Meet Our Team
Emilie Osten
Production
Joe Reklaitls
Production
Colby Raullton
Production
Justin Raulston
Sports
Tony Wortman
Chief Engineer
Mission Statement
To provide the residents of Wayne and northeast Nebraska with essential radio and internet services including news, weather, sports and entertainment related to our community; thus, creating a valuable platform where business can promote their products and services.
History
- 1968 – KTCH Radio hit the airwaves on March 18, 1968 as a daytime only AM station with a power of 500 watts on the frequency of 1590. The station was build by Mel Gleason, a Nebraska radio station owner who had also built KA WL in York, NE in 1954. The original station building still houses the station’s offices, studios and transmitter- 2 miles West of Wayne on 574th Avenue. It’s interesting to note that the station’s steel building is almost identical to the KAWL building in York, still in use today by that station. Archive copies of Broadcasting Yearbook show Robert Wilson as General Manager, Roger Elder as commercial and program manager, Don Kramer as Program Dirtector and Stan Peterson as News Director.
- 1971 – KTCH Radio is purchased on March 1 by Wyman and Willa Schnapp. Their ownership would last only 2 years. Blair Johnson was the program director and weekly programming included a 3 hour polka show.
- 1974 – KTCH is acquired by Ted Storck. Ted listed himself as President, General Manager and News Director. Jan Lehman was commercial manager, Paul Patrick was Program Director, Mark Smith-Music Director, Earl Fuoss-Promotion Manager and Doug Thompson was Chief Engineer. Looks like everyone in the building had a title. Ted seized the opportunity to add a sister FM station and KTCH-FM began broadcasting in October of 1975 at 104.9 with a power of 3,000 watts and an antenna height of 113 feet. The station was a Mutual network affiliate and AM programming duplicated FM programming 75% of the time. In 1977. Broadcasting Yearbook identified Dan Baddorf as Program DiTector … ”beautiful music” as the FM format … and Robert Morris as Chief Engineer.
- 1978 – Dean Craun buys KTCH AM & FM on June 1 listing himself as President and General Manager. Sandra Schultz is commercial manager, Dan Baddorf is music director and the FM duplicates FM programming 60% of the time. In 1980 the AM power is increased to 2,500 watts utilizing a 2- tower direction tower system. Concurrently, the height on the FM station is increased to 300 feet. The FM format is listed as Middle of the Road and Top 40. The AM format is Middle of the Road and Country. Dan Baddorf is Program Di.rector and Mark Baumert is News Director. Mike Mascoe becomes News Director in 1983 and the stations change network affiliation from RKO to ABC.
- 1987 – KTCH is sold to Don Dolesh, a Budweiser Distributor in Fremont. Mark Ahmann is hired as General Manager, Dan Baddorf is Program Director and Mike Mascoe stays on as News Director
- 1997 – KTCH AM & FM is sold to Gene Koehn who owns KNEN in Norfolk, NE. The FM power is increased to 25,000 watts. Koehn later sells KNEN and the KTCH stations to Waitt Media which is later acquired by NRG in Cedar Rapids, IA. In 2007 the stations are bought by Mike Flood of Norfolk, NE.
- 2008 – KTCH and KCTY are purchased by veteran broadcaster David Kelly, former owner of KWPN (now KTIC) in West Point, NE. Classic country remains on KTCH but KCTY moves to Adult Hits.
- 2012 April – KCTY adopts a hot country format, branded Big Red Country.
- 2014 February – KTCH programming moves to FM at 104.9. Big Red Country branding and hot country format remains. AM adopts KCTY call sign and changes to a Classic Hits format.
- 2014 August – KCTY adds translator K255CK at 98.9 FM re-branding the stations as “The City.”
