FCC denies WBAA listener’s protest, OKs Purdue’s transfer of 100-year-old station to WFYI

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Sara Wollan was among the WBAA listeners who protested Purdue’s plans to transfer the station to the parent company of WFYI. (Photo: Dave Bangert)

A YEAR IN THE WORKS, WBAA TRANSFER APPROVED

The transfer of WBAA, Purdue’s station for the past 100 years, from the university to the parent company of Indianapolis’ WFYI was approved Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission, according to a letter issued by the FCC.

The letter authorizes Purdue and Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media to complete the proposed transaction immediately.

The FCC also knocked down a “petition to deny” from a West Lafayette listener, whose petition slowed the transfer that had been in the works since summer 2021 and initially was scheduled to be done by October 2021.

Tim Doty, a Purdue spokesman, said Purdue received the letter Tuesday. He said the university planned to release details about the transfer of WBAA-AM and WBAA-FM in the coming days. Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media officials, when contacted Tuesday, deferred to Purdue to make an announcement.

Roberta Schonemann, though, was disappointed.