Shane and John Imler are living out their dreams. These Bedford natives - John graduated from Bedford High School in 1984; Shane followed in 1988 - have taken their lifelong love of radio and turned it into a business as co-owners of New Millennium Communications Inc., running WZSK and WSKE radio stations in Everett. Growing up, the boys worked in radio stations as both engineers and announcers. Their father, John Imler, erected towers in the area and introduced them to long-time local radio personality Sherwood Holly, who became a mentor for both brothers. “Radio was fun. There were lots of things to do and at that time it was spontaneous - no where near as structured as it is now,” John said. After high school John earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communications - radio and television production and journalism, eventually teaching at Penn State University. Shane took a side trip - attending Allegany College of Maryland for criminal justice - but soon returned to his first love, radio, working as an announcer and engineer and a disc jockey at events throughout the region.

Three years ago Shane learned that the Everett stations were on the market, and invited his brother to return to the county as a partner. By that time, John had tired of the impersonal nature of modern radio - with programming coming over computer and satellite from a network - and was managing a seafood business in Cape Cod. “I saw this as a way to get radio back to its roots and take it back to the personal, local radio of the past. We’re trying to bring back the fun in radio” John said.
The brothers are “jacks of all trades” - overseeing engineering, maintenance, sales, scheduling, announcing - coming into the office through flash floods or blizzards to keep the stations on the air. Despite long hours, they’re enjoying being their owns bosses and making their own decisions - even when they’re tough ones. “We have lots of improvements built into the long-term goals for the business,” Shane said. “We’re making changes as the bottom line permits; localizing the programming as much as possible, but it’s going to take time.”

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