​KICD Radio (Spencer, IA) is celebrating 50 years of service and entertainment this year. The station was one of the first AM signals in northwest Iowa in 1942 and KICD-FM was one of the first FM signals in 1966. Because of that heritage, both stations have a strong regional listenership in nine northwest Iowa counties and three in southwest Minnesota. KICD just wrapped up coverage of 11 area county fairs and the Iowa State Fair with the big hometown county fair to go, the Clay County Fair, which attracts more than 325,000 people each year during a nine-day run. This year’s dates are September 10-18. KICD and KICD-FM broadcast live from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day from The Depot building on the fairgrounds. Tens of thousands file through The Depot building to see the announcers and one of the largest HO scale train displays west of the Mississippi (see photo at right). The trains celebrate 70 years at the fair this year. The foreground is a re-creation of the Clay County Fairgrounds with the Grandstand/Racetrack, rides and some buildings.  

George Bower, Katie Johnson and Troy Leininger will produce a daily half-hour show on Clay County Fair happenings and personal interest stories. This allows them to eat whatever they want “on-a- stick,” as they will work off all the calories they consume running from event to event. George Bower grew up on the family farm near Osage, IA. He started his broadcasting career as a weekend disk jockey in nearby Mason City, IA, when he was 16 and was hired by the station full-time after high school in 1985. George’s radio career has included stints as News Director at KCOB (Newton, IA), Morning Man at KUOO (Spirit Lake, IA), and General Manager at KLSN (Jefferson, IA). He has worked at two Iowa legendary farm stations – KGLO  (Mason City, IA) from 1987-1990, and KICD for the past nine years. George has a Business Management degree from Buena Vista University and has taken Ag Finance classes from Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar. He transferred as host of the KICD Morning Show to the Farm Department after long-time Farm Director Dan Skelton retired in March. 

2015 NAFB internship grant recipient and now full-time employee Katie Johnson was raised in the KICD listening area on a farm near Everly, IA, that produced beef, corn and soybeans. She exhibited black angus cattle in 4-H and was active in the Okoboji FFA Chapter. She was a National Collegiate Ag Ambassador through the National FFA Association while at Iowa State University and is an advocate for ag. Katie talks with exhibitors at Kossuth County Fair in Algona, IA.

Troy Leininger was raised on a hog, cattle and sheep operation also in the KICD coverage area near Ruthven, IA.  He was active in 4-H and graduated from Grand View College in Des Moines. He worked at WHO-Radio and KLYF-FM from 1991-1995 before coming to KICD. Troy is changing careers after 21 years at KICD in the sales department and 15 years as an NAFB member and farm broadcaster. He will serve six northwest Iowa counties as a regional manager for Iowa Farm Bureau starting September 26. Troy talks with Iowan Stuart McCulloh at the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting.