('The Morning After') (6am - 10am)
Middays: Shannon Norris (February 1999 - January 2002) (From WIMZ in Knoxville, Tennessee)
Middays: Earl Rolling ('Tuna' Jon Rose) (From Afternoons) (Deceased 11 January 2003)
Middays: John Robertson (January 11, 1989 - ?) (Now PD at WRRK in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Middays: Roxanne McVay (March 1994 - ?) (Deceased 8 December 2007)
Middays: Woody (10am - 3pm) (May 2002 - ?; Nights: February 1996 - June 1999.) (In between, he worked at local TV station WPTA-TV.) (Now GM at WAWC, WRSW(AM)/WRSW-FM)
Middays: Cristi Cantle (10am - 3pm) (January 2004 - ?) (From MD/nights at WKLQ in Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Middays: 'Stiller' (10am - 2pm)
Middays: 'Jenna' (10am - 1pm) (? - July 21, 2012)
Middays: 'Gasman' (10am - 2pm)
Afternoons: Hal Brandt (From nights) (? - February 1996) (Now out of radio)
Afternoons: Joe Maumee (3pm - 7pm) (? - March 5, 2004) (From middays) (Now nights at KRQX in Sacramento, California)
Afternoons: 'Mary Jane' (2pm - 7pm) (? - March 2009)
Afternoons: Turner Watson ('Turner') (1pm - 4pm) (March 29, 2012 - June 2014; Mornings: January 12, 2004 - March 28, 2012) (From APD/MD/middays at WXNR in Greenville, North Carolina)
Afternoons: Mike Davidson (2pm - 7pm) (January 2016 - ?) (From APD/Afternoons at WMYK)
Nights: Earl Rolling ('Tuna' Jon Rose) (March 1994 - ?) (Deceased 11 January 2003)
Nights: Brian Kendall (June 2000 - February 2002) (From afternoons at WMFS in Memphis, Tennessee) (Now with Bill Young Productions in Houston, Texas)
Nights: Irizarry (May 2002 - January 2004) (7pm - 12am) (From middays as 'Chris James' at WKHY) (Now out of radio)
Nights: Dick (7pm - 12am) (Nights: 1999 - 2000; Mornings: 2000 - 2003; Nights: 2003-2004)
Nights: Barry (From mornings) (7pm - 12am)
Overnights: Don Buettner (Now PD at the WLAB Radio Network)
Overnights: Craven Morehead (12am - 6am)
Overnights: Mike Edwards (June 1997 - ?; Weekends before that)
Overnights: Barry Thickk (12am - 6am) (? - November 2004; ? - May 2017)
Overnights: Stamos (12am - 6am)
Overnights: 'Drew Cage' (12am - 6am) (From nights)
Weekends: Steven Payne ('Steve McKee') (January 11, 1989 - 1996)
Weekends: Susan Harley (? - October 1996)
Weekends: Ashley Madyson (Now afternoons at WYXX)
Weekends: Best of The Jason Lee and Kluck Show (Saturday 6:00am - 10:00am)
Weekends: Heather Rooneey (Satuday 10am - 3pm)
Weekends: Kyle G. (Saturday 3pm - 9pm)
Weekends: Eddie Trunk (Satuday 9pm - 12am)
Weekends: Up Close (Sunday 6:30am - 7am)
Weekends: Racing Rocks w/ Riki Rachtman (Sunday 8am - 10am)
Weekends: Mike Davidson (Sunday 10am - 3pm)
Weekends: Kyle G. (Sunday 3pm - 8pm)
Weekends: hardDrive Radio with Lou Brutus (Sunday 8pm - 10pm)
Airstaff: 'Super' Dave Shaw (? - October 1996)
Airstaff: Buster McKenzie (? - April 1997)

Station History

98.9fm signed on October 1, 1962.

WERT-FM

WERT-FM had 3,500 watts at 150 feet.

WKSD-FM

WKSD(FM) had 50,000 watts at 130 feet. AC format.

WBYR-FM

WBYR signed on with a classic hits format (9,890 songs, commercial free) on January 11, 1989. At that time, the radio station mailing address was PO Box 11160, Fort Wayne, IN 46856. Regional Radio Corp. sold WBYR in April 1996 for $5.85 million to Pathfinder Communications Corp.. WBYR was licensed to Van Wert, Ohio until late 2008, when the city of license moved across the border to Woodburn, Indiana. Studios formerly located at 1005 Production Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46808-4107. WBYR moved to its Maples Road location and went live from there on Monday April 1, 2013.

For Further Reading...

Kilbane, Kevin. "Local radio stations do the talent shuffle." Fort Wayne News-Sentinel.. 30 March 1994. Page 1F, 5F.
Kilbane, Kevin. "Federated Media agrees to purchase WBYR, 98.9-FM." Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. 24 April 1996. Page 4A.
"The Bear losing 3 staffers." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 2 May 1996. Page 3D.

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