Indiana RadioWatch: December 3, 2008
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!): Mc-Graw
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.
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All pages Copyright Blaine Thompson. Articles, photos, corrections, and
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