On July 21, 1969, the switch was flipped and the radio station in Knox was on the air!
The new radio station went on the air for the first time at 6 a.m. that day. Programming only lasted 12 hours until the hours expanded to a full 24-hour broadcast day. Country music was played on the FM station until the early 2000’s when an adult contemporary format was established.
On the first day, the Deluxe Cardinal Motor Coach will travel to Wind Point, Wis., to visit the quaint lakeside village and the state’s oldest lighthouse, followed by a trip to Door County and the family-owned Courtyard Settlement Inn with an evening meal at Florian’s Lakeshore Steak House in Bailey’s Harbor.
A special ceremony was held Saturday afternoon to honor the memory of Pat Dunn.
Pat passed away on Jan. 1 of this year and the Starke County Youth Club planted a tree in his memory. He was a great supporter of the youth of the community and was reflective in his support of the Starke County Youth Club. A plaque was also donated which was placed in front of the tree by Pat’s wife, Karen. Pat had been a board member of Kankakee Valley Broadcasting, Inc. and served as the General Manager of the station from 2009 until his death. He was always a driving force here at the station and continues to be in the staff’s thoughts as the work days go by.
Many of Pat’s family were in attendance at the ceremony as well as many of the staff and board members at WKVI.
The tree was planted in the front yard at WKVI.
Knox Community High School senior and WKVI programming intern Makayla Dillard is one of six Indiana Broadcasters Association Scholarship winners chosen from around the state from a field of 140 applicants. She plans to major in telecommunications at Ball State University.
“I want to be an on-air personality. My ultimate goal would be to be like Ellen DeGeneres and have a talk show, or maybe like Howard Stern, but not as vulgar,” she says.
An increase in blood drive donations was seen last year in the Knox community.
Trish Cochran, donor recruit representative for the American Red Cross, appreciates the support of the community blood program and all of the donations will go a long way toward replenishing blood supplies and saving lives.
A 22 percent increase in collections was realized at the Knox blood drives. WKVI was the the host of a few blood drives last year.
More blood drives are scheduled throughout the season. Listen to WKVI for dates and locations for those blood drives.
Knox local Ray Duran went home yesterday afternoon with a brand new 42” flat screen TV from Sears in Knox after he blew away the competition in the K99.3 Football Pick’Em contest! Every contestant who entered had to choose who would win all of the games that week, and Duran picked more correct teams than any other contestant.
Duran, who was born in San Diego but moved to Knox when he was around nine years old, said this was the first time he has participated in the Football Pick’Em contest.
The WKVI/Five Star food drive for the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry was held Saturday at Five Star and it was a success. The boy and girl scouts in North Judson also helped get donations for the food drive.
Several carts were loaded with food items and several cash donations were made. Community Services of Starke County Director Joan Haugh said it greatly helps the food pantry. Continue reading
Alliance EMS will be hosting their first ever Community Appreciation Day at Broken Arrow Campground from noon to 3 p.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 30.
There will be activities for all ages, including face painting, balloon animals, minute-to-win-it games, and a moon bounce! There will also be free food such as chips, hamburgers, hot dogs, water, and sodas.
WKVI will also be at the celebration with a live broadcast at the event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT. If you miss the exciting event, you’re missing out!
In recognition of WKVI Morning Host Tom Berg’s unbelievable effort in breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous radio broadcast by a single host, the City of Knox has come together to show their support for the man who has worked the single longest shift in radio history.
Mayor Rick Chambers issued a proclamation yesterday declaring today – Tuesday, July 17 – Tom Berg Day.
“It was just our thoughts from the city, to thank Tom for all his efforts he’s put forth, and all the attention he’s brought to our community,” said Chambers.
Tom Berg is entering into the final hours before he sets a Guiness World Record! Tom was surprised by a flash mob yesterday. Several students from the Backstage Studio of Dance performed an impromptu routine as part of Tom’s show to help keep the spirit alive during this world record attempt. Continue reading
To all of my WKVI friends,
Today, I begin a second career in Knox. After 43 years at the radio station, I have formed a new company, Hayes Media Solutions. In the early stages, I will be publicizing information from IU Health Starke Hospital. In my almost 50 years in broadcasting, I have always been interested in health-related issues, so this new task will be a labor of love.
