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Anthony Schoettle

Phone:
317-472-5374

Email:
aschoettle@ibj.com

Reporter, #IBJtech newsletter author

Technology, venture capital, media and marketing

Schoettle grew up in Indianapolis, graduating from Southport High School and Indiana University. He then departed on a tour of middle Indiana, reporting for papers in Greenwood, Frankfort, Columbus and Franklin before landing at IBJ in 1998. At his previous jobs, he spent a decade as a political and government reporter. Beyond writing, Schoettle’s passions include animals and wildlife, watching all manner of television and long-distance cycling and running. Though he put away his trumpet many years ago, he remains an avid music fan. Schoettle shares his home in Southport with his wife, Elizabeth, three salty dogs and three sweet cats. Preferring to live in a “park-like setting,” one of his primary goals each spring and summer is to see how seldom he can mow his front lawn.

Articles

WEDJ one year later: Ratings more than double: Revenue growth pushes Hispanic station toward record

After years languishing as a ratings bottom feeder, WEDJ-FM 107.1 is quickly moving up the radio charts with its Hispanic format and is positioned to crack the market’s top 10 stations. Since local radio veteran Russ Dodge was hired as general manager in late April 2006, WEDJ’s rating for area listeners 12 and older has more than doubled, from 1.0 to 2.1, according to New York-based Arbitron Co. WEDJ’s morning show is ranked No. 3 with listeners ages 18 to…

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Lilly rescues tennis tournament

A major sponsorship upgrade by local drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. and a quartet of new corporate partners has helped the Indianapolis
Tennis Championships stem its losses after the departure of its title sponsor.

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UPDATE: Kokomo could be blitzed by Delphi plan

The economy near Kokomo-including northern reaches of the Indianapolis area-could sustain a two-fisted punch if Delphi Corp. succeeds with its plan to emerge from bankruptcy protection. The Michigan-based auto parts maker has reached a preliminary agreement with the United Auto Workers and its main customer, General Motors Corp., to cut production by about half at […]

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In face of competition, local BBB turns to marketing: Thirty billboards proclaim agency’s trustworthy nature

The Better Business Bureau of Central Indiana this year launched an aggressive billboard advertising campaign to fortify its brand and boost membership, which BBB officials said already is on the rise. In late March, 30 billboards popped up around the city proclaiming “BBB = Trust.” The local Web site, www.indybbb.org, also is featured on the billboards. The campaign cost about $16,000 and will stretch through the summer. Officials already are crediting the effort with a strong uptick in calls to…

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Yurt biz owners think it’s hip to be round: McCordsville firm counts on growing popularity for circular buildings with odd name

It was a terrible storm. Emerging from his tattered tent at a Renaissance re-enactment camp more than 20 years ago, Ken Lawrence surveyed the decimated landscape, with only three oddlooking round structures surviving the 60-plus-mile-per-hour winds. Intrigued by what kind of structure withstood such a violent blow through this tent town, Lawrence poked his head inside the Mongolian-style yurt, a round tent-like structure with a uniquely engineered roof. “I was amazed they were still standing,” Lawrence said. “Utterly amazed.” Immediately,…

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Pacers put no limits on Morris

The fact that Pacers Sports and Entertainment has tapped Jim Morris as special adviser shows how daunting the franchise’s
challenges have become, marketing experts say. They say the team’s problems on and off the court have shrunk its fan base
and weakened support among business and government leaders.

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UPDATE: Star to keep business columnists in revamp

Indianapolis Star managers informed newsroom staff Monday that the paper’s business section no longer will be a stand-alone section beginning in late June. Staffers were told the section will become part of the Metro & State section. It is unclear whether the business section will have its own pages within Metro & State or some […]

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Emmis swings unique advertising deal with Google

Emmis Communications Corp. is turning to Google in its search for relief from a radio-industry slump. The local media company
is tapping the power of the popular Internet search engine to sell advertising for its Indianapolis and New York radio properties.

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Super rebuff builds pressure to attract even more events

With the 2011 Super Bowl galloping off to Dallas, pressure is building to bring in more of the marquee sports events the city’s
economy has come to rely on to keep hotels full, retail businesses humming and the national and international spotlight focused
on Indianapolis.

