WIBN
Encyclopedia
WIBN is an FM radio station
licensed to the city of Earl Park, Indiana
. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 98.1 MHz, FM channel 251. The studios are located at 130 E. McConnell Street in Oxford, Indiana
. The tower is located one mile east of Dunnington, Indiana, a small community in rural western Benton County.
and Adult contemporary music. The station had stints doing each of the aforementioned formats exclusively throughout the 1980s.
By the mid 1980s, the station was purchased by Lafayette, Indiana
radio pioneer Sidney Thompson. His company, known as IBN Broadcasting, began looking into ways to make the station more powerful as well as more profitable. The 98.3 frequency was very cluttered in northwestern Indiana at the time with three other stations occupying the frequency within a 100-mile radius of WIBN. In 1988, the FCC granted a request to move WIBN to 98.1 and strengthen its power from 3,000 watts to 25,000 watts. This power increase would also provide the station with primary coverage to larger Illinois towns such as Watseka
and Hoopeston
and secondary coverage to Greater Lafayette
. Once the move to 98.1 was complete, WIBN became an Adult contemporary station with programming provided by Satellite Music Network
's Starstation format.
In the mid-90s, Brothers Broadcasting Corporation, headed by John Balvich, purchased the station. The station maintained its affiliation with Starstation but renamed itself "Interstate 98" or "I-98" for short. As I-98, WIBN featured a mix of music, farm reports, and sports, both local and national.
In 2001, it was decided that a new direction was necessary for the station. It was widely speculated that WIBN would attempt to program toward the Lafayette market, especially as many former Lafayette radio personalities and managers were hired in to oversee operations. Format speculations ranged from alternative rock to hot AC. By the Spring, it was decided that WIBN would become Hot adult contemporary as B 98. However, the decision was pulled right before the launch when Lafayette's WNJY changed format and became B 102.9. The station remained I-98 and kept its affiliation with ABC Radio's Hits and Favorites format (formerly Starstation) until October 1, 2001 when the station flipped to Oldies
as "98 Gold" utilizing ABC Radio Networks Pure Gold (now Classic Hits
) format.
Today, WIBN continues to program an oldies format and now uses Citadel Media Networks True Oldies. The station runs Brownfield farm reports and regional news. High school sports broadcasts run from Mid-August with one football game per week, including post-season action. Then from November thru March, high school basketball games feature Benton Central and other area teams.(WIBN carries both boys' and girls' basketball). National sports include Indianapolis Colts Football, the Brickyard 400, Indianapolis 500, and other IndyCar races.
In April 2010 WIBN's tower was knocked over by heavy farm equipment, which fell onto the building housing its transmitter, taking the station off the air. WIBN continued to stream online while the station was off the air. WIBN went back on the air at 8 pm on July 27, 2010.
WIBN mainly plays pop hits from 1955-1979 with supplemental 80s tunes from popular 60s and 70s artists.
Special shows:
9 am-11 am The Big Bargain Show
10am- Noon Beatles-O-Rama
Noon- 6pm Indianapolis Colts Football (Start times vary)
(Select Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays, September thru January)
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to the city of Earl Park, Indiana
Earl Park, Indiana
Earl Park is a town in Richland Township, Benton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 348 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 98.1 MHz, FM channel 251. The studios are located at 130 E. McConnell Street in Oxford, Indiana
Oxford, Indiana
Oxford is a town in Oak Grove Township, Benton County, Indiana. The population was 1,162 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The tower is located one mile east of Dunnington, Indiana, a small community in rural western Benton County.
History
WIBN signed on the air in 1983 at 98.3 on the FM dial originally built and owned by Frank and Sandra Hertel of Evansville, IN. The station originally broadcast at 3,000 watts and served specifically the communities of Earl Park, Fowler and Kentland. The studio and tower were both located in Earl Park. Initially, the format was a mix of countryCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and Adult contemporary music. The station had stints doing each of the aforementioned formats exclusively throughout the 1980s.
By the mid 1980s, the station was purchased by Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
radio pioneer Sidney Thompson. His company, known as IBN Broadcasting, began looking into ways to make the station more powerful as well as more profitable. The 98.3 frequency was very cluttered in northwestern Indiana at the time with three other stations occupying the frequency within a 100-mile radius of WIBN. In 1988, the FCC granted a request to move WIBN to 98.1 and strengthen its power from 3,000 watts to 25,000 watts. This power increase would also provide the station with primary coverage to larger Illinois towns such as Watseka
Watseka, Illinois
Watseka is a city in and the county seat of Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately west of the Illinois-Indiana state line on U.S...
and Hoopeston
Hoopeston, Illinois
Hoopeston is a city in Grant Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Danville, Illinois, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,965 at the 2000 census, and 5,602 in 2009.-History:Hoopeston was laid out in 1871...
and secondary coverage to Greater Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
. Once the move to 98.1 was complete, WIBN became an Adult contemporary station with programming provided by Satellite Music Network
Satellite Music Network
Satellite Music Network was the first satellite delivered network to provide complete live 24-hour a day music programming to local stations, under several different formats...
's Starstation format.
In the mid-90s, Brothers Broadcasting Corporation, headed by John Balvich, purchased the station. The station maintained its affiliation with Starstation but renamed itself "Interstate 98" or "I-98" for short. As I-98, WIBN featured a mix of music, farm reports, and sports, both local and national.
In 2001, it was decided that a new direction was necessary for the station. It was widely speculated that WIBN would attempt to program toward the Lafayette market, especially as many former Lafayette radio personalities and managers were hired in to oversee operations. Format speculations ranged from alternative rock to hot AC. By the Spring, it was decided that WIBN would become Hot adult contemporary as B 98. However, the decision was pulled right before the launch when Lafayette's WNJY changed format and became B 102.9. The station remained I-98 and kept its affiliation with ABC Radio's Hits and Favorites format (formerly Starstation) until October 1, 2001 when the station flipped to Oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
as "98 Gold" utilizing ABC Radio Networks Pure Gold (now Classic Hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
) format.
Today, WIBN continues to program an oldies format and now uses Citadel Media Networks True Oldies. The station runs Brownfield farm reports and regional news. High school sports broadcasts run from Mid-August with one football game per week, including post-season action. Then from November thru March, high school basketball games feature Benton Central and other area teams.(WIBN carries both boys' and girls' basketball). National sports include Indianapolis Colts Football, the Brickyard 400, Indianapolis 500, and other IndyCar races.
In April 2010 WIBN's tower was knocked over by heavy farm equipment, which fell onto the building housing its transmitter, taking the station off the air. WIBN continued to stream online while the station was off the air. WIBN went back on the air at 8 pm on July 27, 2010.
Programming
ALL TIMES EASTERNWIBN mainly plays pop hits from 1955-1979 with supplemental 80s tunes from popular 60s and 70s artists.
Special shows:
-
- Saturday**
9 am-11 am The Big Bargain Show
-
- Sunday**
10am- Noon Beatles-O-Rama
Noon- 6pm Indianapolis Colts Football (Start times vary)
(Select Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays, September thru January)