Fort Wayne’s Morning News host Kayla Blakeslee was tasked with finding the replacement for the show five years ago following the sudden death of the longtime WOWO legend Charlie Butcher due to a massive heart attack.
As the station’s program director, Blakeslee conducted a rigorous nationwide search and narrowed it down to a few qualified out-of-state candidates. However, her high standards left her unconvinced that any of the candidates were suitable. After discussing her concerns with her husband, Blakeslee realized that the most obvious candidate was herself. With her strong rapport with some of Indiana’s most prominent community members, including Congressmen and local politicians, she was well-equipped to promote herself as the station’s morning show host.
Blakeslee, although not originally from Indiana, has found a home there. Her passion for delivering local news resonates with the average listener/viewer. Despite being hired at age 30 and not fitting the typical audience for WOWO’s format, which is usually dominated by older, white male personalities, Blakeslee remains undaunted. Her love for her community and her dedication to presenting news and information has brought her great success.
In today’s era, where “fake news” is a common topic of discussion, Kayla Blakeslee takes her responsibilities seriously. She strives to be a thought-provoking on-air personality, challenging mainstream talking points and encouraging her audience to think for themselves. She prides herself on her ability to engage with her audience through various social media platforms, responding not only to direct messages but also to phone calls and emails from listeners. Ultimately, the people of Fort Wayne trust Kayla Blakeslee.
Blakeslee hosts two podcasts, Unholstered and News Mom, for parents. News Mom connects moms sharing successes and struggles, while Unholstered shares untold stories about law enforcement heroes.
During our discussion, Blakeslee shares her experience interviewing people for WOWO’s morning show role, how she tailors national stories for the local audience, and the impact of simulcasting Fort Wayne’s Morning News on News/Talk WOWO 92.3 FM 1190 AM.
Ryan Hedrick: Can you discuss when you replaced Charlie Butcher as the morning show host?
Kayla Blakeslee: This has been the biggest challenge of my career thus far. Charlie Butcher hosted the morning show for more than 16 years. He worked at Federated Media for over 30 years. He was formerly of Those Two Guys on WMEE. He transitioned from being a music jock to hosting our news/talk program on WOWO.
I was our program director at the time [of Butcher’s death] in August of 2018. I got the phone call from his son; I had just left work, I had just gotten home, and I learned that he had just suffered a heart attack that killed him instantly. It was awful. He was very much a father figure to me, one of my mentors. He taught me a lot of what I know now.
RH: In the period after his passing, what was the process for filling his role, and how did you decide on yourself?
KB: I think we had more than 100 applicants that applied for the job, and I really struggled filling it because I didn’t feel like anybody was going to be able to do it justice and do it like he did it. Nobody was going to care about it and care about the listeners [the way Charlie did]. There I was sitting one morning, and we’re getting into October at this point, and I was having coffee with my husband and sharing with him the struggles. I told him that I needed to relinquish myself from the search because my standards were too high.
My husband said to me, ‘What about you?’ I said ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Isn’t Charlie’s job your dream job?’ I said, ‘Yeah, someday.’ At the time, I was 30 [years old], I’m a female, and I wasn’t exactly our demographic. I figured I would have to move away, get some experience somewhere, live some life, maybe have a kid or two, and then maybe come back or do a morning show somewhere else. I never dreamed [this would happen] at 30.
My husband asked me to think about it, pray about it, and so that’s what I did. Long story short, I walked into the general manager at the time — his name was Jim Allgeier — I had written a letter and handed it to him in silence. I wasn’t going to be able to find the words. In this letter, I was essentially ‘applying for the job.’ He sat there and read it in front of me, which was awkward, and in it, I did relinquish myself from the hiring process since I was throwing my name in the hat. After reading the letter, he looks at me and says, ‘It’s about time.’
He said, ‘Kayla, we (upper management), thought all along that you were the right person for the job. We just needed you to come to that conclusion. What I didn’t know is that they (WOWO) had received letters from some of our politicians, some congressmen, senators, local politicians, and prominent members of the community, all suggesting my name for the role as well. He showed me some of those letters, and I was so moved. Fast forward to October 2018, and I took over the role of the morning show.
RH: As a hiring manager, what challenges did you face with the talent pool in the labor market when receiving applications for the morning show?
KB: The biggest challenge for me was the number of individuals applying for the job that were from out of state. That was hard for me to digest that, having someone who would understand the Indiana landscape, the media landscape here. However, there were some incredibly talented people from out of state that I had narrowed it down to.
