Henry County Service Guide
March 24, 2015
Tucked in southwestern Henry County, Indiana is a great story, of a great program, with a huge following.
Broadcasting now in its 24th year, WKPW 90.7 on the FM Dial was founded back in 1991, the brain child of Mike
York. A local Henry County High School radio station was born at the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors home.
Mike York, was hired by then Soldiers and Sailors Home Assistant Superintendent, John Wittenkamper and
Vocational Director, Paul Wilkinson, wrote the curriculum, built the studio and launched the initial broadcast. The
station in the early days was a small 250 watt station with an 80 foot tower and was on air 8:00 to 3:00 P.M Daily.
However In January 1994 the station went to a 24 hour per day broadcast with the addition of CD automation
systems. With continuous improvements the station increased both power and tower height in July 1994 with a new
180 foot tower and increased power to 4400 watts to become the second highest powered high school station in
Indiana.
Mr. York started his radio career back in 1979 in Tennessee at WTPR AM/FM then moved to Indiana in 1981. He
was a DJ on WIBC, then moved onto the popular 93 WNAP known as “The Buzzard" and went by the name Mike
Adams from 1984-86 He was the last DJ for WNAP before they switched to the call letters WKLR and changing the
format to top 40. He also served as the Operations Manager at Columbia School of Broadcasting in Indianapolis and
was Mike Adams again on LITE Rock 97 WENS from 1986-1995.
In 1991 he designed and constructed the original studios at the former Soldiers & Sailors Home. He continued on
until the closure of the Soldiers & Sailors Children’s Home in 2009. He planned on retiring, but his retirement was
cut short as Knightstown High School wanted the program moved there- along with York. In 2009 the new studio
began construction at the Knightstown High School and was completed and began broadcasting in May of 2011.
The program has been a huge success and is now under the direction on Mr. Robert Hobbs, Director, New Castle
Career Center and Knightstown Superintendent Jediah Behny, the program now has the ability to reach 38,000 +
listeners in Central Indiana and a worldwide internet audience on wkpwfm.com. The music format is classic hits,
including everything from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Billy Joel. The program teaches students the correct operations of day
to day radio, including on air news, sports, production/recording programs, voice tracking, and advertising
promotions. Students who are accepted into the career centers program operate the station both on air and in
classroom settings of 3 hours per day 5 days per week. In the summer months when school is out of session, the
station runs on the automation system.
As Mr. York States, the best memory: I guess would be winning the first state championship and building the new
facilities at the new Knightstown High School, Worst memory: would be when the straight line winds blew our 180
foot tower down.
The success of the station, includes 29 state championships in 24 years in the Indiana Association of School
Broadcasters State Finals. One of the award winning alumni is Cara Denis, a Knightstown high school graduate
who is currently the co-host for “Today’s Best Country Clear 99”, Columbia, Missouri. Her station was recently
named “The Academy of Country Music’s Small Market Station of the Year.”
The station is a must listen to on your radio programming it supplies a great opportunity to local high school
students, and is a wonderful program with wonderful directors and many years of dedicated service by Mr. York, the
Career Center and Knightstown High School.
Thank you for the vision, and for the years of dedicated service Mr. York, you have touched and changed the lives
of many of our youth and have promoted life in a very educational positive method.
Well Done!