Indiana RadioWatch: May 4, 2013
As you read, do please examine our "Radio Spotlight" interview, where IRW asks a few questions of new Northeast Indiana Public Radio GM Peter Dominowski.
Northeast
As we begin spring, here is a thought: Which northeast Indiana radio station will flip format before the leaves turn those lovely autumnal colors?
LIN Media's CBS affiliate WANE-TV (Channel 15, Fort Wayne) adds Gina Glaros as a reporter and weekend news anchor. Ms. Glaros last worked at WANE-TV's sister station WTHI-TV (Channel 10, Terre Haute).
CSN International receives a CP for translator W245CA (96.9fm, Fort Wayne).
Clear Channel receives a CP for translator W298BJ (107.5fm, Fort Wayne).
Davie, Florida-based Luckland Corp. sells five Fort Wayne LPTV CP's to Sunrise, Florida-based DTV America Corp. for $5,000 per CP. The sale also includes LPTV CP's in Alabama, Idaho and Illinois. The five Fort Wayne CP's are W16CU-D,
W29DX-D, W41DS-D, W43DI-D and W49DP-D.
Yesterday, Fort Wayne Public Television's PBS affiliate WFWA-TV (Channel 39, Fort Wayne) began a three-year $2.5 million fund drive to raise money for upgrading equipment (master control, editing bays and studios), a new transmitter
(for a Construction Permit to increase power from 90kW to 153kW) and for new remote production equipment. PBS President and CEO Paul Kerger told The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette that when WFWA-TV went digital with PBS, local
programming did not go digital.
Nexstar Broadcasting's FOX affiliate WFFT (Channel 55, Fort Wayne) weekend anchor Kristin Mazur exits and joins WMTV-TV in Madison, Wisconsin, where she anchors the 4:00PM newscast and co-anchors the 5:00PM newscast.
Fixing a typographical error: At Granite Broadcasting's NBC affiliate WISE-TV (Channel 33, Fort Wayne), their new president/GM there is Don Osika. Mr. Osika was Director of Sales at KSEE-TV in Fresno, California, which Granite recently
sold to Nexstar. Hoosier born, Mr. Osika once worked at Terre Haute's WTWO-TV.
Northcentral
After leaving last year, Schurz Communications' CBS-affiliate WSBT-TV (Channel 22, South Bend) anchor and reporter Debra Daniel joins WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama as their evening anchor.
After going twelve months off the air, the FCC deletes Kingdom of God, Inc.'s Religious/WKGK-LP (Channel 50, Kokomo).
Northwest
CSN International receives a CP for translator W233BT (94.5fm, Monticello).
Friends of Christian Radio, Inc. receives a CP for translator W223BW (92.5fm, Romney).
Kaspar Broadcasting Co., Inc. files two applications with the FCC for two new translators on 94.9fm, licensed to Logansport and 101.7fm, licensed to Lafayette.
Where Are They Now? Former Artistic Media Partners/Lafayette Market Manager (and more recently, an account exec at WLFI-TV) Rick Prusator goes southeast and lands in South Carolina, as the Market Manager of Cumulus Media's seven radio
stations in Florence.
Eastcentral
Indiana Community Radio Corp. files with the FCC to transfer control of three FMs and ten
translators to Hoosier Public Radio Corp. Martin Hensley signs a letter saying the transfer includes the radio
stations, translators, property, logos, intellectual property, and four transmitter sites.
Indiana Community Radio Corp. also has its application for a CP dismissed. That's a translator request for 106.1fm, New Castle, and the FCC denied it "for violation of 47 CFR Section 72.1204 with respect to WYXB(FM). Applicant does
not address the overlap." Emmis Communications-owned WYXB is on 105.7fm.
Whitewater Broadcasting's Country/WIFE-FM (94.3fm, Rushville) afternoon host John Crumb exits and Jack Reynolds replaces him behind the microphone. Mr. Reynolds also handles nights on sister Oldies/WIFE (1580am, Connersville).
The Cedarville University receives a CP for translator W288CM (105.5fm, Connersville).
Friends of Christian Radio, Inc. receives a CP for translator W288CN (105.5fm, Upland).
Horizon Christian Fellowship, Inc. receives a CP for translator W279CF (103.7fm, Muncie) and also files an application with the FCC for a new new translator on 102.1fm, licensed to Pendleton.
Radio 74 Internationale receives a CP for a translator on 105.3fm, licensed to Cambridge City.
Central
Dispatch Broadcast Group NBC affiliate WTHR-TV (Channel 13, Indianapolis) adds Cozi-TV to its Channel 13.2 and WALV-CD (Channel 46, Indianapolis). Cozi-TV airs old TV shows (e.g. Highway to Heaven, Lone Ranger, The Six Million Dollar
Man, etc.) At 12:00AM weeknights, both stations also air a repeat of WTHR's 11:00PM local news.
