WION COFFEECREW MORNING SHOW NOTES ARCHIVES

SHOW NOTES ARCHIVES
FROM THE "MORNING SHOW NOTES" PAGE
These are "retired" notes and stories, saved here for your
trip down (short-term) Memory Lane

Number 1: Michigan radio Network this week reported from large-city media polls: Michigan voters are evenly split on a proposal to lower the 6% state sales tax to 5.5% and apply it to services, such as haircuts, auto repairs and legal help, a new poll shows. Voters might be more willing to accept the tax on services if business taxes are reduced, too. The tax on services would raise an extra $554 million and is a key part of Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s budget proposal for 2011. The state faces a $1.5-billion deficit. Granholm wants to link the tax on services to lower state business taxes, and earmark the added money for schools.

Did anyone ask YOU? So you get half a percent less in sales tax…then you pay MORE by having a tax on things you never did before? Insert Sarcasm here, but I don’t see how this HELPS anyone. Not you, the consumer, not ANY business owner, and…certainly NOT service based businesses, who then, when they see THEIR business slow a bit start cutting back in corners previously left Uncut through even these worst of times. DID ANYONE ASK OR POLL YOU??? A service tax doesn’t fix a THING.

Number 2: With all the (large) media saying things about the economic times being bad, maybe it’s time we all start drawing conclusions on the (local) economy from more “local” sources! Like, for instance the things you see around you. Need an example? Sure! Our area’s Ionia Expo 2010, sponsored by the Ionia Area Chamber of Commerce. As of earlier today, they had only 5 booths left available…and, our radio station, WION, has sold ALL the available air time we have for the event to clients for the first time in our five-plus years! What does that mean? There ARE people who want to promote, advertise, and move their businesses forward, in person…AND…on local radio.

It also means local business conditions ARE on the “up” side now, and…it means that Local Radio is alive and well. But, more importantly, it should send a message to some area business owners who say, “I don’t need to advertise”...or, “I NEVER HAVE had to advertise”...that maybe, just maybe…you’re DEAD wrong. Bet you didn’t know that 20 percent of every business audience moves-away or dies each year! Why wouldn't you want new customers?

If you haven’t advertised in 5 years, be glad if you can still pay the light bill. EVERYONE needs advertising….and note, I am not saying “Everyone needs radio advertising”...but please, if not radio…at least get off the pot, and decide to promote in SOME media so people locally and visitors to our area KNOW you exist. If not, I’m not going to cry when the doors close on your business and your bank buys “liquidation” advertising for you! It has happened, and we don't want history repeating itself!

Some updates and some observations. First the updates. WION's still on "MySpace" but, I have removed the automatic link on our WION website, because the people at MySpace don't play nice. Every other link we display can be redirected to our main window on the main page of our website. Theirs (MySpace) takes over the whole screen and won't let you BACK to WION's site once it hogs your display. We've tried it multiple ways, so.....If you want to see us on MySpace, you're either already there, or.....on our own site... you can go the "MySpace" main page address, adding the following: /i1430. Facebook still plays nicely....so we'll continue to keep them on as always with an easy link.

It's becoming a war of the online media. Facebook vs. MySpace, with a little "Twitter" mixed in. Personally, I'm never going to actively twitter from WION. We hope that if you're in the area, you'll realize the original "tweeting" was the instantaneous method of communication called...RADIO. It's still quicker than newspaper, available everywhere, and...is the BEST in emergencies. We do use Facebook, it's an easy and quick way to reach fans, but lacks the blogging that MySpace has. Each has its good and its "dark" sides.

Quite honestly, Some of Facebook annoys me. The "insert name likes this! " stuff, for instance. ...that's getting REALLY old. I swear, I could post something like, "My toilet has backed up and there's poop all over the floor" and someone, just because they CAN will do the old, "thumbs up" (likes this.) Which brings me to my next point. Why DO we need to know what you like and don't like? Give me REASONS for your opinions. Don't hide behind the thumbs symbol. Write me. Call me. Do something beyond clicking an icon on your computer. The consumer today spends more time on Facebook pushing "thumbs up" than they do saying, "thank you" in person to local people and businesses for good service.

I'm not saying don't use Facebook...or... Don't use MySpace, or..... to quit Tweeting. Use 'em properly. It's getting where the old story of the boy who cried wolf got no attention. People were tired of hearing over....and over....and over! At WION we try to tell you only the things that you respond to best on the air and on the web....like the latest Trivia. Local guests we're expecting on the air so you can plan your listening time.....and similar. I promise, if our toilet overflows, we're not going to "tweet" you to that story. We're not out for huge numbers of fans, we want TRUE fans of the station to have that extra line of communication which is provided by Facebook and MySpace, but our main home is on the air....and......on OUR website....and, we're glad you take the time to visit, and to respond.

So, a few minor "tweaks" to the website for WION this weekend, (more to come in the near future)....but no "tweets"...and we hope you enjoy the site and our programming at I-1430.

On the update "front"....we still have some tuning to do for the FCC, and will be interrupting programming most likely on Tuesday the 16th. Sorry, its a required thing. Every business requires upkeep. Some of you can close your doors of your shops to make changes, and the public doesn't notice. Some of you close for days on end...and the public is so used to it, we don't notice anymore. However, in RADIO..everything we do is public. Everything is Public Relations...and, every time we have to work to better ourselves electronically, it involves an interruption. In five years, we've had major interruptions for positive changes at WION, like our new transmitter.....a better daytime signal....the installation of a generator to help inform and protect listeners during emergencies and power outages....a better night-time signal....and soon..one BIG thing for the whole county. Please be patient....we're working hard to improve our station (our business) every day. We take that commitment seriously. And...we ask nothing less of you, the business community than you do the same in your shops, stores, and offices.....Now the big question is, ...."Do YOU make a serious commitment to YOUR public?" It shows when you do...and it shows even MORE when you don't.

I brought some of our recent favorite interview links (mp3's for you to enjoy) over to this page to keep our main page
a bit more "current. Hope you enjoy the interviews here.

ABOUT GROUNDHOG DAY FUN... AND PETA'S PATHETIC ATTEMPT
TO BLOCK A LONG-STANDING TRADITION! AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH WPXZ IN PENNSYLVANIA,
OUR HOST EACH YEAR THAT WE MAKE THE TREK TO COVER GROUNDHOG DAY! CLICK HERE!

We�re now nearly two weeks into a new year, and a new decade. Many a resolution has been broken by many a person�.but there are a few resolutions that perhaps you still have time to make�..and honor if you�re in business.

Resolution 1: Promote, Promote, Promote. The age of people walking down Main Street (Ionia-County/USA) and just wandering in because you EXIST are over! The public doesn�t mosey down Main Street anymore. They TARGET where they want to go and what businesses to visit based on �top of mind awareness.� In other words, when Joe Public needs something, if there�s more than one business selling products and services like yours, you�d BETTER be the first one they think-of, or you don�t get the business. Promote! Unless you�re selling Christmas trees, you NEED promotion year round, and you have nobody else to blame if you�re not promoting and people don�t come in to your shop. Period.

Resolution 2: When an event is taking place in your town that could conceivably bring people INTO your store or business, if it�s not during your normal hours, STAY OPEN for it! If it means special longer hours, DO IT. Stay open! Tell people with advertising that you�ll be open when there�s an event in town that will bring people to potentially walk through your store, and once again�PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE! �Special extended hours during the ________________ event� comes to mind.

Resolution 3: Quit blaming the economy for your woes. You�re PART of the economy and can be on the �good� or the �cut back� side by choice. Shorter hours at your store to cut expenses do not mean a better bottom line. Cutting advertising doesn�t mean a better bottom line; it means less people know you�re there! We hear, �I�ve never needed to advertise, people know I�m here?� How about this statistic: For every business, each year in the United States�.20 percent of its potential audience will move out of your market.� It�s true! Twenty percent leave each year just from change of job, career, or family reasons. The NEW 20 percent need to know you exist, too! You can�t afford to cut back on promotion of all kinds!

Cutting back on promotion means less exposure to your customers and clients. Radio is a 24 hour business. We improved our daytime AM signal to serve a larger area in 2009 despite a tight Michigan and local Economy. And, we have a MAJOR project going on that will serve all of Ionia County better�24 hours a day! We can�t just say, �We�re not going to serve the public after 5 PM��so, if you�re in business, ask yourself�. are YOU doing that? Closing early for YOUR convenience? Who benefits from that? Certainly not your customers!

