DAN DEMING
Former General Manager KWBW
Special to Hutch Post
Many people know about the classic children's book "The Little Engine That Could" but what about the "little station" that not only could but still can? Not many things born ninety years ago this month are still alive and kicking. A notable exception is a uniquely thriving Hutchinson AM radio station, KWBW.
Once housed in what is now the Reno County Museum and originally known as KWBG, then in a historic local library building at 5th and Main, followed by a long stint in the once suburbs of 17th and Harding and now in at 9th and Main, KWBW has become a local institution playing primarily to middle age and older adults. An FM component was added in 2013 to expand night-time coverage.
It is highly unusual for a low power radio station to survive nine decades of broadcasting and society ups and downs. Especially in recent decades many stations have sold, disappeared and changed formats.
Although it didn't start with a news/talk and sports format KWBW was a Kansas talk pioneer. It has become one of the communities strongest voices for local events and programs, sports and linked up with an on-line news service, Hutch Post, owned and operated by its' parent, Eagle Media out of Hays, Kansas.
The result has been a sizeable number of local listeners who depend on the station for community information, a chance to voice their own telephone comments weekly, high school and community college sports, local personalities that have become engrained in loyal listeners for generations and linking up with popular national programing such as Clay Travis and Buck Sexton (successors to Rush Limbaugh); conservative Glen Beck and longtime coverage of Kansas City Royals baseball.
KWBW has maintained its success through several innovative practices. These include home-spun, so-called ad-lib commercials by station personalities and remote broadcasts where announcers visit advertisers' businesses to deliver live reports. The station was also one of the first to invite clients in to record their own commercials. Additionally, a long-running show called Party Line allows people to advertise their buy-and-sell items for free over the phone. Together, these strategies have helped KWBW overcome competition and challenges that have caused other stations to go bankrupt or fade away.
Success of the station turning ninety this year and its' ability to grow and proper while others, especially AM stations, have failed may be primarily attributed to four people.
The late Fred Conger bought into the station and moved from Topeka more than a half century ago. Conger was willing to experiment with BW Radios' first talk program called Coffee and Conversation. It was only 15 minutes, originating live from the downtown Baker Hotel, now Plaza Towers apartments, and it featured Conger talking about Hutchinson and with its' interesting people. Conger went on to pioneer Party Line, a daily trade and sale program made famous by Wilma "Perky" Perks. For more than a quarter-century she enticed a huge audience both with sale items and appeals for listeners to help local organizations and needy people.
Conger also launched a sister FM station, KHUT and later ownership further expanded with KHMY-FM.
Without Congers' willingness to move toward a talk format when most stations were only playing music KWBW might not have made it through broadcast turbulence of the 60's and 70's. He also had the courage to be among the few, initially, to add Rush Limbaugh to BW programing. It became the nations' most popular daily radio show and Conger resisted local efforts from opponents to shut it down.
Another key part of the stations' success was Conger turning over ownership in 1989 to a group called Eagle Communications, headed by Hays radio and television owner Bob Schmidt and his principal operating lieutenant Gary Shorman. Schmidt and Shorman brought in needed new ideas, increased capital and challenged the station to embrace change.
Worn out equipment was replaced, and a future vision was established. As Schmidt readied for retirement, he put all his stations and cable operations into an employee-owned environment known as ESOP. When cable assets were sold employee stockholders were handsomely rewarded, a huge benefit for long-term workers.
The move in 2007 to a closed but strategically located savings and loan office at 9th and Main put KWBW its sister stations back in the heart of Hutchinson, greatly enhancing visibility and taking the stations out of crowded, uninviting facilities. But without the leadership and vision of Conger, Perks, Schmidt and Sharman much, perhaps very little, of what the "little station that could" has accomplished would been possible.
Program director, Rob Dreher reminds listeners there will be a come and go celebration luncheon Monday, June 2nd at our 9th and Main Studios from 11 until 1 pm.
(LINK) ‘Click here to learn more about KWBW’s 90th Birthday Celebration’
In conjunction with KWBW celebrating its 90th anniversary, Roy's Hickory Pit BBQ is celebrating their 65th anniversary in 2025 and we will be serving Roy's barbecue along with chips and cookies. We will serve until the food runs out.