WKVI’s Tom Berg will soon make his attempt at breaking the world record for the longest continuous radio broadcast by a single host.
His attempt will begin Monday, July 9 at 5 a.m. and will end at midnight on July 16.
The record had been set by an Italian DJ at 182 hours and just a few weeks ago, a Belgian DJ broke that record by staying on the air continuously for 184 hours. That record could be broken again if Tom is successful in his attempt to break the record at 187 hours.
Volunteers are coming in to help witness the event and everything will be documented for the Guinness World Record officials. After the officials review the submitted material, it will then be announced if the record has been broken.
Listen all week next week for Tom Berg’s Guinness Book of World Record attempt on K99.3 WKVI!
Ed Hasnerl has announced WKVI’s fall trip to Nashville, Tenn. and The Grand ‘Ole Opry. He says reserved seats have been obtained for the Opry on Saturday night, September 29, as part of the four-day, three-night deluxe motor coach trip to “Music City USA.”
Highlights of the trip include dinner and a show on the General Jackson Showboat on the Cumberland River; a tour of The Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson’s plantation home; tours of the Ryman Theater, the original home of the Opry; the Opryland Hotel; the County Music Hall of Fame; and the new American Pickers Store.
Many more exciting and country music-related stops and events are planned and you can get the information and a registration form by calling WKVI at (574) 772-6241 or by stopping in the studios at 400 West Culver Road in Knox.
We’re less than a month away from one of the biggest and most exciting promotions ever attempted at WKVI. Tom Berg, who was part of a group that brought you the Giant Pumpkin Drop, will be attempting to go into the Guinness World Records book for longest continuous radio broadcast by a single host.
The record is 183 hours, but Berg says he’s shooting for 187. The clock will start ticking at 5 a.m. on July 9, and if all goes well, will end July 16 at midnight.
Pro Bowler and PBA Hall of Fame Member, Mike Aulby, was in Knox last night to help support the Junior Achievement organization in a Bowl-a-Thon event at Bowlaway Lanes.
There were several teams that participated in the event, including the WKVI Men’s and Women’s teams. Each team won a game, but the Women’s team won in series points by 23 pins. Several door prizes were given out and a game of chance was won by Tom Berg. The WKVI Men’s team brought in the most in pledges with $380.
Ed Hasnerl has a few more seats available for his summer trip to Washington, D.C.
”We aren’t going for another three months, but I do have room for four more on the motor bus. We’re going to see all the great sites in Washington. We’ll hear Abraham Lincoln speak, we’ll be visiting the Gettysburg Battlefield, and there’s a good chance that Martha will fix lunch for us at Mt. Vernon,” Hasnerl said.
WKVI Radio was recently presented the prestigious “Freedom of the Road” award by ABATE of Indiana. The presentation was made at the WKVI studio with local ABATE officer, Ernie Brewer, presenting the plaque to Ted Hayes.
In accepting the award, Ted commented on how proud he was that the station was involved with such a worthwhile group, and pledged to help promote the club’s activities in the future.
WKVI’s Ed Hasnerl has announced the 2012 tour of Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg Battlefield, scheduled for June 14th through the 18th.
Stops on the five day motor coach tour, in addition to Gettysburg, include the U.S. Capitol, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Plantation home, and the George Washington Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia for a special musical program.
Well fortunately it won’t get down to 10 below zero tonight. It WAS 10 below in 1989 on this date, when WKVI’s first home in the 200 block of Main Street was gutted by fire. The station, which had been reconfigured into a home, was eventually rehabbed, and is currently a home again.
No one was injured in the blaze.
And on this date in 1773, American Colonists disguised as Indians dumped 342 chests of tea off a British ship in Boston Harbor in a protest of Royal taxes.
Little did those colonists know that in 2009 the Tea Party took its name from that event.