Bottom line: If you want your business to grow and succeed, YOU, the Business. Owner have to make sacrifices, work long days, and�.and you take every opportunity to promote. Not everyone is cut-out to run and promote a business, and very few �9 to 5� businesses exist anymore. Owning a business is hard work. But, the rewards come in success not only financially, but by community acceptance of your work and your business. Nobody owes you business�.you earn it by quality of service, and�promotion, promotion, promotion.

Our celebration of 5 years of "I-1430" was held this weekend, August 29th. Like any celebration being planned, we worried. Worried about every detail we could think-of....trying to cover all bases, and.......It was a wonderful event that came off without a problem!

Our small-town AM station probably had between 200 and 400 guests on Saturday afternoon! Most came just to tour the station. They came from Lake Odessa, Portland, Ionia, Lowell, and most every corner of our county to help us celebrate being "on the air" for 5 years. It was a wonderful celebration!

The kids loved the "moonwalk" out front; adults enjoyed the tours, looking at our antique radio collection, and the food provided by the Lamplight Grill in Ionia! I think the only thing that overwhelmed our staff was the amount of people that took interest in our celebration by attending! Many got to record their voices in our studios to be used "on the air" and, we were honored by representatives from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters who also came to wish us well, help us celebrate, and congratulate us on keeping local radio growing in Ionia County. The Kids Club in Ionia was well represented as they did face painting for youngsters, and we even had a visit with a former WION News Director, still in Ionia, who helped us look through years of pictures from "the old days" and identify part of our history, which thank goodness much-of has been preserved!

Radio is an interesting animal. For the public it's "always on" when you flip a switch. To the Employees behind the scenes, it�s a job that hopefully they enjoy going-to each day. To owners and others "behind the scenes" it's a 24/7 vocation from which we don't often get a break, but amidst the very tough economy, increasing government intervention, and more red-tape than ever, we try to press forward to make your experience when you turn on the radio as fun, exciting, and local as possible. It's something that gets in your blood, and once you have it, you can't shake it. It's not a high-paying vocation, it's not as glamorous as back in the 50's and 60's when WION was new...but it IS still, for the most part, fun!

It would be impossible to thank everyone who attended or who helped behind the scenes. Our staff and their families sacrificed a Saturday to help make sure everyone had fun and that the station was well staffed for our anniversary event......I don't think we even individually as owners got to see everyone that came out, because there were so many of all ages, all having fun! All we can say, is, "Thank you" for coming out to visit, for your loyalty as listeners, and (as we always, say), for "shopping locally....and listening locally� to WION! Ionia's I-1430!

WION, Ionia�s I-1430 which was granted a federal construction permit to increase its daytime signal in much of Ionia County has put the new, stronger signal on the air!

Engineers for WION are still fine-tuning the new signal, which instead of aiming North, now radiates in all directions, and brings a much improved and stronger signal to Saranac, Lowell, and Portland along with the growing �South Ionia� area all of which are now considered in the primary (Strongest) area of WION�s signal.

This new daytime signal brings WION�s programming to people as far away as East Grand Rapids and the Western area of Lansing. Drivers along I-96 can also enjoy Ionia�s radio station for a much longer time with this upgrade.

WION operates 24 hours a day, with reduced night power as mandated by federal law, but the new signal also has improved listening at night in parts of the city of Ionia.

The FCC and station engineers will be working to maximize the night signal for the city of Ionia in the next few weeks.

This improvement in the signal comes at a milestone for WION-AM, which turns 5 years old as �I-1430� on September 1^st. The station was brought back from being off the air September 1^st, 2004 and will have a public-invited celebration on August 29^th at the station on Haynor Road.

Myself, and Jim Aaron, also of WION-AM now own and operate WGLM AM 1380 in Greenville, and WGLM-FM in Lakeview, independently of WION�s programming, and invite you to tune-in to our "Northern" affiliate as you travel, too!

So, Tune-in and enjoy a stronger signal on AM-1430, WION and continued great programming! Learn more about this project and the station as you visit the many pages of this website!

I'm overdue to visit with you via the medium of the Blog. (Which is not to be confused with the old sci-fi classic movie The Blob!

September 1^st will mark and important date for WION, it's our 5^th anniversary as I-1430. In past years we've mentioned this and had fun with it online and on the air. But, this year it seems even more important. Not because of 5 years, but...the 5 years in which we have accomplished bringing back local radio to Ionia; and on the AM band!

I have always maintained, especially to (borrowing a word from Phil Cloud) my "sophisticates" in the radio industry, that it's not the medium that makes for success; it's the programming that you place ON that particular medium.

Having just spent the better part of one evening going through older photos of WION events, renovation, and growth, I can tell you that the album posted on MySpace is just a small part of our growth. We've grown in listenership, in community involvement, and in our friendships over the past 5 years.

There are more pictures to add I'm sure, and more work yet to do as we approach our 5^th anniversary!.

And, there's definitely something happening "in the air" soon as our engineers prepare to expand our signal coverage on AM 1430 to include Lowell, Saranac, Portland, and nearly 40 miles of I-96 in our primary coverage, also increasing the ability to listen (on good radios or car radios) in most of G.R. and Lansing! That's the hope we have, as our non-directional signal work will begin in August! With an improved signal, and even MORE excitement to come, WION will continue to grow as a remarkable station, even as other media and other radio companies are hurting more and more these days.

What it all boils down to is this: We made a commitment 5 years ago to you, our listeners, and to our advertisers, most importantly...to the communities we serve to do just that! And, we plan on doing it for many years to come. The improvements we're about to make in signal are not inexpensive, and they ARE necessary, for better service to our client advertisers, and to you.

As always, if you enjoy this home-town station, Please .tell others. Tell your friends that you listen to AM 1430. If you hear us played in a business, tell the business owner or manager "thank you" then let us know so we can thank them on the air. It's because of your loyalty to us, and to our advertisers that on September first, we can say, "We've been here 5 years!" It's why we'll be celebrating with you in August! (Listen and read details soon.) and it's why local radio is still alive and well.

One of my favorite TV shows is on Sunday morning. In fact, it's called "Sunday Morning" on CBS. Because it's a magazine of America. Like or dislike the network's politics, you can't help but be drawn-in to the stories they tell from all over America. This morning, however, I noticed something that I guess I always knew (of late): EVERY story seemed related to the economy somehow. And, each story was not putting anything in a good light.

Surely, there has to be good things going on in business! And, if you look hard, sometimes not-so-hard, you'll find them! And, you'll find them locally! One of WION's new clients says his small business is up a very hefty percentage over the past year(s) due to people being more long-term cost conscious of the care of their vehicles! What about attendance at Ionia Community Theatre presentations? Word to WION on the street was that it was an excellent overall attendance, which continues to support ICT!

Then there's our VERY SUCCESSFUL Ionia Expo 2009 a little over a week before this writing, in early March. If you attended, you noticed that the enthusiasm at the event was running high! The exhibitors, all local, and all either involved in our business community, our arts community, or a family of organizations that are needed in every community; (like civic clubs, churches, and others) made an effort to show the public what they do! In return for excellent marketing, hours of planning, and hours of hard work, these exhibitors, the Ionia Area Chamber of Commerce, and our community in general had a real boost in morale, community knowledge, and hope for growth in 2009!

Any local business that you regularly visit may tell you that things are tough. Talk of the economy has become more mainstream than ever in more than just formal locations where you'd expect it. It's in the barber shop, the grocery store, and just about everywhere you go. But, when talk turns negative, remember the positive momentum we can generate locally! Look at Expo! Take that momentum forward! Do business with the people you met! If you know of a local success story in business, pass the word! Tell me about it! And yes, even WION and its sister stations can honestly say, "We're growing." You're probably well aware that we now have a 3-station network of radio encompassing Ionia, Montcalm, and Mecosta Counties! WE grow when businesses believe in their communities through promotion and advertising. And, we're seeing it happen! Not by leaps and bounds, but slow, steady growth that provides light at the end of the tunnel, and to us....is a barometer of our local communities.

It's been a most interesting start to the week! Sure, behind the scenes, business as usual. The usual paperwork followed the morning show on which we had our usual Monday co-host Tina Connor-Wellman, Director of the Ionia Area Chamber of Commerce. We talked about the upcoming "Ionia Expo 2009" this weekend and how much our town and our area has to offer. Truly it does. And, we hope you'll come out on Saturday March 7th to a fun event that benefits our organizations, businesses, and larger community?

Then came a day with the "larger" national media squawking about the stock markets low numbers, insurance companies being in trouble (again), and the usual bad news. Things we common people have no control-over. If you listen too closely, it'll get to you. So...what are we doing about it? Bringing you GREAT radio as usual; all chosen locally, most originating locally.

