MISSOURI'S BROADCASTERSSERVING EVERY LOCAL COMMUNITY
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Together, four radio stations, a four-state broadcast area and a four-day radiothon are a powerful combination, which is why KSYN-FM, KJMK-FM, KXDG-FM and KIXQ-FM in Joplin, Mo., use it every year for the "Miracles on 32nd Street Radiothon." The fundraiser benefits children in the area needing medical services through the Children’s Miracle Network. Hosted by station personalities, the broadcast lasts for 32 hours and involves $69,000 of donated airtime among the four stations. The radio group’s ability to tell the story of local children and families who have benefited from Children’s Miracle Network earned them a Foresters Award for best radiothon montage. Of the more than $85,000 raised by the effort in 2007, every penny stayed locally to provide medical supplies, from wheelchair ramps to hearing aid sets, for families who couldn’t otherwise afford them.
For 30 years, KMJM-FM in St. Louis, Mo., has produced its "Sunday Morning Live" public affairs show to provide community members a venue to discuss concerns, perspectives and views. In-studio guests include community organizations, political experts and professionals, and topics focus on issues directly affecting the listening audience. In 2007, the St. Louis Public Schools lost their accreditation, making the state of education a principal issue. Board of education officials, including the current superintendent, former superintendent, school board president, local teachers’ union president and a newly state-elected advisory board, were interviewed on the show, giving listeners the opportunity to call in and ask questions. Racial tension in the St. Louis City Fire Department also was a top issue for the year, prompting the show to host the fire chief, city operations manager and mayor as guests. In addition, the station formed a panel to discuss the state of black America and what residents could do to stop hate crimes. KMJM was a National Association of Broadcasters’ Crystal Award Finalist in 2008.
Many would agree that a woman’s work is never done, so to celebrate all the hardworking women in its community, KREZ-FM in Cape Girardeau, Mo., asks listeners to nominate those that go above and beyond in their every day lives. On Friday mornings, station personality Tim Bayless announces the “Working Woman of the Week.” This on-air recognition includes a reading of the nomination letter and a sound bite capturing the woman’s reaction to the news, which is delivered through a surprise visit from the KREZ crew, complete with roses. The “Working Woman of the Week” also gets her photo and story posted on the station’s Web site. The station recently honored Debbie Wicks. In a nomination letter, her daughter, Alexis, wrote, “My mother is an amazing woman. She owned her own business for 14 years and always had time to give our family a home cooked meal and get us up for school. She is Super Woman in my eyes.” The segment not only pays tribute to those, like Wicks, who are doing great things, but also helps inspire others to follow in the footsteps of the women profiled.
When a storm hit the area, leaving inches of ice on power lines and 300,000 people without power for days and even weeks,KTTS-FM in Springfield, Mo., was on the air throughout the ordeal. With listeners phoning in tips, the station was able to tell listeners where to get lanterns, batteries, emergency shelter, free food, candles, firewood, propane and gas cans, as well as hotline numbers for emergency management units and electric companies. When the station began hearing of a kerosene shortage and price-gouging, KTTS partnered with locally owned Preston Oil to send a tanker filled with kerosene on the road to areas hardest hit by the storm. Carloads of listeners went to the "kerosene caravan" for help. In addition to sending staff to the caravan stops, the news team tirelessly worked to get information from area utility companies and emergency management teams, while station engineers struggled to keep ice off the radio towers. The on-air personalities answered hundreds of phone calls and worked by flashlight and candlelight. The lifeline provided by the station is best articulated by its listeners. "Our twin babies and other four children huddled with us around the fireplace while we listed to your awesome up-to-date broadcasting about this storm," the Sawyer family wrote in a letter to the station. "KTTS kept us going … you, the on-air broadcasters, have brought listening to the radio down to an even more personal level. Thank you so much for everything you do every day as you continue to impact lives through the radio waves."
A world record was set on Science Day 2007 when 1,000 grade school kids from four states joined KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and sent 974 Mentos fountains up into the air at exactly the same time. Bringing kids together to experience the hands-on experiment, which involved a chemical reaction between soda and Mentos, was the brainchild of a KFVS meteorologist who wanted to get kids excited about science, as was the idea to dedicate a specific day to the celebration of science. To generate enthusiasm about both, the station ran on-air and online announcements inviting children, parents and teachers to participate. When the Mentos fountains shot up into the air, some as high as 30 feet, KFVS broadcast it live on the 5 p.m. news. Before the event, kids were asked to nominate their favorite science educator. The three winning teachers were announced and follow-up coverage included footage of the teachers with their students in the classroom. Many surrounding communities adopted October 3 as Science Day, leading to a proposal by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO-08) for Science Day to be officially adopted throughout the country.
For the last decade, KMOV-TV in St. Louis, Mo., has worked in partnership with Forest Park Forever to restore one of the country’s oldest and largest urban parks. The station first educated its viewers about the issues facing Forest Park in 1998, with the first of three prime-time specials in support of the Forest Park Forever capital campaign. Since then, with KMOV’s continued media sponsorship, thousands of new members have joined Forest Park Forever and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised to maintain this outdoor treasure for the 12 million people who visit it each year. The most recent special, "The Hidden Treasures of Forest Park," aired in 2007 and broke all records for dollars raised and new members secured. In addition to these specials, the station has broadcast hundreds of public service announcements, including spots featuring news anchors recounting their favorite Forest Park memories; implemented an online donation feature; and lent its production staff for the creation of a video presentation for Forest Park Forever. Airtime has been given to additional park campaigns, such as the "Pennies in the Park" effort which encourages children to give. "We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm demonstrated by everyone at KMOV," said Interim Executive Director of Forest Park Forever Lucie Springmeyer. "It is critical that the people of our region understand the value of Forest Park and its ongoing need for support. Television is a powerful means of spreading our message." In all, KMOV has donated $900,000 worth of airtime.
When millions of toys were recalled in 2007, KYTV-TV in Springfield, Mo., took steps to help parents decipher which items in their children’s toy box were safe. Weeks of special segments from consumer reporter Cara Restelli alerted parents to the issues and results of a station investigation found many toys not included on the government recall list tested positive for lead. In partnership with the Students in Free Enterprise organizations from Missouri State University and Ozarks Technical Community College, the station organized a free lead-testing event at the studio. A 30-second public service announcement invited viewers to bring up to five toys. Restelli reported live from the event, where more than 300 toys were tested and four percent turned up positive for lead. A database of toy makes and models was collected to further safety efforts. Parents and grandparents who came to the lead-testing event said they would sleep sound knowing the results.
A major supporter of our troops, KSJQ-FM in Savannah, Mo., implemented a "Letters From Home" campaign, encouraging listeners to send Christmas cards with calling cards inside to Missouri troops who could not be home for the holidays. KSJQ aired 259 promotional announcements, inspiring participation from several schools and children. As a result, nearly 2,000 cards made their way to those from the area stationed overseas. The station organized another campaign, "Operation Build a Nation," in response to reports from members of a field artillery battery from St. Joseph, Mo., that a school in Afghanistan near where the soldiers lived and worked had 4,000 students but no school supplies. After nearly 500 promotional announcements and a nine-hour radiothon, KSJQ and its listeners filled a 5-ton Army truck with school supplies to benefit the children. KSJQ was a National Association of Broadcasters Crystal Award Finalist in 2008.
For more examples of how Missouri’s local radio and TV broadcasters are serving every local community, please contact the Missouri Broadcasters Association .