Stacy Conrad exits as News Director at Emmis N-T/WIBC (93.1fm, Indianapolis). Morning news anchor Mike Wilson becomes interim News Director.
Indiana Community Radio Corp. has its application for a translator CP dismissed. That would have been on 102.3fm, licensed to Indianapolis, and the FCC denied it because the "applicant did not file a Preclusion Showing by the April
19th deadline."
Westcentral
Word Power, Inc. files an application with the FCC for a new translator on 94.3fm, licensed to Casey, Illinois.
Covenant Network receives a CP for translator W281BG (104.1fm, Knightsville).
Friends of Christian Radio, Inc. receives a CP for translator W248BR (97.5fm, Crawfordsville).
Hoosier Broadcasting Corp. receives a CP for translator W221CS (92.1fm, Crawfordsville).
Where Are They Now? Former Midwest Communications/Terre Haute Market Manager Bill Cain now works in sales for Nexstar/Terre Haute ABC affiliate WAWV-TV.
Southeast
Country/WRBI (103.9fm, Batesville) News Director Mary Mattingly exits and Steven Harmeyer replaces Ms. Mattingly. Also, now that we finished off winter (so it's baseball season), we will mention that the wintertime WRBI ownership
change (a $350,000 sale by White River Broadcasting to Leeson Media, LLC) won't interrupt the Cincinnati Reds play by play affiliation, which remains on "Country 103.9."
Indiana University files two applications with the FCC for two new translators on 94.5fm, licensed to Seymour, and 98.1fm, licensed to Greensburg.
Southcentral
We have sad news to pass along from Bloomington: Former Sarkes Tarzian AAA/WTTS afternoon host (1990 until 2000) Jimi Hurley passed away. He was 58. He's the second person from the 1990s WTTS lineup to pass away: Dave Mac (Dave
McNamara) passed away in early 2007 at age 43 from a brain tumor. Mr. McNamara last worked for Sirius Radio (The Spectrum channel, Sirius Blues channel, Sirius Disorder channel) in New York City.
Indiana University files an application with the FCC for a new translator on 92.9fm, licensed to French Lick.
Southwest
An update to a story from our 17 April issue: When Edith Bennett passed away, that brought back memories for former WOMI GM Gary Exline. Mr. Exline told IRW:
"I managed WOMI for 13 years (1990 until 2003), and Edith was super special to us. She never missed a Sunday, except during the 1990s when she was in a horrific car accident in the Southeast. The next week, she was back, on
crutches. Her stories about meeting Elvis when he stopped by the station during the 1950's? Priceless. Edith will be missed."
Many in television got their start in Evansville (e.g. David Goodnow, Steve Bartelstein, Bill Weber). We remember one of them, as Jerry Graham recently passed away. Born Gerald Granowsky, he worked as a staff announcer in Evansville
TV before moving to New York (Binghamton, later New York City) and then to the west coast, where he became a TV personality on KPIX-TV (among other roles). Mr. Graham passed away the day before his 79th birthday.
Indiana Community Radio Corp. receives three CP's for translators on 103.3fm, licensed to Fort Branch, W273CG (102.5fm, New Harmony) and W274BS (102.7fm, Princeton).
Radio Spotlight
This week, we sit down and learn more about Peter Dominowski, the new General Manager at Northeast Indiana Public Radio's Talk-Jazz/WBOI (89.1fm, Fort Wayne) and Classical/WBNI (94.1fm, Roanoke).
Who were your early DJ or radio station influences? (Perhaps what lead you to "catch the radio bug."?)
In my case, these are actually two very distinct questions.
Growing up in Chicago during the 60's; I listened to a lot of the classic WLS-AM DJ's; Dick Biondi, Art Roberts, and a bit later on, the early Larry Lujack. I also loved the sports play-by-play guys of that time; like Bob Elson and
Milo Hamilton (White Sox announcers from the early 1960's); in fact, my mother thought I would grow up to be a sportscaster. But as a youth, I had no idea that radio would be my career; I loved music and sports, and assumed I'd grow up
to be either a professional musician or athlete, and radio was just entertainment for me at that time.
As it turns out, listening to public radio is actually what got me into radio as a career. In the mid-1970's, when public radio was in its infancy, I attended graduate school at Kent State in Ohio, and began listening to WKSU public
radio. At that time WKSU broadcast a wide variety of music, including classical, jazz, and progressive rock. The announcers would have contests during their programs, which I would call in and win consistently. They got to know me and
eventually convinced me to visit WKSU's program director and ask for a job. I did, I was hired, and that's how I got started in radio.
Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
A good cup of English Breakfast tea with milk.
What has been your biggest career accomplishment?
More than anything, I love teaching and mentoring young radio talent. I'm also very proud of being a creator and founder of the Public Radio Program Director's Association (PRPD), which has professionalized public radio programming
and trained dozens of PD's at public radio stations nationwide.
What has been your most memorable moment on the air?
Probably the first few days following the Challenger disaster. In 1985, I was working at public station WMFE in Orlando, Florida, and covered the space shuttle launches. As eyewitnesses to the disaster, we not only had to keep our
listeners informed about the unfolding events (the space program is big local news in Central Florida), we also fielded calls from networks literally around the world asking us to describe the events and provide the latest details.
Witnessing the explosion with my own eyes was horrific, but after a moment your professionalism kicks in and you try to share knowledge with your audience in a calm and measured style.
What's one thing that would surprise many people to learn about you?
Probably that throughout my years in radio, I've also been a professional musician. I am an analytical person, but playing music allows me to exercise the other side of my brain, and to communicate through a different medium.
What's your biggest pet peeve in radio?
When actions by talent or decisions by management are made that are station-focused rather than listener-focused.
What's your philosophy about radio ratings?
Audience data provides the primary objective determination of how well our station's programming is accomplishing its public service mission. Public radio only serves our audiences when they are actually listening to our programming.
Listening data is the single best way we can determine where our programming is succeeding or falling short.
Who are your mentor(s)?
My radio mentor is the late Tom Church, who founded the Radio Research Consortium (RRC), the organization that provides Arbitron data to public radio stations. Back in the early 1980's, he taught me how to read an Arbitron book; at
that time there were literally only a handful of us in all of public radio that knew how to interpret listening data. Without Tom, I would never have become a radio researcher and consultant, positions which I have been fortunate
enough to occupy for most of my career.
What book have you read that has taught you the most about the radio business?
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Reis and Jack Trout (McGraw-Hill, 2000). It's not even a book about radio, but it defined for the first time the concepts that we now call branding and framing, that are essential to
many successful business, and especially for successful radio stations.
What's the most important challenge you'll conquer at Northeast Indiana Public Radio?
Translating the value of the programming we provide to listeners, businesses, and foundations, so that they will provide the necessary funding to allow us to serve Northeast Indiana with a continually higher quality of in-depth
journalism and issues coverage. Our ambition is to cover Northeast Indiana with the same quality that NPR covers the nation and the world.
Employment Opportunities
Engineer WVUT-TV (Support Staff)
Vincennes University is seeking applicants for Engineer - WVUT-TV. This is a full time support staff position with benefits.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
* Maintains quality and consistency of Vincennes University Broadcasting on-air signals and operational equipment
* Provides quality service to all internal broadcasting departments
* Have extensive knowledge of digital and high definition studio and transmitter equipment, ENG, EFP, major remote production units and general maintenance
* Assures technical facilities are operational and maintained to standard engineering practices under FCC regulations
* Provides emergency service as required to restore broadcast operations
* Monitor changing technical needs of stations
* Familiarity with public broadcasting and university environment
* Must be able to be "on-call," as needed
* Reports to Director of Engineering and performs duties as directed
* Other duties as assigned, valid driver's license, ability to lift 50 lbs.(reaching overhead, bending and twisting)
* Standard work week M-F, 3:30pm - 12 midnight (hours can change)
VU is committed to diversity in the college community.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references to Vincennes University, Human Resources, 1002 North First Street, Vincennes, IN 47591 or email to jobs at vinu dot edu.
Interviews may be held concurrently with advertising period. AA/EOE
Production Director for Backyard Broadcasting Indiana radio stations WXFN and WLBC.
