K105, Fort Wayne’s Leading Radio Station:



K105 - Fort Wayne’s Leading Radio Station:

Analysis Paper

Submitted to Dr. Isang

By Ashley Libben

May 11, 2006

Growing up on a farm on the outskirts of Albion, I have heard my fair share of country music. It has been played when my family cleans around the house, at high school sporting events, when I’ve gotten ready for school in the morning and in the car at all times. Country music has always been there. Almost synonymous with country music is K105. Broadcast from Fort Wayne, K105 has always been the station that my family listens to. When I sat down to write this paper, I realized that I did not know much about the station. How could I know so little about something that has been so prevalent in my life (even if it was in the background)? Through my research, I have learned that WQHK-K105 of Fort Wayne, Indiana has a rich history, and through its employees, it strives to perform the functions of mass media as discussed in Dr. Isang’s Radio Production and Practices course.

First of all, WQHK-K105 has an extensive and rich history which has enabled it to become the leading radio station in Fort Wayne and the surrounding areas. K105 is owned by Federated Media which according to its website is “an independent family owned company that offers top quality products” (Welcome, 2004). Federated Media owns fifteen radio stations and one newspaper here in the Midwest. Perhaps the most successful of these stations is K105, a country station. Current owner John Dille acquired the company in 1971 which included two radio stations WMEE and WMEF (Welcome, 2004). As time passed, Dille continued to acquire more and more radio stations, culminating into today’s band of fifteen stations. In terms of country music programming, Dille ran into problems with actually creating a country music station. Of this, he (Welcome, 2004) says,

There had been [country music stations] before . . . [Country music] was great stuff, but different. In telephone research you could say, "Do you like country music?"  The answer would be, "No," but you knew there were lots of people listening to it.  It was not cool; it was not hip; it was not okay to be a country listener.  Urban Cowboy changed that. So, we thought we'd try [to have a country music station.]  But this was very offensive to people who had enjoyed Frank Sinatra.  The notion of hearing Waylon Jennings instead of Frank Sinatra was just absolutely an anathema.  There was a newspaper columnist who just stirred and stirred this thing . . . So, fifteen hundred people [wrote to the FCC.]  So many letters and so much commotion that Bill Gradison, then congressman, called for a congressional hearing of the matter of WCKY's format.  Well, it is preposterous.  Anyway, it was out of that case and a couple of others akin to it that the Commission concluded privately [that] they had no business in the content regulation portion of broadcasting activity.

Luckily for the country music listeners of Fort Wayne, Federated Media was able to overcome the challenges to country music that they faced, and they have obviously found their market. Since 1994, K105 has been Fort Wayne’s most listened radio station (White, 2005, p. 4). Originally founded in 1984 as WMCZ, WQHK-K105 came into its own identity in 1993 (FCC, 2006), and it has been topping rating charts ever since.

Again, K105 is owned by Federated Media. The current Chief Executive Officer of Federated Media is John Dille III, who acquired the company in 1971. Dille has a background in newspaper, having worked for newspapers in Chicago, England, Scotland and Wales (Welcome, 2004). Since acquiring Federated Media, Dille has become very active in professional radio and has served on dozens of radio committees and lobbying groups who deal with radio advertising, music licensing and legislation. The current general manager of K105 is Mark DePrez. DePrez is the general manager for “WOWO/WKJG/WMEE/WQHK” (Welcome, 2004), all Fort Wayne radio stations. DePrez also has an extensive background in radio and “sold radio advertising in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio . . . [and eventually became] General Sales Manager of WKRC radio in Cincinnati” (Welcome, 2004). Caring about professional development, DePrez currently “has been a national board member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters” (Welcome, 2004). Clearly, K105 is in safe and knowledgeable hands with Dille and DePrez at the helm.

Next, K105 uses innovative equipment and technology to reach its listeners. As an FM station, K105 operates at a frequency modulation of 105.1. The broadcast antenna of K105 is located in Decatur, Indiana and stands at 137 meters (FCC, 2006). For both broadcasting and recording, K105 uses Cool Edit by Adobe (White, 2006). Cool Edit is a digital software program that allows K105 to “[r]ecord, mix, edit and master digital audio files” (Adobe, 2006). This software allows K105 flexibility and creativity for both its broadcast and advertising.

