BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Frankfort-based pop music station, WSHW Shine 99, is set to be sold to Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois pending federal approval.
The Christian university will be acquiring the 50,000-watt radio station, which serves Greater Lafayette, as part of its ongoing expansion of the Shine.FM brand. The financial details behind the sale have not yet been disclosed.
The acquisition of WSHW will connect the Chicago area Shine.FM signal to the Indianapolis Shine.FM signal, expanding Olivet’s reach and audience base. The move comes as Olivet continues to expand its media presence, owning and operating seven radio stations throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.
WSHW Shine 99 CEO Russ Kaspar noted that the offer was attractive because it would not affect the other radio stations or websites under Kaspar Media Group. The sale, which has been years in the making, must receive approval from the Federal Communications Commission before becoming official.
Brian McIntyre Utter, director of the Olivet Media Group, expressed excitement about continuing the broadcast legacy of the Kaspar family and serving North-Central Indiana families through the ministry of Shine.FM. Kaspar also wished Olivet and Shine.FM the best as they work towards their mission of transforming communities and families through uplifting and Christ-centered programming.
The Olivet Media Group possesses and manages seven radio stations within Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana.
WSHW’s broadcast area covers portions or all of 14 counties within North-Central Indiana, including Tippecanoe, Clinton, Cass, Howard, Boone, Carroll, Tipton, White, Miami, Hamilton, Montgomery, Wabash, Grant, and Madison. In the initial stages of RDS development, WSHW was instrumental as an experimental station and was crucial to the creation of HD radio, which added text to the vehicle dashboard.