Without ignoring the news of the day, we try to let you know about some good things. New local advertisers on WION that are promoting their businesses, even in these tough times! Talking about Ionia Expo. Our fun "Send us something Green" contest which is now underway with cash prizes. And, tonight, we debuted the re-issue of "Mystery Theatre" from 9 to 11 PM. This program will be on weeknights regularly on WION. Sure, it's different than our regular daytime programming, but...that's just it...it IS different. And, not many radio stations offer radio drama anymore.

Think about it. As a public, we generally like "new" entertainment. IPods allow us to download anything musical, or spoken word from almost anywhere; music self-help, even drama....So, when we were offered the chance to help bring back an old form of radio entertainment, coupled with being a collector of antique radios, and a programmer of a local radio station, I was overjoyed to bring classic radio mystery and drama to you. It's different. Don't we all need a dose of "different" these days? New diversions are fun! Even if the (quote) "new" diversion is actually quite old! While the concept of old time radio has been around a long time, these old radio episodes are new to me; to you; and to most of our audience. As I write this, my TV is off, and I'm enjoying the second of 3 episodes of the first night of Mystery Theatre. We hope you find this nightly diversion interesting and entertaining.

We've always prided our radio stations on being "different" than the rest. We hope you enjoy that, too. "Mystery Theatre" is part of the recipe for great local radio by virtue of its uniqueness, and...we welcome your comments. If you enjoy the Twilight Zone Radio Dramas on the weekend, these shows should be fun for you, too! And, they're a fresh change from TV, and..from today's news. As they say, "stay tuned!"

I'm Jim Carlyle, Morning show host, Owner,, and Manager of WION. Soon, on WION you're going to be hearing a series of "shop locally" messages, with real information about why you should shop locally. As I worked to put these together, I realized that maybe we have misnamed them. Perhaps they should be "shop independent" messages instead. What's the difference? Well, "independent" better defines our downtown and area small businesses. The independent retailer or service agent. The one who is not part of a National franchise. The one who chose to be your neighbor on Main Street, Side Street, and on every street except "Easy Street." It is not easy being independent these days. There's no corporate bank account from which these small businesses can subsidize payroll, inventory, or utilities. Independent businesses take major risks.....risks that you will like their products and services. Risks that sometimes mean taking out local loans on their own personal signatures, and there's absolutely no federal or state bailout for them if things don't "work out!" What does that mean to you? Spend your money with our independent retailers and service businesses. THANK THEM for staying in business during what is perceived as "hard times" and..watch your community survive...and eventual thrive again because of your loyalty. So, DO shop "locally" and...moreover, shop "independently ".....wouldn't you rather do that than see independent businesses close because the Government won't bail them out?

That's my "Carlyle Comment".... from your "independent" radio station, WION.....I'd love to hear yours! Our contact info is on this website!I

Well, WION's morning show was visited on Friday the 31st of October by Glen Rairigh of Americana Auctions. As usual, our announcers had fun with our items being appraised, as a "preview" to last Saturday's Appraisal Roadshow fundraiser for the Ionia County Historical Society. Even with fantastic weather outside, the Historical Society did well with many interesting things brought to the appraisal event, and they thank you for your support! These events are fun, informative, and a way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

We're all waiting for the Political Ads to end, the election to take place and our lives to get back to some degree of "normal" after Tuesday. It seems from this announcer and businessman's chair that some people think the sky is falling. It's not. Stop to think about this for a moment.......You got up this morning. You probably had breakfast, went to work, did your usual routine, and...if you're in business, you had the same potential clients, the same bills to pay, the same responsibilities as before the Government bailouts, stock market issues, and the National media sensationalizing it all. Yes, we may have to work harder at our jobs. Be better at what we do than ever before. Be experts in our respective fields so we can best serve our clients and customers.....but, shouldn't we be doing that, anyway? And most of all, we need to PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE! Our town, our businesses, our county! WION is in the business of promoting...and every business that tunes-in or is in our area should do the same!

To keep it all in perspective, on the streets of Ionia County, WION is proud to add 3 new advertising clients this week, the town has a GREAT dinner theatre coming up from Ionia Community Theatre, and lots of enthusiasm from our new DDA director Linda; our Chamber Director Tina; and many business leaders. Don't give in to the National media's ability to depress the public. We have much to be proud-of and thankful-for. As you may know, WION's owners (this announcer included) are proud to be expanding to buy two more stations before year's end! Good things can happen in tighter economic times...but....its our job as business people and community members to see that we all work in positive directions. Call me optimistic. Call me naive. It's okay....IT'S MY JOB to be upbeat, and WION is, and always has-been! Now, what are you doing for your business....today?

Well, it's been awhile since an update from the "Morning Host". Sorry for the delay...much is happening at WION! Our engineers are working on our signal expansion project. (the maps are below and also on the "signal expansion" page of this website.) This will, in the daytime hours extend your listening enjoyment well beyond where you usually hear it now, give you more time to listen on I-96, add Lowell, Saranac, and Portland into our primary coverage area, and generally strengthen the signal in all directions! We hope to have this project completed before Winter! WION is growing and we thank you! It takes having loyal advertisers and listeners for us to make this major investment in the Ionia County area.

We're also excited by the growth of our radio company. You may have seen the articles in the Ionia County Shopper's Guide and the Ionia Sentinel-Standard, that the owners of WION have agreed to purchase WSCG-AM and WSCG-FM in Greenville and Lakeview! We're awaiting FCC approval, and all is going smoothly. The sellers are great people, and we appreciate their coming to us! What does this mean to you? It means WION continues to grow, and no changes are planned! It means if you travel North/South and you enjoy WION's programming, you can soon continue to enjoy "The Music You Know, and the Information You Need" on 1380 AM and 106.3FM as you travel! (after FCC approval.) It means Ionia area Advertisers have the power of three radio stations if they wish to bring-in Montcalm County listeners to their unique businesses, and of course, the reverse is true, too!

These will be independent stations from WION, not "relays" and not "simulcasts" of WION. Ionia has its own unique voices, and we believe that our programming here is a success! Montcalm County should also have its own unique voices on their airwaves, with the same style of programming! We're also very happy to announce that Jim Aaron, co-owner of WION and our Music Director will be the regular morning show host on the new stations and Station Manager for them as well. "Stay Tuned" for more details..and we thank you for the kind words many of you have sent to us since this information was made public. We don't have a target date yet, but....keep checking back...we've got GREAT things happening.

Have you heard? WION's signal expansion project will soon
bring better coverage by I-1430! Look at these two maps:
WION Coverage Map Courtesy Munn-Reese Engineering

September first marks another anniversary for WION! It will be 4 years since Jim Aaron and "yours truly" flipped the "on' button (on our then old tube transmitter) and brought your county's radio station back to life! I remember that morning. I was scared to death! I'm not sure about Jim Aaron, but I'll bet it was the same for him. We always wanted our own station, since working together in Angola, Indiana with Garry Osborn, now our afternoon announcer and part of our team.

In 4 years, we've built many great friendships in the area. Many with individuals, many with businesses, certainly many more yet to come. But, the bottom line is, in this day of media competition, radio consolidation, "cookie cutter" formatted stations owned by HUGE corporations, we're NOT one of those. We're locally owned. We make our own decisions. We wanted to bring back what we remember as "full service" radio. That means you get some news, some sports, lots of great music, and many times, local voices on our shows and on WION. It's not uncommon for our Chamber Director, Tina; our DDA director Sara, our Sheriff Dwayne Dennis, City Manager Jason Eppler, City Clerk Lynn Lafler; or others to drop-by the studios, call, or e-mail to be a part of our programming. WION is real, local people enjoying what we do in an exceptional small town that should be proud of what it offers both its residents, and its visitors. And, when I say "small town", we can actually extend that to all the towns we service in our area.

I won't say it was easy bringing back WION from its "off the air" status of 2003-2004. I won't say there weren't times that I wondered if we had in the past made the right decision. I will, however now honestly tell you, I wouldn't trade the last 4 years, nor the ones to come...for anything. Jim and I enjoy our jobs. We enjoy our station, and the people who listen, e-mail, call, and meet us at events. Radio IS people. Radio IS communication. Radio IS meant to be company to you.

Whether you tune-in for Jim Aaron's music, the morning show, Garry Osborn's "On the Go with G.O." in the afternoon, our features like the Twilight Zone, Retro Stars, the 90's show, Renfro Valley, Dave Graveline's Into Tomorrow, Little Known Facts, (The soon to be with us) CNN radio network news, or ANY part of WION, from me, Jim Carlyle....and...from Jim Aaron your WION Music Director and co-owner, THANK YOU for your loyalty...the past 4 years.....and....for many yet to come. We look forward to our 4th anniversary being fun...and we hope to see you as we celebrate at Bertha Brock Park during Ionia County's Fall fest 2008. For details on that great event, contact Nicole Frost, Bertha Brock Park Manager at 522-PARK, or....just stay tuned..to Ionia's very own...WION.....I-1430.

