KMAQ History

                           AUGUST 26, 1958
KMAQ WENT ON THE AIR FOR THE OFFICIAL FIRST DAY OF BROADCASTING ON AUGUST 26TH.
                 KMAQ IS 55 YEARS OLD THIS  YEAR (2013)
WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF PHOTOS AND STORIES OF KMAQ POSTED HERE ALL YEAR LONG, SO KEEP CHECKING HERE.     THEY WILL BE IN NO SPECIAL ORDER.    CLICK-ON THE PHOTOS OR STORIES TO ENLARGE THEM.    IF YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOS OF KMAQ'S PAST, WE WOULD LIKE IT IF YOU WOULD BRING THING TO KMAQ AND WE WILL SCAN THEM, PUT THEM HERE ON THE COMPUTER AND GIVE YOU THE PHOTOS BACK. 

I ARRIVED IN MAQUOKETA ON AUGUST 19, 1958....A WEEK BEFORE THE STATION WENT ON THE AIR.    I WAS 19 THEN, AND HAD FINISHED MY FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE (COLUMBIA COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN)
AND DECIDED I WANTED TO GET INTO RADIO INSTEAD OF GOING BACK TO COLLEGE.    THE OWNERS OF KMAQ IN MONROE, HIRED ME BE AN ANNOUNCER, SOMETHING I HAD DONE WHILE ATTENDING HIGH SCHOOL IN
HORICON, WISCONSIN, ON A LOW-POWER STATION I AND TWO FRIENDS PUT ON-THE-AIR FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME BACK IN 1956 AND 1957.
THE CALL LETTERS WERE WBTG.    I STARTED AT KMAQ AT $60 A WEEK, BUT
GOT A RAISE TO $65 A WEEK A MONTH LATER AS THE OWNERS WERE HAPPY WITH THE WORK I WAS DOING FOR THEM.   THIS PHOTO (CALENDAR SAYS JANUARY 1959)  WAS IN THE MAIN CONTROL ROOM (WE ONLY HAD AM STATION THEN) AT 136 1/2 SOUTH MAIN STREET.     I WAS STILL 19.... AT 130 POUNDS, AND 32 WAIST AND NOTE THE BLACK HAIR.    THE TWO BIG TURNTABLES IN PHOTO WE STILL USE HERE AT KMAQ IN OUR PRODUCTION ROOM AND THE CONTROL BOARD WITH KNOBS IS IN OUR  "INTERVIEW AND NEWS STUDIO" AT KMAQ RIGHT NOW...ON DISPLAY ON OUR HISTORY WALL.
ANOTHER PHOTO OF THE CONTROL BOARD BELOW, TAKEN IN FEBRUARY 1960.   NOTE ON CALENDAR, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29.

WHEN I CAME TO MAQUOKETA ON AUGUST 19, 1958 (A WEEK BEFORE THE FIRST

FULL DAY FOR KMAQ AUGUST 26, 1958)  I MOVED INTO THIS HOME AT 216 SOUTH NIAGARA STREET.    IT WAS OWNED BY CECILIA SAGERS, IN HER 70'S.   HER HUSBAND

WAS NO LONGER LIVING AND HAD BEEN A BANKER.   HER SON WAS A REALATOR ....BLAIR SAGERS AND HE SAID  HIS MOTHER RENTED TWO ROOMS UPSTAIRS AND ONE WAS EMPTY SO ASKED IF I WANTED TO LIVE THERE.   I SAID YES AND MOVED IN IMMEDIATELY FOR $7.50 A WEEK.   IT WAS THE UPPER LEFT BEDROOM IN THIS PHOTO.   THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN 62 YEARS LATER AFTER THE BIG STORM OF AUGUST 10, 2020.

THE FOUNDER OF KMAQ WAS NATE GOETZ (ALONG WITH BROTHER BOB AND

THEIR CPA MERLIN MEYTHALER) OF MONROE, WISCONSIN.   NATE, A HAM

RADIO OPERATOR, WANTED HIS OWN COMMERCIAL STATION AND 

DISCOVERED 1320 WOULD WORK IN MAQUOKETA.    HE BOUGHT LAND

IN 1956 FROM DEL JETTER NEAR THE BRIDGEPORT CEMETERY, HAD

AN AERIAL PHOTO OF THE LAND AND MADE THE APPLICATION WITH THE

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSIION.  TWO YEARS LATER, THE FCC

GRANTED THE LICENSE AND KMAQ WENT ON THE AIR IN AUGUST OF 1958.

MAQUOKETA WAS LUCKY TO GET A STATION THEN.   OTHER TOWNS AROUND

NEVER DID GET ONE, INCLUDING TIPTON, MONTICELLO AND DEWITT.

NATE GOETZ  DROVE DOWN TO MAQUOKETA A LOT TO BE ENVOLVED WITH ITS 

OPERATION.   IT WAS HIS IDEA FROM THE START TO HAVE A POLKA SHOW.

HE DIED NOVEMBER 27, 2018 AT THE AGE OF 92 IN NAPLES, FLORIDA

AWHERE HE HAD LIVED SINCE 1972.    HIS TWO PARTNERS PRECEDED HIM

IN DEATH BY QUITE A FEW YEARS.    AFTER SELLING KMAQ TO ME

IN 1965, GOETZ BROADCASTING GREW TO ABOUT A DOZEN STATIONS

IN WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN AND ILLINOIS.    BELOW, A 1958 PHOTO OF NATE AND A 2014 PHOTO OF HIM.   AND BELOW, A PHOTO IN 1959 OF THE TWO OF USE DOING A REMOTE BROADCAST SOMEWHERE IN OR AROUND MAQUOKETA.

MY RADIO BROADCASTING INTEREST STARTED IN 1955 AS THE BELOW NEWSPAPER STORY SAYS.    THE STATION WAS ON-THE-AIR EVENINGS ONLY FOR A FEW MONTHS.   WE SOLD SPOTS AND I EVEN DID BASKETBALL PLAY-BY-PLAY.   TOO MUCH WORK, SO WE WENT OFF-THE-AIR.    THEN
ABOUT A YEAR LATER, WE DECIDED TO START UP AGAIN.   THIS TIME WE
RENTED TWO ROOMS IN THE DOWNTOWN HISTORIC HORICON  HOTEL AND
PLANNED BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS.    ONLY THIS TIME, AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS, WE WERE REPORTED TO THE FCC (FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION) AND BECAUSE WE WERE NOT COMPLETELY LEGAL, THEY
SIGNED-OFF THE STATION ONE NIGHT, AND WBTG WAS HISTORY.

