Business of the Year

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 94 4. .9 9 W WD DK KB B

Shawn Lowe knew he always wanted to be on the radio. “I grew up listening to music a lot, with my mom playing music on our big console stereo with a radio and record player,” he said. “She would always play music, especially when cleaning the house, and I think it sometimes drove my dad crazy. I remember running home from school to listen to Larry Lujack’s ‘Animal Stories.’ I knew radio was what I wanted to do.” Lowe is the brand manager, program director and morning show host of 94.9 WDKB radio station based in DeKalb. Lowe has been with the radio station since Mid-West Family Broadcasting took over in December 2018. During the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce’s annual Celebration Dinner on Feb. 4, the Chamber named 94.9 WDKB the 2021 Business of the Year. As he was accepting the award, Lowe told the audience, “We’re just getting started. We’re not going to slow down.” WDKB was recognized for what supporters said was its hands-on approach to helping local businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic offering free marketing and business webinars and live on-air interviews. The radio station also honors community members that are making DeKalb County a better place with its weekly Hometown Hero Award, offers 260 spots for guest DJs throughout the year, holds the Feed the Need Food Drive to help feed people and pets and a fundraiser .1K race. Matt Hall, afternoon host of 94.9 WDKB, describes his job as “the coolest job in the world.” “I get to jam out to good music all day and have fun,” Hall said. “But it’s also so much more than music, it’s about making a difference in the community while on the air.” The radio’s station’s office is located at 2201 N. First St. in DeKalb. A part of Mid-West Family Broadcasting, which has radio stations throughout the Midwest, including locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and Iowa, WDKB has a close-knit team of four. It’s a 3-kilowatt radio station, with boundaries to St. Charles and Batavia to the east, Rockford to the north, Oregon and Byron to the west and Mendota to the south. Lowe said that people can listen live anywhere in the world through the mobile app or on the website. “People listen all over the state, and we have people that listen in Minnesota, Arizona and Florida and many other states,” Lowe said. “There are also a lot of people in the suburbs and the Ottawa School District.” Described as “Northern Illinois’ Hit Music Station,” WDKB plays music from the 90s to now, with 80s and 90s flashback weekends. “WDKB is similar to what B95 used to be, with a fresher, newer sound to it,” Lowe said. “We also have a hyper-local focus on what’s happening in DeKalb and the surrounding areas. … Talking to people and knowing what’s going on in our own backyard is what sets us apart from others.” The radio station is known for their Hometown Heroes Award, which is awarded weekly. People can be nominated on WDKB’s website. “It’s a way to recognize people doing good things in the community: shoveling the driveways of senior citizens, farmers, teachers, first responders, World War II vets, kids, adults, anyone,” Lowe said. “We are more than just a radio station, we are a digital media company,” Lowe said. “Coming out of the pandemic, we’d love to host more live events. We’d love to help promote and put on concerts.” Lowe said he loves being able to go grocery shopping, go to a gas station or stop in a business that’s playing the radio station. “It’s always great when you’re at a stoplight with the windows down and you hear the radio station, or you’re in a store and it’s on,” he said. “I think more and more businesses are picking us up and putting local radio on throughout the day.” Peyton Adams, midday host and content creator, said what she loves about her job is connecting with people. “People always tell me that they heard that story I told,” she said. “It’s nice to connect with people about things you said in passing, but they were listening.” Adams said that she can see that her job makes a difference. “We care about the content that’s on the air, we talk and plan and take pride in what we do,” she said. “I guess I am the core demographic, but I’m not a mom, I have cats. I always think to myself, ‘What would I want to hear driving down the road or doing some shopping?’ I think we’re relatable. If it’s something I’d want to know and hear, I share it.” Afternoon host Matt Hall said that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes, even though you only hear a few seconds of talking in between songs. “It’s a 24/7 job,” Hall said. “It’s not just punching a clock. We’re engrained in the community. We are at local events, we share local news and happenings. Winning the Chamber’s Business of the Year award shows that we’re on the right track.”

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