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INDIANA'S small market "champs"

WTRE 1330 Greensburg,IN deserves an honorable mention. Every morning, Sandy Biddinger arrives well before the morning show starts at 6AM...and the morning show is only the start...that 500 watter is live and local with talk based (and a very few songs) programming until well into the mid-day hours. Talk of the town, birthday club, swap shop...Mark Gravely & Sandy super-serve Decatur County in a way that no music based FM station does. This is an AM money maker in a town of less than 15000 population. And it has no FM sister in the county (it has an FM sister in an adjacent county that focuses on Columbus).

WIKI 95.3 in Madison,IN is live from 6AM - 1PM and when severe weather strikes, Larry Duke is ALWAYS at the station with non-stop weather updates no matter how long it takes or what hour of the day or night. I honestly think he'd walk to the station if necessary...and I'd bet he does it for no extra pay.

And when we talk 'back in the day'...WCSI 1010 Columbus had to take the cake. The FM was automated, the AM was live, the audio was heavenly (yep, I'm bragging) and the Top 40 format was executed by Mike King in a way that it sounded GREAT but didn't drive the adults away. WCSI made a huge error when they gave Mike the boot. And of course, my on air career as "Bob On The Job, Indiana's Non-Union Minimum Wage Superstar" was etched in stone at that once amazing little AM station...
 
WLKI Angola is by far, the best sounding, best run small market radio station I've ever heard-anywhere-EVER.

Runner-up would be WLZZ Bryan, Ohio during its inception (co-owned by WLKI, with a brilliant programmer and morning show host at the helm--I think his name was Steve Michaels--ahem.)

Ok, so I'm prejudiced....but WLKI was, and is, a great example of becoming indispensible to a community. The news source of record, with long-term staff , live and local programming, and phenomenal community involvement--and making positive cash flow to boot. And their tradition seems to be continuing under the new Swick Broadcasting ownership. Tom, Bill, Carter, GO, GA, Andy St. John, and all the staff should feel lucky to be a part of it, and proud of their work everyday.

My .02.
 
WERK was a small station with a big market attitude, and it deserves some pretty big props for what it accomplised. The jocks, especially those early on in the stations history like Mark Mcklor (sp?) etc., had great delivery and made a special effort to present a great big sound. Tom Corcoran was the PD in the early years and expected a lot out of that little station, and he got it to. To the jocks and to the audience, WERK was the biggest station in the world, and held it's own against the FM all through the 70's.

Of course Sunday mornings were filled with local religious programming at WERK back in the day. At 9:00 AM You had Dale Workman eating the MIC screaming about his church at "915 EAST MEMORIAL DRIVE!!" and at 10:00 AM you had the Life Boat Quartet tuning their guitars and practicing songs in the background while the lead singer tried to talk to the audience between songs. They were funny, you could get some good belly laughs going if you listened long enough. I don't mean that disrespectfully, but I mean c'mon...

You know, if I were at the steering wheel of WERK radio today, I'd fill Sunday mornings with that all over again. Dale's dead, but I'd find his son Dale Jr. and ask him how good his pipes are and if he could scream a sermon every Sunday morning like his dad use to do. He'd do it. I'd have the Life Boat Quartet come in to, but none of this taped stuff for the Life Boat, uh-uh, LIVE! Bring in the Quartet, all ten or eleven of them or however many there actually were, and have them do it to it. People would listen...in retro amazement, but they would listen.
 
.....I have a strong feeling that those days will somewhat return as big corporate radio sells off its broke stock holdings in a major fire sale... Those who could only buy winners in markets 75 and down will move up and leave markets 125 and down to the unrated markets to new 'local or regional' owners that will program throwbacks, taped or live.... If see how many AM's and "A" FM's in non-rated markets are going for less than 200k, it could be fun to watch smart small town folks with retirement cash at hand, take the locals back (those that wern't moved to the big market up the road)..... ;)
 
It is all about control and money with corporate radio. Operators are cheap. They don't want guys who knew "the way it was" imparting that information to their fresh young staff that doesn't know any difference. They don't want NEW ideas from OLD farts. They have none themselves, but if they can bypass VISION, it makes their job a lot easier. I have a feeling you are right though, with the economy the way it is, some of these smaller stations may just fall into the hands of people who will make things local and unique again.

