Reporter, #IBJtech newsletter author

Technology, venture capital, media and marketing

Schoettle grew up in Indianapolis, graduating from Southport High School and Indiana University. He then departed on a tour of middle Indiana, reporting for papers in Greenwood, Frankfort, Columbus and Franklin before landing at IBJ in 1998. At his previous jobs, he spent a decade as a political and government reporter. Beyond writing, Schoettle’s passions include animals and wildlife, watching all manner of television and long-distance cycling and running. Though he put away his trumpet many years ago, he remains an avid music fan. Schoettle shares his home in Southport with his wife, Elizabeth, three salty dogs and three sweet cats. Preferring to live in a “park-like setting,” one of his primary goals each spring and summer is to see how seldom he can mow his front lawn.

Articles

‘Morning Mess’ lands at Atlanta station

The popular “Morning Mess” radio show, which has been pushed out of Indianapolis’ WNOU-FM 93.1, will start airing on a Top 40 station in Atlanta early next year. WNOU owner Emmis Communications Corp. last month changed the format on the 93.1 frequency and sold the “Radio Now” intellectual property to Radio One, but its morning […]

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Veteran GM abruptly departs WTHR

Long-time WTHR-TV Channel 13 General Manager Rich Pegram has left the station. Yesterday was his last day, WTHR spokesman Jeff Dutton confirmed. Reasons for his departure were unclear. WTHR officials would not elaborate, and Pegram could not be reached for comment. “It was a mutual decision between Rich and the company,” Dutton said. Other sources […]

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New gadget may alter radio biz

If it lives up to the hype, the Portable People Meter could revolutionize radio advertising by providing a more accurate look
at who’s listening to what. The pager-size device tracks radio-listening habits in real time, rather than relying on ratings
survey participants to remember what stations they tuned in during the course of a day.

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IRL widens advertising base

The Indy Racing League will roll out category sponsorship deals with soft drink, energy drink and motor oil brands in the
next two months. IRL officials declined to divulge which companies the deals are with, but said each are multiyear, multimillion-dollar
deals.

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Pacers go man-to-fan with marketing campaign

The Indiana Pacers have rolled out yet another marketing campaign featuring new coach Jim O’Brien-this time using a tactic the team has never tried before. In the days leading up to the Oct. 31 home opener, O’Brien will record a personal phone message inviting certain loyal fans and previous season ticket holders to the game. […]

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Indy fights 20-plus cities for USA Basketball

More than 20 cities-including Indianapolis-are bidding for the USA Basketball headquarters and national training facilities, which have been located in Colorado Springs since 1979. The official announcement came today from officials of USA Basketball, the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the U.S. Bids are due Dec. 20, with a decision set […]

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Baker & Daniels signs stadium naming rights deal

The Indianapolis Colts are scoring sponsors for their new venue as fast as quarterback Peyton Manning engineers victories for the undefeated team.The Colts have nailed down their third, multi-million dollar sponsorship deal within a month. At noon today, team officials announced from their 56th Street training complex that Baker & Daniels LLP has signed a […]

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Indianapolis might push for college world series

Indianapolis is being mentioned as a possible site for the 2011 College World Series, which appears to be in play. In a recently released list of future NCAA championship events, the 2011 baseball series is listed with no host site beside it. Omaha has a deal to host the event through 2010. “If the event […]

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City ready to launch bid for USA Basketball

Indianapolis is poised to launch a bid
to attract USA Basketball’s headquarters from its Colorado Springs home. The not-for-profit national governing body for men’s
and women’s basketball in the United States recently put out a request for proposals for a new headquarters city.

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India deal boosts Bastian

Little more than a decade ago, Bastian Material Handling had annual sales of less than $35 million. Since 2000, its revenue
has doubled, to $80 million, and its business interests don’t just cross the state, they circle the globe.

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Publicis signs another sports-related deal

Ad agency Publicis Indianapolis is suddenly scoring with sports. Though it was not known for sports marketing before this year, Publicis’ local office has nabbed two high-profile sports clients in recent months, with the Indiana Fever announcing yesterday they have struck an agency-of-record deal with the firm. Earlier this year, Publicis replaced Pearson Partners-formerly Pearson […]

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Emmis’ decision to shift WIBC to FM jolts local radio

The local radio market’s biggest shake-up in more than a decade has almost every commercial station in central Indiana scrambling
to attract the thousands of listeners and millions of advertising dollars suddenly up for grabs. Emmis Communications Corp.
said Oct. 8 it will move WIBCAM 1070 programming to the FM frequency previously occupied by WNOU-FM 93.1, which it will kill.
Industry experts said the fallout will continue to rain down throughout the fourth quarter and well into 2008. “There’s lots…

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Emmis makes major radio moves

In one of the biggest local radio station format shake-ups in recent years, Emmis Communications Corp. announced today that WIBC-AM 1070 will become an all-sports station. The station will be an affiliate of ESPN Radio. Meanwhile, the company’s rock and hip-hop station, WNOU-FM 93.1, will change to a news-talk format, a rarity on the local […]

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Marketing firm broadens offerings, narrows focus: Hetrick projects 20-percent growth on fewer clients

In the last year, Hetrick Communications has hired 10 employees, added a major new client, and changed its focus. What was once primarily a public relations firm is now also an advertising agency targeting health care and life sciences. On the heels of the changes, Hetrick actually wants fewer clients. “We want fewer, bigger clients,” said Amy Ahlersmeyer, the firm’s president and chief operating officer. “We want our growth to come absolutely in the health care and life sciences sector.”…

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Players benched for new Pacers ads

The Indiana Pacers recently rolled out a marketing initiative that was in sharp contrast to last year’s campaign, which prominently
featured players and proclaimed, “It’s up to us.” This year’s new television, radio and print advertisements appear with not
a whisper from or mention of anyone actually wearing the blue and gold.

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Smulyan remains bullish on Emmis, radio

Despite slumping revenue, Emmis Communications Corp. Chairman Jeff Smulyan remains bullish on his company and the radio industry. Emmis this morning reported that revenue in the quarter ended Aug. 31 fell to $96.4 million from $99.9 million during the same period a year earlier. The decline was mostly due to softness at its New York […]

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Payola alleged by radio executive

Radio One Indiana’s former controller has filed a civil lawsuit against the company charging she was terminated because of
her race after she raised concerns about fraud and payola in relation to the company’s financial statements.

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Chevrolet pleased with ads, but CD sales hit pothole: Mellencamp is selling trucks, but not tunes

Hoosier rocker John Mellencamp is helping Chevrolet sell more trucks, but he’s having less luck when it comes to selling his records. In November, Mellencamp embarked on his first major commercial campaign, selling his song “Our Country” to Chevrolet for its Silverado pickup truck campaign. Since then, tens of millions of people have seen commercials-some that show Mellencamp playing guitar, while others simply play his song-during myriad collegiate and professional basketball and football games. Chevrolet officials said the commercials featuring…

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Hilbert taking on tanning niche

Less than two years after New Sunshine LLC was bought by a group led by former Conseco Inc. CEO Stephen Hilbert, its Australian Gold division has acquired its top two competitors, amassing 80 percent of the indoor suntan lotion market.

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IRL drops green flag on revenue-sharing plan: Series places no limits on number of teams eligible

The Indy Racing League is going where only stick-and-ball sports have gone before: revenue sharing. In a concept unique to motorsports, IRL officials have floated a plan that will guarantee teams about $1.3 million from series coffers for each car entered full time in the 16-race series. The change means the IRL could pay out $36 million to teams in 2008, $10 million more than it did through prize purses this year. Industry experts think revenue generated by the newly…

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