History
THE STORY OF KX 96.9 RADIO:
Legendary Station, Legendary Story
 
BEGINNINGS:
It all began with a man named Frank Newell, who got his radio start in Deadwood, SD. at the age of 14. He was the mid-day DJ of Lincoln's KLMS radio in the 1970's and by the age of 29 was owner of KGMT radio in Fairbury, NE.  Branching out with another partner, Newell began searching for what he called "a bucket of rust" with transmitter parts hauled up from a failed radio station in The Bahamas.  But after failing to get the used transmitter to work, Newell bought a brand new McMartin transmitter that was manufactured in Omaha.  A little welding and reel-to-reel tapes later, the prehistoric beginnings of 96KX began broadcasting on November 12th, 1976 @ 5pm, under the call letters KSRD.  These call letters represented the hometown of 96KX: Seward, NE.  This would remain 96KX's city of license indefinitely.  "The first song played was, of course, the national anthem", Newell explained in a 2006 interview to commemorate the station's 30th Anniversary.
 

The first DJ's heard on 96.9FM were Frank Newell and Don Johnson.  As Seward's radio station, they covered local and area news, weather and sports.  But they always played a little country music from the very beginning: Merle, Willie, Waylon, Dolly, Conway, Kenny, The Possum, Milsap, etc.  The station played a mix of all music initially, but as KSRD saw all the big trends come and go, like the "Urban Cowboy" craze, and the "Polyester Country" era with Kenny Rogers at the helm, country music would always stay on 96.9FM.  By 1979, that's all they played anymore.

 
THE 80'S:
8 years after Seward's country station took to the airwaves, KSRD saw it's ratings continue to grow, not only in it's hometown but now in Lincoln.  The decision came in the summer of 1984 when Program Director Max Wolfe announced to the press that KSRD would be changing it's call letters to KZKX, taking on the new moniker "96KX."  Why the change?  Wolfe explained that this would help increase appeal to nearby Lincoln listeners.  Current Sales Manager Julie Gade was also the Director Of Sales for KSRD at the time.  She recalls how the transition to 96KX occurred: "We put a heartbeat on the air for hours and it gradually slowed down to a flat line sound effect."  Then KSRD exploded with the new call letters and went back to it's country music line-up.

2 years later in 1986, the 96KX Studios moved to Lincoln, first to 56th & O Street, then to 44th & O and finally just south of 48th & Normal.  The new offices in the Capitol City would allow the station to be completely involved in the happenings around Lincoln.  By the end of 1986, the little station from Seward moved to 5th place in the metro ratings.

But that didn’t mean that 96KX, or new Program Director Mark Lindau, would turn their backs on the city that raised them. Seward's Chamber Of Commerce was reassured in 1986 that 96KX would remain an integral part of the city's events.  Every 4th of July and every Seward County Fair, the hometown station returns to celebrate the city's history and culture, even up to today.

The station and the music continued to evolve throughout the decade of the 80’s, with Program Directors like Max Wolfe (1984-1986), Mark Lindau (1986-1987), John David Dixon (1987-1988) and Jim Patrick (1988-1992).  Mick Kovar joined the 96KX crew in '86, as did Carol Turner in '87 and Keith Allan in 1990, while artists like Randy Travis, The Judds, George Strait, Dwight Yoakam, Alabama and Reba dominated the musical landscape.

 
THE 90'S BOOM:
Change was in the air in 1989.  It had been 13 years since the beginning of 96KX, when a round-faced kid from Oklahoma released his debut single, "Much Too Young."  Who could know that this guy would become the fastest-selling artist in history, breaking every sales record in the book?  Garth Brooks led "The 90's Boom" with artists like Clint Black, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson and Vince Gill.
 
Everyone was buying Wranglers and cowboy hats.  Line dancing was all the rage.  Even Top 40 stations were playing artists like Billy Ray Cyrus and Wynonna.  Seeing an ever-expanding format, a 2nd country station popped up in Lincoln in 1992.  But beyond the bandwagon, 96KX was there leading the charge they began in the 70's.  And they were now the #1 rated station in the city.
 
Julie Gade became the station's General Manager in 1990.  In the fall of 1992, Jim Patrick left the station.  His departure paved the way for Charlie Thomas to become 96KX's new Program Director (1992-2000).  And the station continued to lead the ratings.  And while country music's boom phase was slowly drifting out nationally by the late-90's, 96KX continued to be Lincoln's #1 rated station with new artists like Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, The Dixie Chicks and Faith Hill.  No country station has ever matched the status of 96KX as the top country station in Lincoln.
 

