Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1950)

KMBC has made good on its prophetic advertising of years ago: "In the years to come, KMBC will continue to improve its technical facilities, expand its program services, and deliver even more effective results for advertisers in this rich Middle Western Market." Space does not permit the listing of all the early accomplishments of KMBC during the last two decades, but following are a few of the highlights : 1. During the 1930's KMBC, with 51% urban and 49% rural coverage, discharged its two-fold responsibilities by pioneering in broadcasting of farm informational sei-vices, home service programs, "school house" programs, children's activities, news, sports, public events programs and entertainment features. 2. KMBC became Kansas City's most-listened-to station, both in its m_etropolitan area (see Hooper & Conlan Kansas City Surveys) and throughout its rural coverage area (see Conlan Rural Surveys) in both Missouri and Kansas. 3. KMBC was the first regional station to win the Variety Showmanship Award for "Program Originating Station." 4. In 1943, under the direction of America's foremost radio farm service expert, Phil Evans, KMBC established one of the first livestock farms in service to farm audiences. Ken Parsons, and marketcaster Bob Riley, round out the fulltime Farm department. 5. During the war years, KMBC received numerous citations for outstanding contributions in behalf of the war effort. It was the first station in America to appoint a full-time War Activities director. 6. In June, 1945, KMBC was the first broadcaster in this part of the world to conduct an Educational Conference, dedicated to a fuller utilization of educational radio programs. Among the highlights of this conference were the nation-wide and international network broadcasts of the "Horizons Unlimited" and "TransAtlantic Call" programs. 7. December 7, 1947, Governor Carlson of Kansas threw a switch that put KFRM, the Kansas Farm Station, on the air. With the KMBC-KFRM Team, Arthur Church's dream of effectively covering the vast Kansas City trade area became an actuality, doubling the number of farmers who could take advantage of KMBC's great farm service programs. KFRM, with 5,000 watts on 550 kilocycles, became the first station ever licensed to operate with its transmitter a great distance (170 airline miles) from its home base. 8. On New Year's Day, 1948, Arthur B. Church announced a great new radio and television center for Kansas City, the future home of KMBC, The KMBC-KFRM Team, and KMBC-TV. His prediction that Kansas City would have television before the year 1948 ended did not materialize, although a new TV studio and new TV mobile unit were ready for operation in the spring of 1948, and KMBC paid for Blues 1948 baseball season telecasting rights. The application for KMBC-TV was caught in the FCC freeze. 9. As this ad is written, KMBC has announced plans for a 1,000-foot television tower with high gain antenna for maximum TV service to the people of the Kansas City trade area, and KMBC is preparing for occupancy January 1, 1951, the first great television center in the Heart of America. The half-block square, six-floor building will house all KMBC radio and television operations, with modern studios and an auditorium which will seat over 2,700 people. Arthur B. Church, Jr., son of the founder of KMBC, returned from the Navy, graduated from Amherst, and has begun his broadcasting indoctrination at WBBM. In 1950, Kansas City's Centennial Year, The KMBCKFRM Team is confidently looking to the future and new horizons, as it continues to dedicate itself to service in the public interest. 1 1 Iowa / 1 0 \ 1 \ r 1 3 \ d V ° ^ Nebraska V,/^ Kansas ! **•>. t -• ♦Kansas j Oty / Missouri \^ Oklahoma Texas ^ ArK. The Kansas City Primary Trade area is shown by the shaded area, and KMBC and KFRM 0.5 MV/M daytime contours are indicated by solid black lines. I BROADCASTING • Telecasting October 16, 1950 • Page 109