"FACEBOOK" OF COURSE WAS NOT AROUND THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF KMAQ BROADCASTING.   NOW..."FACEBOOK"...IS VERY POPULAR.    IN 2016, NICE COMMENTS  ABOUT ME AND KMAQ  ON "FACEBOOK".   I  DECIDED THEY WERE WORTHY OF BEING KEPT SOMEWHERE AND DECIDED THIS WEB SITE WOULD BE GOOD PLACE.    IF YOU CLICK-ON THE COMMENTS, THEY SHOULD ENLARGE SO YOU CAN READ THEM.

THIS PHOTO WAS PROBABLY TAKEN THE SAME NIGHT AS THE TOP ONE ABOVE, AND WAS TAKEN BY MARILYN HUTE, WHO WAS DATING STAN BARTON, FOREGROUND.    STAN WAS KMAQ'S FIRST NEWS DIRECTOR AND HE ALSO DID A DAILY DISC JOCKEY SHIFT.    HE WAS A COLLEGE GRAD AND
ABOUT 27 WHEN HE JOINED KMAQ, COMING HERE FROM A DUBUQUE STATION.    HE REMAINED AT KMAQ FOR LESS THAN TWO  YEARS, WAS SINGLE AND LIVED AT MINNIE HEGSTROM'S BOARDING HOUSE ON SOUTH MAIN STREET, A COUPLE BLOCKS SOUTH OF KMAQ.   DURING THE SHORT TIME HE WAS HERE, WE TOGETHER DID NEARLY 50 TEEN HOPS IN THE KMAQ
AREA.   HE LEFT KMAQ AND WENT TO KROS, CLINTON, AND SOME YEARS LATER,  OWNED HIS OWN STATION IN ELWOOD, INDIANA.   THAT IS WHERE HE DIED IN JANUARY, 2011.   I LIKED STAN, WE GOT ALONG GOOD TOGETHER AND HE TAUGHT ME MANY RADIO THINGS DURING THOSE MONTHS WE WORKED TOGETHER.   WE ATE LOTS OF 99-CENT COMPLETE DINNERS TOGETHER  AT THE FAMOUS GREEN MILL RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA.      PHOTOGRAPHY WAS HIS HOBBY.
HIS DATING ENDED WITH MARILYN AND HE EVENTUALLY MARRIED AND HAD A SON AND DAUGHTER AND A GRANDDAUGHTER

I AM NOT SURE WHAT WAS THE OCCASSION (OR YEAR) FOR THIS BOOTH AT THE PEARSON CENTER IN MAQUOKETA.    AT RIGHT IS JOHN WENBERG.   HE
WAS KMAQ'S NEWS DIRECTOR FROM 1967 UNTIL MID-1975.   ALSO DID PLAY-BY-PLAY.    HE HAD A DEEP VOICE.     HE AND HIS WIFE BETTY HAD TWO ADOPTED SONS AND OWNED AN OLDER HOME ON WEST PLATT STREET.    HE DIED QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO IN HIS NATIVE WISCONSIN.

ABOVE PHOTO, 1978......IN THE EARLY DAYS OF KMAQ, WE HAD A NEWS PRINTER IN OUR NEWSROOM TO GET ALL THE NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER, MARKETS AND MORE....BOTH NATIONAL AND STATE.    IT WOULD RUN ALL NIGHT.

KMAQ HAS HAD A "POLKA PARTY SHOW"  SINCE DAY 1.   THE ORIGINAL
OWNERS FROM WISCONSIN (BIG POLKA STATE) DECIDED IOWA NEEDED
MORE POLKA MUSIC.    IN THE LATE 70'S AND EARLY 80'S, KMAQ SPONSORED 2 OR 3 POLKAFESTS AT PEARSON CENTER ON THE FAIRGROUNDS.   THERE
WOULD BE 3 BANDS ON A SUNDAY.    THE ABOVE PHOTO IS OF DON
AND MY DAUGHTER LONNA WHEN THE "DON PEACHEY BAND" FROM BURNETT, WISCONSIN CAME DOWN TO PLAY IN A KMAQ FEST.  I
GRADUATED WITH HIS SISTER, JANE,  IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IT WAS FUN TO HAVE A HOMETOWN BAND IN MAQUOKETA.     THEY WERE THE BEST BAND
THAT DAY AND WE HAVE PLAYED HIS BAND THOUSANDS OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS.    AT 80-PLUS, HE STILL  HAS HIS BAND.

l992 SALES DEPARTMENT BROCHURE SENT TO ALL BUSINESS PLACES IN THE KMAQ AREA OF JACKSON, JONES, CEDAR AND CLINTON COUNTIES.
DOTTIE RETIRED FROM KMAQ SALES IN 2012.

LEFT, CLAUDE BECK.  HE STARTED AS A SALESMAN OUR FIRST YEAR
ON THE AIR AND REMAINED ON SALES STAFF UNTIL 1971 WHEN HE LEFT TO WORK AT A LOCAL BANK.   THEN HE RETIRED FROM THE CITY OF MAQUOKETA OFFICE.   HE ALSO DID A ONE-HOUR EASY LISTENING RECORD
SHOW EACH WEEKDAY AFTERNOON.    ON RIGHT, THE KMAQ NEWS DIRECTOR IN 1965 AND 1966  ANDY KARSEN.   HE AND HIS WIFE AND LITTLE DAUGHTER MOVED TO DODGEVILLE WHERE HE WORKED AT WDMP UNTIL HE BECAME ILL AND WAS FORCED TO RETIRE.    SEVERAL YEARS LATER HE DIED IN DODGEVILLE.   HE WAS AN AVID PIPE SMOKER.    CLAUDE
LOVED A MARTINI NOW AND THEN.   HE WAS ALSO A PART TIME PROJECTIONIST AT THE PASTIME THEATRE.   NADINE, THEN CLAUDE (BOTH
BORN AND RAISED HERE) (BOTH LIKED GOLF) HAVE BEEN DECEASED
QUITE A FEW YEARS.    NADINE WAS WELL KNOWN DOWNTOWN BECAUSE SHE WORKED THE POPULAR ICE CREAM COUNTER AT HINCKLEY DRUG STORE.   THEIR SON MARK IS MAQUOKETA'S CURRENT, LONGTIME FIRE CHIEF.

THIS FORD VAN WAS USED BY ME (AND FAMILY TOO) IN THE LATE 60'S.
MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT CRUISING THE TOWN, INCLUDING GOING TO DO REMOTE BROADCASTS.   IT WAS PAINTED IN MULTIPLE COLORS BY
MAQUOKETA'S NUMBER ONE SIGN PAINTER, LARRY HAGER.   COLORS DON'T SHOW IN THIS FADED PHOTO.    LARRY, AGE 90, NOW LIVES WITH WIFE
ALICE IN MARSHALLTOWN.

