KWTO CELEBRATES ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY ON CHRISTMAS DAY
Springfield, MO. – On Monday, December 25th, 1933 KWTO AM 560 powered up and aired its’ first broadcast to the Ozarks out of the old Chamber of Commerce building on St Louis Street in Springfield, Missouri. Five locations and several format changes later, KWTO remains the oldest privately owned radio station in the Springfield market.
Founded by radio broadcast pioneer Ralph Foster, for the past 75 years KWTO (call letters signify Keep Watching the Ozarks) has provided Springfield and the Ozarks region with quality services both on and off the air.
Foster decided early on that KWTO would provide the highest quality news, weather, farm reports and entertainment to its’ listeners. With that goal in mind he began amassing what became an amazing group of broadcasters and entertainers.
The 30’s introduced KWTO listeners to on-air personalities Floyd Sullivan, Bill Bailey, and C. C. Williford who was widely known as one of the nations best weatherman and whose Hooper Ratings, (the forerunner of Arbitron), were said to be higher than any network program. It was during those years that entertainers such as Slim Wilson, George Earl and Bill Ring set the stage for what would become “The Golden Age” of entertainment on KWTO AM.
Beginning in the 40’s and continuing into the 60’s, Foster and associate Si Simon used KWTO as a launching pad to develop programming, musicians and singers. Short :15 minute entertainment features were the genesis of shows such as KWTO’S Korn’s-A-Krackin’ a weekly “hillbilly variety” program which was aired nationwide through the Mutual Broadcast System. Then in July 1954, KWTO wrote itself into broadcasting history with the first airing of the Ozark Country Jubilee, which would later become the nationally televised Ozarks Jubilee. Most of the artists on The Ozarks Jubilee were also entertainers on KWTO. From the 30’s through the 50’s KWTO’s staff musicians included Slim Wilson, Chet Atkins, Red Foley, Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Porter Waggoner, Les Paul, The Haden Family, The Goodwill Family, Brenda Lee and the list goes on and on.
Others who have spent time at KWTO include;
- Charles McCord from the nationally syndicated Don Imus show whose grandmother, May Kennedy
McCord, was also a KWTO broadcaster during the 40’s and 50’s
- Jim Bohannon of the nationally syndicated Jim Bohannon Show
- Les Garland, creator of MTV
- and, although Paul Harvey did not originate his program from KWTO as a close friend of Ralph Foster
and a property owner in the Ozarks there were many days when Paul Harvey News was broadcast to
the nation live from the KWTO studios.
KWTO’s former employee list also includes many local notables such as;
- Richard Struckoff, Greene County Clerk
- Mike Peters, President of the St Johns Foundation
- Dan Waddlington, Public Information Officer for Congressman Roy Blunt
- Brent Dunn,Vice President for University Advancement/ Missouri State University
- Tom Dye retired weatherman KY3
- Ron Davis News Director KSPR 33
- Billy Long of Billy Long Auctions
KWTO has been such a vital part of the Ozarks that it almost became part of the family. It’s where the Ozarks learned on a cold December morning in 1941 of the horror of Pearl Harbor and on a warm August afternoon in 1945 of the surrender of the Imperial Forces of the Emporer of Japan. They mourned the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and cheered the election of one of Missouri’s own, President Harry S. Truman. They joined around the radio to listen with bated breath to The Adventures of the Lone Ranger and listened intently with gasps of indrawn breath as the details of 9/11 unfolded before us. KWTO has always provided the information and programming important to our listenership.
During the 75 years of KWTO’s service to the Ozarks there have been a host of community events. Regardless of who it was, the station’s management has always placed an emphasis on community involvement. The events encompass everything from helping neighbors in times of need by working hand-in-hand with charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army to making sure that all children could experience the fun of the Ozark Empire Fair by sponsoring “free ride day.” Of course many still remember the KWTO Christmas Parties held at the Shrine Mosque. Crowds were reportedly so large many had to be turned away.
To commemorate this rich history KWTO will host a week-long celebration. Beginning Monday, December 22 through Friday December 26th Morningline (6A-10A) will host many of the KWTO former on-air personalities and alumni including Jim Bohannon, Rosie Simon, Don Dailey, Fred Lynn, Charlie Haden, Brenda Lee and a host of others. You will hear excerpts of voices no longer with us such as C.C. Williford, Bill Ring, May Kennedy McCord, Ralph Foster and John DeCleu. Then on Saturday, December 27th the station will host an open house from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Guests can experience KWTO through the decades in studios set up to re-create the different era’s of the station and look at the memorabilia that has been loaned to the station for this occasion.
KWTO AM 560 is proud to have seen and been involved in the rich history of the Ozarks for the past 75 years and we intend to Keep Watching The Ozarks!