Two sports media figures exiting Indy market

Two well-known people in media circles—one who works behind the scenes and one in front of the camera—will be evaporating from the Indianapolis landscape, at least professionally.

Kent Sterling, who worked as program director for WFNI-AM 1070 “The Fan” and WIBC-FM 93.1, has taken a job as program director at 101ESPN (WXOS-FM 101.1) radio station in St. Louis. He starts at the station owned by Minnesota-based Hubbard Broadcasting on June 20.

And after seven seasons working Indiana Pacers games as the sideline reporter and host of the pre- and post-game shows on Fox Sports Indiana cable channel, Stacy Paetz did not have her contract renewed for next season.

Fox officials said they are “going in a different direction,” adding that they have launched a national search, but are also evaluating local candidates for Paetz’s replacement.

Sources said the move was not about Paetz’s salary. Before covering the Pacers for Fox, Paetz covered a litany of sports from college football to volleyball for ESPN and ESPN2.

While Sterling might not be as familiar to the general public as Paetz, he is well known in local media circles, having worked for Emmis Communications Corp. for 17 years.

Sterling gets credit for helping launch former IU player and coach Dan Dakich's broadcast career in 2008. Dakich remains one of The Fan's most popular on-air hosts while also working for ESPN.

Sterling also was the program director behind the decision to hire Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz and former Reebok executive (now Pacers employee) Eddie White to host the afternoon drive-time show. The results of that decision were more mixed. "The Kravitz and Eddie Show"  was later dissolved. That spot on WFNI is now filled by former WNDE-AM 1260 host, JMV.

Sterling lost his job in January, 2010, shortly after Charlie Morgan took over as general manager for the late Tom Severino.

“Leaving friends in Indianapolis will be tough, but the promise of working with great people in St. Louis has me very excited,” Sterling wrote on his web site, KentSterling.com. “The people at 101 ESPN have been phenomenally friendly and welcoming since I accepted the offer to be the program director.”