BOB BROWN, FISRT MANAGER OF KMAQ, FOR ONE  YEAR,  DIED APRIL 15, 2020 AT AGE OF 98.   ABOVE A RECENT PHOTO.    LIVED ALONE IN HIS HOME IN FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN.  WAS IN  U.S. ARMY AND SERVED IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AND WORKED IN RADIO AND NEWSPAPERS HIS ENTIRE LIFE.   LEFT KMAQ TO START

WFAW IN FT. ATKINSON.   ALSO BULDT NEW STATION LATER AT HASTINGS,

MINNNESOTA.   HE WAS NEVER A STATION OWNER.     WAS PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR WMAQ IN CHICAGO AND WAS THEN DIRECTOR OF POPULAR NIGHT SHOW IN THE WINDY CITY, HOSED BY JACK EIGEN AT SHAY-PAREE.    WIFE ELAINE DIED A FEW YEARS EARLIER THAN HE.   HE HAD ONE SON JAMES AND DAUGHTER MARY ANN AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN.   HE AND DENNIS VOY REMAINED GOOD FRIENDS TO THE END AND DENNIS HAD VISITED HIM THE LAST TIME IN LATE 2019.    WAS MAINLY IN MANAGEMENT AND SALES, BUT DID NEWS AND WAS A GOOD DJ WHEN NEEDED.

CHRISTMAS 1959
FRONT ROW:   LEFT TO RIGHT:   WANDA MOREHEAD (RECEPTIONIST-TRAFFIC LOGS)....NEXT-CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME....MIDDLE, BILL LONGMAN (ANNOUNCER, RETIRED AND LIVES IN DAVENPORT)....CLAIRE FAYE, (BOOKKEEPER)....JANE BEAN (DAILY HOME SHOW HOST)....
BACK ROW:   LEFT TO RIGHT:   RAY SHIELDS (CHIEF ENGINEER, MORNING
ANNOUNCER AND BROTHER OF RED HENTON, AND DECEASED)....CHUCK WOOD (SALESMAN-DECEASED)....DENNIS VOY (ANNOUNCER)....STAN
BARTON (NEWS-SEE OTHER PHOTO)....CLAUDE BECK (SALES-SEE OTHER PHOTO).....NATE GOETZ, 1/3 OWNER, NOW LIVES IN NAPLES, FLORIDA....
DUANE WILLEY (MANAGER-DECEASED)....KARL KUHLMAN (TEACHER AND PART TIME ANNOUNCER)

REMEMBER THIS 1972 VAN RUNNING AROUND TOWN AND AT REMOTE BROADCASTS?   IT WAS ALL COLORS, AND PAINTED BY SIGN PAINTER  LARRY HAGAR.

2010:  DENNIS, RUSTY, LOIS, TOM, JAYNE, SHERI, THERESA, JIMMY, JACI (FRONT) ROXANNE (BACK), DENISE, ROBERT, DOTTIE, JIM K, LEIGHTON.
BAD QUALITY PHOTO...WILL REPLACE IT SOMETIME WITH BETTER.

THIS PHOTO OF DON PETERSON AND WIFE JOAN WAS TAKEN AT KMAQ'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY IN THE BASEMENT OF KMAQ, WHERE WE SERVED A BREAKFAST FOR ADVERTISERS.    HE WAS KMAQ NEWS DIRECTOR IN THE EARLY 60'S, COMING HERE FROM A RADIO STATION IN WESTERN IOWA AND ATTENDED THE 25TH CELEBRATION.    HE LEFT KMAQ TO GO WITH UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL IN CHICAGO.   THEY OWNED A HOME ON WEST PLATT STREET AND WERE MEMBERS OF FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH.   HE WAS A FRIEND OF PASTOR HAROLD KUMPF AND SANG IN THE CHURCH CHOIR.   HE DIED OF A BRAIN ANEURYSM.

AT RIGHT, BOB BROWN, AT KMAQ'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY IN 1983.   BOB WAS KMAQ'S FIRST STATION MANAGER.   HE HAD A RADIO BACKGROUND IN
WISCONSIN BEFORE MOVING TO IOWA TO WORK FOR NATE GOETZ, ROBERT GOETZ AND MERLIN MEYTHALER....MONROE, WISCONSIN OWNERS OF KMAQ.     BOB WAS SURE FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD PLACE TO BUILD A RADIO STATION AND SO HE AND THE OWNERS OF KMAQ DECIDED TO BUILD A STATION THERE.     BOB, AS 1/4 OWNER, MOVED TO FORT ATKINSON TO MANAGE THE NEW STATION (WFAW) AFTER ABOUT A YEAR HERE IN MAQUOKETA.   IN THE MIDDLE OF PHOTO, IS BOB'S WIFE, ELAINE.   MY WIFE NANCY IS AT LEFT AND I  AM HIDDEN BY HER.    BOB, NOW 90, AND ELAINE, LIVE IN FORT ATKINSON AND ENJOY THEIR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS.      I PURCHASED KMAQ FROM THE MONROE MEN IN OCTOBER OF 1965.    NATE GOETZ LIVES IN NAPLES AND THE HIS BROTHER ROBERT AND MEYTHALER ARE BOTH DECEASED.   MY WIFE NANCY DIED SUDDENLY IN 2005.

AT LEFT, EARL SAUNDERS.   EARL WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MAQUOKETA.
HE JOINED KMAQ AS A TIME SALESMAN SOON AFTER IT WENT ON THE AIR
AND RETIRED FROM KMAQ IN 1985.   HE LIVES IN MAQUOKETA NEAR HIS
SON RALPH AND IS NOW 90.    HIS WIFE EVA WAS A LONGTIME MAQUOKETA TEACHER AND DIED QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO.    AT RIGHT, IN BACK, IS DOTTIE BAYLES WHO ALSO WAS A SALES PERSON FROM 1977 UNTIL
RETIRING IN 2012 AFTER 35 YEARS OF SELLING, WRITING AND TAPING
COMMERCIALS.     HER HUSBAND BILL, WHO DIED SUDDENLY ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO WHILE WORKING ON THIER FARM,  ALSO DID SALES WORK,
BUT NOT FOR KMAQ.   DOTTIE HAS TWO CHILDREN AND SEVERAL GRANDCHILDREN.