-Jim Carlyle, Morning Host and Manager, WION

OUR LATEST CAPTIONING CONTEST STARRING PHIL CLOUD
AND A PASTRY--ONE OF MANY, BROUGHT TO THE SHOW ON 8/15

S
OUR WINNING CAPTION:
(GORDON BERNSTEIN WINS A WION COFFEE MUG WITH THIS):
"Ladies, I'm serious...I can lick all the filling out of this without biting it!"

Melt two tablespoons of butter (not margarine) and combine with two tablespoons of Tabasco Chipolte Pepper sauce and the juice of one lime. Baste the corn with the mixture and "re-husk" the ears. Tie them shut with a piece of the husk that fell off because you were careless in step 1 and soak them in water for about twenty minutes (approximately the time it takes to consume two 12 oz beers).

Well, its been awhile since we updated this page, things have been busy on ol' Haynor Road! This summer we've got Chris Gerard helping out at the studios of WION doing commercial production, producing the afternoon show, and...most notably of late was assisting with the severe weather which caused over 210 thousand electrical outages in our state just a few weeks ago!

On that note, remember that when the power's off in your house or neighborhood, we're on the air with the information you need....talking to Consumers' Energy, getting restoration updates, and of course, keeping you informed on any severe storms' watches, warnings, and the paths of the storms! Most times, we beat the (Federally mandated and rather inefficient) "Emergency Alert System" which automatically breaks into your programming! We're proud of our severe weather coverage..and hope you'll tune to us.....not just for weather and emergencies, but year-round!

We'll be bringing you updates on the "schedule of events" from this year's Ionia Freefair, so you'll know what's "on the schedule" and..we encourage you to drop by www.ioniafreefair.com anytime for their very EXTENSIVE and informative website! We enjoy our yearly partnership with the Ionia Freefair..and..we've got some tickets to give away to events at the fair, so stay tuned! We'll be broadcasting periodically from our location in "Antique Village" and we thank the Lamplight Grill and Rich Thompson for providing our broadcast trailer this year! Drop by anytime you see us out, and visit with WION's staff!

Lend your voice to our show! Got something to add? A guess on our wake up call question? An event going on? A thank-you from some organization we assisted with PSA's? Make sure you call us! During the morning show, and when you call our 24 hour answering machine, your voice can be used on the air! (unless you ask us not-to.) We love having YOU on the air at Ionia's I-1430!

WION is part of your community, and we're proud to be part of the Ionia County Historical Society Historic Tour this weekend! (May 17th). We're 55 years old as a station, with the proud name of WION, which stands for Ionia. Our team had the option to change the call letters of your local station when we bought it, and for that matter, with Federal approval could do it anytime but..instead, we chose to keep the heritage and pride in our City and our County. Many stations don't do this anymore and give in to fancy "alternative names" for their stations. When you hear us say, "I-1430" the "I" stands for Ionia and the 1430: our obvious dial position. We're proud to be here, and we hope that you will visit us as part of the historic tour this weekend to see our modern technology and our antique radio collection as well!

Some of you have commented that you like the Michigan Radio News weekday mornings. We appreciate this. News is submitted by many Michigan radio stations to this service, which keeps us in touch with happenings all around the state. Some of this news we sometimes add our own commentary-to. Mainly when this happens its because something is being legislated that probably should be handled by "common sense" of our fellow Michigan residents. Your thoughts and opposing views are always welcomed via e-mail or on our 24 hour phone answering service. Please remember, your voice may be used on the air unless you ask us not-to. We also receive periodic press releases from The Ionia County Sheriff's department and other law-enforcement and emergency organizations on local events and news which are used when submitted. We encourage all law enforcement agencies to use our contact information to keep us and our listeners "in the loop" of local happenings, so we can better serve our audience in the best way possible. Please pass this along to those who work protecting and serving the Ionia County area!

One big thing to remember as Spring and Summer storms come our way is this: There has never been a more reliable or timely WION than now. When our team came to Ionia, we invested in an automatic generator that fully powers our station in all emergencies. Remember the 2005 ice storms? We were ON THE AIR when many stations were not. Sheriff Dwayne Dennis joined us live on the air and kept our listeners "in the know." We remind you to have your battery radios ready for Spring and Summer storms, and to know that WION will be here to keep you informed and as safe as possible during weather emergencies. It's our job and our commitment to you, our community.

And, as always, we want to thank our sponsors. The advertisers who pay our electric, gas, phone, internet, music licensing, employee wages, engineers, taxes, and all the things that it takes to keep WION going and growing. We've got many new sponsors which have joined us in the past few weeks, now part of a great cross-section of Ionia area businesses advertising on WION. All we ask of you, our listeners is this, and it's simple: SHOP LOCALLY, LISTEN LOCALLY, AND SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO SUPPORT WION. Or, as Ionia Mayor Dan Balice says, "Local business, Local Radio..it's a great team..and it JUST MAKES SENSE.

Please tell our advertisers you hear them on WION. And, thank YOU for listening to Ionia's I-1430.

Well, another week has gone by, and we're into May. Beginning this monday, the "wake up call" returns to WION during the morning show, with fun trivia that is (almost) "internet proof." I love bringing you questions that tease the brain, make you think, and usually cannot be "googled." By the way, while I'm on that topic, if all you're going to do is go to the computer and TRY to find the answer, please refrain from playing. Lets make trivia FAIR for everyone, and FUN, too....I've often said, "The internet will be the death of trivia"...and, in time, perhaps I will be proven right. In the meantime, you're on the "honor system" and..we hope you'll play along and maybe win some fun WION prizes as we get ready to kick off a busy summer!

Oh, and before I forget...an exciting week...as we have tickets to give away on-air to "WWE Presents Smackdown and ECW"....a live uplink telecast from Van Andel Arena for fans of the popular event! Be listening both morning and afternoon for your chance to win...from Ionia's WION...I-1430...and....our good friends at Van Andel Arena. Details online at www.vanandelarena.com

First, an apology from me, Jim Carlyle. I should update this page more often, and from our "listener survey" on the web, this is one of the more read pages we offer. I'll try to do better. There's so much going on that it's sometimes tough to get all the info into one morning show, or one afternoon show (In the case of Garry Osborn) which is why we augment our public service and our community info on this website!

We're not only welcoming many new sponsors lately, (many of you have noticed this)...but we're also adding much more music! Jim Aaron, our music director strives to add songs that we all "remember"...and works hard each week adding more...sometimes late into the night. We hope you're enjoying what you hear!

Now, if you want to skip the "general update" and get to the show stuff, scroll down to the two yellow highlights farther down on the page. Otherwise...read on!

Some things that we frequently are asked include: "Will you be streaming your station on the web?"
and..the answer is, "We wish we could." The laws regarding this have gotten so out-of-hand that to do so, we would have to modify our studios to report even more information to the recording industry than we already to our music licensing agencies of BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC. Right now, the cost is too high for small stations, and...many larger ones are ceasing their streams due to over-regulation, which is common in the radio (if not every) industry. When the organization known as "Sound Exchange' relaxes their reporting requirements and fees, it may become a reality, but not right away. Because of this, WION looks at other ways to serve you better. One of those ways becomes a reality this summer as we expand our daytime coverage with an expanded FCC daytime license which you can read about by clicking here. This signal will put us into Lansing, Grand Rapids, and much more of I-96! We'll keep you posted as our engineers coordinate the dates this will begin...and you'll know the improvement by the signal strength on your radios.

Please stop by our listener survey if you have not done so already. We want to know what you think of our station! We do not collect any e-mail addresses, IP addresses, or personal information...its completely safe and confidential. Oh, and WION will never ask for any personal information via the web unless we begin a subscription service of some type. Just so you know that your responses truly are confidential!

Our Inboxes have been very busy lately with your mail, and with lots and lots....and.....lots...of SPAM...so, we had to institute a very aggressive SPAM filter for our mail. What does this mean to you? It means...if you are sending us e-mail that requires a response, and you don't get one in reasonable time, please call us to verify we got the mail. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we also feel that if your event or information is important enough to contact our station, you should always follow-up with a phone call. To those of you that already do this, thank you. To those that don't, please consider this a simple procedure to follow. We LOVE hearing from you...but......please don't assume that we have your information. Always follow up important things with a call, or a fax to 616-775-5908!

