Indiana Broadcast History Archive

Rick Notter spent nearly 20 years in journalism. A native of Southern Indiana, he hadn’t originally planned to pursue a career in broadcasting. That changed after a college classmate interviewed him for a broadcast assignment. 

Notter began his journalism career in Evansville, Indiana, writing, producing, and anchoring weekend newscasts for two local TV stations from 1980 to 1991. During this time, he earned recognition for photojournalism and reporting, and he hosted a recurring medical segment titled HealthWatch. In August 1991, Notter co-founded Inside Indiana, a sports magazine focused primarily on IU football and basketball. 

The magazine became a notable success, growing to over 21,000 subscribers. After eight years, Notter sold Inside Indiana and stepped away from journalism. Though he now works in the insurance industry, he fondly recalls the fast-paced, high-stakes nature of live news. 

Quincy Coffield interviewed Rick Notter for the IBHA Oral History Collection in 2024.

Early Life and College  

Rick Notter was born in Indianapolis and later moved to Evansville after his father graduated from IU Dental School. Growing up, he enjoyed watching TV news and listening to radio broadcasts. Though his high school, Reitz Memorial, didn’t have a broadcasting program, he took a journalism class and remembers engaging in debates on press freedom and the role of the Fourth Estate. 

At the University of Southern Indiana, Notter initially enrolled as an accounting major. A turning point came when a friend interviewed him for a class project. He thought it sounded interesting, prompting him to switch his major to communications. One of his professors, Dr. Ken Creech, encouraged him to apply to a local station. During his senior year, Notter landed a job at the CBS affiliate WEHT-TV. 

WEHT-TV and WFIE-TV in Evansville

Notter began working at WEHT-TV in 1980 as an ENG (Electronic News Gathering) Editor, assembling tapes and writing news scripts. He juggled the position with his college classes, describing the experience as a “full-time job and full-time school.” After graduation, he became a reporter and eventually anchor for the morning newscast. When the station launched a noon broadcast, Notter became its first anchor. 

In 1983, he moved to WFIE-TV, the NBC affiliate, where he continued reporting, producing, and anchoring weekend newscasts. WFIE-TV's weekend news was the highest-rated in the market. Notter also hosted call-in medical shows and produced a recurring segment, HealthWatch, covering topics like cancer treatments, gynecology, and heart disease. WFIE-TV was recognized by the Midwest Radio and Television News Directors Association for its coverage of tornado outbreaks in 1989 and 1990. One of Notter’s most memorable broadcasts was when he had to ad-lib the entire report on a Petersburg tornado as they got the information minute by minute. A similar segment is linked below, where Notter reports on a tornado that decimated Allendale, IL. 

Inside Indiana 

While at WFIE-TV, Notter met Alan McDonald, a University of North Carolina graduate who shared an idea: At UNC, a magazine devoted to Tar Heel sports. Indiana University had nothing like it. Notter and McDonald pitched the concept to IU Athletic Director Clarence Doninger. All they requested were media credentials and equal access. 

 A January 1995, issue of Inside Indiana. The cover shows former IU Forward, Andrae Patterson blocking a shot. 

Inside Indiana was launched in August 1991. By October, both men had quit their broadcasting jobs to run the magazine full time. Notter served as general manager and president. With a staff of just three, they covered games from Evansville to Bloomington, often returning in the early morning hours and preparing the publication for weekly distribution. From a modest subscriber base, Inside Indiana grew to over 21,000 subscribers in all 50 states and 20 countries. It also became one of the first college sports magazines to launch a subscriber website. 

One of his most memorable moments from his time at Inside Indiana was covering the controversy surrounding Bob Knight. In 1997, during the fallout from the Bobby Knight–Neil Reed incident, Notter was interviewed by Sports Illustrated on fan reactions. He conducted a poll of his 15,000 subscribers; though only 10% responded, over 62% supported Knight’s actions, while one-third felt it was time for him to step down. These findings led to Notter’s only appearance on ESPN. 

Leaving The Field/ Brief Forays 

After two decades in journalism, Notter sold Inside Indiana in 1999 to Landmark Communications (owners of 24/7 Sports) for $1.8 million. Landmark continued publishing the magazine until it ceased operations in 2018. 

Notter briefly entered the finance world with a stock market newsletter called Trouncing the Dow, named after the Kenneth Lee book. Despite negotiating exclusive rights and seeing early traction, the project eventually folded. He officially stepped away from journalism and moved into the insurance industry, where he now serves as Vice President of the Individual Business Unit at BlueCross BlueShield. 

Since leaving journalism, Notter has published two books: The Hoosier Handbook: Stories, Stats, and Stuff About Indiana Basketball and Sound Advice: Music’s Effect on Life, Health, and Happiness. 

Rick Notter has donated his video archive to the Indiana Broadcast History Archive.

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Written by Quincy Coffield, edited by Katherine Maners

April 2026

Bibliography 

Callahan, Gerry. “Knight Errant.” SI.Com, Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com, 12 May 1997, vault.si.com/vault/1997/05/12/knight-errant-after-several-years-of-feeble-finishes-and-now-a-public-squabble-between-coach-and-player-even-indiana-basketball-fans-are-asking-has-bob-knight-lost-it.  

Editors, Biography.com. “Dan Rather - Age, Career & Wife.” Dan Rather Biography, Biography.com, 2 Apr. 2014, www.biography.com/movies-tv/dan-rather.  

Michigan, BlueCross BlueShield. “Rick Notter.” MI Blues Perspectives, www.mibluedaily.com/authors/rick-notter. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.  

Notter, Rick. “Indiana University.” Newswatch: Allendale Tornado, NBC WFIE-TV Evansville, 7 Jan. 1989, ibha.indiana.edu/item/m613nw54h/.  

Notter, Rick. “Rick Notter - Vice President, Individual Business Unit - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan | Linkedin.” LinkedIN, LinkedIN, www.linkedin.com/in/ricknotter/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.  

Notter, Rick. “Rick Notter on WFIE-TV Morning News with Dan Katz.” YouTube, WFIE-TV, 27 Nov. 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoCBdJRBIS0.