FAR RIGHT IS BILL LONGMAN, ANNOUNCER, IN THIS OCTOBER 24, 1959 PHOTO.   THIS WAS A GOING-AWAY PARTY FOR BILL WHO WAS LEAVING KMAQ TO WORK FOR A  RADIO STATION IN THE QUAD CITIES.   HIS DAD (SHORTY) AND MOTHER LIVED IN MAQUOKETA.     HE LATER CAME BACK TO WORK
FOR KMAQ A SECOND TIME AND LEFT AGAIN.  HE HAD A VERY NICE VOICE AND EASY DISC JOCKEY STYLLE.    EVENTUALLY HE RETIRED AS A JANITOR IN DAVENPORT.       AT FAR LEFT IS RAY SHIELDS, SITTING ON THE
DESK IS STAN BARTON AND THAT'S ME (DENNIS VOY) WITH HAND IN LEFT POCKET.   IN THOSE DAYS, I WAS A 32-WAIST.    THIS WAS TAKEN IN THE KMAQ
UPSTAIRS STUDIO-OFFICE  AT 136 1/2 SOUTH MAIN STREET, RENTED FROM CLINT GALLAGHER FOR $35.00 A MONTH.   WE WERE THERE FROM 1958 UNTIL A NEXT DOOR "COAST TO COAST STORE"  FIRE IN THE FALL OF 1970 FORCED US TO MOVE TO OUR PRESENT LOCATION AT 129 NORTH MAIN STREET, A BUILDING I HAD PURCHASED IN 1969 FOR A NEW LOCATION SOME
DAY, NEVER KNOWING IT WOULD NOT BE LONG BEFORE WE MADE THE MOVE.    BELOW, ANOTHER PHOTO OF RAY SHIELDS, DOING A FARM INTERVIEW IN 1959, WITH OUR KMAQ VEHICLE AT THE TIME.

MARILYN (MRS. JIM) RANKIN OF MAQUOKETA WORKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS
IN THE KMAQ OFFICE IN THE MID 70'S AND THEN LEFT US TO WORK AT THE
COURTHOUSE.    SITTING LEFT, IS MRS. MARLON JORDAN,  AND HER HUSBAND WORKED IN KMAQ SALES A COUPLE YEARS AND ALSO DID
PLAY-BY-PLAY SPORTS FOR THE STATION.    I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE
JORDANS ARE, BUT JIM AND MARILYN ARE ACTIVE SENIORS HERE IN
MAQUOKETA.

OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE DONE HUNDREDS OF REMOTES AWAY FROM
THE STATION.    LIKE THE ONE ABOVE.

CLICK-ON PHOTO ABOVE TO ENLARGE IT.   A COUPLE THINGS ABOUT
THE SCHMIDT'S.    BOB'S DAD (DIED YOUNG) DARRELL WAS PARTNER IN
ONE OF KMAQ'S FIRST ADVERTISERS....SCHMIDT & KEIL TEXACO STATION
ON PLATT STREET.    HIS MOTHER, MARCELLA, WAS A LONGTIME NURSE AT THE JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC HOSPITAL AND WAS AND STILL IS ONE OF
KMAQ'S BEST LISTENERS.    HIS SISTER IS MARRIED TO DR. PAUL KOOB,
WHO HAS DONE (AND STILL DOES) WRESTLING BROADCASTS FOR KMAQ.   BOB WENT ON TO A LONG TEACHING AND COACHING CAREER  IN THE WATERLOO-CEDAR FALLS AREA.

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN 1962.   SEATED: LEFT FERN WILLIAMS, BOOKKEEPER AND NANCY MEYER (TWO YEARS LATER NANCY VOY)
RECEPTIONEST AND TRAFFIC.   BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT:
ANNOUNCER BILL LONGMAN, NEWS DIRECTOR DON PETERSON, ANNOUNCER DAVE SHADLE, MANAGER DENNIS VOY, ENGINEER AND MORNING ANNOUNCER RAY SCHIELDS (RED HENTON'S BROTHER),  SALESMAN EARL SAUNDERS, SALESMAN CLAUDE BECK AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON BIG-BAND ANNOUNCER BOB DEVINE.   BOB'S FULLTIME JOB IN MAQUOKETA WAS FOR BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD.   A SON TOM DEVINE IS MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MANAGER.

THIS WAS TAKEN IN 1962 AT THE JACKSON COUNTY FAIR.    DENNIS VOY IS INTERVIEWING

 RUUD WEATHERWAX, OWNER OF LASSIE.   NOTE, LASSIE IN PICTURE AND
HE "BARKED" FOR THE KMAQ (THEN AM STATION ONLY) LISTENERS.    LASSIE WAS MAIN ATTRACTION AT THE FAIR THAT DAY IN 1962.    THOSE DAYS, I
HAD A GARDEN TRACTOR (ON LOAN) WITH A REMOTE TRANSMITTER ON BACK AND I WOULD DRIVE AROUND THE FAIRGROUNDS AND DO REMOTE BROADCAST INTERVIEWS.     NOTE ALSO, MY 32 WAIST.

KMAQ HAS  HAD RADIO BINGO FOR AROUND 50 YEARS.   ABOVE, DENNIS VOY
CALLING OUT NUMBERS IN OUR FIRST STUDIOS AT 136 1/2 SOUTH MAIN STREET.    SO, WE STARTED BINGO  SOME TIME IN THE 60'S AND WE STILL PLAY BINGO FOR ABOUT 15 WEEKS EVERY WINTER, STARTING SOON AFTER THE NEW YEAR.

AFTER THE FIRE NEXT TO KMAQ (AT THE COAST TO COAST STORE) IN
OCTOBER 1970, WHICH DID SOME FIRE, SMOKE AND WATER DAMGE TO
OUR OFFICE-STUDIOS, WE MOVED THE NEXT DAY INTO THE BUILDING
ABOVE THAT WAS ALREADY OWNED BY KMAQ FOR A NEW LOCATION
SOMETIME.   THE NORTH SIDE WAS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY AND WE
USED THAT SIDE UNTIL THE SEARS STORE WAS MOVED DOWN THE STREET.
G.L. STOCKHAM AND SONS THEN STARTED REMODELING THE BUILDING TO
SUIT MY NEEDS AND AFTER A LOT OF HAMMERING AND SAWING (SOME GOING OVER-THE-AIR) WE HELD OUR OPEN HOUSE IN THE FALL OF 1971.
THE BUILDING FOR THE OPEN HOUSE LOOKED LIKE BELOW AND HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE.   JUST A PAINT JOB A FEW YEARS AGO.    IT HAS BEEN
A NICE, BIG, EASY TO REACH THE PUBLIC, LOCATION.   IT WAS GOOD
MOVE, BUT CAME ABOUT SUDDENLY AT 11:30 AT NIGHT WHEN THE FIRE
WAS REPORTED.    THE NEXT DAY, FOR ONE DAY ONLY, WE BROADCAST DIRECT FOR THE TRANSMITTER SITE NORTHEAST OF MAQUOKETA AT BRIDGEPORT.

