In April 2022, Casey Daniels was named as co-host of the midday show Kendall & Casey, alongside Rob Kendall, on 93.1 WIBC in Indianapolis.
At the time, Daniels was a news/talk radio newbie, never really working in the format before. But now? The station is one of the top-rated brands in the format, and a recent rally showcased its power on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse.
On St. Patrick’s Day, Daniels, along with her co-host Kendall and afternoon co-host Jason Hammer, led a rally against property taxes at the state capitol.
Daniels admitted that Kendall was one of the driving forces behind the rally that saw more than 1,000 attendees protesting property tax laws in the Hoosier State, but said it showcased the power of radio, 93.1 WIBC, and her midday show.
“We were sitting in the production studio one day and Rob just said ‘Hey, I think we’re gonna have a rally,’ and I said ‘Ok. Great.’ And he said ‘We’re kicking around some dates in March’ and I said we should really do it on St. Patrick’s Day and we can have everybody wear green to kind of symbolize that we want our money back. He thought that was a great idea,” said Daniels, who joined 93.1 WIBC after previously working in music radio and in local television at a variety of stations in Indiana and Michigan.
“Of course, we have the support of the lieutenant governor’s office and they filled out all of the paperwork to make it happen. We just started hitting it on the air telling our listeners ‘Hey, this is the deal’ and they showed up in full force.”
“It was absolutely amazing,” she added. “I kinda got a little choked up when I saw how many people showed up, but that’s just how we view our success of the Kendall & Casey show. It’s not Rob and I, it’s our listeners. We just have the platform, but they are the reason that we are successful. Without our listeners in our audience, there is no Kendall & Casey. So it’s kind of a symbiotic relationship. We become their voice and we do it together.”
Casey Daniels shared that in the three years since joining 93.1 WIBC, she’s earned the trust of not only the trust of her co-host in Rob Kendall, but also station management and the audience.
“When Rob and I first started working together, I think I had to prove myself and gain trust with him, but also the audience,” said Daniels. “It’s been an evolution of being able to keep up with him and I have knowledge on the information, but I believe we’re to the point now that we’re even beyond coworkers. I consider him a friend but also somewhat of a mentor because I’ve learned so much from him over the past three years.
“I always say the best seat is the one that I have right across from him in the studio for three hours a day. But it’s kind of one of the situations where you can go into it in an assigned role where it can evolve over time. I think that’s something that David Wood and Matt Hibbeln — our bosses — have allowed me to do in the position is to have my place evolve over the past three years working with Rob.”
Daniels admitted having the faith and trust of those at the station has meant everything to her, and having the freedom to expand her presence on the show has meant all the difference in her success since joining the station.
After having such a long history in local television and music radio, being an opinionated talk radio host took some adjusting for Daniels.
“It’s a big change from what I used to do,” said Daniels. “I was in media for so long and it was don’t give your opinion because I wanted as many people through the doors as possible and you don’t wanna try to offend anybody if they have an opposite opinion. And at this position, it’s trying to sway them to your side to come along and work together to make change.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
