Airing on the Side of Agriculture

With two years now under his belt as a radio personality, Carson Horn (Radio Oklahoma Network, Oklahoma City, OK) is starting to get the hang of the broadcast industry and is making a name for himself among the agriculture community in Oklahoma. In June 2016, Carson joined Radio Oklahoma Ag Network as Associate Director of Farm Programming with no prior experience in the broadcast industry. Fast-forward to today, Carson has absorbed a full range of responsibilities at the network on and off the air, covering both markets and news throughout his daily routine. Under the tutelage of Farm Director and Hall of Fame Broadcaster Ron Hays, Carson has become integral to the management of the network’s companion website and newsletter, The Oklahoma Farm Report, aside from his duties on-air.

With the desire to tell the unique stories of the many people throughout the central part of the country and beyond, the crew at KFRM (Clay Center, KS) had a brainstorming session in Kyle Bauer's office one day and, as they say, the rest is history.  Duane Toews reports, “While the vast majority of our programming focused on the dollars and cents of production agriculture and agri-business, we knew there were some really special stories to be told that had nothing to do with what we focus on every day.” On the Front Porch is a long form, talk program with five different hosts covering each day of the week.

Clint Ridley of rural St. Onge, SD, is a commodity market analyst for KBHB (Sturgis, SD). Clint started his radio broadcast journey in 2012, following the departure of NAFB member Chase Adams from the radio chair. For Clint, reporting on the commodity markets isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. “I run a cattle brokerage business, so understanding the markets, what makes them move, and relaying them to the public came natural to me,” said Clint. He sources feeder cattle to customers from the Dakotas to Texas, along with being a fifth generation rancher on his family ranch. He believes that being diversified in agriculture is important.

Farm broadcaster Michelle Rook is no stranger to farm television. It has been a part of her career since college.  “I had the opportunity to do some television reporting for Ag Communications while I was a student at South Dakota State University.  Since that time, I have always been doing some form of television reporting or on-air work, in tandem with my job in radio,” she says.   She has had every experience in television serving as an editor, producer, anchor, meteorologist and reporter.  Rook will be using those skills as the new anchor of AgWeek TV, a weekly syndicated farm television program seen on stations in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Canada.

Tim Marshall has been named Chief Operating Officer of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, according to NRRA General Manager Craig Larson. "Tim has been with the company for nearly five years and has done an excellent job leading KRVN. Now, we're asking him to oversee some of the day-to-day operations within the company,” Craig said. The NRRA is the only farmer and rancher owned radio group in the country.

The Red River Farm Network has a redesigned website focused on the original reporting of the RRFN team of agricultural journalists. The updated www.rrfn.com has a clean design and improved functionality. The site features news for farmers, ranchers and agricultural stakeholders. In addition, RRFN news stories can now be easily shared through social media, e-mail and more. “One month into the relaunch and the response is very positive,” said Don Wick, president, Red River Farm Network. “The updated website complements our on-air news, delivering information that impacts the bottom line for our farmers and ranchers.” The responsive website design is user-friendly on a variety of devices including personal computer, tablet or smartphone. In addition, it is easy to find news reports and podcasts with the new mobile version. The site also offers online access to radio stations carrying RRFN programming. For additional information, contact the Red River Farm Network at 701-795-1315 or don@rrfn.com. Digital advertising options are available.

The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF)has announced winners of the 2018 Celebration of Service to America Awards, recognizing outstanding community service by local broadcasters. Winners will be honored at the Celebration of Service to America dinner on June 12 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. “Local broadcasters play a crucial role in informing, supporting and strengthening communities across our country,” said NABEF President Marcellus Alexander. “This year’s winners represent the ethos of broadcasting and the industry’s unwavering commitment to public service. We look forward to honoring these outstanding stations in the nation’s capital.”

Rita Frazer (RFD Radio Network, Bloomington, IL) said, “As I prepare to celebrate my 50^th birthday, I am honored to have the opportunity to share a few highlights from the RFD Radio Network’s (RFDRN) 50^th anniversary celebration.” She explains, “The celebration included special features in our monthly newsletter that shared stories about the broadcasters that built the network. Farm broadcasters like Dick Helton and Art Sechrest broke in the microphones at the network, making way for farm voices like Max Armstrong. Armstrong grew up on an Indiana farm before heading to Purdue University. While in college he started his radio career working part-time at WASK (Lafayette, IN), WRAY (Princeton, IN), and WVMC (Mount Carmel, IL).

Mick Kjar reports that the Ag Central Radio Network is on the air. This network covers North and South Dakota and adjacent areas of western Minnesota.  “It’s a little different than your normal or traditional radio network.  Yes, we do farm news; in fact, nine three-minute reports and nine 90-second reports daily,” he said.   “But stations can carry these as they fit into their programming, and not at a regular ‘hit time’ as is usually done on a radio network.” Mick adds, “The same format for weather programming is offered, with five longer version weather analysis programs and hourly 30-second weather forecasts 24 hours a day, and again, stations air the weather programs when it fits into their programming.” 

“During the past two years, the border between Oklahoma and Kansas has burned uncontrollably in the spring,” reports Ron Hays (Radio Oklahoma Network, Oklahoma City, OK). Two years ago, it was the Anderson Creek fires where a few cattle were lost, but several thousand acres burned, and control was slow in coming.  Last year, a fire that started in Beaver County in the Oklahoma Panhandle spread eastward just south of the Kansas Line and then into Clark County, KS, where a huge percentage of the county was scorched.  “Last March, we did extensive coverage on our radio network, on our website and in our daily email. Between the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s and Kansas Livestock Foundations, several farm broadcasters were key voices in helping get the word out and helping raise several million dollars for those ranchers.”