 THE LATE-GREAT ERNEST TUBB CAME TO MAQUOKETA IN 1977 TO DO A SHOW AT THE POPULAR ROSE GARDEN AND THAT AFTERNOON HE STOPPED AT KMAQ AND I INTERVIEWED HIM.    THE FAMOUS ERNEST TUBB RECORD SHOP IS STILL IN BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE.     LASSIE, ERNEST TUBB....WE HAVE INTERVIEWED A LOT OF FAMOUS STARS ON KMAQ
 
CLICK-ON ABOVE TO ENLARGE.     DECEMBER 1986 AD

WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF "BUMPER STICKERS" OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING THE NEW ONE FOR THIS YEAR.    NOTE, AT THE START, KMAQ-FM'S FREQUENCY WAS 95.3.    THEN, QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO, SO WE COULD GO UP A LITTLE IN POWER, WE SWITCHED TO 95.1.

FOR TWENTY  YEARS, THE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN RESTAURANT IN
MAQUOKETA RAN A LOT OF COMMERCIALS ON KMAQ.    THAT'S BECAUSE FRIENDS DENNIS VOY AND DEAN TILTON OWNED IT.     IT WAS LOCATED NEXT
TO PIZZA HUT.   THEY BOUGHT IT FROM A COUPLE ILLINOIS GUYS 
IN 1980 (AT A KIND OF BARGAIN PRICE) AND REMODELED IT.   DURING
THE FOLLOWING 20 YEARS, D & D ASSOCIATES RAN ONE OF THE BEST KFC RESTAURANTS IN THE STATE.    THEN SOLD IT IN 2000.    AND A COUPLE YEARS LATER,THE NEW OWNERS CLOSED IT.    PEOPLE STILL MISS THAT
"FINGER LICKIN' GOOD CHICKEN" IN MAQUOKETA.

LOTS OF CANDIDATES ADVERTISED OVER THE YEARS.   ANDY McKEAN

FROM ANAMOSA CREDITED KMAQ FOR BEING ELECTED, FIRST

TO THE IOWA SENATE AND THEN OVER 35 YEARS LATER, WHEN

HE RAN FOR IOWA STATE REPRESENTATIVE, AND WON.     THE 

ABOVE WAS IN 2018, RUNNING FOR 2ND TERM.

  HE ALWAYS PURCHASED SHORT 5-MINUTE

PROGRAMS AND AGAIN THIS YEAR, FROM THE LOBBY OF THE DECKER HOTEL.

HIS GUEST FOR THIS NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ....11:50 A.M. BROADCAST, WAS

GLEN "RED" HENTON.

KMAQ OWNER DENNIS VOY (MAQUOKETA MAYOR 1971 AND 1972)

THIS PHOTO OF DENNIS VOY INTERVIEWING BOB SHAFF WAS TAKEN AT THE 1960 JACKSON COUNTY FAIR.    SHAFF WAS LONGTIME MANAGER OF THE
"BETTER HOMES FURNITURE STORE"  ON NORTH MAIN STREET AND HE
DID A LOT OF ADVERTISING ON KMAQ.    THE TWO LARGE BLACK LEATHER
COMFORTABLE CHAIRS IN KMAQ'S LOBBY WERE PURCHASED FROM BOB
BACK IN 1971 AND ARE STILL ENJOYED BY ALL TODAY.     BOB IS NO LONGER LIVING.    IN THE BACKGROUND IS CHUCK WOOD WHO WAS A KMAQ SALES REP THEN.   HE IS ALSO DECEASED.

 THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN ON RIDICULOUS DAY IN 1963.    THAT IS KMAQ SALESMAN CLAUDE BECK WITH HIS SON, MARK.   (FIRE CHIEF OF MAQUOKETA NOW)           RIDICULOUS DAY WAS A POPULAR SALES EVENT SPONSORED EVERY SUMMER BY THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RETAIL TRADE COMMITTEE.     IT WAS DISCONTINUED A FEW YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF SO FEW DOWNTOWN RETAIL BUSINESS PLACES.   IT WAS ALWAYS A FUN DAY AND WAS A BIG SALES DAY FOR MERCHANTS.    NOTE, THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT THE OLD KMAQ OFFICE/STUDIO AT 136 1/2 SOUTH MAIN STREET, UPSTAIRS, LOOKING OVER MAIN.   IN THE BACKGROUND ON LEFT, THE GAMBLES STORE.

MY WIFE NANCY WORKED AT KMAQ BEFORE WE WERE MARRIED.    THEN,
AFTER MY 2  YEARS IN THE ARMY (WE WERE MARRIED DURING THAT TIME)
NANCY HELPED OUT WHEN NEEDED AT THE STATION,  LIKE ABOVE WHERE
SHE WAS RECORDING A COMMERCIAL AT THE OLD STUDIOS.   HOWEVER,
HER BUSY DAYS WERE AS A HOUSEWIFE RAISING THE FAMILY OF FOUR KIDS
(RICK, CHRISTY, DAVE AND LONNA) AND BEING ACTIVE IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND EVENTS.

A COUPLE PHOTOS OF LEIGHTON HEPKER MY RIGHT-HAND MAN FROM 1975.
THE ONE BELOW WAS HIS FIRST SUMMER IN MAQUOKETA, AND WAS TAKEN
FROM OUR LITTLE BROADCASTING BUILDING AT THE 1975 JACKSON COUNTY
FAIR.    CINDY (2ND PHOTO DOWN)  CAME ALONG A  COUPLE YEARS LATER.
MY DAUGHTER LONNA, WHO WAS IN CINDY'S KINDERGARDEN CLASS, WAS
THE MATCH-MAKER, SUGGESTING TO BOTH THAT THEY SHOULD GET TOGETHER.     AND SO, THERE WAS THE FIRST DATE AND NANCY AND I WENT
ALONG ON IT, FOR DINNER AT THE JULIEN HOTEL IN DUBUQUE.   LEIGHTON WAS NERVOUS BUT ALL WENT WELL AND IT CERTAINLY WAS "LOVE AT
FIRST SIGHT".    LONNA ENDED UP BEING FLOWER GIRL IN THEIR WEDDING.

