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This Page Last Updated: Saturday 17 December 2011

The Essentials

Frequency: 1250am
Frequency: 102.9fm
Frequency: Formerly 94.1fm
Frequency: Formerly 102.3fm
City of License: Fort Wayne
Metro(s): Fort Wayne
Power: 2300 watts - Day, 1500 watts - Night (DA-2)
Format: Standards
Address: 2000 Lower Huntington Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46819-1297
Phone: 260.747.1511
FAX: 260.747.3999
Ownership: Summit City Radio Group
Network Affiliation(s): Premiere Radio Networks ("Delilah")
Web Presence: http://www.1029theriver.com

Station Personnel

Current

WGL(AM)

Co-GM/SM: Dave Riethmiller
Co-GM/OM/PD: J.J. Fabini
Production Director: Jason Lee
Promotions Director: Michele Tessier
News Director: Leslie Stone
Mornings: Jeff Rollins (6:00am - 12:00pm)
Early Afternoons: Dave Ramsey (12:00pm - 3:00pm)
Afternoons: Pat White (3:00pm - 6:00pm) (Afternoons: February 14, 2011 - Current)
Afternoons: Diane Current (3:00pm - 6:00pm) (Producer) (Afternoons: February 14, 2011 - Current)
Nights: Chick Watkins (6:00pm - 12:00am)
Overnights: Don Reid (12:00am - 6:00am)

WGL-FM

Co-GM/SM: Dave Riethmiller
Co-GM/OM/PD: J.J. Fabini
Mornings: JJ Morgan (6:00am - 10:00am)
Late Mornings: Chuck Dnever (10:00am - 11:00am)
Middays: Trina Neeley (11:00am - 4:00pm) (From middays at WMEE)
Afternoons: Rashke (4:00pm - 7:00pm)
Nights: Delilah (7:00pm - 12:00am)
Overnights: Cathy Taylor (12:00am - 1:00am)
Overnights: Cami (1:00am - 6:00am)

Former

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)
President: Karen Travis
VP/Programming: Bob Travis
GM: George Hays (November 2001 - ?) (From GSM at WFWI)
GM: Connie Kovas
VP/GM: John Sloan (January 1997 - ?)
GM: Bill Collins (July 1995 - ?)
GM: Palmer Pyle (? - March 1998)
Chief Engineer: Steve Gagle
Director of Sales: David Wisniewski (September 2004 - February 2006) (From Station Manager at Artistic Media Partners in South Bend) (Now Director of Sales for the Zimmer Radio Group of stations in Columbia, Missouri)
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)
SM: Nancy Cunningham (March 1998 - ?)
SM: Dick O'Day
SM: Lloyd Roach (July 18, 2006 - ?)
SM: Scott Howard (January 2007 - ?)
OM: Dave Lang (? - March 1998)
OM: Jack Holliday (? - February 1, 2002)
PD: Eric Kinder
PD: Dean Taylor (September 2000 - December 2000) (From WBOW)
PD: Brian Michel (February 1999 - February 20, 2001) (From WPTE in Norfolk, Virginia) (Now OM/PD at KUDD and KUUU in Salt Lake City, Utah)
PD: Bill Hausman (1958 - ~1969)
News Director: Chuck Crouse (September 1964 - July 1967)
News Director: Don Bradley (November 1967 - ?) (Then onto a career as News Director at WPTA-TV, which he left in 2005.)
News Director: Jon Duffey (1976 - 1977)
News Director: Dean Jackson (? - September 9, 2005) (Now out of radio)
Sports Director: Lefty Davis (? - 1997?)
Director of Creative Services: Mathew Albro (May 2005 - ?) (From Production and Operations Manager for Bacon's Broadcast Monitoring)
Production Director: Scott Kolesar (March 1998 - December 1998)
Production Director: Roxanne McVay (March 2001 - March 2001) (Deceased 8 December 2007)
Production Director: Brian Michel (October 1998 - February 20, 2001) (From WPTE in Norfolk, Virginia) (Now OM/PD at KUDD and KUUU in Salt Lake City, Utah)
Promotions Director: Courtney Heiser
Promotions Director: Deb Washler
Newsperson: Melissa Long (Now a TV Anchorperson at WPTA-TV in Fort Wayne)
Newsperson: Dan Knight (January 1997 - ?)
Newsperson: John Perlich (Now out of radio)
Mornings: Don Imus (6:00am - 9:00am) (syndicated via Westwood One) (? - October 1999)
Mid-Mornings: Dave Macy (9:00am - 11:00am) (February 24, 2003 - ?) (AM) (From mornings at WOWO)
Mornings: Rod Tanner (6am - 12pm) (AM)
Middays: Jim Rome (11:00am - 2:00pm) (AM)
Early Afternoons: Carl Hampton (12:00pm - 3:00pm) (AM)
Afternoons: G. Gordon Liddy (4:00pm - 6:00pm) (March 1998 - ?)
Afternoons: Paul Phillips (? - December 1995)
Afternoons: Rusty Humphries (August 1997 - February 1998) (Now nationally syndicated)
Afternoons: Chad Mitchell (Producer) (Now morning co-host at WRMF in West Palm Beach, Florida)
Afternoons: Andy Roman (August 1998 - August 1998)
Afternoons: Shane Albahrani (August 1998 - September 1998) (Now promotions manager at WFFT-TV in Fort Wayne)
Afternoons: Tony Kornheiser (Syndicated) (September 1998 - ?)
Afternoons: Doug Dingler (September 7, 1999 - October 1999) (Now out of radio)
Afternoons: Michael Savage (2:00pm - 4:00pm) (January 2000 - ?)
Afternoons: Bill O'Reilly (3:00pm - 5:00pm)
Afternoons: B.J. Steele (12:00pm - 6:00pm)
Early Evenings: G. Gordon Liddy (7:00pm - 9:00pm)
Nights: Larry King (9:00pm - 10:00pm)
Nights: Al Russell (~1958 - ~1965)
Nights: Don Amstutz (~1962 - ~1969)
Nights: Phil Hendrie (6:00pm - 9:00pm) (September 2000 - ?)
Late Nights: Jeff Rense (9:00pm - 1:00am)
Overnights: Art Bell (March 1998 - ?) (12:00am - 5:00am)
Newsperson: Rod Tanner
Producer: Tom Williams (? - May 1997) (Deceased 9 January 1998)
Producer: Sean Lee (January 2000 - February 2001) (Now out of radio)
Sportscaster: Len Davis (Deceased 11 August 1997)
Robert Dudash (Deceased 1 April 1999) ("Bob Dean")

