As we get closer to February 15th, the exact date of KCOW’s 70th anniversary, we’ll be sharing photos of important moments in the station’s history.  KCOW was originated by a group of Alliance businessmen–the Sandhills Broadcasting Corporation by name.  In 1966, KLOE Inc., based out of Hays, Kansas purchased the station from the local investors.  This photo captures the historic moment the agreement was made, a handshake deal over lunch at the Drake Hotel.

At the time of this photo, Bob Schmidt  held a management role at KLOE Inc.  Bob eventually purchased the company outright, and in 1998 he began the process of selling the company back to its employees.  The company (now known as Eagle Communications) is owned 100% by its employees, who receive stock certificates each year as a long-term retirement plan.

Bob Schmidt passed away in 2017, but his generosity to Eagle employee-owners will never be forgotten.

 

This interview with Alliance’s own Ross Boyer was conducted by former KCOW News Director Kevin Horn in 1999 on the occasion of the radio station’s 50th anniversary.  Boyer, who passed away in 2005, discusses (among other things) Hans Jaggers, one of the local businessmen instrumental in KCOW’s creation.

This week’s photo dates from 1989.  On the top left is Kevin Horn, who at this time was the KCOW morning show host.  In 1999 Kevin would transition into the role of News Director for KCOW and 105.9 Double Q Country.  Kevin left radio at the end of 2014 to take over the position of Clerk of the District Court for Box Butte County.

Sitting in the chair is good ol’ Gles–Mike Glesinger, that is–then as now Sports Director, Operations Manager and host of KCOW’s “Open Mic” program.  Mike has been a vital part of KCOW’s success for over three decades!

Standing top right is Murray McGee, who served as KCOW News Director from 1988 to 1990.  Murray is currently the Economic Development Director and Chamber of Commerce Director of the city of Moundridge, Kansas.

There is a page on Facebook called “You Know You Grew Up In Alliance, NE If…”  Their members have been sharing and discussing our 70th anniversary posts, and out of this discussion came a fun story from former Alliance resident Sandy O’Brien.  She was nice enough to call us from her home in Grand Island to chat about an embarrassing moment that happened on KCOW in 1963:

Our thanks to Sandy for taking the time to share her story.  And this note of consolation: Anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes on live radio, professional or otherwise, has their blooper story to tell: A microphone that wasn’t supposed to be on, fumbling for the script, etc etc etc.

Thanks again to the “You Know You Grew Up In Alliance, NE If” Facebook page for leading us to this interview!

 

Greetings KCOW 70 tab readers!  Wenty here.

As the curator/writer/doer of things for our online anniversary celebration, I have an enormous archive of material from which to generate our thrice-weekly posts.

So why I am sharing a Patty’s Zesto commercial from 2001?   Well, because it features Pat Adriance, who participated in all kinds of radio shenanigans with me during his three years here.  We made lots of silly commercials together, just as Kroheim von Adheim and I do these days.

But this does have a local history connection!  Honest!  For who would have known back in 2001, when Patty’s Zesto was owned and operated by Patty Heitz, that someday Zesto would be open 12 months a year with an indoor dining room?  It happened after the Heitzs retired and sold the business.  Now, even in the dead of winter, Alliance residents can enjoy Kiss-A-Floats and other treats.

 

Now, enjoy this silly commercial from 2001:

And join us tomorrow when we share an interview with a former Alliance resident who remembers a less-than-auspicious appearance on KCOW in 1963!

 

This week, we’ve got two photos from previous KCOW/Double Q Country Home Show events.  The Home Show has been, with very few exceptions, an annual station event since the late 1980s.  This year’s Home Show has already been scheduled for Saturday March 30th at Alliance High School and, as always, will be held in conjunction with the Box Butte County Health Fair.  If your business is interested in connecting with Home Show visitors, call our office at (308)762-1400.

Our first photo features John Jones (l), who for decades was a central figure in the Home Show, keeping clients happy and making sure everything went as smoothly as possible.  Next to John is Dennis Klinker, an account executive at KCOW for many years.  Behind them is an array of radio equipment on display for guests.  For many of its years in the Alliance high gym, KCOW’s booth was located in the balcony.  Later KCOW moved to the stage (rumors that this was done to keep the aging staff from multiple walks up and down the stairs are pretty much on the nose).

This next still is actually two photos in one: The top image shows Dennis, former Office Manager Misty Graham and Mike Glesinger in the KCOW booth; the second image features the late Doug Abbott (l), KCOW daytime announcer, and former Chadron News Director John Axtell.

 

In 1979, to celebrate KCOW’s 30th anniversary, interviews were conducted with several figures from the station’s past.  One of these past employees, Skip Stephenson, had made it big by ’79 as one of the hosts of NBC’s “Real People”, an early reality show that featured human interest stories.

The interviewer asked Skip to share a memory of Alliance, and Skip remembered a very familiar tale to anyone who grew up in Alliance:

We will be airing the full 9-minute interview with Skip Stephenson, who passed away in 1992, Monday morning January 21 on KCOW as part of our first in a monthly series of “flashback days”.  The January Flashback Day is sponsored by G and L Auto Detailing in Alliance.

This week’s photo features Jim Shull, who served as News Director for KCOW from 1990 to 1995.  Before our completely new studios were built in 2013, the newsroom was connected to the main KCOW on-air studio by a large window.

This photo gives us a look at pre-digital radio technology; in the upper left corner is a rack of “carts”, magnetic tape cartridges that slightly resemble 8-track tapes.  Each cart contained audio such as commercials, jingles, and program features.  Behind Jim is a “3-deck” playback machine that allowed multiple carts to be used back-to-back.

Carts (along with cassettes and reel-to-reel tape) were used at KCOW into the early 2000s.  Digital workstations replaced them all.

Earlier this week we welcomed Tim Garwood and Gretchen Garwood to our Alliance studios for a conversation about former KCOW General Manager Mike Garwood.  That conversation will air in its entirety on KCOW later this year as part of our monthly series of 70th anniversary interviews.  But at the very end of the conversation, Gretchen shared a memory of KCOW’s earliest days.