LEIGHTON  HEPKER GRADUATED FROM A CALIFORNIA COLLEGE AND CAME TO WORK AT KMAQ AS NEWS DIRECTOR IN 1975.    HE GREW UP ON A FARM AT SPRINGVILLE, NEAR CEDAR RAPIDS.   HE ALSO DID PLAY-BY-PLAY
UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO.    WAS NAMED STATION MANAGER IN 1981.
CINDY CAME TO TOWN AFTER COLLEGE TO BE A KINDERGARDEN TEACHER AND STILL IS.    THEY WERE MARRIED IN 1979.   SON JUSTIN IS AN MD IN
INDIANNA AND SON ADAM AND WIFE ARE TEACHERS IN MISSOURI AND
HAVE A BABY GIRL.
LEIGHTON STARTED IN  JUNE OF 1975...AS NEWS DIRECTOR....BELOW,
HIS "CARD" AND PHOTO OF HIM AT HIS NEWSROOM DESK.   IT IS THE
SAME NEWSROOM WE HAVE HAD FOREVER, BUT THE L-SHAPED COUNTER
WAS TAKEN OUT A LONG TIME AGO.   THE COUNTER CAME FROM THE
FRONT OFFICE AT OUR FIRST LOCATION AT 136 1/2 SOUTH MAIN STREET.
AFTER THE FIRE, WE MOVED IT DOWN TO PRESENT BUILDING.   NOTE,
THE BIG MACHINE ON THE DESK WAS CALLED A "TYPEWRITER".

CHRISTMAS 1987

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN ON THE FRONT PORCH OF THE DECKER HOTEL
ACROSS FROM KMAQ.    THIS WAS A "KEY TO THE CITY" CEREMONY FOR
FAMOUS SINGER VAUGHN MONROE.    AT RIGHT, I WAS HOLDING THE KMAQ
MIC AND BROADCASTING THE EVENT ON KMAQ.    THIS WAS IN THE LOW TO MID 1970'S.     MONROE WAS WORKING FOR RCA AND WAS IN MAQUOKETA
TO VISIT THE DEALER, YEAGER'S TV, AND ALSO TO BE EMCEE FOR THE
MISS MAQUOKETA PAGEANT.    MAKING THE PRESENTATION, FAR LEFT,
WAS LOWELL HAAS, PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND
A TOP OFFICIAL WITH CLINTON ENGINES.    BEHIND HIM  IS THE MAYOR, BEN JACOBSEN.   BEN WAS A LONGTIME HARDWARD STORE OWNER AND
WAS VOTED MAYOR TWO OR THREE TIMES.   MONROE'S MOST FAMOUS SONG WAS "RACING WITH THE MOON".

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT THE JACKSON COUNTY FARM BUREAU
ANNUAL MEETING AT THE FAIRGROUNDS IN MAQUOKETA IN 1999.
THE GUEST SPEAKER WAS DERRY BROWNFIELD, CO-OWNER AND
CHIEF REPORTER FOR THE BROWNFIELD FARM NETWORK.   KMAQ-AM
SIGNED-ON WITH THAT NEW NETWORK IN THE EARLY 70'S AND IS
STILL WITH IT.   DERRY DIED UNEXPECTEDLY IN THE SPRING OF 2011.
SHOWN LEFT TO RIGHT, KMAQ VETERAN SALES REP, DOTTIE BAYLES (WHO WITH HUSBAND OWNED A FARM WEST OF MAQUOKETA)....KMAQ OWNER
DENNIS VOY....DERRY....AND NANCY VOY.

THE ABOVE PHOTO DURING RIDICULOUS DAY 1987 IN DOWNTOWN
MAQUOKETA.   COAST TO COAST STORE IN BACKGROUND ON CORNER.
THE KMAQ GIRLS GIVING POLICE CHIEF RON EVANS A LAUGH.
KAREN SCHNOOR,  PAT WEIRUP AND IN BACK RIGHT, PAULETTE HORNER.

THIS 1964 PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN THE MAIN KMAQ CONTROL ROOM.
STANDING, KMAQ SALESMAN, EARL SAUNDERS WITH KMAQ ENGINEER
AND MORNING ANNOUNCER DON ANDERSON.   DON  HAD A GOOD VOICE AND WAS ACTIVE WITH THE MAQUOKETA JAYCEES.   HIS WIFE WORKED AT
JC PENNEY IN MAQUOKETA.    NO CHILDREN.  DON WAS  ONLY AT KMAQ ABOUT TWO YEARS.    NEVER EVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN.   WE HAVE A LARGE WOOD MIC HE MADE FOR KMAQ PARADES AND IT WAS USED ON THE
KMAQ 50TH ANNIVERSARY FLOAT THAT APPEARED IN 7 OR 8 PARADES.

WE HAVE BROADCAST EVERY JACKSON COUNTY FAIR PARADE SINCE 1959.
THIS PARADE WAS DONE BY DENNIS VOY AND SITTING WITH HIM, HIS
DAUGHTER LONNA.   THIS WAS IN THE MID 80'S, FROM IN FRONT OF THE
KMAQ BUILDING AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE DECKER HOTEL,
BEFORE THE BIG WHITE COLUMNS WERE TAKEN OFF.

SOME PHOTOS BELOW OF OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY OPEN HOUSE AT THE
STATION:

GUESTS (GOOD LISTENERS)  REGISTERED FOR 25 FREE RADIOS.   DOTTIE BAYLES IS AT THE REGISTRATION BOX ABOVE.

WE CLEANED UP THE KMAQ GARAGE AND SERVED THE FOOD IN IT.   THEY THEN WENT TO THE KMAQ CONFERENCE ROOM IN BASEMENT TO EAT.  THAT'S BOB HEAD STANDING ALONG WALL BEHIND NANCY AND I.    HE HAD A CAR DEALERSHIP IN MAQUOKETA FOR MANY YEARS.

CLICK-ON ABOVE TO READ IT

DENNIS VOY RAN AGAINST REP. DAVE TABOR IN PRIMARY 1988...AND LOST!

BOB SCHMIDT AND LEIGHTON HEPKER DOING A BELLEVUE STATE TOURNAMENT GAME AT THE OLD VETERAN'S AUDITORIUM IN DES MOINES.
NOT SURE OF DATE, BUT IN THE MID 70'S.

 

WE DID SOME BILLBOARD ADVERTISING  NOW AND THEN.   THE ABOVE 
WAS ON EAST PLATT STREET AND PUSHED LOCAL NEWS ON KMAQ AND
WITH THE LONGER HAIR, THEN NEWS DIRECTOR LEIGHTON HEPKER.   HE
STARTED AT KMAQ AS NEWS DIRECTOR AND IN THE EARLY 80'S WENT INTO
SALES AND MANAGEMENT.

