About WSDM . . .
WSDM's predecessor station has been broadcasting since 1959. From 1959 to 1972 it was called WITE, and was on 1380 khz, with a 3-tower directional patern. In 1972 when WSDM-FM was built, the owners changed the existing AM station to a non-direction pattern by moving to 1130 khz, losing nighttime authorization. The day signal on 1130 is much better than it was on 1380, covering a radius of about 60 miles from our Brazil, Indiana tower site. The AM station, now called WSDX, has 500 watts during daylight hours, with 29 watts from 6am to sunrise in months of morning darkness, and 13 watts for two hours past sunset. Even with the low power settings, WSDX covers a radius of about 10 miles! Call letters changed from WITE to WWCM, to WBZL in 1985, to WSDM in 1991, and to WSDX in March of 2000.
WSDM-FM 97.7
WSDM-FM went on the air with 3000 watts at 97.7 mhz in 1972. The original call letters were WWCM-FM. The station’s format changed from country to rock in 1979, and the call letters changed to WBDJ.
The owners went bankrupt in 1983, and both WBDJ and WWCM (AM) went off the air for about two years.
In 1985 the station was purchased by Mark Lange and Bruce Smith from Vincennes, and put back on the air as WBZL-AM, playing country music, and WSDM-FM, playing soft adult contemporary. Although they enjoyed early success, the station again experienced financial difficulties, and WSDM-FM began simulcasting with the AM, playing country music. The owners took advantage of an opportunity to double the power of the FM to 6000 watts in April of 1989 and then another opportunity to sell the station to Equity One Media Partners in late July, 1990.
EQ Media at first kept the country format on WBZL (AM), but on October 31, 1990 at 6:00pm changed the FM format, keeping the call letters and slogan “Wisdom 98,” to oldies rock and roll, utilizing ABC’s Pure Gold format which is deilvered via satellite from Dallas.
In the spring of 1991, WBZL changed it’s call sign to WSDM, and changed its format to news/talk, utilizing CNN Headline News as a base format. Although the stations share the same name, they were programmed separately. The advertising, however, was sold by one sales staff, and the stations were marketed as a “forced combo.”
On Nov. 20, 1996, Dan Lacy and Mike Petersen agreed to purchase WJSH AM 1300 in Terre Haute. WJSH was in bankruptcy and off the air at the time.
On Nov. 22, 1996, the "Great WSDM Fire" took place destroying the facilities of WSDM AM and FM! A young man named Joseph George broke into the station early that morning and set it ablaze. He was caught immediately, and was sentenced to serve 18 year in April of 1997. WSDM's staff immediately moved into the WJSH facility in Terre Haute, and had WSDM-FM on the air on Thanksgiving day, Nov. 29...only 6 days after the fire. WJSH returned to the air, simulcasting WSDM-FM on January 6. WSDM AM 1130 returned to the air on April 15 with a talk format, but on July 4th changed its format to "Solid Gospel," reflecting the desires and musical tastes of many living in the Brazil area where the WSDM AM tower is located. In mid August, 1997, WSDM opened a news studio at 9 N. Walnut Street in downtown Brazil to meet the FCC's main studio requirement, and to better serve the citizenry of Brazil, WSDM's city of license. In March, the main office of WSDM/WJSH moved to 1215 Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute. In September of 1998 the FCC recinded its main studio rule, and the Brazil studio was closed, with the news room moved to Terre Haute.
In April of 1998, Equity One Media Partners was dissolved because original investors Mike Petersen and Dan Lacy purchased the shares of other partners previously involved. The name of the company was changed to Crossroads Communications, Inc.
In June, 1998, Crossroads Communications completed the purchase of WAXI-FM in Rockville, IN from Covered Bridge Broadcasting. A new studio was immediately installed and renovations to the WAXI transmitter were made.
During the Summer of 2000, Crossroads vacated the 2nd floor studios
at 1215 Wabash, moving to their present location at 1301 Ohio Street.
This had been the studio site of WBOW Radio during the 1960s through 1990.
The WAXI studio was moved to 13th and Ohio as well.
In March of 2000, the AM radio in Brazil changed its call letters from WSDM to WSDX, and the AM station in Terre Haute from WJSH to WSJX. Both stations were simulcasting the Solid Gospel format, but dropped it in favor of all-sports, anchored by the Sporting News Network, but soon changed to ESPN. They were marketed is "The X." A couple of years later, The X was dropped, in favor of simply ESPN Sports Radio, and the call letters WSJX were dropped in favor of the heritage call sign, WBOW, which became available in the FCC database in 2002. (The original WBOW went on the air in 1927 at 1230AM, but moved down the dial in the early '90s to 640. The station went off the air in 1999 or 2000 due to FCC action against the owner, Mike Rice.)
In 2003, Crossroads purchased 50,000 watt WLEZ (102.7) from Bomar Broadcasting. In June of 03, call letters were changed to WBOW-FM and the soft AC format evolved into what is not a "Hot AC" format.
In May of 2005 owner-manager Mike Petersen stepped out of station management, but continues on as President of the board, and a Senior Account Executive. Ernie Caldemone became the GM, but left after five months. Doug Edge accepted the position on October 1, 2005.
On October 31, 2005 WSDM changed its frequency to 92.7, swapping the 97.7 frequency to the Spencer radio station. The Oldies format was shifted to what was adult standards WAXI, and a new format was started on WSDM called "The Crock," an energetic blend of hot country and classic rock.
Presently the stations are: WBOW-FM, B 102.7, WSDM, Crock 92.7, WAXI Gold 104.9, and ESPN AM 1130/1300.
Copyright © 2007 Crossroads Communications, Inc.