This writing is overdue by a couple of days now, but
hopefully still as significant. Seems
like each year we hit the anniversary of WION coming to life as
"I-1430" with our team, I am compelled to write. Some say it gets too
"sappy"...but that's a minor risk I'll take...
It's 13 years this weekend since WION was put back on the
air by a team of talented people who love radio. September 1st of 2004 was the actual day, and
who knows how many listeners we had...the Sentinel-Standard had done an article
on us, and we had a few visitors on the air that morning, but I'm sure, given
the time it's taken to grow the station, that the date of Sept. 1st 2004 was
bigger for us, than for most listeners to radio.
Personally, I never saw Ionia
when I came here as my destination. It was a stop along the way, providing my
first radio station to own (with Jim Aaron),
and a step closer to wanting something different, which, at the time
included a license I had filed for out west.
I'm happy to report things have changed. The station, which came back from the dead
had no website. There was no following, no official current logo, no accounts
receivable, no client-advertisers, and most importantly...no listeners. But, slowly and surely those problems were
solved, one pair of ears at a time, one
issue at a time. You've developed trust in us, our on-air personalities, and
our presence in your communities (not just Ionia.) You've helped us fund-raise for many great
causes. You've helped us grow.
I can remember many a trip back from my former hometown in
Lenawee County to Ionia, thinking, "I'm heading back to...the station"... and, I can remember one
night on that 100 mile drive finally saying to myself, "I'm going
HOME." What a difference that makes when you settle in to a place in your
life, planned, or unplanned, and finally call it, "home."
Tonight, I was traveling home from that area once again,
after visiting family. I passed through
Jackson, the town where my first fulltime radio gig came to me on AM 970, and I
got thinking, how blessed I am...to have had the fortune to work for some GREAT
radio stations, each of which, through my employment, taught me things which
help me each day at WION. WKHM was a
full-service AM at the time, 24 hours a day live, no FM, and doing GREAT. An incredible team it was! Later came time in Escanaba as a program
director, and Hillsdale, MI as both the night man who signed the
station off at midnight, and later, as morning host before coming to revive and
own WION. There was WITL in Lansing on weekends as
both Jim Carlyle, and "Jim McIntyre" when management wanted a
different name in the big city vs. my name at nights on WKHM. WITL taught me music radio, and I learned
from the best, (the late Jay J. McCrae and Jordan Lee.) to whom I'll always be
in debt. It was there that "Steve,
the Voice Guy" as you know him, and I first met as part-timers for
WITL. I spent nearly a decade, (the
longest running morning host, I think...) on WLKI in Angola, IN and met Garry Osborn and
Randy Edwards who now are part of our station here! I learned localism, live phones, and how to
be in "touch" with listeners in a way that promoted community and
station together. And, I even
unofficially taught some students "radio" at Tri-State University,
taking their on-again/off-again station to being noticed in the community! While I was never a real "teacher"
by pay or by diploma, I taught RADIO, and one of my students is successfully
working and has-been in radio for many years now as a program director. He got
bit by the bug, just like I did years ago.
So, landing in Ionia, while
not the goal, became my place. My "Now." And, as I look at how this
close-knit community works together and plays together, I honestly can't
picture anywhere else I'd rather be doing radio right now! Having spent 13 years as your morning host,
and showing you how "hokey" I can be at times has been wonderful,
enjoyable, sometimes challenging, but...always rewarding.
It's amazing sometimes how a plan we have for ourselves
changes....for the good. Nearly 20 years
ago I thought I'd be working and owning a station in Colorado, and here, WION
continues to grow, WGLM was brought on board, Jim Aaron, my friend of many
years manages and hosts there, and we have had the pleasure of sharing a dream.
As I recall it was worded something like this: "To do radio fulltime, in a
small town, and make a respectable living doing it!" Well, with our team of announcers, engineers,
volunteers like Popeye John, Penny Beeman and others, BOTH Jim and I have been able to do
that. He now handles everything at WGLM
AM and FM, and I have remained here, at WION....to bring you AM Stereo, bad
jokes, and hopefully some support when the community or charities need us.
I'm sure Jim Aaron echoes my sentiments of thanks, and from
MY seat, I've never had more challenges, and yet more FUN in radio. It's been great building back the historic
call letters, (WION) and. then adding the county-wide FM, the larger AM signal,
AM Stereo, and streaming!
It's not easy being in business these days. Not for ANY kind of business, but...in our
case, at WION, it's because of trust...between listeners and WION,
Client-advertisers and WION, and of course, between team members, too. Most of our advertisers are small businesses,
the "Mom and Pop" style of store or service, but they're not
alone! We try hard to market them well,
treat them well, and grow with them. 13
years says, it's working.
So, this weekend, a huge thank you to ALL of
you....listeners, advertisers, engineers, volunteers, listening businesses, and
EVERYONE, who for 13 years have helped us grow.
You may not know it, but you're enjoying AM in an era where some people
say radio is slowing. We're Not. Some say radio won't make it in the digital
world. We ARE. And, some say AM just
can't be done in a small town and be done locally without "all talk
radio." We do it every day.
I'm a grateful owner and announcer, blessed very much to
have found Ionia, and to have all the great
relationships in business and personally that make life here my HOME. I can't imagine not knowing the people I've
met here, or going through life without them, now that they're part of this
station and it's circle of friends.
Who knows what's next after WION. I'm in NO rush. It's my place to be for now...and that's MORE
than good enough...that's GREAT.
Thanks for 13 years!
Jim Carlyle
