Woof Boom to acquire 6 area radio stations
An Indianapolis investor group headed by longtime local radio broadcaster and executive Jerry Chapman will take over operations at the stations, including three in Muncie, on June 1.
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Inquiry targets cellphone subsidies
State officials want to know how an Oklahoma City company managed to set up 30,000 Indiana accounts for a federally subsidized phone program in less than a year. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission has launched an investigation into whether TerraCom LLC is repeating federal violations it allegedly committed in Oklahoma.
WRTV adding employees, expanding newscasts
Lagging in the ratings, the local station is aiming for an uptick under new ownership with a morning news show on weekends.
‘Naptown’ rock-radio documentary vying for Emmy
The locally produced film about the golden age of WIBC, WIFE and WNAP will never break even, according to its producer, but an Emmy win would be satisfaction enough.
Escape artist Bill Shirk can’t escape the allure of broadcasting
Escape artist Bill Shirk has retired his straitjacket, but remains active in radio broadcasting. His firm, Hoosier Broadcasting, in recent years bought a handful of radio stations on the Hawaiian islands and Shirk owns and is investing more money in a Boone County radio station.
Stations switching weather lineups as Buchman nears return to air
Local television stations are each preparing in their own way for the return to the air this fall of popular weathercaster Angela Buchman.
Ad exec’s buttom line: Just be relevant
Young & Laramore President Tom Denari challenged conventional thinking in a March 21 column in Advertising Age.
Digital marketers try to cut through clutter
Element Three is among dozens of ad/marketing firms in the city that put digital marketing—in a dizzying array of formats and specialties—front-and-center. Often led by “millennial” types in their 20s and 30s to whom things like social media are second nature, they’re giving ensconced agencies a run for their money.
Smartphone videos rewrite rules of customer research
Carmel-based Strategic Marketing & Research Inc. is among firms tapping the capabilities of video-enabled smartphones to gain insights into consumers’ thoughts and emotions. They’re doing this by having consumers use their phones to shoot a video diary of their product experiences.
WTHR’s IRS investigation receives national honor
The station was honored for a six-month investigation into Internal Revenue Service mismanagement that resulted in fraudulent tax refunds for undocumented workers.
Fox59 news chief to depart for San Francisco station
Over his four-year tenure, Lee Rosenthal helped WXIN-TV Channel 59 more than double the airtime it devotes to news.
Graphic designer advises marketers on nuances of reaching Latinos
Advertiser Carlos Sosa has designed some very recognizable work—including logos for IndyGo and the Indianapolis Indians—but he is more focused these days on helping businesses more effectively market to the Indianapolis Latino community.
WISH-TV receives trio of awards from AP
Look for Channel 8 to trumpet its Outstanding News Operation, Best Newscast and Best Website awards from the Associated Press.
ExactTarget lands on tech shopping list for buyout
ExactTarget Inc.’s strong position in digital marketing has made the Indianapolis company a tempting acquisition target for Salesforce.com and other tech-industry suitors, Wall Street analysts believe.
WTHR chief hit with discrimination lawsuit
The former executive assistant to WTHR-TV Channel 13 President John Cardenas has filed an age- and sexual-discrimination lawsuit against the station and parent Dispatch Broadcasting Group.
Book version of documentary on Indy radio debuts
The film and book chronicle the fierce competition among the top Indianapolis radio stations from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Running events proliferate; sponsor dollars pour in
The 500 Festival Mini Marathon in May will once again focus Hoosier attention on distance running—a sport where shifting demographics and rising interest have combined to generate strong sponsorship revenue.
Mass transit campaign floods market with $1 million
The campaign to expand public transit in the region has generated a busload of money for some media and marketing outlets, thanks to $1 million in federal grants to advertise the benefits of mass transit.
Radio One to launch local Telemundo affiliate
Indianapolis will have a commercial Spanish-language television station again when Radio One Inc. launches a Telemundo affiliate March 11.
New economic development chiefs plan branding blitz
The state of Indiana will have a new brand, under a campaign the Indiana Economic Development Corp. plans to launch this summer. The campaign is one of a few tweaks that Commerce Secretary Victor Smith and IEDC President Eric Doden are making to Indiana’s job-growth strategy.