Station History

WGL(AM)

Signing on January 24, 1924, WGL started out as WHBJ (1370am), then WCWK (1280am). WGL moved to 1450am, then 1370am (100 watts), and now it's at 1250am. In February 1998, the station flips format to sports; most of its programming came from One-On-One Sports Network (now "The Sporting News Radio Network.") As a result, they dropped G. Gordon Liddy, Tom Leykis, Art Bell, and local host Rusty Humphries, but they retained syndicated morning host Don Imus. Between September 1998 and August 2000, WGL aired ESPN Radio, claiming it from rival WOWO. By August 2000, ESPN's affiliation moved to rival WONO (WOWO's sister station) WGL was sold (along with the other Kovas Communications stations) to Travis Broadcasting Corp. in December 2001, for $7.5 million. WGL was purchased, along with its sister stations by Summit City Radio Group in July 2004. On May 17, 2005, the sports format ended, and WGL became an adult standards station, later using "The River" as its slogan. On April 19, 2007, WGL dropped Dial Global's "Standards" satellite format and went all local music programming.

WGL-FM (94.1fm)

The former WGL-FM (94.1fm) is now WCKZ.

WGL-FM (102.3fm)

WGL-FM (102.3fm) started out as a simulcast of WGL(AM). In May 1998, it flipped to a simulcast of Modern AC/WYSR. It changed format to rhythmic CHR in January 1999. A March 1999 call letter change soon followed to WCKZ (Most of the history concering this station's foray as a rhythmic CHR is on the WCKZ page.) It's now WGBJ.

WGL-FM (102.9fm)

103.1fm (then licensed to Roanoke) signed on September 1, 1965. 103.1fm later moved to 102.9fm. Switched call letters from WWGL to WGL in April 2007.

For Further Reading...

"Bill Collins Promoted to General Manager of WGL." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 28 July 1995. Page 6D.
"Kovas, Williams replace Collins." Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. 12 March 1996. Page 2A.
Robinson, Dean. "Country reigns as K105 leads in local radio ratings." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 24 January 1997. Page 9D.
"Newsbreakers" Radio & Records. March 28, 1997. Page 12.
Robinson, Dean. "Broadcaster Williams retiring." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 30 April 1997. Page 2D.
Sebring, Blake. "Former broadcaster Len Davis passes away at 72." Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. 12 August 1997. Page 1S.
Shepherd, Michelle L. "Veteran broadcaster Tom Williams dies." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 11 January 1998. Page 14A.
Vela, Susan. "Former broadcaster in city dies of heart attack at 60." Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. 12 January 1998. Page 10A.
Robinson, Dean. "WGL Gives Sports Talk A Try; WEJE Loses Edge." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 28 January 1998. Page 2D.
Edmonds, Rhea. "4 radio stations to get new owner." Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. 3 November 2001. Page 7B.
Frazier, Lynne McKenna. "Kovases to sell 4 radio stations to company based in Virginia." Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. 3 November 2001. Page 3A.
"Dave Macy to return to airwaves, complete with more controversy." The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel. February 22, 2003. Page 7A.
Emerson, Laura. "WOWO sues to block fired host Macy's new gig." The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette. February 25, 2003. Page 2D.
"WOWO files court papers against Macy's new show." The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel. February 25, 2003. Page 3A.
Emerson, Laura. "Ex-WOWO host fights for job at competition." The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette. March 4, 2003. Page 2C.
Hans, Jennifer Dawn. "Leading Lady." Business People Magazine. November 2005. Pages 69-73.

RadioWatch Mentions

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31 March 2001
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23 September 2006

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