wcoe

Name

wcoe

Legal name

Spoon River Media, LLC

Website

https://967theeagle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

Keywords

• Local radio broadcasting
• Country music radio
• Radio advertising sales
• Community news coverage
• Classified advertising listings

Headquarters

HQ city

La Porte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Local businesses purchase airtime for advertisements during programming. Primary revenue stream from local advertising across multiple shows and time slots.
2. Classified Listings - Garage Sales: Fee-based Tradio listings for garage sales, yard sales, and estate sales in La Porte County. Prices range from $20 for 1 day to $30 for 4-5 days of airtime.
3. Weekend Entertainment Guide: Non-profit event advertising at $80 for 20 airings across 96.7 The Eagle and Rock 106.5, targeting nonprofit organizations
4. Obituary Services: Free online obituary posting with optional $35 radio reading during Vital Statistics segment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WCOE operates two local FM/AM radio stations from La Porte, Indiana: 96.7 The Eagle (WCOE-FM, country music) and Rock 106.5 (WLOI-FM, classic rock). The company broadcasts local news, weather, sports, and community information to listeners across La Porte County, Michigan City, and Northwest Indiana, while primarily generating revenue by selling advertising airtime, sponsorships, and digital ad inventory on HometownNewsNow.com to local businesses and community organizations.

Product overview

WCOE (96.7 The Eagle) is a radio station operated by Spoon River Media LLC, offering a dual-station platform consisting of 96.7 The Eagle (WCOE-FM), a country music and local news station, and Rock 106.5 (WLOI-FM), a classic rock station. The stations provide local news, weather, sports, and community information to La Porte County, Indiana. Programming includes morning shows (Morning Mayhem), talk programs (SOUND OFF), classified advertising (Tradio), and specialized weekend content. The digital presence includes HometownNewsNow.com, a comprehensive local news website, and multiple podcasts. Community features include Pet Patrol (lost pets), Anniversary Club, Birthday Announcements, Obituaries, and Garage Sales listings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rock 106.5: FM rock music radio station operating on 106.5 FM frequency, serving La Porte County with classic and contemporary rock music programming.

Products and services

• 96.7 The Eagle (WCOE-FM) A 3,000-watt country music FM radio station broadcasting on 96.7 MHz from La Porte, Indiana, broadcasting local news, weather, sports, and country music programming to listeners across La Porte County, Michigan City, and Northwest Indiana, supported by advertising sales to local businesses.
• Rock 106.5 (WLOI-FM) A classic rock AM/FM radio station broadcasting on 106.5 FM (WLOI-FM) and 102.7 FM (WLOI), serving the same Northwest Indiana coverage area with classic rock music and local content.
• HometownNewsNow.com A digital news and information website providing local La Porte County and Northwest Indiana news, weather, obituaries, and event coverage, serving as a digital advertising channel and extension of the radio stations.
• Morning Mayhem Show A weekday morning country music and entertainment show hosted by General Manager Dennis Siddall, featuring guest interviews with local businesses, news banter, and event promotion.
• Tradio Classified Advertising A live on-air classified advertising show where individuals and businesses pay to have items, garage sale notices, and miscellaneous listings read live on the radio, generating listener call-in revenue.
• Weekend Entertainment Guide A weekly on-air and online guide highlighting entertainment options at local bars, restaurants, and venues, sponsored by local businesses advertising their weekend events.
• Garage Sale Listings A paid classified advertising service where individuals pay to have garage sale announcements broadcast on-air and posted online for listeners across the coverage area.
• Obituary Posting Service A paid obituary posting service where families pay $35 to have an obituary read on-air (during specific weekday shows) and posted on HometownNewsNow.com for community announcements.
• Anniversary Club A community recognition program where listeners and businesses sponsor anniversary announcements aired on the radio stations for celebrating couples.
• SOUND OFF Talk Show A live weekday listener call-in talk show where community members phone in to share opinions on current events and local topics.
• The Political Podcast A podcast featuring local political commentary and interviews with community and regional political figures, distributed through the station's podcast network.
• Weekend in the Country Countdown A weekly country music countdown show counting down the week's top country hits, with listener voting and sponsored segments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 61 years of continuous broadcasting service to La Porte County
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Thode Floral & GiftsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Donates $20 gift cards weekly to winning couple in the Anniversary Club contest. Station promotes partner business during on-air prize announcements.
• Domino's of Northwest IndianaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides gift certificates for birthday contest winners. Domino's pizza prizes create listener engagement and brand visibility for local franchise.
• Valvoline Instant Oil Change (La Porte)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors 'Stump The Mayor' contest by providing Full Service Oil Change as prize for listeners who successfully stump the mayor with history questions.
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission)coreOthersLicensing and regulatory oversight body. Station operates under FCC licenses for WCOE-FM and WLOI-AM/FM with required public file compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Townsquare Media: Operator of a large portfolio of small- and mid-market local radio stations across the U.S., with a focus on hyper-local content and digital advertising on cluster websites. Highly comparable business model — local radio + local news/digital — across small geographies similar to La Porte County.
• Saga Communications: Owns and operates small- and mid-market FM, AM, and rock-format radio stations across the U.S., often clustered with local digital properties. Closely analogous: cluster of regional stations, similar formats (country/rock), local news emphasis, and family/private ownership profile.
• Connoisseur Media: Private operator of small-market radio stations across multiple U.S. states. Comparable local radio cluster strategy, local content orientation, and SMB advertiser focus.
• Alpha Media: U.S. radio broadcasting company operating hundreds of stations in small and mid-sized markets with multi-format clusters and digital/marketing services for local advertisers. Directly comparable in customer base (local SMBs), format mix, and cluster strategy.
• Adams Radio Group: Privately held operator of small- and mid-market radio stations across the U.S. with cluster-based strategy. Closely matches WCOE's size, family/operator ownership profile, and focus on non-metro geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Salem Communications: U.S. radio broadcaster with portfolio of news/talk and Christian formats plus digital media properties. Adjacent comparable: AM/FM cluster operator selling to local/national advertisers, but with distinct format and audience focus.
• iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. radio broadcaster with stations across every market size, plus iHeartRadio digital platform and podcast network. Competes in the same advertising budgets but at massive scale and with national digital capabilities beyond WCOE's local footprint.
• Emmis Communications: Diversified media operator with radio stations, regional publishing, and digital properties. Comparable multi-platform local media strategy, though Emmis is larger and more geographically concentrated in Indianapolis/Indiana markets.
• Cumulus Media: Major U.S. radio operator with broad portfolio spanning large and small markets, also running Westwood One network. Overlaps with WCOE on commercial AM/FM broadcast advertising sales and digital audio monetization.

Regional players

• Lee Enterprises: Local news and advertising operator with daily newspapers plus digital marketing services in Midwestern and U.S. markets. Comparable as a local-content + local-advertising platform serving SMBs in small markets, particularly Indiana/Iowa/Illinois where Lee and Spoon River overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wcoetheeagle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about wcoe