J Chapman grew up in the broadcasting industry. His father, Jerry Chapman, led Indianapolis WFBM Radio and TV (now WRTV-TV) for three decades and J got an early start in the media business when assigned by his father to mow the grass at the Indianapolis station’s northside transmitter site.
After graduating from Hanover College in 1983, J worked as on-air talent in Indiana at stations in Indianapolis, South Bend, and Madison. He also worked at stations in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Covington, Kentucky. J was part of a team that launched Indianapolis Fox TV affiliate WPDS-TV (now WXIN-TV) in 1984 as a Photographer and Sports Anchor. In the late 1980s, J decided to go into broadcast sales and joined Emmis Communications. He started out as a sales representative for WENS-FM radio and soon became sales manager before becoming General Sales Manager for WTLC-AM/FM. From 2001 to 2005 he was Director of Sales for Emmis’ Indianapolis Radio Group, where he worked for 17 years.
In June 2013 he became owner and President of Woof Boom Radio (affectionately named for his father’s employer, WFBM) with six stations throughout eastern Indiana serving the communities of Muncie, Anderson, Hartford City, Daleville, Yorktown, Alexandria, Pendleton, New Castle, and Marion. He soon added more stations in Lafayette and a five-station cluster in Lima and Delphos, Ohio. J also served as the Board Chairman of the Indiana Broadcasters Association.