The Local Broadcast Comedy Test: A Music Station, and the Market's Lines Are South Bend's

Row 5 · Broadcast origination

Lead: The test asks whether any sketch show or children's-television clown line originated in New Carlisle, and the answer is no on both halves. The town's one station is WUBU (102.3 FM), licensed to New Carlisle, owned by Sound Management and broadcasting an urban adult contemporary format as "The New Mix 102.3" aimed at the South Bend market — a music station, first aired July 2, 1991 on this frequency, holding the WUBU calls only since December 17, 2023 after the frequency's WYET years. No comedy programming, sketch or children's, originates from it in its record. The market's famous local comedy line is real and is South Bend's whole: Beyond Our Control, the youth-produced sketch-comedy series made by WJA-TV under Junior Achievement and aired on WNDU-TV, South Bend, for 19 seasons from 1968 to 1986 — 247 episodes, some 350 Michiana high-school students across its run, named the nation's best locally produced variety show by the National Association of Television Program Executives in February 1974. Its production location, station and sponsor are all South Bend and Notre Dame; Michiana students could audition within a wide radius, but origination is the test, and origination is South Bend. No clown line, no sketch line, no children's-comedy line originates in New Carlisle in the record searched.

Sources:

1. WUBU (FM) station record: 102.3 MHz, licensed to New Carlisle, Indiana; urban adult contemporary format, "The New Mix 102.3"; Sound Management / Artistic Media Partners; first air date July 2, 1991; WUBU calls from December 17, 2023.
2. Beyond Our Control record: WNDU-TV, South Bend; production location South Bend, Indiana; 1968–1986, 247 episodes, 350+ student participants; NATPE award, February 1974.