DENNIS VOY INTERVIEWING CLINTON ENGINES OWNER DON THOMAS
AT A SUMMER PICNIC ON THE CLINTON ENGINES LAWN IN MAQUOKETA YEARS AFTER HE SOLD THE PLANT.   THIS PICNIC WAS HELD ON JUNE 12, 1988.   THIS DATE WAS GIVEN TO ME IN 2015 BY LONGTIME CLINTON
ENGINES EMPLOYEE AND NOW CLINTON ENGINES  HISTORIAN, BILL
LUCKEY.     BILL CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THE CLINTON ENGINES MUSEUM
IN THE FORMER OFFICE BUILDING OF THE PLANT IN MAQUOKETA.    THANKS
TO BRIG. GEN. CHARLES MITCHELL AND ATTORNEY ASHER SCHROEDER FOR DOING WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE THAT MUSEUM A REALITY.

KMAQ HAS CELEBRATED AN ANNIVERSARY JUST ABOUT EVERY 5 YEARS.
I BELIEVE THE ABOVE TWO PHOTOS WERE ON THE 30TH.    I DECIDED TO
HAVE AN "ADVERTISERS" PARTY AT THE TOWER SITE NORTHEAST OF
MAQUOKETA ACROSS FROM THE BRIDGEPORT CEMETERY.    THE REASON WAS TO SHOW OFF OUR TOWER AND TRANSMITTERS IN THE SMALL BUILDING.   THE ABOVE PHOTO, WAITING FOR THE GUESTS.   I MOWED THE
HAYFIELD AS BEST I COULD.    WE TRUCKED OUT TABLES, CHAIRS, AND HOOKED UP LIGHTS.    THE FOOD WAS CATERED.   THE BOTTOM PHOTO
SHOWS THE PARTY IN PROGRESS.    WE HAD A DIXIELAND BAND FROM
WATERLOO ON A STAGE WE SET UP.    FOR REST ROOMS, I  HAD FORREST
MILLER'S WAGON AND TEAM OF HORSES TAKE GUESTS UP THE HILL TO THE DENNIS AND JANET STANGE RESTORED SCHOOLHOUSE TWO OUTHOUSES.
BOTH HAD A RADIO TO LISTEN TO KMAQ INSIDE.    MANY PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T HAVE "TO GO" WENT ANYWAY JUST FOR THE RIDE AND EXPERIENCE.   A LITTLE BOOZE, GOOD FOOD, MUSIC AND FUN WAS HAD BY ALL.     IT WAS
A SUCCESS EXCEPT I REMEMBER THAT THE TURNOUT WAS LOWER THAN
WE HAD PLANNED FOR SOME REASON.   WE HAD A LOT OF FOOD LEFT
OVER.     AS ALWAYS, CLICK-ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.

ABOVE, KMAQ-AM FIRST MANAGER IN 1958, ROBERT K. BROWN, NOW
90 AND LIVING IN FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN.     THIS PHOTO TAKEN AT KMAQ'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT.     BOB WAS CONSIDERED BY MANY AS ONE OF THE BEST AM PROGRAMMERS IN THE MIDWEST.   HE MANAGED STATIONS IN WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA AND IOWA AND ALSO PRODUCED FOR SOME TIME THE FAMOUS JACK EIGEN EVENING RADIO TALK SHOW THAT WAS BROADCAST ON WMAQ IN CHICAGO,   "LIVE AND DIRECT"  FROM THE POPULAR  CHEZ PAREE NIGHT SPOT (1932-1960) ON OR NEAR RUSH STREET IN CHICAGO.

THIS PHOTO ALSO TAKEN AT THE KMAQ 25TH ANNIVERSARY.   SIX OR
EIGHT PAST EMPLOYEES WERE INTERVIEWED ON-THE-AIR FROM
LARGE STUDIO AT KMAQ ABOUT THEIR DAYS WITH THE STATION.
LEFT TO RIGHT:  WAYNE LITTLE, PART TIME ANNOUNCER WHO WORKED
FOR STATION UNTIL MOVING TO ELDRIDGE WHERE HE STILL LIVES.
HE ALSO HAD A COUNTRY MUSIC BAND AND PLAYED FOR SOME KMAQ
EVENTS, LIKE AT THE FAIR.   BOB SCHMIDT, NEWS AND SPORTS, THEN
TEACHER IN WATERLOO, SON OF MARCELLA IN MAQUOKETA.   MARLON
JORDAN, SALES AND PLAY-BY-PLAY FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND NOT
HEARD FROM IN YEARS.    AND BILL LONGMAN OF DAVENPORT AND
FORMER ANNOUNCER FOR TWO DIFFERENT PERIODS OF TIME.

WHEN I FIRST CAME TO KMAQ IN 1958, ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I MET WAS BEVERLY WILLEY.   HER HUSBAND WAS DUANE AND HE WAS KMAQ'S FIRST
SALES MANAGER.    BEV WAS A TEACHER AND WAS ALSO, LIKE ME,  A NATIVE OF WISCONSIN, RANDOLPH.    THEY HAD 3 LITTLE KIDS THEN...A BOY AND TWO GIRLS.    HERE, A LONG TIME LATER, BEV IS SHOWN AT THE MAQUOKETA 150TH BIRTHDAY BOOTH AT THE KMAQ  FARM AND HOME SHOW.   KMAQ WAS A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE SESQUICENTENNIAL AND DONATED A  SPACE AT THE SHOW TO PUBLICIZE THE ONE-WEEK EVENT.   I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE AND SO WAS BEV.   SID AND BEL TUBBS WERE CO-CHAIRMAN.