BTW, I spelled Cochran's name wrong. It's Tom Cochran not Corcoran. I don't even know what a Corcoran is. Sounds painful whatever it is.
 
It does sound painfull..... We have several of the Cochran and Cockrum klan (related) in our coal mining boro.. The "****-Rums" gave the land for our university and were a major harborist for runaway slaves on the 'underground railroad'... Of course we have a family in two counties down here named 'Pease' (pronounced; "Peeez")....
 
Ditto to WSVX in Shelbyville. Love the mix of music and local fare and they sound tremendous. WSVX can be matched up against most Indy stations and the fact that they haven't "Sold out" hometown values and become part of what everyone thinks radio should be only makes them even better in my opinion. Check these guys out; after reading this post I gave em' a listen online at www.wsvx.com

As for WIFE I'm glad you pointed out the AM station and not the FM. The FM sold out on Rushville and Rush Co. and has been nothing more than a cancer there. Shame too. All the local programming has either been "offed" or baggered until they had no choice but to leave. A perfect example of someone coming into small market radio with a big market mentality. WKWH and WRCR both serviced that area / county with much more pride and respect than the new "crew" lead by JP and TC. Shame.

Another that I would like to receive honorable mention: Hit Country 102.5 WMDH New Castle. True to their format and their listenership doesn't move. Solid base and great range. Like these guys alot! Good Job WMDH!
 
You continue to come on here with bad information regarding WIFE-FM. The building is occupied daily and LIVE programming comes from the Rushville studio every day. I invite you to come by tomorrow morning and sit in with me on the morning show. Once agian Mr. Wilson, you are off base, attemmpting to start trouble where none exists and are very worng. One can only conclude that you are a typical disgruntled ex-employee.
 
Yep, Rob.. Earl the pearl and his 'lifers' at WITZ kind of put a smile on my face.. Walt, Gene and the gang have been as much Dubois County (Jasper-Huntingburg) as any furniture factory or Jasper Engines! Consistant! They were the first station that the FCC approved to go with Dual City of License, with the requirement (at that time) of having Jasper first in the ID.. That was a big deal in those days.. They had to have permission to do it (no big deal to add additional communities behind or sidways these days)..... We thought that was soooo coool in those days..... :p "Double-U-Eye-Tee-Zee, Aye-Em and Eff-Em, Jaz-pur/Hun-ting-burg"..... ;D
 
One you may miss up here in NE Indiana...maybe not so "small market"...well, Warsaw is about the same size as Angola, give or take a few lakers...
WRSW. A format that works for the area they serve (and face it, country and rock go well in Lake City,) good talent, maybe their power doesn't classify them in this discussion, but their market is mostly Warsaw and surrounds, and hell, if you hit Columbia City that counts for something. (I grew up there...NOBODY GIVES A DAMN ABOUT CC.)
They get the job done in my not so humble opinion. There, I'll get off the stump now.


Are you talking about 107.3, or the country station in Warsaw?
 
kwlz993 said:
One you may miss up here in NE Indiana...maybe not so "small market"...well, Warsaw is about the same size as Angola, give or take a few lakers...
WRSW. A format that works for the area they serve (and face it, country and rock go well in Lake City,) good talent, maybe their power doesn't classify them in this discussion, but their market is mostly Warsaw and surrounds, and hell, if you hit Columbia City that counts for something. (I grew up there...NOBODY GIVES A DAMN ABOUT CC.)
They get the job done in my not so humble opinion. There, I'll get off the stump now.


Are you talking about 107.3, or the country station in Warsaw?
Click to expand...

Sorry I confused ya...
I meant 107.3. When I said "country and rock go well in Lake City," I was just talking about music styles.
Willie 103.5 is OK, but WRSW has been around a lot longer.
 
Herschel Sills said:
I think the best small market station in Indiana is unquestionably the FM station in Winchester.
Click to expand...
And without a doubt, that was one of the best April Fool's jokes this year. Good job Herschel...
 
