WIBC Reaches Major Milestone

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One of the most well-known radio stations in Indiana is celebrating an anniversary. WIBC in Indianapolis took to the airwaves 75 years ago today and was originally owned by the Indiana Broadcasting Co. Today, the station is part of Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications Corp. (Nasdaq: EMMS). Chief Executive Officer Jeff Smulyan describes why he decided to acquire the station in 1994. The parent company of Inside INdiana Business, Grow Indiana Media Ventures LLC, is a partner of Network Indiana/WIBC.

You can view an interactive history of the station by clicking here.

The station's most influential personalities through the years include “Bouncin'” Bill Baker, who sometimes filled in for Dick Clark on American Bandstand, “Big” John Gillis, who reported traffic to central Indiana commuters for four decades and Jeff Pigeon, who hosted morning drive on 1070 AM and later 93.1 FM for nearly 20 years.

WIBC, in partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, has been the flagship radio station of Indianapolis 500 broadcasts since the early 1950s. You can read about the history of that collaboration by clicking here.

Source: WIBC/Network Indiana, Inside INdiana Business