WBOI is an FM radio station located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 89.1 MHz. It is a National Public Radio member station, owned and operated by Northeast Indiana Public Radio, a non-profit organization. The station has studios and a 604-foot transmitter tower in Fort Wayne's Centennial Park. Effective radiated power is 34,000 watts, covering northeast Indiana, northwest Ohio and extreme southern Michigan.
History and programming
WBOI began operating in February 2002. It has assumed some of the programming formerly carried by sister station WBNI, including jazz, folk music, gospel, and news and information programming from National Public Radio. Some of WBOI's programs, especially the evening jazz programs, are produced by local, volunteer program hosts. The station carries Morning Edition, All Things Considered and other nationally broadcast public radio programs. There is a small, local news staff which covers local, state, and regional news. WBOI is home to the nationally syndicated folk music show Folktales. WBOI is also the home of free-form music programs: Saturday Fade and The Burnt Toast Show. The station operates 24 hours a day, utilizing some computer automation during the late night hours. Programs can be heard on the World Wide Web at www.nipr.fm. In July 2016, Peter Dominowski announced that Northeast Indiana Public Radio had purchased a two-story building on Jefferson Boulevard in downtown Fort Wayne to serve as the future headquarters for WBNI and WBOI. Fundraising will continue to cover the costs of major renovations. Dominowski said it would probably be two to three years before the building could be occupied.
HD Programming
On October 13, 2005, WBOI became the first FM station in northeast Indiana to broadcast using the HD Radio format and the first public radio station in Indiana to offer multicasting on a digital signal. With an HD Radio tuned to 89.1 FM, three program services are available:
The station is supported entirely by contributions from corporations, businesses, foundations and listeners. There are pledge drives each year in spring and fall. WBOI's operations/programming director is Katy Anderson. In 2008, Joan Baumgartner Brown was selected as president and general manager of Northeast Indiana Public Radio. The veteran local nonprofit leader oversaw operations at WBOI and WBNI. Brown replaced Bruce Haines beginning August 4, 2008. Haines became the president and general manager of WFWA, Fort Wayne's PBS television station. On January 20, 2009, in a letter to NIPR members, Brown announced that the board had decided to sell WBNI's three analog signals as soon as possible. Financial concerns, caused by the "weak economy" and insufficient contributions from underwriters and members failed to cover the substantial costs of acquiring and upgrading the transmitter towers in Orland and Roanoke. WBNI's programming, however, has continued at 94.1 on the Roanoke tower, on WBOI-HD2 and over the Internet at www.nipr.fm. In November 2010, Brown resigned as president and general manager, prompting a search for a new NIPR executive. On December 10, 2010, NIPR announced that Will Murphy, who had been general manager of WFHB in Bloomington, Indiana, would become NIPR's president and general manager in January 2011. Murphy resigned in December 2012; a search for a new general manager was begun and David Hunter, the membership manager became the interim general manager. On January 29, 2013, NIPR's board announced the selection of Peter Dominowski as president and general manager of NIPR. He has four decades of experience in broadcasting, mostly in public radio.
