When flipping through television channels, most people don’t notice the station’s call letters listed at the beginning or end of a program.
Hammond resident Tony Diaz does, and his attention to detail has led him to a unique business venture.
“Under the call letters of WJYS television, I saw the name of Hammond, IN,” the local historian said. “That piqued my interest. I had to know more.”
He began his research, first finding that the television station was developed in the early 1990s as a shopping network.
Currently owned by Oxford Media Group in Chicago, the FCC broadcasting license is based in Hammond, but there was no physical presence in Hammond or any programming reflecting the city.
“What intrigued me was that Hammond people were not using this outlet that goes to more than 11 million viewers in two states,” Diaz added. “This prompted me to call the station and ask about leasing information.”
He signed a contract with Oxford Media for his new company, Turner House Media, and began to look for advertisers.
His time slot – Saturdays at midnight – sounds a little unusual, but makes perfect sense to the new business owner.
“It’s less expensive, and there are a lot of people still up at that time,” he said. “Shift workers, those already watching Saturday Night Live and others enjoying an evening out where they have access to a television. How cool would that be to see on TV the location where you’re hanging out with friends?”
The steelworker by day does have broadcast experience, as a former television producer/announcer for a local public access show (This Old Town) which ran from 1998 to 2004 and profiled Hammond and northwest Indiana. The Hammond Report show, The Hammond Tonight show, and historical videos were on the weekly agenda.
This time, Diaz plans to expand that type of show to include not only northwest Indiana, but also the greater Chicago area.
He’ll start out small with a 30-minute show.
But he expects to trade up to an hour-long show in the near future.
The large home Diaz purchased across the street from Harrison Park a few years ago fits into his new plans perfectly.
In fact, he named his new company Turner House Media, reflecting the name of Hammond’s first superintendent of parks, A. Murray Turner, who built the house for his family in 1920. The three-story structure also formerly housed a funeral home, YMCA and a real estate company.
As a historian, Diaz owns much memorabilia of northwest Indiana, especially Hammond. Some movies came from the old-fashioned film reels stored in his basement.
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On the first floor of his residence, Diaz has organized hundreds of historical items – records, posters and pictures, among the old items. Many are available for purchase, and many are utilized for his own decoration.
Over the years, he has produced many videos shown during presentations in the community, such as the history of the South Shore & South Bend Railroad. Diaz also converts reels of 8 mm film and 16 mm film stored in his basement to DVDs.
In addition to northwest Indiana, his inventory also contains items pertaining to the greater Chicago area; and the first WJYS program at the end of February is scheduled to include this.
For more information about the new television show, call 219-933-1123.
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.
About the program
The new television program will debut at midnight, Feb. 28. The 30-minute show will cover history of the greater Chicago area.
Subsequent shows will include two segments in the same time slot: This Old Town and What’s Right in The Region.
It can be found on local UHF channel 62, channel 13 on WOW cable and channel 31 on Comcast cable
Diaz’s show will continue airing weekly at midnight on Saturdays.