You will work side by side with some of the best, most talented people in the region. Our standards are high, and we expect yours to be the same. Expect to be busy, and be challenged. You will be following in the footsteps of a
real pro (that is leaving us for a non-Radio job, in the field of his Master's Degree). We will support you with the tools you need to succeed - because when you win, we continue winning. The production director assigns announcers
commercial and spec work, schedules studios, arranges recording sessions, produces commercials, and adheres to the standards set by the Operations Manager. You will also responsible for adhering to all legal aspects like copyright
rules and more. Our benefits include salary, health insurance, dental insurance, and life insurance with Company participation. Most major holidays off, but compensatory time awarded for any holiday worked. Education Required: High
school degree or equivalent required. Post-secondary preferred. Experience Required: Previous experience as a Production Director preferred, but not required. Must be fully functional with digital audio, editing, multi-track, and
have the ability to work with people - especially Account Executives - to be an advocate to help them grow our business. Minimum 5 years full time on air at a commercial Radio station required. We require reliable transportation and
that you possess a valid driver's license. Please email tape and resume, and writing and production examples to: steve.lindell at bybradio dot com. Or Mail: WLBC Prod Director OPENING/Steve Lindell/800 East 29th Street/Muncie, IN
47302. Backyard Broadcasting is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Sales Manager for Backyard Broadcasting Indiana
Tired of Wall Street or Corporate Bigwigs dictating your day to day biz? Immediate opportunity at the market leader Hot AC station and Sports station duo. Enjoy the family lifestyle of a Midwest university town less than an hour's
drive from Indianapolis! Are you hungry to get results that will help our local advertisers grow their businesses? Do you have a non-transactional sales mentality with an exceptionally positive attitude and a relentless "get it done"
work ethic? The ideal candidate possesses hunting instincts and excels at coaching and training account executives to present client-focused marketing plans to local, direct decision makers. If you are a true sales professional ready
to lead your people and manage the accounts, we want to talk to you. 4+ years in media sales and/or sales management experience needed. Send your resume and cover letter telling why you are perfect for this opportunity to Amy.Dillon
at bybradio dot com. Backyard Broadcasting is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Eagle Tower Services, Inc., committed to continuing improvement and to being the lowest cost provider of tower services consistent with a high degree of quality, professionalism, and safety, is seeking a BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
REPRESENTATIVE to engage in outside sales leading to growth of our business. Our primary market is Indiana and surrounding states, specializing in AM/FM and television, but also serving customers in paging, wireless Internet and 2-way
radio including commercial, utilities and government. We are a full service tower company engaged in routine maintenance, component installation and new tower construction. This is a contract commission position with generous
commission and superb customer service support. The ideal candidate will have excellent knowledge of the broadcast industry throughout Indiana with excellent people skills in working with and providing excellent service to broadcast
engineers and, often, station general managers. We proudly serve some of the finest names in Indiana broadcasting and wireless communications. If this is of interest, please send your resume to Terry Garrity, Eagle Tower Services,
Inc., P.O. Box 387, Arcadia, IN 46030; E-MAIL: terry.garrity at eagletowerindiana dot com and feel welcome to visit our website at www.eagletowerindiana.com to learn more about what we do. Eagle Tower Services is an Equal Opportunity
Employer M/F.
A quality multi-station cluster in a beautiful, historic small community is seeking a radio news anchor/reporter interested in informing listeners in multiple counties who depend on the stations to be their primary news source.
Additionally, the candidate will have a passion to do high school sports play-by-play. Here is a chance to become an integral part of the lives of listeners by demonstrating skill and insight into their issues and interests. If you
are looking for a community to call "home" while doing important work as part of a talented team of radio pros, send a package demonstrating your experience and talent in news writing, reporting, and newscast delivery as well as your
play-by-play to: Rick Duncan, Director of Programming, Whitewater Broadcasting, 2301 W. Main, Richmond, IN 47374. Whitewater Broadcasting is an EOE and encourages the hiring of females and minorities.
FOX 59 WXIN, a Tribune Broadcasting station, seeks an experienced Anchor/Reporter who thrives on breaking news, enterprising stories and working under tight deadlines. The successful candidate will also regularly post content to the
station's website and social media outlets. Degree in broadcast journalism or related field and at least 3 years anchoring and/or reporting experience in a television newsroom required. Job Description: Presents news and information
on news and other station programs and covers news stories when not anchoring. Represents WXIN/WTTV-TV to the public viewing audience. Reads stories on regular scheduled newscasts and other programs produced by the station. Writes
and/or proofreads stories on assigned broadcasts. Acts as general assignment reporter when not performing anchor duties. Consistently contributes story ideas for newscasts. Develops and maintains productive relationship with news
contacts and sources. Works with producers, reporters and associate producers on assigned news broadcast. Regularly posts content to the station's website and updates social media sites. Monitors news feeds when necessary. Answers
viewer phone calls and mail. Performs public speaking engagements and makes other appearance deemed important to the station image by management. Develops community contacts. Other duties as assigned by supervisor. Qualifications
Necessary: College degree in broadcast journalism or a related area of study. At least 3 years experience anchoring regularly scheduled news broadcasts on a commercial or public television station and/or reporting for a broadcast news
organization. Effective writing skills. Good organizational skills. Must be able to accept constructive feedback and criticism designed to enhance individual's performance. Ability to appear live in a broadcast to deliver reports in a
professional and effective manner. Ability to perform duties and make decisions under deadline pressure. Must have a clear understanding of web and social media outlets. Send resume, cover letter stating position desired, and referral
source plus a non-returnable DVD with your latest newscast to Human Resources, WXIN-TV, 6910 Network Place, Indianapolis, IN 46278. EOE.
That's all for this issue. Thank you for your continued support.
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