Indiana RadioWatch: May 4, 2005

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Northeast

Summit City Hot AC/WYLT (103.9fm, Fort Wayne) OM/PD/Afternoon guy "Big" Dave Eubanks exits.

Northcentral

Fulmer Communications' Soft AC/WKAM (1460am, Goshen) flips format to Regional Mexican under new GM/MD Jose Solorzano. Thomas Bona, reporter at The Elkhart Truth says that Solorzano's company, Benara Corporation, signed a three year contract to lease and run the station. There's also an option to buy the station. The new "Radio Kanon" signed on Monday 18 April. Five years ago, Fulmer began airing Spanish-language programming 20 hours a week. Also of note as mentioned by Bona's article, Chicago Cubs baseball and Goshen High School athletics will continue to air in English.

Northwest

Via its WASK, Inc., Schurz Communications acquires the RadioWorks' stations in Lafayette: Classic Rock/WKHY (93.5fm, Lafayette) and CHR/WXXB (102.9fm, Delphi). WASK, Inc. began an LMA on Monday. The sales price was not disclosed, and Dan Duman of York Street Partners represented RadioWorks. Also, in March, Maverick Media bought RadioWorks' other stations in Rockford, Illinois, so this Lafayette sale represents owner Bob Rhea's exit from radio ownership.

Central

(Ed) Wank and (Dave) O'Brien return as the morning show on Emmis' Country/WLHK (97.1fm, Shelbyville). The "Hank-FM" airstaff lineup:

Mornings: Wank and O'Brien (5:00AM - 9:00AM)
Middays: Ernie Mills ("Ernie") (9:00AM - 2:00PM)
Afternoons: Ann Duran ("Annie") (2:00PM - 7:00PM)
Nights: Todd Kangas (7:00PM - 12:00AM)

Emmis' CHR/WNOU (93.1fm, Indianapolis) debuts The Pop Culture Countdown, for distribution via the Internet. The countdown is hosted by WNOU midday lady Mysti, and has no inventory or barter. If you're interested in seeing more, check out http://www.popculturecountdown.com or contact Executive Producer Chris Edge at 317.684.8406.

Where Are They Now? Former Emmis CHR/WNOU (93.1fm, Indianapolis) MD/Midday lady Jana Sutter now holds down similar duties at Orlando's CHR/WXXL (106.7).

Radio Spotlight

This week, IRW sits down with Bill Dixon, owner of WAWC-FM.

Name: Bill Dixon
Job Title: Licensee
Station: WAWC-FM
Owner: Me!
Market(s): Arthur's Fresh, Lantz' Family ... Oh! Kosciusko, Elkhart, and Noble Counties.

Who were your early DJ or radio station influences? (Perhaps what lead you to "catch the radio bug.")

My parents and relatives all listened to WGN and WOWO. It made me sick we didn't have a local station that was any good.

What makes your station unique?

All local, all the time.

Who are your mentor(s)?

Darryl Morris, the licensee/GM of the first commercial station I worked for. Also, WOWO and WGN's airstaffs from the 1970's.

What's the best advice you'd give to those wanting to get into radio?

Learn HTML and be ready to go forward in new directions, not the old directions. Railroads don't have porters anymore; radio's jobs are about to go through a similar contraction and redefinition.

Where do you see the radio industry five years from now?

Radio in 2005 is about where the railroads were in 1947: Coming off a big economic boom, they were losing passengers to airlines and cars, like we're losing to satellite and the internet. They were entering expensive dieselization, we're entering expensive digitalization. One of the railroads biggest customers, the post office, was increasingly looking elsewhere during a period of change of their own, while for us GM and Ford are losing money and must make changes, too. They were seen as old-technology, and we're...well, you get the picture. Which railroads survived? The ones that saw the future as what is was, and not what they'd like it to be. Radio in 5 years will be in a period of severe contraction, with the mid-level consolidators struggling to make ends meet while doing the same, tired old things, and the biggest of the consolidators sliding toward the same position, just like the New York Central and Pennsylvania were doing in 1953.

What's the most important issue in radio today?

Read question 5. We have to redefine who we are and what we do. Some of us will and survive. Most of us won't and our assets will be bought out of bankruptcy.

What's your favorite out-of-market radio station, and why?

WGN. They're all local in a huge metro. Gotta love it.

Who's your favorite air personality that isn't working for you?

Tommy Allen, and he isn't working for anyone.

What book have you read that has taught you the most about the radio business?

Reis and Trout's marketing books.

What's your biggest pet peeve?

People calling up to ask if there's a school delay.

Employment Opportunities

APD/Morning Talent needed ASAP!

Assistant Program Director needed for our heritage N/T station. You'll help supervise air staff, pull a AM Drive Air shift. Production and remotes included. Knowledge of SAW, AXS, and Cool Edit all a plus!

To apply, send your resume to:

Holly Lindsey - IRW
WBIW-AM
P.O. Box 1307
Bedford, IN 47421

No emails or phone calls please. Lean more about us at http://www.wbiw.com

That's it for this issue. See you in a week!


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