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BREAKING: Pacers hire Jim Morris to assist CEO Walsh

Pacers Sports & Entertainment said today it has hired Jim Morris as special adviser to President and CEO Donnie Walsh. Morris joins PS&E after spending five years as executive director for the United Nations World Food Programme, the world’s largest humanitarian agency. The Pacers have been dealing with a litany of problems the last three […]

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Media trainer becomes driving force at Speedway: Firm teaches athletes how to behave on camera

While most eyes were on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2-1/2-mile oval this month, Kevin Long was more interested in what happened in the media room. Long is not a news reporter, but he’s been focused on every word spoken to the media this month by drivers, team managers and owners. It’s Long’s job to make sure those speaking into the mike maximize the benefit for themselves, their teams and sponsors. He owns and operates MVP Sports Media Training LLC, a…

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ABA signs deal with Toronto firm to launch media division

The American Basketball Association, an Indianapolis-based professional basketball league, and Toronto media company Caricom have signed a deal to create ABA Media, an initiative launched to maximize potential of a variety of media opportunities for the league, including television, radio, Web streaming, podcasting and other technologies. “Caricom is a new breed of media organization that […]

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Is title sponsor in 500’s future?: Indy Racing League throttles up sales efforts, considers aggressive new marketing deals

The Indy Racing League is overhauling its sales effort, an initiative industry observers said could lead to an eight-figure annual title sponsorship and exponential growth for the league and its teams. Officials for the company tabbed to lead the revolution said there isn’t any sponsorship deal that won’t be considered by Speedway brass, including a title sponsorship for the Indianapolis 500, a sacred property once thought untouchable. Race fans have been focused on the Brickyard’s 2-1/2-mile oval this month. But…

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Welding school’s custom curriculum gains notice: Institution counts on business-to-business contacts

Seeking to take advantage of a growing statewide welder shortage, the area’s first school specializing in advanced welding opened this month. Photon School of Welding Inc. Director Charles Garinger and a silent partner have invested more than $300,000 to open the school at West 84th Street and Zionsville Road. The operation is financed through the founders’ savings and a loan from National City Bank. It opened this month in a 6,000-squarefoot facility with a capacity of 52 welding booths. Many…

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Few hearing talk on FM: Station’s ratings plunge after format change

Indianapolis radio listeners are turning a deaf ear to the market’s newest talk-radio offering. According to recently released Arbitron Inc. radio station ratings, the newly formatted WWFT-FM 93.9 is fighting for its life as central Indiana’s fourth news-talk frequency. The station that dropped its contemporary Christian format and old WISG call letters the day after Christmas registered a paltry 0.8 rating in the first quarter, according to New York-based Arbitron’s most recent tally. Meanwhile, its commercial newstalk competitors, WIBC-AM 1070…

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Deal is big step toward Indy Racing League title sponsor

A multi-year deal between one of the nation’s most successful motorsports sponsorship brokers and Indy Racing League could be a critical step in bringing the open-wheel series a title sponsor. Indianapolis-based Just Marketing International has agreed to work with the league on all facets of commercial rights packaging and sales for not only the series, […]

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Super Bowl hinges on whether owners like Irsay or Jones

Bringing a Super Bowl to Indianapolis might have little to do with weather, hotel rooms or posh practice facilities. The biggest
factor is likely to be Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, and how other National Football League owners feel about him and
the contributions he has made to their tight-knit club.

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Siegel loses Earnhardt as top driver

Max Siegel has missed his first major goal as president of Dale Earnhardt Inc.-to retain Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the star driver. Earnhardt Jr. announced today in North Carolina that after this season he would leave the Charlotte-based team his late father founded. Industry insiders said Siegel, an Indianapolis native and former Baker & Daniels […]

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O’Reilly Auto Parts puts growth in high gear: Relationship with local track big part of plan for retail, distribution expansion

Few Hoosiers had heard of O’Reilly Auto Parts before the Missouri-based company built a massive distribution center in Hendricks County and bought the naming rights to Indianapolis Raceway Park last June. Now, the company, which was founded in 1957 and went public in 1993, figures to become a major retail presence here. Already, 14 stores have cropped up here among 35 that opened statewide. That makes 1,700 stores in 25 states for the company that reported revenue of $2.3 billion…

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