If the personalities taking on WIKY-104.1 FM’s airwaves sound a bit prouder than usual, know that they are.
The station, which is celebrating 75 years in 2023, won the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for Small Market Radio Station of the Year.
The annual Marconi Awards recognize excellence in radio broadcasting across the U.S. and are the highest honor handed out in the radio industry. The awards are named for Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian inventor of the radio wave–based wireless telegraph system.
This year’s ceremony was held Oct. 25 at The Javits Center in New York City and was hosted by former ESPN anchor and nationally syndicated radio host Rich Eisen. Midwest Communications Operations Manager Aaron Santini and General Manager Tim Huelsing attended.
“This is the biggest ‘team’ award in our industry. It is radio’s Oscar and winning this speaks to the level of passion and dedication the entire Midwest Communications/WIKY team has to serving the Tri-State community,” Santini says.
As noted in the February/March 2021 Evansville Business article “Making Waves”, Wisconsin-based Midwest Communications bought the station, along with South Central Inc.’s other Evansville radio assets, in September 2014.
This is the second Marconi award among WIKY. Morning Team co-hosts Dennis Jon Bailey and Diane Douglas won in 2011 for Small Market Personalities of the Year. (Evansville Living readers also named Bailey, with Douglas, the Best Local Radio Personality in this year’s Best of Evansville awards.)
