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WYIC

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WYIC
Frequency1110 kHz
Programming
FormatAdult contemporary–talk radio
History
First air date
November 1, 1971
(52 years ago) (1971-11-01)
Last air date
December 9, 1991
(32 years ago) (1991-12-09)
Former call signs
  • WHYT (1971–1979)
  • WFBM (1979–1987)
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Power1,000 watts (daytime only)[1]
Transmitter coordinates
40°04′41″N 86°01′04″W / 40.07806°N 86.01778°W / 40.07806; -86.01778
Links
Public license information

WYIC was a radio station broadcasting on 1110 kHz AM in Noblesville, Indiana, United States. It was last owned by Broadcast Communications, Inc., and operated from 1971 to 1991.

History

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WHYT

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On May 20, 1966, White River Radio Corporation applied to the Federal Communications Commission to build a new daytime-only station in Noblesville.[2] The application was the third attempt by White River to file for a station in Noblesville; the group, led by Rev. Wendell Hansen, had previously pursued an FM station for the same community, and a previous application in 1962 was affected by an FCC freeze on new construction permits.[3] While this was going on, White River also obtained the license for television channel 40 as WURD,[4] which folded and was sold in 1972 after experiencing financial trouble.[5]

The construction permit for the radio station was granted on November 14, 1969, after White River spun out the Mid-Indiana Broadcasters Corporation.[4][2] Tower construction took place in August 1970,[6] but efforts were diverted to starting the TV station before WHYT debuted on November 1, 1971.[7][8] Various music formats were aired in blocks, and several local interest programs were also presented.[8] The station increased power from 250 to 500 watts in 1977.[2]

In 1976, Hansen attempted to sell WHYT to the Family Life Broadcasting System. The non-profit corporation from Michigan, however, experienced pushback in its proposal to convert the station into a non-commercial outlet from WHYT advertisers and a radio station employee, Dee Goff, who conducted a hitchhiking trip from Indiana to Washington, D.C., to protest the deal before Indiana senator Vance Hartke.[9] Goff discovered discrepancies in Family Life's application, namely that community leaders that Family Life had claimed to have contacted were not. Goff's opposition made her the subject of harassment and threats. On January 18, an anonymous caller told her that she had 12 hours to leave town. The next day, two men beat her in her home with a fireplace poker, demanding that she give them the address of WHYT's owner and telling her to stay out of the sale process "or else".[10] The men had gained entry feigning car trouble and claiming they needed to use the telephone.[11] Hansen had previously received a phone call from Warren Bolthouse, the president of Family Life, ordering him to fire Goff or he "would be in deep, deep trouble".[12] Authorities exonerated Family Life of any connection to the beating.[13] After Goff was released from the hospital, she failed a polygraph test.[14] The sale application was dismissed in June 1977,[2] and no indictment was ever returned.[15]

WFBM

[edit]

White River filed to sell WHYT to Broadcast Communications, Inc. (BCI) in early 1979. Broadcast Communications was owned by James Mathis and Emmett DePoy. Family Life sued to block the sale until its purchase agreement, on which it claimed Hansen reneged by ultimately refusing to support the transaction, was dealt with in court.[16] It sought $94,000 in damages.[17] Family Life's lawsuit served to announce the sale to the local community.[18]

After the lawsuit was settled in April, BCI took over in June and adopted a set of familiar call letters in Indiana radio, WFBM; Mathis and DePoy had worked at the original WFBM in Indianapolis, staying with WFBM television when it was sold off and renamed WRTV before leaving to purchase the Noblesville station.[19] A new format of adult contemporary and easy listening music was adopted,[19] and the studios were relocated from the transmitter site north of town to a downtown location.[20] The two also expanded in broadcasting by purchasing WNON in nearby Lebanon, Indiana,[21] which was sold off in 1985 to concentrate on an effort to seek a new FM construction permit in Noblesville.[22] In late 1985, WFBM switched on a trial basis to Radio Aahs, a new syndicated format aimed at children.[23]

WYIC

[edit]

