Wyatt Thompson, Voice of the Kansas State Wildcats
Wyatt has been in the broadcasting industry for over 40 years. Wyatt’s first opportunity to do play-by-play was on the student station at Colby Community College. Wyatt’s plan upon completing community college was to attend K-State.
In 1976, he was working part-time for Kay Melia’s radio and television stations in Goodland, Kansas. Later, he was offered a full-time position at the Goodland stations. During this time, Wyatt learned production, news, sports, for both radio and television. Wyatt describes those years as the “best 3 years of my professional life from the standpoint of learning the business." During the next 10 years Wyatt made radio stops in Goodland, Abilene, Great Bend, and Arkansas City. Those years provided him the opportunity to hone his broadcast skills while doing play-by-play for community colleges and high schools.
From 1985 until 1989 Thompson worked for KAYS radio and television in Hays, Kansas. He was the play-by-play voice for Ft. Hays State. In 1989, Thompsons career took him to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he had his first Division 1 opportunity covering The Colorado State Rams. He initially started as the color analyst and eventually did play-by-play for five seasons. The Colorado Broadcasters Association recognized Wyatt for the best-play-by-play in 2000. Wyatt had also been a sports reporter in Denver on Clear Channels KOA. He hosted Countdown to Kickoff for the Denver Broncos as well as the “Zone Sports Insiders” show on KOA.
In 2002, K-State announced Wyatt Thompson would be the new voice for K-State Athletics. In addition to play-by-play responsibilities for football, basketball, and selected K-State baseball games, he is the host for football and basketball coaches show on the K-State Radio Network. Additionally, Wyatt hosts weekly television shows for football and basketball throughout the state. Wyatt dedicates lots of time to his K-State community by appearing for gatherings, mentoring, appearances, and interviews. Wyatt enters his 21st year with his on-air partner Stan Weber for the 2022-23 sports season.
Wyatt has received numerous broadcast awards during his career, including the KAB’s best play-by-play in 1982, the Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster of the Year in 1989 and the Hod Humiston Award for Sports Broadcasting in 2011. Since arriving at K-State, he has been recognized as the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year award six times. Wyatt is a role model for aspiring young broadcasters and has participated in numerous KAB events from the annual KAB convention as a panelist to KAB sponsored seminars. He is admired and respected by his colleagues within the broadcast industry and coaches throughout the country.
Don Free, Retired Engineer for the Kansas City Royals
Don Free is a Topeka resident and has spent over 50 years in broadcasting. He joined the Air Force in 1964 and in 1967 while stationed at Forbes Air Base in Topeka, started working part time at WIBW-TV. Following his discharge from the Air Force, he went full-time as their cameraman and directing news. Four years later, Don moved into engineering, which was his ambition leaving high school. He began helping on TV remotes to broadcast an array of sporting events, including the Kansas City Royals.
In 1985, Don had the opportunity to engineer 15 radio games for the Royals Radio Network, the year they won the World Series. The next season, he was hired full time with the Royals and started his 32-year-long dream job. Don retired from the Royals following the 2017 season. Without Don’s expertise, patience, and engineering ingenuity, those memorable play-by-play calls from Denny, Fred, Ryan, Bob and Steve would never have been heard. During his remarkable career, Don and his family lived in Topeka, meaning he drove to the Royals' stadium 81 times a year and to his other "office" at a ballpark somewhere around the country 81 more times.
Despite being retired, Don continues to engineer some radio games for visiting teams at Kauffman Stadium and works with the Kansas State Football Radio Network as an engineer.
Don was inducted into the Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018 and received the Bob Fidler Award designated for a media member who helped promote the sport.
He’s been married to Sandy 42 years, and they have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Oliver
Jack Oliver, KEYN Program Director and Show Host
Since 1969, Jack has worked at numerous Wichita radio stations including KLEO (1969) (only a few overnights), then on to KGNO in Dodge City and then Back to Wichita at KAKE (1973-1979), and KKRD (1980-2004). Since 2004, Jack has been program director at KEYN (Audacy, Inc.). Previously, he was heard daily from 12-7 p.m. However, following the death of Don Hall in April of 2020, Jack moved from afternoons to host the KEYN morning show. Jack advises young radio broadcasters to “find a city that likes you and stay for a while.”
Early in his broadcast career, Jack received a first-class radio telephone operator’s license through the FCC. In addition to this, he developed extraordinary skills as a top radio programmer, on-air talent, and production voice. Jack never worked with wax cylinders, but he has certainly watched the broadcasting industry grow from its days of analog mono, tape and vinyl to its evolution into stereo and digital, and at age 72, he has adapted well and today still enjoys practicing his craft.
Jack is from Wynnewood, Oklahoma. He’s a 1968 graduate of South High School in Wichita and earned a master’s degree in Business Communications from Wichita State University. Jack is very active in Wichita’s Native American Community and served on the board of directors of the All-American Indian Center for ten years. From 1994- 1996, he was a board member of the Wichita Zoning Commission and from 1996-1998 was a board member of the Wichita Traffic Commission. Jack has also helped to raise millions of dollars for local charities.
In addition, Jack has been a sought-after speaker on numerous panels at radio-TV conventions such as the NAB, Radio &; Records, The Gavin Report, and The Conclave. He also received a prestigious nomination for air talent and program director of the year from Billboard Magazine, Radio & Records and Hitmakers Magazine.