Indianapolis, IN
Retro Indy: Indianapolis lawyer’s campaign against ‘Bob & Tom’
You can’t get to millions of fans without making a few enemies.
And that was certainly true for the hosts of “The Bob & Tom Show,” an Indianapolis WFBQ’s talk radio program that’s now nationally syndicated. Longtime listeners celebrated more than 40 years of laughs in the wake of former host Bob Kevoian’s death from stomach cancer April 17 at age 75.
But in the early years of the show, not everyone was a fan of the signature suggestive humor of Kevoian and cohost Tom Griswold.
Two years after the 1983 premiere of “Bob & Tom,” an outspoken conservative lawyer launched a campaign to tone down the show.
According to IndyStar archives, Indianapolis lawyer John Price waged a five-year war against the duo and their contribution to Indianapolis’ “dirty radio” problem. Price took offense to Kevoian and Griswold’s raunchy humor, which often manifested itself in off-color skits and banter between the hosts and guests.
Through his Decency in Broadcasting watchdog group, Price outlined a three-pronged plan of attack in a Sept. 10, 1985 IndyStar article, which would culminate in publishing the show’s list of advertisers and calling for a boycott. Kevoian and Griswold fired back in an interview with IndyStar on Oct. 15, 1985, maintaining that they had a “right to make people laugh.”
“What’s more important than making people laugh?” Kevoian said in the interview. “Should we teach them to blow each other’s heads off?”
Phase Three of Decency in Broadcasting’s plan materialized in an ad in the Oct. 20, 1985 Star imploring readers to stop supporting sponsors of “The Bob & Tom Show.” The ad featured a question-and-answer section arguing why the show wasn’t fit for air and a coupon-style cutout that allowed readers to send away for a list of sponsors to avoid (and donate to cover the cost of postage).
“Bob and Tom regularly and persistently focus on masturbation, human waste, comparative sizes of male and female body parts, sodomy, adultery and other sacrilegious material,” Price’s ad read. “Bob and Tom are both talented, but their ‘humor’ is totally inappropriate for our community.”
Days after the ad ran, 18 sponsors pulled their advertisements from the show. A petition to defend the show’s right to free speech quickly followed and garnered more than 500 signatures from fans of the show.
Price’s gripe with Kevoian and Griswold wasn’t just a matter of taste, he argued: The show, Price said, broke the law. He pointed to Miller v. California, a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled obscene material isn’t protected under the First Amendment’s free speech provisions. In addition, he argued, the federal Communications Act prohibited stations from broadcasting “obscene, indecent or profane material” on public airwaves.
Price had more to gain than just the moral high ground in the crusade. He was gearing up for an Indiana Senate run.
Decency in Broadcasting’s first official complaint filed in 1985 failed, but another attempt in 1987 led to the FCC launching an obscenity probe into WFBQ. Five years after Price’s first barbs at “Bob & Tom,” the lawyer gained a victory: The FCC levied a $10,000 fine against the show in 1990, finding four of its broadcasts had violated obscenity law.
But Kevoian and Griswold struck the final blow, and it was a low one. On May 8, 1990 — primary Election Day — Griswold and around 200 “Bob & Tom” listeners rallied outside Price’s campaign headquarters in Carmel and chanted Nazi slogans. Kevoian and Griswold also read material on-air calling Price “Yankee Doodle Hitler.”
Price lost the Republican primary for District 29 in the Indiana Senate to incumbent Sen. William Soards. A 1998 U.S. Senate campaign and a 2000 gubernatorial run were also unsuccessful, according to Price’s 2017 obituary.
Price filed a defamation lawsuit against Kevoian and Griswold for the demonstration incident that was ultimately struck down, according to an August 1991 IndyStar story. Kevoian and Griswold were suspended for two days after the Election Day incident, and they invited Price to appear on “Bob & Tom” after the fact, but Price declined — too little, too late, he said.
Contact IndyStar Pop Culture Reporter Heather Bushman @hbushman@indystar.com. Follow her on X @hmb_1013.
