Indiana RadioWatch: January 29, 2018

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With today's IRW, I hit the "reset" button on employment opportunities. If you need quality help, please send me your advertisement.

Scott Fybush wrote most of today's content. I'm starting to get back into the swing of things.

In an upcoming IRW, I'll have one Indiana broadcaster's 1978 blizzard remembrance. I'd like to include more Indiana broadcasters – If you were in radio during the 1978 Indiana blizzard, please let me know. I'd like to share your memories.

Statewide

Indiana Community Radio Corporation is donating 990 WRFM Muncie, 88.1 WJCF-FM Morristown, 91.5 WCNB Dayton, 91.7 W219DO Edinburgh, 97.7 W249DG North Vernon, 101.5 W268BJ Muncie, 102.9 W275BD Greenfield, 103.5 W278BB Greensburg, and 104.3 W282AZ Greensburg IN to New Beginnings Movement. The two entities share an address and two directors, including Marty Hensley.

Northeast

Antenna TV, which recently disappeared from Nexstar's WANE (Channel 15) in Fort Wayne, is returning to the market as a subchannel of Heartland Media Fox affiliate WFFT (Channel 55). The deal, which also includes Heartland stations in Minnesota and Missouri, will bring the retro channel back to the market in about 90 days.

Where Are They Now? Former WPTA-TV GM Chris Fedele becomes the GM at WTVG-TV in Toledo, Ohio.

Northcentral

We remember Dick Williams, who died Dec. 30 at 90. Mr. Williams was a U.S. Army veteran who served during World War II. In 1956, he joined the business staff of the Elkhart Truth, becoming business manager and eventually secretary-treasurer of Truth Publishing Co. and its broadcast offshoots. Those included Truth Radio Co. (WTRC Elkhart) and eventually Pathfinder Communications and Federated Media. Mr. Williams retired in 1991. His son Brad now serves as CEO of Federated Media.

Northwest

Eric Pfeiffer joins Hoosier Ag Today, managing the radio and digital newsgathering operation. Mr. Pfeiffer's experience includes serving as news director at WSAL/WLHM in Logansport and as telecommunications systems specialist at Purdue University. Pfeiffer will be based in West Lafayette.

Central

WTTV (Channel 4)/WXIN (Channel 59) evening news anchor Bob Donaldson underwent hip-replacement surgery Jan. 17. Mr. Donaldson is recuperating and hopes to be back on the air at the end of February.

WXIN, meanwhile, welcomes Krista McEnany as its new weekend meteorologist. Ms. McEnany had been working at WFIE (Channel 14) in Evansville. And on WTTV, former WISH-TV (Channel 8) meteorologist Robb Ellis is now being seen on weekday mornings. Ellis is replacing (at least temporarily) Lindsay Riley, now at KPNX (Channel 12) in Phoenix. Ellis is still being seen on weekends in Chicago at WBBM-TV, where he has some new Indianapolis company. Vi Nguyen, formerly of WISH (Channel 8), has moved to Chicago as a reporter for the CBS owned-and-operated station. Ms. Nguyen is a graduate of Depaul University.

Public broadcaster WFYI (Channel 20/90.1fm) has hired David Slade as its new chief development officer. Mr. Slade had been national manager of major gifts, partnership marketing and communications for the US Tennis Association Foundation.

Congratulations to the Smiley Morning Show on Entercom's WZPL/99.5fm. Their annual Request-A-Thon raised more than $700,000 for Make-A-Wish of Indiana.

Congratulations to WEEM (91.7fm) at Pendleton High School. For a third consecutive year, it has been named a finalist in the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System's National High School Radio Station of the Year competition. WEEM won the national award in the 2015-2016 school year.

Update: 3 Towers Broadcasting earns translator W292FM (106.3fm/Shelbyville) for their CHR/WSVX (1520am, Shelbyville), extending coverage of "Giant FM" northward from its existing 96.5fm translator at the AM site on Morristown Road, on the north side of Shelbyville.

Where Are They Now (Part 1)? Former WZPL APD/MD Garett Michaels now programs XERTA-FM (91X) in the San Diego, California market.

Where Are They Now (Part 2)? Former Indianapolis DJ "Trapper John" joined SiriusXM as PD for Y2KCountry and APD for The Highway.

Westcentral

Update: Midwest Broadcasting completed its format shift at 102.7fm/Terre Haute on Dec. 26, flipping WBOW from Christmas music to Classic Hits as "The Wabash Valley's Greatest Hits." The former WDWQ had been one of Midwest's two country signals, competing with recently-acquired (and format-dominant) WTHI/99.9fm. The venerable WBOW calls had been on sister station 98.5fm until it became "River" WWVR in 2017, and had then been parked on 1440am/Paris IL. (That station becomes WIBU, simulcasting Midwest's talk WIBQ/1230am in Terre Haute.)

Former WDWQ morning host Jay Cruz stays on with WBOW. Former 98.5 middayer Julie Henricks returns to WBOW and keeps her job at WTWO-TV. Dan Stone of Midwest's WNCY in Green Bay WI is tracking afternoons.

Southeast

Ryan Media's WXVW/1450am in Jeffersonville is paying $200,000 for its translator. Charles Anderson put W241CK (96.1fm) on the air in 2013 as a simulcast of WXVW's "Big X Sports Radio" and is now selling the translator to Ryan.

Southcentral

Dave Taylor began his career in radio in 1977 at WVCM in Carrollton, then moved to WORX in Madison in 1981. He moved into print in 1983, eventually becoming editor of the Trimble Banner, a position from which Mr. Taylor retired in early January.

Southwest

Eli Roberts has left Evansville's WEVV (Channel 44) - and the country. Mr. Roberts, who had been with WEVV for a year, has joined Israel's i24 News as a Tel Aviv-based anchor and Middle East correspondent. Mr. Roberts had previously worked for Israel's Channel One and has also worked for WFTX-TV in Fort Myers, Florida.

I'll be back soon! That's all for this issue. Thank you for your continued support.

Blaine Thompson
Indiana RadioWatch

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