The Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis
Encyclopedia
The Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis, Indianapolis
, Indiana
, is a not-for-profit organization that produces and broadcasts classical music radio programs on WICR
, WICR -HD 2 and online (www.wicronline.org).
The operating income of the Fine Arts Society is raised annually from individual donations, private and public sector grants, and earned income from corporate and cultural organizations underwriting its radio programming.
The station struggled financially, and only became profitable in 1967 when the program format became exclusively classical. Programs were chosen by station staff and were presented in their entirety without interruption. This was the first completely classical music format on radio in Indianapolis and the Fine Arts Society's programs remain so today.
Decisions between the owners of WAIV led to the sale of the station, which eventually became WTLC, but Norbert Neuss was not about to give up. With the help of some of his friends he purchased the 2,500 classical record library from WAIV's new owners, packed them up, and stored them in the Lilly Pavilion of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. His hope was to use them later. That moment came sooner than anyone could have hoped for.
Neuss's friendship with Frank P. Thomas, founder and owner of the Burger Chef System of restaurants, turned out to be a decisive factor in fulfilling his dream of reviving classical music on the radio. Norbert, F. Bruce Peck, Frank P. Thomas and Willis K. Kunz collaborated early in 1968, and the Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis, Inc. was formed as a public charitable trust under the laws of the State of Indiana. The Society was granted exemption from taxes under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code in January, 1969.
Upon hearing that the Indianapolis Public School System was constructing a new radio/television center, the Society approached school officials. After informal discussions between Norbert and the staff of the school's broadcast center, the Board of School Commissioners and the Society arrived at an agreement whereby the Fine Arts Society would augment the instructional programs of the IPS station, WIAN-FM, with a Second Programme of classical music during prime evening hours that went on the air in November, 1969.
However, the Society suffered a serious loss on November 5, 1973, when the Grant Fire destroyed the downtown Thomas Building, including the offices and classical and opera record collection of the Society. During these years, more than 20 different broadcast services provided the Second Programme with concert materials from the entire spectrum of worldwide musical activity. The Society was also especially proud to bring to the Indianapolis radio audience selected student and faculty concerts from the School of Music of Indiana University in Bloomington.
The partnership of The Fine Arts Society and the Indianapolis Public Schools' WIAN, represented a totally unprecedented and unique approach in financing a radio program without any tax subsidies. WIAN was able to expand its broadcast hours by more than 100% at no cost to taxpayers.
Thanks to the expansion of program time WIAN was able to qualify for affiliation with National Publilc Radio and in the 1970s began receiving grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. WIAN now had the financial resources to expand its own operation and programming originating from NPR, but this resulted in increased restrictions on broadcast time for the Society, and prompted the Society to seek another outlet for its programming.
Fortunately, the University of Indianapolis was in the process of upgrading its campus radio facility both in signal strength and stereo broadcast mode. The happy affiliation of the Society and the University of Indianapolis took place on January 26, 1983, when the Society broadcast its First Program on WICR-FM, 88.7 MHz. The nationally-unique contractual arrangement between the Fine Arts Society and the University of Indianapolis continues to this day.
The Metropolitan Opera selected The Fine Arts Society to join its national radio broadcasting network in 1993 that are still aired Saturday afternoons.
2001 saw the retirement of the President of the Board, Norbert Neuss, after 32 years of service to the organization. He was appointed President Emeritus.
The Fine Arts Society began broadcasting Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra programs in 2002. That same year, Kathryn Ryan began at the Society first as the part time and later fulltime Education Coordinator for the Society's then outreach Music Academy program in area schools. She began as the morning on-air personality in 2005 when longtime morning host Meredith Granger switched to afternoons.
In the summer of 2005 a huge loss happened to the Society when longtime Treasurer Bruce Peck died. A year later, President Emeritus Norbert Neuss died. The current Fine Arts Society music library has been dedicated the F. Bruce Peck Library and one of the production studios has been dedicated the Norbert Neuss Production Studio in honor of their memory and contributions to the Society.