Now, more "show" stuff.... Stay tuned! The popular feature "the Wake Up Call" will return soon to WION's Monday-Thursday morning show....with prizes from our local merchants and WION. Our questions have been known to run as long as 12 weeks...and yes, we give clues. Listen in May for the return of the "wake up call" on WION.

UPCOMING VAN ANDEL ARENA GIVEAWAY.... WION has your tickets for the May 13th "WWE PRESENTS SMACKDOWN & ECW" EVENT at Van Andel Arena. A limited number of tickets will be given away for this event, which will be broadcast on national TV live from Grand Rapids that night. Be listening for your chance to score a pair of tickets from Ionia's WION, I-1430.....and visit www.vanandelarena.com for more information on this and other events! Ticket giveaways will happen both on the morning show, and Garry Osborn's afternoon show, too!

WION, AM-1430, Ionia �s �I-1430� has added a new Saturday morning program to its weekend �feature� lineup! Listeners can now tune-in to enjoy �The Flashbacks� with host Randy Edwards every Saturday morning at 11AM, and take an on-the-air trip back in time to a specific date in the 1960�s and 1970�s. This program is exclusive to WION, and while there are many programs of this type, WION�s Flashbacks are created and hosted by a longtime radio veteran, and associate of owners Jim Carlyle and Jim Aaron. WION thanks its first sponsor of the program, Discount Tire & Battery, north of Ionia for helping to bring this program to the Ionia airwaves.

A new person also joined the ranks of the WION team this past week, with the addition of Peter Jeff as WION sales associate. Peter will be visiting with many area businesses, and, in true WION style, brings a �want to promote� attitude to the team. Please make him welcome to Ionia and WION when you meet him! Peter joined WION, and along with WION�S owners and Helene Dunn, work to assist area businesses with local attention to advertising needs. WION�s �listening business list� is available, along with information on the staff, programming, events and more on the station�s website at www.i1430.com where you�ll find frequent updates on Ionia County �s locally owned and operated radio station!

As always, WION is constantly searching for ways to bring you a better product and more service in the community. To that end, we employ a wonderful group of Engineers, who each have their specialties, but all understand the growing demands placed on AM radio stations in this "interference-generating/Buzzy and static-filled" world. Seems every time a business adds more computers it's tougher for an AM radio to get a clean signal in the building in which the growing number of computers resides.

Over the weekend, we had an engineer here in the late night hours making some audio adjustments which are part of the "bigger picture" for 2008. As you may recall, or have seen elsewhere on this site, we have a signal expansion project planned for this year, likely late in the summer or early Autumn. We're constantly in preparation for the upcoming projects that will benefit our listeners in the long run, and did some of the preparation over the weekend of March 1st.

This is why we're interested especially now in hearing from our regular listeners both near and far! How do we sound? Are we as strong as ever? Stronger? How is the sound? Full? Clear? Clean? Crisp? How would you describe it? Do you hear a difference since the weekend of March 1st? It all helps us to know how our technical adjustments, additions, and plans are progressing. We're by no means done with our plans, and that's why WION, specifically yours-truly wants to hear from you. Please do e-mail the station, and use my personal e-mail, to "carlyle@i1430.com" which will directly come to me, so I can hear how you like the quality of sound WION puts out, and how our signal is doing in your neighborhood. I'd really like to hear from you.

I'm a bit of a geek myself, and at times, I wish I had gone into radio engineering, but...I get my engineering "fix" by hanging out with our knowledgeable and creative engineers when they visit WION. If I had it to do all over again, I'd be a weekender on the air, and a full-time engineer, but...that's not what I was meant to do, I guess. I hated math and formulas....which is needed in these computer-based radio years.

No comment is to silly, small, insignificant, or absurd in this request...(Much like the old "wake up call" that we do now and then on the morning show.)...and I hope to hear from you soon......

My how time flies! Seems like just yesterday we were attempting to bring you live coverage of Groundhog Day from Pennsylvania, and here we are closing in on the end of February! Those of you who have passed our station have noted that our sign reading, "6 more weeks of winter, unlimited weeks of music" has not changed. Its because nobody has wanted to trek out TO the sign in the yard. I'm considering putting up, "sign closed for the winter, radio station always open!" (so we don't have to change the sign in bad weather.) Other nominations for sign slogans are welcome, just e-mail me at the address on our main web page and we'll see what YOU have to say about WION!

In the meantime, stay tuned...this Thursday and Friday we've got tickets to the Blue Man Group concert in Grand Rapids for Sunday night. It'll be a great concert, with your chance to win twice on Thursday and twice on Friday! Garry Osborn's afternoon show on Thursday, and the morning show both Thursday and Friday have your tickets to win....and we hope you're a winner! Its going to be a "high energy" show....and a very interesting one. Learn more about Blue Man Group on the main page of our website by clicking on their picture. And, click on the link to Van Andel Arena to learn more about upcoming concerts and events! We thank Van Andel Arena for partnering with WION for the first time!!! Nice to be working with them!

We also had multiple requests on Wednesday morning for the information on the "Pothole" contest going on statewide. Get details at www.drivemi.org and you can submit your own digital photos from camera or phone, and have a chance at winning $318. But DO be careful....WION wanted to host a contest like this, but...it can be dangerous taking pictures IN the road.....but....because so many asked about this link and this contest as posted in the Michigan Radio Network news this morning, now you have it. BE CAREFUL....we need you around!

We all have a few disappointments that stand out in our lives. The kind that kids usually have when something they really want doesn't happen. There have been 3 major personal disappointments I can remember in my life. The first is hard to admit. I was a youngster, probably all of 7 years old or so.....and a big fan of "Star Trek" and.. in Detroit, Leonard Nimoy of "Mr. Spock" fame was making an appearance at a Detroit-area function. My parents planned to take me....then came the dreaded..."Michigan Winter Weather" and that trip was off. The second disappointment came many years later, when Garrison Keillor of NPR's "Prairie Home Companion" was to do his show live from Purdue University. I had friends at Purdue, and even though it was a "sold out" show, I could have been an usher at the show to see it, and I would gladly have done-so! That show was not meant for my eyes, as my father, then advanced in years, was hospitalized, and I worried that I couldn't leave him to go to that performance (It would have been a long drive from Southern Michigan) though he would have wanted me to enjoy myself! I didn't go to that show. Dad did survive that hospitalization and we enjoyed a few more years together before he died at age 91. Then...the third major disappointment......this weekend...where I had hoped to bring two "new" broadcasters to a National event, and report it for local radio because...well...nobody does this on a small-town station! (pause, sigh..) Enter Mother Nature...and ..........(insert dramatic music here...)

Well, I had hoped around this time of Groundhog Day morning to be wandering the streets of Punxsutawney, PA with broadcasters "Leftlane" and Russ Martin. Our usual FOX news radio update at the top of the hour has brought Ionia listeners the news that "Phil" the Groundhog did indeed see his shadow.

The trip this year was just not meant to be, I guess.....we had a daunting forecast which included first a "winter storm watch" which then became a "heavy snow warning." Even with that, our team had our rented all-wheel drive vehicle loaded and ready to go! We left on Friday morning, and headed out across a snow-covered and slower moving I-96, to a much worse kept I-69 South. The farther South we got, the worse the road, until packed ice was more common in the better of the two lanes, a snow-covered passing lane was treacherous, and the decision was made that a usual 8-hour drive would turn to 12 to 16, along with frayed nerves and the always present possibility of an accident.

Had my father been alive to worry, he probably would have been calling to check in on us constantly. So, after 2 and a half hours of travel only getting us down to U.S. 12, we decided to err on the side of caution, and called off the broadcast and the trip for Groundhog Day this year.

We'll try again next year, and...having personally attended Groundhog Day in 2007 for WION along with "Tech Nick" and Devin, I can tell you it is worth the drive when weather cooperates and is a shining example of American small town festivals....that is tough to rival.

To the sponsors who signed-up, we thank you for your confidence in us, and hopefully next year, we can count on you again......if Mother Nature cooperates. And, we hope that at least the talk of the trip on behalf of our sponsors created some buzz in their businesses. If it provided some free advertising and helped folks to talk about you, this is a good thing!

The groundhog reported six more weeks of winter at Gobbler's Knob this morning. Lets all get through it, thinking Spring, and....looking forward to all the fun broadcasting yet to come in 2008 on Ionia's radio station...WION....the local station that thinks....BIG!

