1110 AM, Lincoln (Omaha)

Through the Years

• 1924

  December 4, 1924-  Sign on.  Announcer:  Gayle Grubb aka Gloomy Gus.

  Studio & towers:  13th & Q., Lincoln, NE.   Buick Dealership building.  Owner:  Buick Auto Company, Harold Sidles, President.  H .C. Harvey, Engineer.

  Legend has it the KFAB call letters meant “Keep Following A Buick”.

• 1925

  July, 1925-  Moved to 880 kHz at 500 watts of power.
  September, 1925- Power increase to 1,000 watts.

  November, 1925-Begins educational programming courses from the University of Nebraska campus.  Studios set up in the Agriculture College Building and Memorial Stadium.

  December, 1925- First  year anniversary program, awards Buick sedan for best slogan, “Home Sweet Home Station”.

• 1926

  October, 1926- Transmitter site moved from Buick Building to 17th & Holdrege.  First separation of transmitter and studios in the region.

  November, 1926-  Begins covering Nebraska Football games.

• 1927

  June 15, 1927- Moved to 970 kHz, with 2,000 watts.

  December 1, 1927-  Moved to 940 kHz, 5,000 watts daytime (most powerful in Nebraska), 2,000 watts nights.  Shares time with KOIL, Council Bluffs.

• 1928

  November, 1928- Moved to 770 kHz, shares time with WBBM Chicago, requiring silent period during prime evening hours.

• 1929

  June 1, 1929- Joins American Broadcasting Company (short-lived Seattle network).  ABC network goes silent, bankrupt weeks later on August 22.

  September 1, 1929- Joins NBC Blue Network.

• 1930

  June, 1930- Restructuring:  from Nebraska Buick to KFAB Broadcasting, subsidiary of Union Holding Company.

• 1931

  Picks up CBS after NBC Blue network goes to KOIL, Council Bluffs, IA.

  Opens Omaha studios on the 11th floor of the Omaha National Bank Building, 17th & Farnam.

  Union Holding buys KFOR, Lincoln to join KFAB, forming the state’s first duopoly.

  Studios/Offices moved from Buick Building to Cornhusker Hotel, 13th & M, Lincoln.

• 1932

  State Supreme Court rules that the station is liable for comments made by a political candidate in 1928 though such censorship is federally outlawed.

• 1933

  March, 1933- Approval to construct Synchronous operating system with WBBM, Chicago.

• 1934

  May 1, 1934- Night time synchronized programming with WBBM, Chicago.

• 1935

  August, 1935-  Central States Broadcasting is formed to operate the duopoly, headed by KFAB’s Dietrich Dirks.

  November, 1935- KOIL, Council Bluffs, is purchased by Central States Broadcasting after leasing it for one year.

  Studios/Offices moved to the Lincoln Hotel, 9th & P, joining those of sister station KFOR.

  Power is increased to 10,000 watts.

• 1936

  KOIL’s John Henry replaces Dietrich Dirks to head up Central States Broadcasting.

  Station adds the market’s first mobile news unit, a panel truck equipped with shortwave link to the studio.

  Slim Everhart, the “Singing Cowboy from Texas,” joins the talent roster for an 11-year run.

• 1938

  Don Searle, founder of KOIL, Council Bluffs in 1925, replaces John Henry as head of Central States Broadcasting.

  Singer and guitarist Texas Mary ( Mary Marsich) is added to talent roster.  Stay with KFAB for 46 years.

   

• 1939

  KFAB is the originating station for a Father Flanagan tribute airing on CBS.  Boys Town Choir performs.

  Sister station KOIL, now in Omaha,  picks up CBS which is already on KFAB, promoted as “For City Listeners” while KFAB is “For Nebraska and Her Neighbors.”

  Lyell Bremser takes over Nebraska Football on game days.  Stays with it for 46 years.

• 1941

  KFAB and WBBM, Chicago is moved to 780 kHz as part of the 1941 NARBA frequency shifts.  Night time synchronization remains intact.

• 1944

  Duopolies are outlawed.  KOIL, Omaha and KFOR, Lincoln are sold off.  KFAB Broadcasting Company remains in Lincoln with an eye on moving to Omaha.

  Studios/Offices moved to Sharp Building, 206 South 13th, Lincoln.  Omaha studios are moved to the 4th floor of the Farnam Building, 1613 Farnam.

  October 10, 1944- Frequency is moved to 1110 kHz with a power increase to 10,000 watts.  Original announcer Gayle Grubb returns for an on -air ceremony.

• 1945

  FCC authorizes move to 50,000 watts and community of license change to Omaha.

  Hugh Feltis becomes general manager for Central States Broadcasting.

• 1946

  Cowboy group Eddie Sosby and the Radio Rangers are added to the talent roster for the morning show.

  December, 1946-  The new Sarpy County transmitter site, 60th & Capehart Road, lights up with 50-thousand watts of power.  Still non-directional, must drop to 10-thousand watts sat night to protect WBT, Charlotte, NC.

  Gaylord Avery, at WOW since the mid-1930’s, joins KFAB.  He later goes to Storz Broadcasting, then to CBS, New York.

• 1947

  March 31, 1947- Directional 50-thousand watt operation is authorized full time after weeks of testing the three-tower array.

  KFAB FM 97.9, signs on from the Sharp Building in Lincoln.  It is silenced the following year.

• 1948

  Johnny Carson, while attending the University of Nebraska, is hired as a writer for Eddie Sosby and the Radio Rangers at $10 per week.

