Dave Crooks announces retirement from broadcasting

The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
·2 min read

Feb. 24—A 44-year career in radio broadcasting appears to be ending.

Dave Crooks, president of DLC Media Inc., has agreed to sell three of his six radio stations — WAXI-FM 104.9 in Rockville and WAKO-FM 103.1 and WAKO-AM 910 and FM Translator W257DW 99.3 in Lawrenceville, Ill. — to 3 Towers Broadcasting owned by Scott Huber and Johnny McCrory.

3 Towers already owns radio stations and digital newspapers in Greencastle, Shelbyville, Plymouth and Rochester. The application to transfer WAXI and WAKO was filed Friday with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

DLC Media also has a time brokerage agreement with Vincennes University Foundation commercial radio station WFML-FM 96.7. 3 Towers is interested in operating WFML under a similar arrangement.

Crooks also confirmed he is selling his three remaining stations — WVIG-FM 105.5 in West Terre Haute and his Brazil combo WFNB 92.7 and WAMB AM 1130, including FM translators W295CQ 106.9 and W258BA 99.5 — to JKO Media Inc. owned by Joey & Kelsey O'Rourke. JKO owns and operates 105.9 WMMC in Marshall, Ill., and will expand to a four-station Terre Haute Metro cluster.

In 2017, Crooks and his company opened a three-station studio/office building along Old National Road in downtown Brazil. JKO will lease the current Brazil radio center and has the first option to purchase it. The application to transfer WVIG, WAMB and WFNB is expected to be filed with the FCC as soon as both parties have reviewed and finalized documents.

Crooks began his radio career at the age of 16 in 1980 as a disc jockey at WNDI in Sullivan. He hosted a morning show and did play-by-play for athletic events as a senior in high school and through much of his 44-year career. Since 1993, he's worked at and owned various radio stations in Indiana and Illinois.

After serving several years on the board, Crooks was elected in 2016 as president of the Board of Directors for the Indiana Broadcasters Association.

Away from radio, he was an Indiana state representative for District 63 from 1996 through 2008. He's currently the Indiana Democratic Party's 8th District chairman.

"I am ready to slow down and knock more items off my bucket list," Crooks said in a news release. "It's been a great ride. I am confident I am leaving the stations, staff and the communities they serve in good hands."

The FCC will have the final say on the expected date of both transfers. Crooks estimated that he could be out the door as soon as May 1.