Christopher Tolzmann signed on as the Director of Development and Marketing in October 2007 and was named Deputy Director in 2011. Area favorite classical music host Michael Toulouse became the Director of Programming in 2008.
This honor was given to only 28 of over 800 entries and was only the fourth ever received by an Indiana broadcast entity in the 48-year history of the award, administered by the University of Georgia School of Journalism and Mass Communication. What impressed the judges most was the manner in which the Fine Arts Society was able to finance its operations exclusively from private sources. Signifying the dedicated service to the community by an organization without precedent in classical music broadcasting, the quotation in the booklet for the awards in May 1987 is as follows:
"The Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis is a public charitable trust established to promote the understanding and appreciation of the Fine Arts and Performing Arts..."
Each year the Society produces and provides funds for more than 5,400 hours of professionally produced classical music programming. This programming is broadcast on WICR-fm, the radio station of the University of Indianapolis. For the Society's outstanding contribution the Peabody Board recognizes the accomplishments of both the Society itself as well as the individual contribution made by Norbert Neuss, its founder and president.
The Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis, Inc. is a not-for-profit public charitable trust, under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
V.P. of Programming & Afternoon Host: Michael Toulouse
Administrative V.P.: Christopher J. Tolzmann
Director of Donor Relations: Kelli Norwalk
Morning Host: Kathryn Ryan
On-Air Personality: Meredith Granger
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, is a not-for-profit organization that produces and broadcasts classical music radio programs on WICR
WICR
WICR , Indianapolis, Indiana, is a 5,000 watt, Class B public radio station at the University of Indianapolis that broadcasts to listeners in the Indianapolis metropolitan area....
, WICR -HD 2 and online (www.wicronline.org).
The operating income of the Fine Arts Society is raised annually from individual donations, private and public sector grants, and earned income from corporate and cultural organizations underwriting its radio programming.
Mission statement
The Fine Arts Society inspires passion for classical music across Central Indiana through broadcast programming and education outreach.History of the Fine Arts Society
Prior to 1961, there was little radio available in Central Indiana, if you were fond of listening to classical music. In May of that year, a group of Lilly Researchers pooled their resources, formed a corporation and on May 13 the "Lively Arts Station," WAIV-FM went on the air. The station offered a variety of classical music, jazz, poetry, interviews, folk music, discussions of religion, and editorials. Its broadcasts emanated from a tower atop the Dearborn Hotel on East Michigan Street.The station struggled financially, and only became profitable in 1967 when the program format became exclusively classical. Programs were chosen by station staff and were presented in their entirety without interruption. This was the first completely classical music format on radio in Indianapolis and the Fine Arts Society's programs remain so today.
Decisions between the owners of WAIV led to the sale of the station, which eventually became WTLC, but Norbert Neuss was not about to give up. With the help of some of his friends he purchased the 2,500 classical record library from WAIV's new owners, packed them up, and stored them in the Lilly Pavilion of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. His hope was to use them later. That moment came sooner than anyone could have hoped for.
Neuss's friendship with Frank P. Thomas, founder and owner of the Burger Chef System of restaurants, turned out to be a decisive factor in fulfilling his dream of reviving classical music on the radio. Norbert, F. Bruce Peck, Frank P. Thomas and Willis K. Kunz collaborated early in 1968, and the Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis, Inc. was formed as a public charitable trust under the laws of the State of Indiana. The Society was granted exemption from taxes under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code in January, 1969.
Upon hearing that the Indianapolis Public School System was constructing a new radio/television center, the Society approached school officials. After informal discussions between Norbert and the staff of the school's broadcast center, the Board of School Commissioners and the Society arrived at an agreement whereby the Fine Arts Society would augment the instructional programs of the IPS station, WIAN-FM, with a Second Programme of classical music during prime evening hours that went on the air in November, 1969.