( Archived 9-29-07) WION encourages you to take in the 2007 Ionia County Fall Festival, September 15th at Bertha Brock Park. It's just west of Ionia on M-21, and great family fun! There will be food vendors, organizations and clubs "showing off" what they do, and all in a celebration of Autumn. And, you may just see WION's staff enjoying this with you! For questions, call the Park, and Nicole Frost, Park Manager at (616) 522-PARK!

1) Our "myspace" page has been updated with event pictures. Some are different than the ones on this site, so visit our myspace account now and then....feel free to leave a comment, and..we'll do the "add friends" thing as time permits. If you're on the friends list, we can also send out "bullitens" of our events and programming changes to you! WION is showing up on some listener's "myspace" account as a favorite music/listening activity! Feel Free to make active links to this website! We appreciate your endorsement of our radio station...and are working to make WION "Your" station!

2) Thank you to everyone who attended the Ionia Classic Car and Truck show downtown on Saturday June 2nd. Tom Millard was our remote broadcaster, and did a fantastic job of bringing all the excitement of the event to your radios, right up to the time that Mother Nature brought a severe thunderstorm our way.

3) Speaking of weather, you shoud know by now...that...when it looks like there is threatening weather outside, tune your radio to WION, 1430 on the AM dial. Our staff is experienced in bringing you complete up-to-date weather information, and is part of the Emergency Alert System for West Michigan. We announce only the facts, in a clear, concise manner for your information and safety. And, even if YOUR POWER goes out, we're always ON THE AIR with our backup generator, keeping WION At FULL POWER during any emergency. When the "out of town" stations are off the air or not addressing Ionia, we always do. Oh, and...would you buy some batteries right after you read this, or at least put them on your shopping list? It really helps if you can hear us...(without having to sit in your car during severe weather.)

4) WION welcomes new sponsors regularly.....If you're a fan of Dave Graveline's "Into Tomorrow" feature weekday mornings and in the noon hour, you'll want to know that the morning edition is sponsored by "Ionia Host Dot Com"..visit them online..(but spell it the way you spell a web-address in your browser.) We thank these good folks for coming on board and sponsoring part of WION's great programming.

If you have not "poked around" on our website, please DO! Our summer is getting busy before it even starts! We've got a full schedule of remotes and appearances for WION, and, as they become available, we'll add them to our google calendar page. The google calendar is convenient, and can integrate with YOUR personal google calendar, too! We encourage you to try this online scheduling feature for yourself! (and join us at our broadcasts throughout the area!)

WE RECORD CALLS TO OUR STUDIO....And, we appreciate your lending your voice to our airwaves! Listeners love to hear each other, and we give you many chances to be part of our shows....with the Wake Up Call in the morning, Phil Cloud's Midday Mischief Show, and...with Garry in the afternoon, too! On the weekends, Call Jim Aaron and let him know what you enjoy most about the music on WION! He's our Music Director, and host of the Saturday "Radio Extravaganza" from 9 to 12 Noon each Saturday. If you would prefer to not have your voice recorded, we will respect your wishes..however, when soliciting calls for opinions, contests, and feedback, unless you tell us otherwise, you will be recorded for possible airing! Thank you for being part of our programming with your voices on the phones!

Questions have recently been sent to us about our music, and in the form of compliments. Why DO we play things the out of town stations and FM's don't? It all goes back to the entire philosophy that Jim Carlyle and Jim Aaron, owners of WION have regarding this station....we do things BECAUSE WE CAN! This radio station is unique. It exists in a small town, where we also still have our own town's print media alive and well. We bring local information. Music. News. Road Conditions, and we're "company" to you in your home, place of business, or car 24 hours a day. There is no "corporate" entity telling us we can't do something, or that we HAVE to only play these 279 songs over and over. We have combined announcer experience of over 100 years behind the microphone if you add it all up...(that way we don't individually seem as old...) and, we work very hard to make Ionia and the surrounding areas a better place to live and work. In that spirit, we're glad you have stopped by our website, we're glad you listen to our station, and..we encourage you to do 2 things for us:

1) Thank our sponsors. They are the ones that pay the bills for WION with their advertising dollars, and keep us improving our service to you.

2) Encourage local businesses to advertise locally. Our listening business list is growing, you'll find it on our main page. It proves that WION is a force in the business community not only here in Ionia but well beyond.

3)Keep checking in with us, calling and e-mailing. Exciting things for WION are on the horizon and planning board for 2007, all of which will contribute to this being the BEST WION you have ever known. So, in closing this part of the show notes, WE THANK YOU!

WION salutes and thanks businesses that are listening to us! Its called our "Listening Business of the Day" and actually, we have grown to having so many folks tuned-in at work that we now salute more than one per day. What a nice situation to have! If you have not yet let us know you are listening in your place of business, please do! E-mail Jim Carlyle at carlyle@i1430.com or you can fax us at 616-775-5908, (local to Ionia) or just call us! We'd love to have you as a listening business. And remember, businesses are listening to your ads on WION! You can download a copy of the listening business list from our main page at www.i1430.com or get there by clicking on the banner at the top of this page! We appreciate all our listening businesses!

Birthdays and Anniversaries: every morning at 7:15 and during the Garry Osborn afternoon show. Send your birthdays to us to a "New for 2007" e-mail address of "birthdays@i1430.com" and we'll get that special event (birthday, anniversary, retirement, etc) "on the air" at Ionia's I-1430!

Spam bothering you? It was keeping us busy, too. We ran across a piece of software to try called "Spambully 3. " It is free to try, and inexpensive to buy once you see that it works. It can monitor multiple e-mail accounts (like WION has) and...will send what you teach it as spam to a special folder. It can also put some in a folder for "un-sure" so they don't go to the "bad" folder..and..it learns your habits, e-mail contacts and more. It's worth a try. go here for a trial of Spambully 3, and if you like it, return to their page and buy! Just make sure you tell 'em WION sent you! (Properly used, this should help your spam level if not your blood pressure....please refer to them for all technical support as WION is not affiliated with this company and does not offer support for use of the software. We just LIKE it! You can also learn more about it by clicking on their link below.

WION was a proud sponsor of the March of Dimes walk in Ionia on Saturday, May 18th. Many walkers who came by our Cleveland Street checkpoint registered for a drawing for a pair of free Cedar Point Tickets. Ms. Bush from Big Rapids was the winner, and glad to be a part of the March of Dimes walk each year in Ionia. Congratulations from WION!

Make sure you're up to date on our remote locations where we'll be broadcasting from this Spring and Summer! June 2nd we're in downtown Ionia for a classic car and truck show......and there are more locations and celebrations on our google calendar page on this website. Visit us on location, and enjoy the summer...with Ionia's I-1430!

There's exciting news for WION and its listeners! On April 30th, WION's Federal application for a better coverage area was granted by the FCC in Washington, D.C. Read more by reading the whole story and the details by clicking here. This permit allows WION to make modifications to improve our signal and service to area towns, the I-96 corridor, and more. Be patient.....it will take some time to make it all happen, but be assured, we're working every day to make I-1430 the best WION you have ever known!

There's a couple new programs coming to WION that we know you'll enjoy! Be listening Sunday mornings at 9AM for our new show, "Retro Stars" with Dave Stewart, also known as "The Nineties Show!" Its two hours of 1990's music, news, events, audio clips, and more..that will take you back to where you were when the music being played was popular! Jim Aaron, our music director has carefully selected from MANY choices in music programs before adding this to our growing station, and we hope you enjoy it! Please let us know by sending us e-mail from the front page links on this website. We hope you'll tune in each week for "Retro Stars" on Sundays, from Ionia's I-1430! Web-visitors here can get a preview of what the program offers by going to www.retrostars.com

A second new feature program is being added in the noon hour Monday through Friday. Its called, "Little Known Facts" with your host Chaz Allen. It's True stories of Americana, and an interesting feature exclusive to WION in this area! Tune in just after Dave Graveline's "Into Tomorrow" and enjoy "Little Known Facts" on I-1430. And, of course, all day and all night, it's the "Music you Know, and the Information you Need!"

Thanks to our web-readers for your patience as we update our site. More pictures of the "heave on the eve" have been added on a second page dedicated to our recent event on the library lawn. There are some excellent pictures on the site, and more to be added from our friend "Goose", soon....please check back often.

WION has a basic "myspace" page. As mentioned on this page in the past, some of you have included US in your myspace pages, mainly complimenting the music we play and that you enjoy listening. We thank you for this! Our myspace page is simple, but...by your suggestion it is up and running. Drop by www.myspace.com/I1430. We'll update it whenever time permits. Please remember that the official online home of WION is right here, on our own website!