Mathis died on May 20, 1986.[24] DePoy continued to run the radio station after his business partner's death, with a major overhaul taking place in May 1987 as the station shifted from adult standards to soft adult contemporary. A new call sign, WYIC ("We're Your Indy Connection"), was also adopted.[25] BCI also announced its intent to file for an FM station in Noblesville.[26] By 1988, the station was a full-time affiliate of the Sun Radio Network, a satellite-delivered talk service.[27]

In July 1991, DePoy reached a deal to sell WYIC to K. Stephen Mohr, who had previously owned WMDH-AM-FM in New Castle, for $130,000.[28] DePoy attempted to keep the station on the air until the sale closed,[29] but WYIC left the air permanently on the evening of December 9, 1991, with DePoy noting that income was insufficient to cover the station's operating expenses in spite of local community support.[30]

References

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  1. ^ "WYIC(AM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1991. p. B-114. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "FCC History Cards for WYIC". Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  3. ^ "To Petition Again For Radio Station". The Noblesville Ledger. March 3, 1965. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "White River Radio To Form New Company". The Noblesville Ledger. Noblesville, Indiana. September 11, 1969. p. 2. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Channel 40 Off Air In Owner Switch". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. June 28, 1972. p. 28. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Tower for Radio Station Goes Up". The Noblesville Ledger. Noblesville, Indiana. August 22, 1970. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Radio Station WHYT To Go On Air Nov. 1". The Noblesville Ledger. Noblesville, Indiana. October 2, 1971. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "Riddle Says Response Tremendous To WHYT". The Noblesville Ledger. Noblesville, Indiana. November 13, 1971. p. 2. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "No Decision From FCC: Sale Of WHYT Is In Doubt". The Noblesville Ledger. November 26, 1976. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Two Men Threaten, Beat Radio Station Employe". The Indianapolis News. January 20, 1977. p. 20. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "FBI Investigating Beating Of Radio Station Employe". The Indianapolis Star. January 21, 1977. p. 5. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Noblesville Woman Beaten With Poker". Anderson Herald. Associated Press. January 21, 1977. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Family Life executives not involved in beating". Lansing State Journal. Associated Press. January 25, 1977. p. B-11. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Radio woman fails lie test". Lansing State Journal. Associated Press. February 11, 1977. p. B-6. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "FCC Disapproves Sale Of WHYT". The Indianapolis News. May 17, 1977. p. 18. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Michigan Broadcast Company Sues WHYT Over Aborted Sale". The Indianapolis Star. January 19, 1979. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "WHYT Sued Over Sale; New Sale Reported". The Noblesville Ledger. January 19, 1979. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "WHYT Buyer Sues For Control". The Noblesville Ledger. January 26, 1979. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b "New Owners In At WHYT". The Noblesville Ledger. June 4, 1979. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Noblesville radio station WFBM..." The Noblesville Ledger. April 30, 1981. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Local Radio Buys Lebanon Outlet". The Noblesville Ledger. January 25, 1980. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "BCI Sets Sights On Local FM License". The Noblesville Ledger. July 29, 1985. p. 7. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "WFMB targets audience with Radio Aahs". The Noblesville Ledger. January 29, 1986. p. 9. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "James B. Mathis". The Noblesville Ledger. May 21, 1986. p. 12. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Inman, Julia (May 29, 1987). "Linda Ellerbee says goodbye as doomed 'World' ends run". The Indianapolis Star. p. 11W. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Hammer, Steve (February 12, 1988). "WYIC owner hopes for FM license". The Noblesville Ledger. Noblesville, Indiana. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "24 hours of talk available for AM's" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 4, 1988. pp. 120–121. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  28. ^ Richey, Rodney (August 8, 1991). "Ex-WMDH Owner Buys Station". The Star Press. p. 11. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Hall, Steve (December 11, 1991). "The best? The worst? You make the choices". The Indianapolis Star. p. E-9. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Keating, Matt; Poindexter, Bev (December 17, 1991). "WYIC Radio station may be off the air permanently". The Noblesville Ledger. Noblesville, Indiana. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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