THE MILLENIUM:
Charlie Thomas left behind an amazing legacy for 96KX, claiming the #1 spot in the Lincoln ratings for 6 consecutive years without a single drop.  In 2000 as Thomas moved into other areas of Clear Channel management, Brian Jennings became the new Program Director (2000-2007) with Lincoln's most veteran airstaff: Keith Allan, Carol Turner, Mick Kovar, Ritch Cassidy and Eric Taylor.  And like any other era of country music, 96KX saw the emergence of new stars again: Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Montgomery Gentry, etc.
 
Again Lincoln's #1 rated music station from 2000-2004, 96KX continued to reinvent the sound of country radio for Nebraska.  With billboards all over the city in 2001, a TV commercial blitz in 2002 and a 96KX Morning Show cereal box campaign in 2003, KZKX remained visual all over Lincoln.  A promotional agreement in 2004 had 96KX and the local bars and clubs, promoting one another and bringing in nearly a dozen concerts throughout the year.  In the summer of 2004, the new 96KX city bus made it's debut, courtesy of Universal Records Nashville, and still can be seen roaming the streets today.


THE 2000’s:
In 2004, a few more changes came to 96KX. 96KX corporate owners demanded another change in the website, so utility player Shawn Smith began working with Brian Jennings and others to update and revamp KZKX.com once again. Longtime staffer and Promotions Director Ritch Cassidy headed to Omaha, to keep working in country radio, while Hoss Michaels took over for Cassidy. Hoss came from Kansas City, bringing big market experience with a Nebraska background, and kept the tickets – and the concerts rolling in.

In 2006, Jonny Brock joined the 96KX staff, bringing his own flavor to weeknights, and bringing “Club KX” back to 96KX weeknights.

2006 was also special, as it was 96KX’ 30th Birthday Year.  Thirty years after it's birth, 96KX showed no sign of age, continuing to blaze the trail for the future in country radio. After 3 full decades as THE country station, in Lincoln and Southeast Nebraska, 96KX threw a major party to celebrate it's 30th Anniversary on August 25th, 2006, featuring Mark Chesnutt in concert, At the Nebraska State Fair. Brian Jennings explained in an interview, "It's crazy sometimes to realize that our team gets to lead this radio station.  It's almost as if Dad's loaned you the keys to a '57 Chevy and said 'Now, don't wreck it!'  It's a real honor to be able to work for a station with this kind of history behind it, and to able to work with a staff this talented. It's one of the most unique radio stations in America because it's still what it started out as. It's a giant on a national level!"
 
TODAY:
In early spring 2007, 96KX was acquired from Clear Channel Communications by Three Eagles Broadcasting, Inc. along with our sister stations, KTGL-FM, 92.9 The Eagle, and KIBZ-FM, 104.1 The Blaze. About this time, longtime Program Director Brian Jennings got “called up to the big leagues”, and moved to Cleveland, Ohio to become the Program Director for WGAR. This made room for Hoss Michaels to move into “the big chair” at 96KX - a role Hoss had filled at other stations before -   so Hoss easily took over as Program Director in April 2007. Kelly Garrett – a former country DJ, and former co-worker with Hoss, in the 1990’s in Kansas – also joined the 96KX staff as Promotions Director, filling Hoss' old job, while Eric Taylor moved from overnight producer to Full-Time “Director of I.T.” for Three Eagles, Lincoln.

Throughout it all, KX 96.9 has consistently been the NUMBER ONE MUSIC STATION in Lincoln. 96KX has always been known for sounding bigger on-air than the other stations surrounding them on the dial, and even with the most recent changes, that quality remains the same. There is no other radio station in the Lincoln area that has undergone so few changes to it's format in such a long span of time. At this very moment, 96.9FM is rated as Lincoln's most listened to music station, according to Arbitron (America's top ratings firm for radio). And as the Fourth Decade of 96KX begins, 96KX continues to prove that it is one station that will continue to stand the test of time.


KX wishes to thank Dave Matthews of nebraskaradio.com for his life, friendship and passion to our mission at KZKX, and for his extensive assistance in keeping track of our own history. We salute his life, and remember his hard work – both here at KX, and elsewhere in radio. Thanks, Dave, wherever you are.