Something crossed my desk this early morning of April 11th...here it is:
First thing in the morning after breakfast, what do you do ... you look for the weather, right? Now you won't have to! A college kid has designed a toaster that will burn your forecast directly into your toast! The toaster connects to the Internet, downloads information, and then changes the burn pattern on your toast depending on what the forecast is... rain, sun, clouds, snow, etc.
wpe5.jpg (15144 bytes)

So, here's MY question....aside from a toaster, where would YOU like to see your "instant forecast?

THE BATHROOM WALL?
THE BATHROOM MIRROR?
THE SIDE OF YOUR COFFEE MUG?
e-mail us your ideas to: morning@i1430.com

Look for WION out and about this Spring and Summer! Remote broadcast dates are already filling up, June is a busy one with a car show downtown, the Ionia Car Dealers' event at Michigan One Community Credit Union and more! If you are contemplating having WION broadcast from your business' event, please contact Tom Millard, Sales Manager of WION at 902-6204 soon!

On behalf of the Ionia County Historical Society, thank you to anyone who brought an item on March 21st for appraisal by Glen from Americana Auctions. The fundraiser was a huge success, with people coming from as far as Caro and the Mackinaw City area! Your support of events like this help the historical society sponsor things like this Spring's Home Tour in Ionia, and the upkeep of the Blanchard House Museum in Ionia. WION is also spearheading an effort for local businesses and individuals to sponsor "a week of heat" for the Blanchard House next winter. Even at a barely safe 55 degrees, keeping this beautiful Ionia attraction heated in the winter costs the society around $600 a month. Americana Auctions has stepped up with the first week's heat donation for 2007, and we'd like your help. Listen on WION for how you can adopt a week in the Winter of 2007, and watch here for details, too!

For those of you following the "Daylight Savings Time" saga and its effect on WION and similar (AM) radio stations, Last week (March 5-11th) the FCC gave back permission on a temporary basis for WION to broadcast with increased power, known as "Pre Sunrise Authority" beginning at 6AM with the morning show. We have also temporarily been allowed to "power up" the station at 7AM, the time usually reserved for April Daylight Savings time. The FCC is re-evaluating its decision and correcting errors made in the original decision which, adversely affected our signal to you in the morning. We all await the new FCC rules which will be imposed due to the new Daylight Savings Time arriving earlier this year. We also thank Congressman Vern Ehlers' office for expediting our concerns to the FCC. They were most helpful in expressing our concerns and we want to publicly thank his office.

The "Wake up Call" question started on January 2nd of this year FINALLY got answered, with Dawn Ketchum of the Ionia Area Chamber of Commerce successfully figuring out the answer! Dawn, Congratulations from WION! There are many people thankful to you for getting the answer, and we hope you enjoy your prize package. As I said on the radio, it seems appropriate...we always say, "Shop Locally, Listen Locally", so what could be more local than our Chamber Director winning the prize package? Please take time to congratulate Dawn, and drop by the Ionia Chamber's website at www.ioniachamber.org to keep up on local events. (or to send Dawn a note of congratulations!)

WION apologizes in advance for any difficulty you may have in receiving our signal during the morning hours in the next few weeks. It's a difficult situation to explain, but in a nutshell, due to what is known as the "U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005", (the act which moved Daylight Savings Time to March this year) The Federal Communications Commission, in addition to causing our "power up" times to be delayed in March under the earlier switch to Daylight Savings Time also re-calculated the power we are allowed to transmit at certain "critical" hours. Thus, our transmitted power will be lower during the Morning Show than it has been. (As I-1430 we had received authorization to raise power slightly at 6AM which is now null and void.) This change has affected many AM stations, not just WION, and we are working diligently with our FCC attorney, our Engineering Firm, and even our U.S. Congressman's office to see how soon our pre-sunrise power may be restored. Rest assured we are working as fast as we can, and will keep you posted. Thank you for your patience, stay with us....Exciting things are planned for our signal this year...and we'll keep you posted! If you feel this change adversely affected your ability to listen to local information, I encourage you to contact us for a copy of a letter you may send to the FCC and to your Congressman.

Please join us at "Ionia EXPO 2007" at Ionia High School on Saturday March 10th! We'll be broadcasting from our booth, bringing "The Music You Know and the Information You Need" to EXPO, and...highlighting some of the businesses, (old or new) that are exhibitors! As of this writing, booth space is still available by contacting the Ionia Area Chamber of Commerce, and...our Ionia EXPO Advertising Package is only $99 per business and..just for having us help promote your business on the air, you get a bonus as well! Call Tom Millard at 902-6204, or Jim Carlyle at WION for details! You'll want to "Think Spring" when you hear how WION can help kickstart your business before Springtime! (and remember, its an early Spring according to the Groundhog...)

In watching Television recently, I see that the "tube" does have one thing that radio does not. The ability to "resurrect" the dead. Have you seen the Orville Redenbacher commercials with him and an mp3 player? When I first saw this, I thought it was a cruel joke, and a bad "skit" from some cable channel. It's not. In fact, there is an article on it calling Orville a "Pitch Zombie"...read the article by going here: http://adage.com/columns/article?article_id=114421 I was waiting for a punch line, or something similar. Apparently not. The man died in 1995. Seeing him "brought to life" in a new commercial to me is creepy. I'm interested in your thoughts. Share them with us by e-mailing to: morning@i1430.com . The commercial video can be downloaded at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVBGUo2qz-o

(Archived Feb 13, 2007) Well, we DID it! We successfully took our WION microphones (well, headsets, anyway) to Gobbler's Knob in PA for Groundhog Day. It was great fun for this week's crew of "Tech" Nick, Animal, and yours truly. The thing about a trip like this is that you never know what may face you when you get there....like, Will the special phone line work? Will your neighbors' equipment interfere with yours? (we were next to KDKA in Pittsburgh, and just 2 booths from ABC radio and Jim Hickey, reporter.....) Will the batteries hold out? How many interviews will we be able to get? and...other things.....There's also the factor of our timing in PA meeting up with timing back at the WION studios. Looking back on this weekend, I'd say the trip and the broadcast were a huge success. With FOX news to get the announcement on, and with our coverage of events leading INTO the actual prediction, and now with many pictures and interviews on our radio station website, we hope that you have enjoyed the efforts of many people..including Jim Aaron and Phil Cloud, back here in the WION studios. We also hope you will remember, as you spread the word about Ionia's I-1430 that we do these things BECAUSE WE CAN..and...that nobody else in Michigan made the trek! Your local radio station provided reports to the Michigan Talk Radio Network, along with WCSR, WGDN, and..even to a syndicated morning show aired in Michigan, (though they called us, interrupting our breakfast and with our cellphone batteries weak...we did our best to "phil" them in before needing to recharge.) I think another interesting thing of note is that ABC news, and KDKA seemed impressed both with our presence at a National event, and...with some of the technology we brought with us to secure the interviews and audio that is now part of this website. Proof that local radio is still creative, fun, and innovative. YOUR community's radio station helped put Ionia on the map! We enjoyed our time with our broadcasting associates at Gobbler's Knob who now know that Ionia, Michigan exists! In closing our Groundhog Day thoughts... as in all things you enjoy on I-1430, please THANK OUR SPONSORS you'll find on the Groundhog Day pages (now two pages) and...remember as you are out and about....even ONE mention to a sponsor that you appreciate them being on the radio helps WION to grow, and helps cement the "buy locally, listen locally" creed by which we try to operate WION! On behalf of "Tech" Nick, Animal, and me, Jim Carlyle....thank you for listening..and please enjoy the Groundhog pages at www.i1430.com.

( Sunday September 30th, 2007) Remember the phrase, "I'm bored!" It made your parents angry at you when you were young..and you know what? It still irks some people today. It irks me. I get told sometimes, "There's nothing to do in Ionia!...small towns don't offer entertainment!" (insert obnoxious game show buzzer here!) We're ending up a busy month of September and entering October with a plate FULL of events in the area.

In September we had the Ionia County Fallfest at Bertha Brock Park! We celebrated WION's 3rd anniversary as Ionia County's radio station...(with big expansion plans in place and federally approved for Spring 2008!)

October brings another antiques "roadshow appraisal" to Eclectic Gallery, Main Street, Ionia on September 21st...where for only $5 per item, you can find what your dusty, ugly, old antiques are worth...and... at the same time....be helping the Ionia County Historical Society! It's entertaining just to attend.....and...at a wonderful venue....the Theatre inside Eclectic Gallery! Americana Auctions Owner Glen Rairigh is your appraiser, and you won't believe how entertaining this event can be! Listen to WION on Friday, October 19th for Glen to join us on the morning show with some "radio appraisals"...(items will be posted on this website so you can see what he appraises!) Mark your calendar to be at Eclectic Gallery on October 21st for this event. Speaking of which, Ionia Community Theatre's presentation of "A series of One Act Plays" will be held there, too....early in the month on October 4th-7th. Please attend these events, and thank Celia of "Eclectic Gallery" for offering her store for these events.. which includes this very neat theatre.......in fact, why not look around while you visit?