The overall sound of K105 is both energetic and family-friendly. K105 reaches this sound with its outstanding programming and on-air personalities. K105 plays the best of yesterday and today’s country hits. The major personalities of K105 are Dan Austin, BJ Stone, Dude Walker, Rick Hughes, Dave Michaels and Brooke Summers. The Morning Show, which broadcasts from 5 am to 10 am, is hosted by Dan, BJ and Dude. These outstanding DJs, who have incredible on-air rapport with each other and their listeners, were recently nominated for the Country Music Association Personalities of the Year in 2005. For a station in a small city, this is a huge honor. During the morning show, the DJs run unique programs like a “Just for Kids, Birthdays, the Impossible Question, the K105 Entertainment Report and the Nitty Gritty from Music City” (White, 2005, p.4). Right now, the morning show is holding a contest for Mother’s Day. Rick Hughes is the host of the daytime show from 10 am to 3 pm. Hughes has been with the station for ten years, and his knowledge and expertise of radio production and practices certainly shows itself in his broadcasts. Everyday at noon, Hughes hosts Rick’s Café (White, 2005, p.4). Dave Michaels is the rush-hour DJ on the 3 pm to 6 pm airshift. During his show, Michaels carries the “4 o’clock Flashback” (White, 2005 p. 4) in which he plays country hits of the past. The final member of the K105 broadcast team is Brooke Summers who hosts the evening show. Summers is on-air from 6 pm to 12 midnight. The K105 broadcast team has years of experience in radio production, but more importantly, they each bring their own unique personalities and creativity to the station. Without these DJs, K105 would not have the energy and overall sound that it has. Without their combined efforts, K105 would not be the highest rated radio station in Fort Wayne.

K105 promotes itself as being “Fort Wayne’s Best and Most Country” (K105, 2005). While this may seem like a rather large claim, it is not unwarranted or undeserved. According to the Account Manager of K105, Erin White, the station has been the “# 1 rated [Fort] Wayne station . . . [for] 11 years” (p.5). K105 uses Arbitron, a media research company, to obtain their ratings (White, 2006). According to White, K105’s target audience is “[a]dults 25-54” (White, 2006). K105 hits this target dead on as they are “number one in the market [for] adults 25-54” (White, 2006). According to their spring 2005, Abritron ratings results, K105 has a share of 9.7% of the available listeners in Fort Wayne and the surrounding areas (Arbitron, 2006). This is the highest share for a music station in the Fort Wayne area.

Indeed, K105 serves the functions of mass media as discussed in Dr. Isang’s Radio Production and Practices course. The first function of any medium is to inform. K105 informs its listeners in many ways. Perhaps the primary way K105 informs its listeners is its news broadcast. During the morning show with Dan, BJ and Dude, the news is broadcast every half hour (White, 2005, p.4). After that, the DJs keep the listeners informed throughout the day. Through its website, the station informs listeners of the gas prices in the area. K105 also educates its listeners (the second function) through its news programming. Another way K105 provides education is through the website which shows listeners how they can feed their family for $35 a week and provides listeners with an entire page devoted to making wise financial decisions (K105, 2005). The next function of mass media is to persuade the listeners, and K105 does this primarily through its advertising. K105 and its marketing team hold that “repetition is [k]ey to [s]uccess” (White, 2005, p. 6). With this maxim in mind, K105 encourages its advertisers to “establish and maintain a well-planned, well-funded, and well-executed advertising program” (White, 2005, p. 7). This repetitive advertisement is the way that K105 persuades its listeners, specifically to go out and buy specific products and services.

The next function of mass media is to entertain, and with radio, this function is central. If a radio station fails to entertain its listeners, it fails as a station. K105 entertains its listeners first and foremost with its music programming. It also entertains with its vivacious and lively personalities, contests, concert promotions and trivia games. K105 with its many accolades like the CMA nomination and high ratings is certainly performing its entertainment function.

Finally, K105 links all of its listeners together and with the community. As owner John Dille points out, “[r]adio is local, that's its value” (Welcome, 2004). K105 obviously lives and survives by this adage. In the Fort Wayne community, K105 is very active. In just a few days, K105 will be sponsoring the American Diabetes Association’s Walk for Diabetes (K105, 2005). On its website, K105 advertises community events and even reminds listeners of upcoming events. This helps to link all of the listening community together.

WQHK-K105, a ratings leader for many years, serves the many functions of mass media and has a deep and interesting history. K105 is obviously an industry leader. Their success may be attributed to their music programming and personality, but I believe the key may lie elsewhere. Listeners may tune in for the music, but they come back for the local attention. They want to hear about what is going on in the Fort Wayne area, and K105 can provide them with this. Why else would K105 have had such a resounding impact on my personal life? They played K105 at my high school functions because K105 supports the community. I listened in the morning for school delays and cancellations. We listen when clean the house for the jokes between Dan, BJ and Dude and for our favorite songs and artists. My parents turned on K105 in the car to check traffic reports and listen for the latest news. K105 truly serves as a beacon to the rest of the broadcast world; it is a shining example of combining music with local interest, and that is why it is the number one radio station in the Fort Wayne area.

References

Adobe Systems Incorporated. (2006). Adobe Audition. Retrieved May 10, 2006 from

Arbitron. (2006). In Arbitron Ratings Data. Retrieved May 10, 2006 from

Federal Communications Commission. (January 3, 2006). In CDBS Public Access. Retrieved May 10, 2006 from

K105. (2005). K105’s Home Page. Retrieved May 10, 2006 from

Welcome to Federated Media. (2004). Retrieved May 10, 2006, from

White, E. (2006). E-mail correspondence with Ashley Libben.

White, E. (2005). K105FM Media Kit.

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