Indianapolis, IN
NFL Trade Rumor: Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers emerge as top landing spots for $4M Cleveland Browns’ QB
The Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has found his name regularly among trade speculations as the team reportedly received calls from rivals about him. Though the Cleveland Browns are seemingly not looking to trade him soon, the Indianapolis Colts and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have emerged as potential landing spots.
Which teams are interested in Shedeur Sanders?
Over the last three weeks, as ESPN insiders confirmed that the Cleveland Browns have been speaking to team about Shedeur Sanders, the New York Jets, the Indianapolis Colts and the Tampa Bay Buccanners have been linked to him.
What are insiders saying about the rumors?
Recently, NFL insider Michael Moraitis of the Big Lead noted in a recent report, “The Cardinals figured to go into the 2026 season with Jacoby Brissett as their starter, but the veteran is holding out and now his future is uncertain. General manager Monti Ossenfort is on the hot seat and cannot afford to turn the ball over to Gardner Minshew, and there’s no telling when Carson Beck will be ready. Sanders is no sure thing, but he at least offers the upside Minshew doesn’t, and the starting experience Beck doesn’t have.” NFL insider Michael Moraitis of the Big Lead added, “The Bucs and Baker Mayfield are in a contract standoff, and while the veteran is not going to hold out, he will be a free agent in 2027 if nothing changes. If Mayfield isn’t re-signed, the Bucs would be in the market for a new starting quarterback without any semblance of a potential long-term solution on the roster behind Mayfield.”
Contract details and salary cap implications
The rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is currently on a 4-year, $4.647 million rookie contract with the team.For the team that trades for him, Shedeur Sanders would have a $1.005 million base salary in 2026.As per reports, trading Shedeur Sanders would instantly clear $781,310 in immediate 2026 cap space for the Cleveland Browns as the team takes a $335,535 dead cap hit from his accelerated signing bonus.
How will the trade affect the teams?
For the Indianapolis Colts, trading for Shedeur Sanders remains very affordable as he could be a $1.005 million insurance policy to push or backup Anthony Richardson.For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, trading for Shedeur Sanders makes him a low cost backup quarterback ready to become the starter if Baker Mayfield leaves.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says a shooting investigation was underway after a 16-year-old boy was found shot on Indy’s north side Wednesday morning.
Online police reports show the call for a person shot came in in the 900 block of East 64th Street around 7:23 a.m. That’s in the Meridian-Kessler area, just west of the Monon Trail.
When officers arrived, they found the teen suffering a gunshot wound.
IMPD says he was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Officials also noted the teen has been “uncooperative” with investigators at the scene.
It was unclear if there were any suspects or what may have led up to the shooting.
This is a developing story.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Residents of Indianapolis’s near north side have a chance to help shape the future of their neighborhood.
Crossroads AME Church is hosting two community listening sessions to gather input on revitalizing the 32nd Street and Capitol Avenue corridor in the Crown Hill neighborhood.
The first session is 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Community Action of Greater Indianapolis, 3266 N. Meridian St. A second session is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at the same location.
“We as a congregation do not want to undertake that initiative without getting input from the community,” said Reverend Jerry E. Davis III of Crossroads AME Church.
The corridor, located two blocks west of the Children’s Museum, has long been identified as an area in need of resources. Davis said the church’s research and conversations with community leaders have already surfaced concerns about access to food and pharmacy services. The area has been described by some as both a food desert and a pharmacy desert — a situation that worsened when a CVS near 38th Street and Illinois Street was replaced by a car wash.
“There is one less resource where perhaps within walking distance we can get the pharmaceutical needs that we have satisfied,” Davis said.
The July 14 session is designed as an open forum, with no limits placed on what residents can raise. Davis said the church wants to hear ideas that go beyond what research has already uncovered.
“We want to hear even beyond the numbers,” he said.
The July 30 session will give attendees a chance to return and prioritize the ideas and needs shared at the first gathering. Davis called the two sessions a “both and” opportunity, encouraging residents to attend both.
Both sessions offer in-person and virtual participation options. A free dinner will be provided at both in-person gatherings.
For more information, contact Crossroads AME Church.
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