Indiana RadioWatch: July 20, 2017
Former Minneapolis Star Tribune account executive Mike Orth joins Adams Radio Group in a newly created VP/Digital Sales role. Adams Radio Group owns clusters in Fort Wayne and Valparaiso (which they call "Northern Indiana").
Northeast
The Allen County Public Library's Variety/WELT-LP (95.7fm, Fort Wayne) names Otto Boschet their interim GM after the untimely death last week of GM Erik Möllberg. Also, the WELT studios have been renamed in honor of Mr. Möllberg. Finally, A Celebration of Life service will be held for Mr. Möllberg on Friday July 21 at Swem Chapel, 30 W. Front St., Buchanan, MI 49107 from 10:00am until Noon, with a service to follow.
Northeast Indiana Public Radio's WBOI (89.1fm, Fort Wayne) reporter and local host of "Morning Edition" Lisa Ryan will soon exit to join ideastream, the public radio and TV stations serving the Cleveland, Ohio area. Ms. Ryan will be an associate producer. At WBOI, this means that Zach Bernard, local All Things Considered host, will temporarily transition to host Morning Edition beginning next Monday (07/24). Producer and Host Ben Clemmer will become the local All Things Considered host, while WBOI conducts a national search for a new host and reporter. Finally, if that challenge interests you, please see our Employment Opportunities section below.
Central
Our best wishes to veteran Dispatch Broadcasting's NBC affiliate/WTHR-TV (Channel 13) evening anchor John Stehr took a leave of absence to recover from open heart surgery. Mr. Stehr joined "13 WTHR" in 1995.
Westcentral
Veteran Terre Haute broadcaster Ronn Mott died late Monday night at age 81. Mr. Mott worked at nearly every Terre Haute radio ownership group (past and present!) Since 2012, he worked for DLC Media's Oldies/WAXI (104.9fm, Rockville) along with penning a column for The Terre Haute Tribune-Star. Mr. Mott compiled nearly 64 years in broadcasting, and here's one of his last Tribune-Star columns. Finally, Mr. Mott's wife Deanna wrote a beautiful obituary. Visition will be held at the Frist Funeral Home, 450 Blackman Street, Clinton, IN 47842 on Tuesday July 25 from 5:00pm until 8:00pm and on Wednesday July 26 from 10:00am until the Noon service, with military honors.
In 2014, the FCC granted Birach Broadcasting's application to move the former 640am, Terre Haute allocation up to Peotone, Illinois, south of Chicago. Birach will shut off and surrender the license to their WMFN(AM) in Zeeland, Michigan (Grand Rapids market) to make this move happen. This week, several of our readers told IRW that WMFN (640am, Peotone, Illinois) was testing on the air.
In a story you'll first read about here, DLC Media hires Terre Haute area native Scott Jones as Sports Director for Sports/WFNF (1130am, Brazil) also heard on translator W258BA (99.5fm, Terre Haute).
That's all for this issue. Thank you for your continued support.
Blaine Thompson
Indiana RadioWatch
Back to the Archive Index
All pages Copyright
Blaine Thompson. Articles, photos, corrections, and other contributions should be
e-mailed to the editors.