I will have to second that WCBK is the model for Small town Community radio,, It provides alot of Community service, and its always there for severe weather, when the power goes out, fire up your battery powered radio and lock into WCBK for severe weather.. Durring the huge flood last summer, WCBK was there, live and local every minute with all the local info... It may not be hip, but its well needed, and I think all small town stations, regardless of Power or format should provide Emergency Severe Weather coverage.

Also,, if Pirate radio counts,,, our Dance Music pirate,, if it would manage to stay on air, and decide upon weather to use 93.5, 93.7, or 107.5,,, they have EAS, and Amber Alerts, and at least try to warn of severe weather... Unfourtunately the signal is much weaker now and only seems to run on weekend Evenings and overnights,,, Hopefully they can get a LPFM license.

The 96.5 in Shelbyville is really good with its localised Top 40-Hot AC hybrid format,, it really gets out there for such Low Power, you can hear it well west of Franklin, and it doesnt get into WHHH or WAZY's protected contour, so I see it was a good frequency choice... Columbus could really use a comunity friendly station,, all the 50kw stations there,,, none of them seem to be involved much in Emergency conditions,,, with the exception of the good coverage WRZQ provided during the Flood last summer.
 
Mid West Clubber said:
Also,, if Pirate radio counts,,, our Dance Music pirate,, if it would manage to stay on air, and decide upon weather to use 93.5, 93.7, or 107.5,,, they have EAS, and Amber Alerts, and at least try to warn of severe weather... Unfourtunately the signal is much weaker now and only seems to run on weekend Evenings and overnights,,, Hopefully they can get a LPFM license.
Click to expand...
I find the concept of a pirate (especially a music based pirate) having EAS equipment to be suspicious. This equipment is very expensive, which probably means if they really do have it, it may be stolen. Amber Alerts are so infrequent that I find it amazing that anyone just happened to be listening on the right frequency at the right time in the right location to hear an Amber Alert issued on a pirate station. Something just doesn't smell right here...
 
Mid West Clubber said:
Also,, if Pirate radio counts,,, our Dance Music pirate,, if it would manage to stay on air, and decide upon weather to use 93.5, 93.7, or 107.5,,, they have EAS, and Amber Alerts, and at least try to warn of severe weather... Unfourtunately the signal is much weaker now and only seems to run on weekend Evenings and overnights,,, Hopefully they can get a LPFM license.
Click to expand...

Is this YOUR pirate station that you have talked about on other boards, or yet another one down that direction?
I, too, find it hard to believe that a pirate would invest in actual EAS equipment given the cost involved.
 
BobOnTheJob said:
Herschel Sills said:
I think the best small market station in Indiana is unquestionably the FM station in Winchester.
Click to expand...
And without a doubt, that was one of the best April Fool's jokes this year. Good job Herschel...
Click to expand...

I'm not joking. Winchester, county seat of Randolph county, home of Wick's Pies
and Anchor Glass, the county hospital is there, it's small town USA and Winchester's radio station is the best in the state as far as small market radio is concerned.
 
There are a few of us in Martinsville, but dont confuse me with Rhythm 88.5 down by Legendary hills,,, its a drug money machine...

My station is at part 15 levels on 88.3,, mostly rebroadcasting net stations while not live,, I only get out a mile tops... I dont have any fancy equipment,,, just a PC, some MP3s and a 15 dollar Rat Shack mike, but im Legal.. I do know the guy at 93.5-93.7 ETC,,, he is a nice guy,,, but he is Autistic,,, very smart with building TXs and stuff, but cant do the basics,, thats why he dotn talk.
 
Herschel Sills said:
BobOnTheJob said:
Herschel Sills said:
I think the best small market station in Indiana is unquestionably the FM station in Winchester.
Click to expand...
And without a doubt, that was one of the best April Fool's jokes this year. Good job Herschel...
Click to expand...

I'm not joking. Winchester, county seat of Randolph county, home of Wick's Pies
and Anchor Glass, the county hospital is there, it's small town USA and Winchester's radio station is the best in the state as far as small market radio is concerned.
Click to expand...

So good that you'd think they were broadcasting from Richmond.

Wait a minute... :p
 
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