• 1950

  Lyell Bremser is promoted to Program Director.

  Thompson Holtz comes over from WOW, hosts various including a mid-morning show for housewives.

  Remote studio/office set up at 1710 Howard Street for guest appearances.

• 1951

  KFAB begins 24-hour programming schedule, the first in the market to do so.  Harvey Packard is the first overnight host, but soon overnights are automated and say that way for years to come.

• 1952

  Newsman Walt Kavanaugh comes over from KOWH as morning newsman for the next 40 years.

• 1954

  Four employees gain control of station in a stock purchases:  Lyell Bremser, Harold Soderlund, Harry Burke, and William McDonald.

• 1955

  Station swaps networks with WOW due to latter’s WOW-TV agreement with CBS.  KFAB gets NBC.

• 1956

  Lyell Bremser becomes General Manager, brings in Ken Headrick from Fremont as Program Director.

  “Big Change: campaign in the face of KOWH music competition focuses on news and information with personality.

• 1957

  Studios/Offices move from the Farnam Building, 1613 Farnam St. to 5010 Underwood in Dundee neighborhood.  Lincoln studios in the Sharp Building are closed.

  Loses to the Omaha World-Herald in a hotly-contested bid for TV Channel 7.

  May Broadcasting (Shenandoah, IA) buys 49 percent interest to show commitment to Omaha market in the bid to gain NBC for May’s KMTV, Channel 3.  NBC had been wavering in favor of newcomer KETV Channel 7.

• 1958

  KFAB acquires Muzak franchise.

• 1959

  KFAB FM, 99.9 signs on.

• 1960

  Evening stereo music programming begins using the two-radio method in conjunction with KFAB FM.  Soon ends when FM stereo is authorized the following year.

  KMA, 960 in Shenandoah, IA license renewal is questioned as the 2mv signal overlaps that of KFAB, where May has 49% ownership.  Arguing that minority interest does not constitute a duopoly, May wins the renewal.

• 1962

  The 1940’s Westinghouse transmitter is replaced with an RCA Ampliphase unit.

• 1969

  Ken Headrick becomes Station Manager.

  Tom Johnson joins station as Program Director, stays in various positions including sports for 24 years.

• 1970

  A tornado downs the two western-most self-supporting towers.  Both are replaced with guyed towers.

• 1976

  Gary Sadlemyer joins the staff, coming from KRGI, Grand Island, NE.

• 1979

  Fall audience share of 34.1 is station’s best ever, with the morning show having 38% of the audience.

• 1981

  Trade magazine TV Radio Age lists KFAB #1 in the country in audience share of market.

• 1982

  KFAB joins NBC’s Talk Net evenings, featuring advice-oriented hosts.

• 1983

  Station gains exclusive rights to Husker football starting in September.  There had been a four-station origination agreement before Husker Coach Bob Devaney sought exclusivity at higher rates.

  KFAB reaches a rating of of 27.4 share, again, the #1 audience share in the U.S.

• 1984

  Lyell Bremser retires, football game days are taken over by Kent Pavelka.  Ken Headrick becomes General Manager.

• 1986

  September, 1986-  Stations are sold to Henry Broadcasting (Charlton Buckley), for $22 million.  This becomes the third largest station sale to date in the U.S.

• 1987

  KFAB beefs up news programming schedule in the face of the new KKAR 1180 with an all-news format.

• 1988

  KFAB loses it’s #1 ratings spot for the first time since at least 1970.  Its upended by rock FM station, KEZO, 92.3.

• 1989

  Ken Headrick retires, noting a dislike for “corporate radio.”  Replaced  by Bob Sweet.

• 1990

  Station drops music for an all news/talk format.

• 1990

  Long time morning hosts Don Cole and Walt Kavanaugh retire.

• 1992

  General Manager Bob Sweet resigns, is replaced by Paul Aaron.

• 1994

  General Manager Paul Aaron leaves, replaced  by Chuck Jewell.

• 1995

  June, 1995-Network affiliation changes from CBS  to NBC.

• 1996

  KFAB loses Husker Sports rights to Pinnacle Broadcasting, which in turns awards Omaha affiliate to KKAR, 1180 AM.

  October, 1996-  Donn Seidholz is brought in to consolidate KXKT 103.7 FM and KRock 93.3 fm for Triathlon  eventually creating a four station duopoly with KFAB and KGOR in 1997.

   

• 1997

  KFAB is sold along with KGOR FM to Triathlon Broadcasting (Norm Fuhrer) for $39 Million.  Donn Seidholz remains as General Manager, Chuck Jewell departs.

• 1998

  Triathlon sells to Capstar, which in turn is bought by Chancellor Media, forming AM/FM, Inc.

• 1998

  Clear Channel merges with AM/FM Inc. in a 23.5 billion dollar deal.  KFAB is now just one of 830 stations in the group.

• 2000

  Husker sports rights return to KFAB.

  Donn Seidholz departs, Tracy Gilliam becomes General Manager.

• 2001

  KFAB drops CBS network for ABC.

  October, 2001-  Donna Baker joins stations as Market Manager.

• 2005

  KFAB drops ABC network for Fox News.

• 2007

  June 2007-  GM Donna Baker departs, new market manager is Taylor Walet.

• 2014

  Clear Channel is rebranded as iHeart.

• 2015

  KFAB is outbid for Husker sports by KXSP 590 AM (Journal Broadcast Group).

• 2024

  August, 2024-  Market Manager Taylor Walet retires from I-Heart Media, VP of Sales, Rhonda Gerrard is named Market President.