Then, on October 25th, a Thursday, it's the "Chili Dawg Challenge" in downtown Ionia. You say you love Chili Dawgs? BE HERE...for this event, which benefits Big Brothers, Big Sisters! Once again this year, Jim Dreyer, famous long-distance swimmer will be here, on the radio and at this great event. The Chamber and area churches also help fill up almost all of Main Street with events, making October 25th a truly family day on Main Street, Ionia. If you're new to town, don't miss this. If you've never attended, (with all due respect) GET OFF YOUR DUFF and come to the celebration. You can see how much fun it is by visiting the videos of the past two years, links to them are on our main page of this website.

WION will also again this year be broadcasting live from Portland on October 14th! We've got tickets to the famous Portland St. Pat's Fall Festival & smorgasbord, and we're very proud to be invited to broadcast from this yearly Autumn event. Truly a part of Portland, and it brings people from all over the Ionia County area. Join us...and, as with all our advertisers and events we cover, please make an effort to thank the people who invite us to their events, their stores, and those who you hear regularly as sponsors on the radio. We tell you this frequently, and we hope you will: "SHOP LOCALLY, LISTEN LOCALLY"...we all win when you do this!

So, in October, I, personally don't want to hear the words, "I'm bored" and "There's nothing to do in Ionia".....On the contrary....the big city should be so lucky to have the events we do, and it's our job to spread the word, and to bring more attention to Ionia..which hosts so many neat events for everyone.

It's 3 years since our team pushed the "on" button to the old tube-transmitter at WION, and gave new life to the call letters, "WION." That morning, Jim Aaron our Music Director and Co-owner co-hosted the morning show, to we don't know how many people! We were visited on that morning show by (then) Ionia Chamber Director Dawn Ketchum who is now Ionia Dial-a-ride director. We also had a visit from Bill Weisgerber, welcoming our new team to Ionia on behalf of the Ionia Freefair.

Fast-forward 3 years! WION has a new solid-state transmitter and sound processing, giving you the BEST sound you've ever heard from WION. We have made some great friends, and wonderful partnerships with area organizations like the Ionia Theatre, Historical Society, Freefair, United Way of Ionia County, March of Dimes, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and even with other media...The Sentinel-Standard and Ionia County Shopper's Guide. To make a long story short, we are proud and thankful for these, and all our friendships and ties in our community, extending well beyond the Ionia City and County lines.

As you may know, in 2008 we have even more great things planned. The Spring of 2008 will bring a signal expansion project that will give a cleaner, stronger signal to everyone, and cover areas this station has not been able-to since it began. (see our signal expansion project page on this website.) When this project is done, Lowell, Saranac, Portland, and much more of I-96, even into Lansing and Grand Rapids will be able to tune in WION! It will take some time, and we'll certainly keep you posted. but the growth and re-vitalizing of your local station is well underway because of your support, and a team of dedicated radio professionals.

As owners, Jim Aaron and I both want to thank you for your continued support! Our listeners are important to us, and..probably more-so than in larger cities. We SEE you on the street. We MEET you at events, and we are part of your community. We are proud to be here as WION's owners, and we are grateful for being here.

There are some people that you may never see who make what we do possible, too. A big thank you goes out to our engineering team. Ed Trombley, Don Baad, and Wayne Reese of Munn-Reese, Inc. Coldwater have helped with all our planning. Ralph Haines works behind the scenes to keep us "tuned in" when he's not on the air and working at his own station in Gladwin, WGDN. And, Chris Arnaut, Engineer--(our good friend for many years before Jim and I bought WION) helped get us "on the air" and is a great consultant to us! These folks, and the close friends who have encouraged both Jim Aaron and I to own, operate, and grow WION have all contributed to our success as a station and as a business.

And, from me, Jim Carlyle....a personal thank you to my closest friends who are always "there" when I need ideas, encouragement, and so many times...just a visit at the studios! I hope that all small business owners have such wonderful friends as I have been fortunate to have in my life..and in my career.

We look forward to more years at WION as your local radio station....and hope to meet many more friends as we begin our 4th year in your community, and from Jim Aaron and I, a sincere "Thank you" to you all.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOMEONE'S DAY? Nominate them for the "Sid's Super citizen" award of the week on WION! All it takes is telling us WHY you'd like this person to receive the award. It could be for someone who always smiles at the grocery store....a bank teller who was kind...someone who helped you start your car...etc..etc..etc...Make sure we know WHO they are...and how to reach them, and you. Fax, e-mail, or call us with all this information...and on Friday mornings in the 8AM hour, we'll award someone the "Sid's Super Citizen Award" of the week...from Sid's Flowers and WION! There's a special E-mail link on the top of our main page on this site! Let us know who does nice things for you...today!

WION's "Myspace" site is available for you to enjoy.....search myspace for WION RADIO as the name...and you'll find us there. This, however is the site where our most important things are put on for the world to

Things have been busy for our WION Family......we're working in our own homes on getting ready for the Christmas Holiday......and, at the studios, we are excited about the new year! In 2008 we'll begin a project in the spring which I've written about before, which will provide a stronger signal in all the area. To the South, you'll hear us longer on I-96! Our signal should be strong enough for good radios to hear us in Lansing and in Grand Rapids! We'll be bringing our friends in Portland, Saranac and Lowell all into our primary daytime coverage area, and...this allows us to better serve you, our listeners and friends. The project begins in the Spring of 2008 and will be the biggest improvement to WION in over 50 years!

To loosely quote the 1930's Christmas Carol that we bring you on Christmas Eve each year (substituting our call letters for their sponsor) , "As the old year draws to a close, we at WION feel a bond of warmth and Gratitude to you, our friends, sponsors, and listeners."

To our listeners, who tune in each day at work, in cars, and at home...two words: "Thank you." To our clients whose confidence in us translates to growth of your local radio station, two words: "Thank you." And...to everyone who has been continually spreading the word about the unique qualities of WION Radio here in Ionia, those two same words: "Thank you."

We know that you have many choices, not only in radio listening but...in general time spent with your entertainment! It is truly a compliment that you choose WION amongst the choices of stations, internet, local and satellite/cable TV, and other human "diversions."

From all of us, our on-air staff, Sales, engineering and everyone who helps us on a daily basis to bring WION to you, we all say, "Thank you"...and..."Merry Christmas!"

THE WAKE UP CALL ON THE MORNING SHOW WAS ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, MAY 20:
IN LOS ANGELES, BACON STRIPS WERE USED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY LOST AN INDIVIDUAL A PUBLIC PRIVILEGE. WHAT DID THE INDIVIDUAL DO WITH THEM?
THE GENTLEMAN USED THEM AS BOOKMARKS IN HIS LIBRARY BOOKS. THE LIBRARIAN FINALLY REVOKED HIS (LIBRARY) CARD AFTER NUMEROUS TELEPHONE CALLS, LETTERS AND FACE-TO-FACE PLEAS TO STOP DOING THIS! CONGRATULATIONS TO MARTY THALISON, OUR WAKE UP CALL WINNER FOR THIS QUESTION!

THE WORLD'S FIRST ELECTRONIC WHAT WAS INVENTED IN THE YEAR 1978?
CLUE # 1:THIS ITEM COULD BE USED ALMOST ANYWHERE!
CLUE #2: THIS ITEM WAS AROUND BEFORE 1978, BUT NOT "ELECTRONIFIED"
CLUE #3 "MUSICAL."
GUESSES: Pocket Calculator, e-mail, cordless phone, fax machine, LCD screen, cell phone, Video disk player, Satellite TV, Rechargeable battery, Electric Can opener, Electric knife, Sony Walkman, Electric Typewriter, Artificial Heart, Vehicle Electronic Ignition, Cat Skinner, bionic inventions, Electric Piano, Electronic camera flash, Electric car speed control, Water softener or purifier, Catalytic converter, Humidifier, Photocopy machine, Magnetic video tape, Black light, Stopwatch, Pacemaker, Electric car brakes, Solar energy systems, LCD displays, Hot melt glue gun, Electric toothbrush, Electronic gas gauge,watch with electronic chime, push button telephone, Texas instruments speak & spell (had one years ago), electronic language translator,accordion, harmonica, kazoo.