INDY 500 Race Coverage in INDY

[cspotrun]

i remember growing up in Indianapolis as a kid on race day you could scan the dial from 810am to 1590 and literally EVERY station in Indianapolis carried the 500 race coverage, how many carry the race day 500 coverage now?

 

[MacOConnor]

The stations most likely to be received in Indy that are on the IMS Radio Network Affilate List for the 500:

840 WHAS Louisville KY
1010 WCSI Columbus
1070 WFNI Indianapolis
1190 WOWO Fort Wayne
1220 WSLM Salem
1240 WHBU Anderson
1340 WXFN Muncie
1350 WIOU Kokomo
1370 WGCL Bloomington
1400 WBAT Marion
1550 WMDH New Castle
1570 WILO Frankfort
93.1 WIBC Indianapolis
96.7 WMQX Alexandria
97.7 WCLS Specncer
99.7 WSHW Frankfort
102.5 WMDH New Castle
105.1 WHCC Elletsville
106.3 WCDQ Crawfordsville

Emmis has the exclusive in Indy proper but there are many other outlets nearby that are broadcasting the race. It's not like the old days when WXLW, WFBM, WIFE, WIRE, etc. all aired the race (and in many cases provided the talent).
Hope that 1070 or 93.1 are not running HD Sunday due to the inherent audio delay.

 

[badstevie]

Meanwhile, over on My107.9, I just heard a promo actually mocking other stations for providing pre-race coverage. They were mocking stations that gave traffic reports, weather, parking info, driver interviews and "another ditty!" (Slam at WFMS!) So listen to us, they said, because we WON'T be doing any of that. It wasn't too funny and didn't make much sense. Promo how you're NOT going to provide a service to the community on the biggest event day of the year? Okay, if it makes sense to them.

 

[N_D_Radioguy]

Meanwhile, over on My107.9, I just heard a promo actually mocking other stations for providing pre-race coverage. They were mocking stations that gave traffic reports, weather, parking info, driver interviews and "another ditty!" (Slam at WFMS!) So listen to us, they said, because we WON'T be doing any of that. It wasn't too funny and didn't make much sense. Promo how you're NOT going to provide a service to the community on the biggest event day of the year? Okay, if it makes sense to them.

Scott Roddy is a wonderful air talent but he's demonstrated numerous times now that he just plain doesn't get it as a programmer.

 

[cspotrun]

Meanwhile, over on My107.9, I just heard a promo actually mocking other stations for providing pre-race coverage. They were mocking stations that gave traffic reports, weather, parking info, driver interviews and "another ditty!" (Slam at WFMS!) So listen to us, they said, because we WON'T be doing any of that. It wasn't too funny and didn't make much sense. Promo how you're NOT going to provide a service to the community on the biggest event day of the year? Okay, if it makes sense to them.

Scott Roddy is a wonderful air talent but he's demonstrated numerous times now that he just plain doesn't get it as a programmer.

it's a good thing he's at Entercom! they don't get it either.

 

[dfwrunner]

The stations most likely to be received in Indy that are on the IMS Radio Network Affilate List for the 500:

840 WHAS Louisville KY
1010 WCSI Columbus
1070 WFNI Indianapolis
1190 WOWO Fort Wayne
1220 WSLM Salem
1240 WHBU Anderson
1340 WXFN Muncie
1350 WIOU Kokomo
1370 WGCL Bloomington
1400 WBAT Marion
1550 WMDH New Castle
1570 WILO Frankfort
93.1 WIBC Indianapolis
96.7 WMQX Alexandria
97.7 WCLS Specncer
99.7 WSHW Frankfort
102.5 WMDH New Castle
105.1 WHCC Elletsville
106.3 WCDQ Crawfordsville

Emmis has the exclusive in Indy proper but there are many other outlets nearby that are broadcasting the race. It's not like the old days when WXLW, WFBM, WIFE, WIRE, etc. all aired the race (and in many cases provided the talent).
Hope that 1070 or 93.1 are not running HD Sunday due to the inherent audio delay.

Nobody could ever beat Paul Page on WNAP in the early to mid 70s.

 

[MacOConnor]

Nobody could ever beat Paul Page on WNAP in the early to mid 70s.
[/quote]

Lou Palmer on WIBC would be my pick from that era (and all-time) for daily reports. He would craft intricately detailed reports without referencing notes or copy all with his skills a a wordsmith. Palmer would later take over the IMS Radio Network chief announcer role from Page, when Paul moved to the ABC telecast.

WNAP placed microphones (2? one on each end?) along the pit wall to capture the sounds of the cars going by. On practice days, the car on the track would be heard in glorious stereo, moving from speaker to speaker, on top of the music or commercials being played. IIRC WNAP was the lone station airing the race "In Stereo" in the 70's due to these pit microphones. WNAP also sponsored car #93 on a least one occasion for Johnny Parsons Jr.

 

[dfwrunner]

Nobody could ever beat Paul Page on WNAP in the early to mid 70s.

Lou Palmer on WIBC would be my pick from that era (and all-time) for daily reports. He would craft intricately detailed reports without referencing notes or copy all with his skills a a wordsmith. Palmer would later take over the IMS Radio Network chief announcer role from Page, when Paul moved to the ABC telecast.

WNAP placed microphones (2? one on each end?) along the pit wall to capture the sounds of the cars going by. On practice days, the car on the track would be heard in glorious stereo, moving from speaker to speaker, on top of the music or commercials being played. IIRC WNAP was the lone station airing the race "In Stereo" in the 70's due to these pit microphones. WNAP also sponsored car #93 on a least one occasion for Johnny Parsons Jr.
[/quote]

I loved the microphone placement.

 

[radio lover]

Isn't it funny how WNAP could mic the race in stereo in the 70's, and WZPL did in the 80's and today the engineers don't give it a thought today. Sounded much better then.

 

[Steppenwolf]

ANY race coverage on radio = b-o-r-i-n-g!

 

[bigtime]

Seems like in their early stereo days WNAP also had dual mikes in the control room. You could hear the jocks voices in stereo. Wasn't noticable in most situations, but if you were listening in headphones you could hear it, especially if they were talking dry. Of course they also used to do a touch of reverb on one side as well. Notr sure if it was left or right side.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I remember back in the 1960's tuning in WIBC (then on 1070-AM) to listen to the 500. During recorded commercials, the audio from the track would be run under them. So over the air, you would hear the ad along with the roaring engines. The commercial I most remember is one for Stark & Whetsel meats.

Back then, of course, the main announcer was Sid Collins. I easily remember his "thoughts for the winner" at the end of the race - taken from the works of a classic author - and his sign off to the world-wide listening audience, "We wish you good morning, good afternoon or good evening depending where in the world you are right now. We're at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the crossroads of America. So long".