I was really surprised by the number of individuals that don’t know how to write a resume or a cover letter. When you call them to ask them some follow-up questions like, ‘Why news/talk? In Fort Wayne, Indiana? Why radio?’ When they can’t answer their why, that was the biggest struggle that I had. People were not able to identify why they wanted the job. That’s why I was struggling so greatly in the midst of it to find someone to replace Charlie.
RH: What is it about Fort Wayne, Indiana, that makes it stand out as an exceptional and distinctive location to work in?
KB: We are a diverse community, and it’s beautiful. I’m not originally from here, I’m from a small town in Pennsylvania called Union City (population 2,934). I grew up in a predominantly white community. I went to college at Penn State, which was a culture shock in its own way, then I moved to Fort Wayne. Sometimes you think it might be your quintessential Midwest town, and to some degree, it is. However, it is so diverse here, it’s so eclectic. The culture, the art, the music. Just the entertainment scene here. We get so much exposure here because we are so close to Indianapolis, Columbus, Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland.
When I moved here, I was surprised, and I just loved it. I wanted to soak up as much as I could. That’s why I’ve never left. I moved here in 2011. Yes, I took a detour when I got married in 2015, but I came back to Fort Wayne, and my husband and I don’t plan on leaving. We truly love it that much; the people here are amazing. I feel like a true Hoosier, even though I wasn’t born here.
RH: Have you recently joined the social media app Threads since its launch?
KB: No, I’m not on Threads! (laughs). For me, it’s too new. Any new tech that comes out, whether it’s an app, an iPhone, a computer, a watch, or any kind of new tech, I’m never the kind of gal that has to have it.
Simply because usually, with new upgrades, and new apps, we always don’t know everything about them, and all the bugs and glitches haven’t been worked out. Threads comes out, and the first week, one hundred million people nationwide download this new app, and then we learn all the data collection that this app is doing that I’m sure all apps do. When it comes to the tech world, I cautiously wade into it.
RH: With so many important issues in the news cycle, it’s a great time to be on news/talk radio. How will you localize national issues for WOWO listeners, especially regarding the 2024 presidential election?
KB: The challenge with national news, in general, is the localization of it. Here in Indiana, we have the Mike Pence angle (former vice president and Indiana governor running for president). What I try to do with all national news, whether it’s a presidential race or some bill coming out of Congress, I always try to bring it back to how it will impact you. Immigration is a great topic.
For example, we all know where Donald Trump is on that. I took a trip to the border a couple of years ago, so I feel like I can bring that immigration conversation back here locally, how it impacts our schools, our community, and our transportation system.
I encourage people to think about the issues on a local level and, yes, to consider the people but the policies more, if that makes sense. I really try to break down those policies from a local perspective.
RH: How did Fort Wayne’s Morning News become syndicated on local TV for two hours? Does the radio show’s appearance on TV increase engagement?
KB: The engagement doesn’t change. I used to try and acknowledge the cameras when I first started in this role. The simulcast launched in 2016 or 2017. So, for a hand full of years, we’ve been doing it in collaboration with our TV partner, ABC 21, in Fort Wayne.
We broadcast on a sub-channel of theirs. I used to try and play it to the camera, ham it up a little bit, but then I thought my content was suffering doing that. First and foremost, what has to matter most is my radio content. So, do I look up and acknowledge the cameras now and then? Absolutely. But I don’t the way I used to, let’s put it that way.
It’s just another layer; it’s like diversifying that portfolio of how we share the show. It’s an exciting great element. We are going through construction right now of a new studio, and I am advocating for four more cameras. I want it to be larger than life. The sports talk guys are great at this [simulcasted radio shows].
It allows you this glimpse into this world of theirs and makes them more human and more relatable, and that’s what I love about it so much. I want them to see that I have tired days, just like they do. I want them to see that I am reaching for that third cup of coffee or I’m living my best life because I’m feeling fabulous today. Ultimately, I want them (listeners) to feel like they are a part of the show because they are, and the TV simulcast allows us to do that.
RH: Would you like to transition from radio to doing TV full-time?
KB: I went to school for broadcast journalism, wanted to work in sports, and thought I would do it as a sideline reporter for college sports. For a short period of time, I worked for the Big Ten Network while I was in college and realized really fast that TV was not where I wanted to be. I knew I wanted to share and tell people’s stories, that was always the dream, and I happened to find radio; I happened to find WOWO right at this moment.
Then, I got into radio, and I loved it! I loved that nobody was formulating a script for me, it’s very different than TV, and I didn’t have to look perfect every single day. With TV and how unauthentic I thought it was, I came to the radio and thought, ‘This is real,’ I can be who I am. I’ve had numerous TV offers since I’ve been here [at WOWO], I flirted with a couple of them, but I go back to those college days and realize how great I have it here.
