Obama has returned several times, prompting The New York Times to refer to the region as "an administration touchstone for the crisis he inherited and for his plans to surmount it." Elkhart is where much of the nation's recreational vehicles are produced and is home to other manufacturing outfits. Many of the companies are operating below capacity or have ceased operation altogether. "We kind of became the poster child for economic hard times," concedes Sally Brown, president and general manager of WSBT. Nielsen's annual market ranking, released in August, brought more glum news. South Bend-Elkhart went from 336,220 television homes in the 2010-2011 TV season to 322,090 for 2011-2012-dropping from No. 93 to No. 97, one of the most precipitous slides among the Top 100 markets. Just two years ago, it was No. 89.
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