Media

Indie 101.5's Whip takes his plea for advertising to the airwaves

In a January blog, Indie 101.5 personality and music director John 'Whip" Wilbur announced his battle to save his low-rated station, which recently collected two Westword Best of Denver blurbs -- Best Commercial Radio Station and Best DJ. "It's the fight of a lifetime," he said at the time. "It's us against the world. And I think our owners are going to be stunned by the amazing groundswell of listeners who are tuning in."

Unfortunately, that flood has been more like a trickle, and rumors are circulating that Max Media of Denver, which has been pouring big money into Hot 107.1, Indie's sister station, is about to order a format flip. Against that backdrop, Whip made an on-air pitch this morning, asking for more advertisers to shop their wares on Indie if they want the station as presently constituted to stick around.

Wilbur confirms the gist of his appeal but declines to elaborate, letting his comments speak for themselves. Clearly, though, it's a critical time for Indie 101.5. The future of its innovative but risky approach hangs in the balance.

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Michael Roberts has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.
Contact: Michael Roberts

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