A business relationship that started in April of 1994 is changing on Friday, May 13th.
Long-time local broadcaster John Foster is retiring as White River Broadcasting’s Station Manager and Director of Programming.
However, for the vast majority of people who have grown comfortable hearing John weekday mornings on WCSI’s “All News in the Morning”, nothing will really change. You see, even while ”retiring,” John is still going to host the WCSI morning show, a job he’s held in Columbus for 22 years.
Foster was hired from Mansfield, Ohio as White River Broadcasting’s Director of Programming in 1994. Then, late in 2013, he was given the added responsibility of Station Manager for WCSI, WKKG, WWWY and WINN.
Bob Morrison, who was named the company’s Sales Manager in 2013, will succeed Foster as White River Broadcasting’s Station Manager.
Foster said of Morrison, “I’ve worked with Bob for 22+ years. He’s a friend and I have every confidence in him in this new role. Bob knows this company and community as well as anyone and he’ll be a steadying influence on the company.”
Dave Glass, President and Director of Broadcast for White River, said that Foster is “the consummate professional, and has long provided us a well-balanced and calming presence.”
“The transition between John and Bob has been a seamless process that has been underway for a few years now, and has involved the entire Columbus Team,” Glass said.
At the same time as Foster retires, long-time White River Broadcasting staffer Kevin Kelley becomes the Brand Manager for WCSI.
Foster said, “Kevin knows WCSI inside and out and he assumes this role with my full blessing.”
Foster said when he first discussed “retirement” with his wife, Geneva, he made it clear he would very much like to remain on-air at WCSI after relinquishing his administrative duties.
“She knows how much I love this business and being behind the microphone, so I’m excited to be able to focus on my on-air duties. I figured out recently that I’ve done more than 13,000 on-air interviews since coming to Columbus and I plan to do a few more in the coming years.”
Foster served in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1973. After being honorably discharged, John worked with WLKR radio in Norwalk, Ohio before being hired in 1974 by his hometown station WMAN in Mansfield, Ohio.
He held various positions, including Operations Manager and a number of on-air roles.
From 1981 to 1982 he helped with the start-up of a weekly newspaper, the Madison Tribune, where he sold advertising and wrote a weekly column, “Johnny-on-the-Spot.”
John is an active member of the Meridian Kiwanis Club, the Turning Point Board of Directors, a charter member of AmVets Post #509 as well as member of the Healthy Communities Council and the Lifecare
Advocacy group. Foster has been involved with various military veteran events, the March of Dimes and United Way and has served with the Emmaus and Chrysalis community. He is a 20+ gallon Red Cross blood donor.
He and his wife Geneva have been married since 1969 and their two daughters, Nikki and Stacey, have given them 5 grandchildren and they all live right here in Indiana.
“Neav and I will probably have a little more time to work on our home improvement projects and do a little more travelling but, for the most part, folks will still see us around town and hear about our exploits on 1010, WCSI,” said Foster.
“White River Broadcasting has been proud to call Columbus home since 1957,” Glass said. “We look forward to many more years to come.”