However, the Society suffered a serious loss on November 5, 1973, when the Grant Fire destroyed the downtown Thomas Building, including the offices and classical and opera record collection of the Society. During these years, more than 20 different broadcast services provided the Second Programme with concert materials from the entire spectrum of worldwide musical activity. The Society was also especially proud to bring to the Indianapolis radio audience selected student and faculty concerts from the School of Music of Indiana University in Bloomington.
The partnership of The Fine Arts Society and the Indianapolis Public Schools' WIAN, represented a totally unprecedented and unique approach in financing a radio program without any tax subsidies. WIAN was able to expand its broadcast hours by more than 100% at no cost to taxpayers.
Thanks to the expansion of program time WIAN was able to qualify for affiliation with National Publilc Radio and in the 1970s began receiving grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. WIAN now had the financial resources to expand its own operation and programming originating from NPR, but this resulted in increased restrictions on broadcast time for the Society, and prompted the Society to seek another outlet for its programming.
Fortunately, the University of Indianapolis was in the process of upgrading its campus radio facility both in signal strength and stereo broadcast mode. The happy affiliation of the Society and the University of Indianapolis took place on January 26, 1983, when the Society broadcast its First Program on WICR-FM, 88.7 MHz. The nationally-unique contractual arrangement between the Fine Arts Society and the University of Indianapolis continues to this day.
The Metropolitan Opera selected The Fine Arts Society to join its national radio broadcasting network in 1993 that are still aired Saturday afternoons.
2001 saw the retirement of the President of the Board, Norbert Neuss, after 32 years of service to the organization. He was appointed President Emeritus.
The Fine Arts Society began broadcasting Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra programs in 2002. That same year, Kathryn Ryan began at the Society first as the part time and later fulltime Education Coordinator for the Society's then outreach Music Academy program in area schools. She began as the morning on-air personality in 2005 when longtime morning host Meredith Granger switched to afternoons.
In the summer of 2005 a huge loss happened to the Society when longtime Treasurer Bruce Peck died. A year later, President Emeritus Norbert Neuss died. The current Fine Arts Society music library has been dedicated the F. Bruce Peck Library and one of the production studios has been dedicated the Norbert Neuss Production Studio in honor of their memory and contributions to the Society.
Christopher Tolzmann signed on as the Director of Development and Marketing in October 2007 and was named Deputy Director in 2011. Area favorite classical music host Michael Toulouse became the Director of Programming in 2008.
The George Foster Peabody Award
Perhaps the most rewarding and significant event in the Society's history happened in 1987, when the Society received the most coveted George Foster Peabody Award.This honor was given to only 28 of over 800 entries and was only the fourth ever received by an Indiana broadcast entity in the 48-year history of the award, administered by the University of Georgia School of Journalism and Mass Communication. What impressed the judges most was the manner in which the Fine Arts Society was able to finance its operations exclusively from private sources. Signifying the dedicated service to the community by an organization without precedent in classical music broadcasting, the quotation in the booklet for the awards in May 1987 is as follows:
"The Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis is a public charitable trust established to promote the understanding and appreciation of the Fine Arts and Performing Arts..."
Each year the Society produces and provides funds for more than 5,400 hours of professionally produced classical music programming. This programming is broadcast on WICR-fm, the radio station of the University of Indianapolis. For the Society's outstanding contribution the Peabody Board recognizes the accomplishments of both the Society itself as well as the individual contribution made by Norbert Neuss, its founder and president.
The Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis, Inc. is a not-for-profit public charitable trust, under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Staff
President & CEO: P. Lynne GoodinV.P. of Programming & Afternoon Host: Michael Toulouse
Administrative V.P.: Christopher J. Tolzmann
Director of Donor Relations: Kelli Norwalk
Morning Host: Kathryn Ryan
On-Air Personality: Meredith Granger