Don Burton
remains a hometown legend in Muncie. He started WLBC in 1926 using a flat wire antenna and initially operating out of his father’s home. In the early 1930’s WLBC became one of the first Indiana radio stations to broadcast basketball games. For the first year Burton called the “re-constructed” play-by-play from the station studio, getting his game information by phone from a reporter at the gym. The following year he could afford the phone company’s $500 charge for a loop and he broadcast direct from the game. Burton did everything. He owned the station, was chief engineer, and sportscaster…roles he played for many years.
Burton added WLBC-TV in 1953 as a primary affiliate of CBS. He sold the TV station in 1971 and the license passed to Ball State University and became a PBS affiliate.