A LOT OF THEATRE COMMERCIALS STARTED RUNNING ON KMAQ IN 1972.
THAT WAS THE YEAR DENNIS VOY GOT INTO THE THEATRE BUSINESS.
HE BOUGHT THE 61 DRIVE-IN OVER  A CUP OF COFFEE AT THE
THE GREEN MILL RESTAURANT (FOR $22,000) FROM BUD McKINSEY.
HE QUICKLY SPENT ANOTHER $10,000 IMPROVING IT BEFORE THE SEASON
STARTED.     THEN BOUGHT THE PASTIME THEATRE THAT FALL AND RAN
IT UNTIL HE OPENED THE NEW VOY THEATRE IN MARCH OF 1973.   THE
PASTIME WAS THEN TORN DOWN  TO MAKE ROOM FOR A NEW SCHULTZ BROTHER'S VARIETY STORE.   (NOW THAT LOCATION IS WHERE "SMILES ON MAIN" IS LOCATED)    THE VOY 2 CAME ALONG IN 1975 (IN STILES CLEANERS
BUILDING WHEN THEY RETIRED) AND THE VOY 3 OPENED IN 1981.
MAQUOKETA THEN HAD THE FIRST SMALL TOWN TRI-PLEX THEATRE IN IOWA.
THE 61 SCREEN BLEW DOWN WITH TONADO-LIKE WINDS.   THAT'S DENNIS
IN KMAQ JACQUET.   A NEW SCREEN WAS QUICKLY PUT BACK UP AND THE
THEATRE OPENED ABOUT A MONTH LATER.   THIS WAS THE SAME TIME PERIOD WHEN HIGHWAY 61 WAS BEING TURNED INTO 4-LANES.
KMAQ ADVERTISING HAS HELPED KEEP THE 4 SCREENS GOING ALL THESE
YEARS, ALONG WITH GOOD MANAGEMENT BY JACK JONES WHO STARTED
AT THE THEATRE RIGHT AFTER COLLEGE IN LATE 1974.

THE VOY 1 THEATRE OPENED IN 1973,  VOY 2 IN 1965   AND VOY 3 IN 1981.

DENNIS VOY BUILDT WCCI-FM IN SAVANNA IN 1971 AND SOLD IT IN 1976.   THIS WAS A 1973 PHOTO.
JOHN SULLIVAN OWNED THE SUPER MARKET IN
SAVANNA.     DENNIS HAD A SMALL OFFICE AT THE
STATION AND VISITED THE STATION ABOUT TWICE
A WEEK,  AND DID SOME SPECIAL BROADCASTS FOR
WCCI AND RECORDED THE SPOTS  FOR A FEW
ADVERTISERS.    EACH VISIT INCLUDED PAYING THE
TOLL BOTH WAYS TO CROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

JOHN HENDERSON AT LEFT ABOVE WAS FOR A LONG LONG TIME THE
JACKSON COUNTY EXTENSION DIRECTOR.   HE WAS A GREAT GUY, WELL LIKED AND KNEW AGRICULTURE AND WE DECIDED IT WOULD BE GOOD TO
HAVE HIM ON KMAQ.    I REMEMBER GOING DOWN TO SEE HIM AT HIS
OFFICE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE BASEBALL DIAMOND AT NORTH
EDGE OF TOWN TO TALK ABOUT DOING A RADIO SHOW.    THIS WAS IN
1959.   HE LISTENED, WAS SURPRISED, AND WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT DOING
A RADIO SHOW, BUT SOON AFTER DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY.   SO, THE
PROGRAM "RFD 1320" WAS STARTED, FOR 25 MINUTES MONDAY THRU FRIDAY, AND IT WAS A HIT.  JOHN HAD TO GET UP EARLY AS IT WENT ON-THE-AIR AT 6:35 A.M. AND HE ALWAYS DID IT "LIVE".    JOHN EVERY DAY WOULD DO A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW  WITH A LOCAL FARMER OR AG BUSINESSMAN  ALONG WITH FARM NEWS AND MARKETS OFF OUR WIRE SERVICE PRINTER.    LATER ON IN THE EARLY 70'S, WHEN WE BECAME A MEMBER OF THE BROWNFIELD FARM NETWORK, WE CUT THE SHOW TO 15 MINUTES AND JOHN CONTINUED UNTIL RETIRING.    HE MUST HAVE DONE THE SHOW AROUND 20 YEARS.   HE TOOK NO MONEY FOR THE SHOW AND INSTEAD, WE GAVE A SMALL MONTHLY CHECK TO THE 4-H COUNTY PROGRAM.
HE IS NO LONGER LIVING AND HIS WIFE BETTY DIED A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
ALSO IN THIS PHOTO,  AT RIGHT, IS FARMER BILL BAYLES WHO FARMED NORTHEAST OF MAQUOKETA AND WAS HUSBAND OF KMAQ SALES PERSON, DOTTIE BAYLES.   HE DIED SUDDENLY QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO....ANOTHER GREAT, WELL-LIKED GUY

AT A SPECIAL DOWNTOWN PROMOTION CELEBRATING REMOVAL OF PARKING METERS, A PIE-THROWING AUCTION WAS HELD.    DENNIS VOY BOUGHT THE
PIE FOR THROWING AT THE LATE, LONGTIME PUBLISHER OF THE
MAQUOKETA NEWSPAPERS, BOB MELVOLD.    IT WAS IN THE MID-70'S.
SITTING IN THE MIDDLE, MAYOR BARKER.    THE PERSON ON LEFT WITH
APRON, I CAN'T REMEMBER NAME.

THE TWO ABOVE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN AT THE FAMOUS "GREEN MILL
CAFE" IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA.    WHEN I CAME TO MAQUOKETA IN
1958 WHEN KMAQ WENT ON-THE-AIR, THIS IS WHERE I ATE MOST OF MY
MEALS.    ONE COULD HAVE A HOME COOKED DINNER FOR 99-CENTS AND
A SANDWICH, FRIES AND A COKE FOR 69-CENTS.    GREAT PIES TOO.
SERVING THE COFFEE, GEORGE PETAROS, THE OWNER.   HE DID MOST OF
THE COOKING.     HIS WIFE, SOPHIE, BOTTOM PHOTO, MADE HAND-DIPPED CANDY IN THE BACK CANDY KITCHEN.    AND EACH FALL, THEIR HOME MADE CARAMEL APPLES WERE THE BEST IN IOWA.    THE GREEK COUPLE CAME
HERE FROM CHICAGO AND LIVED IN NICE APARTMENT UPSTAIRS OVER THE
CAFE.    THE FIRST THANKSGIVING I WAS IN TOWN, THEY WERE NOT OPEN BUT INVITED ME TO HAVE DINNER WITH THEM.    THEY HAD TWO CHILDREN,
TOM AND GEORGIA, BOTH STILL LIVING IN MAQUOKETA.     EACH AFTERNOON
AFTER SCHOOL, THE PLACE WAS PACKED WITH HIGH SCHOOL KIDS IN TO TALK AND HAVE A COKE.    SOMETIMES GEORGE HAD TO QUIET THEM DOWN.
THE GREEN MILL BUILDING BECAME THE NORTH PORTION OF OSTERHAUS PHARMACY, NOW MAE ART HOUSE.   THE MAN DRINKING THE COFFEE ABOVE IS VERN BEATY, OWNER OF BEATY'S BEN FRANKLIN 5 & 10 STORE ACROSS THE STREET.    HIS STORE, LIKE THE GREEN MILL, DID A LOT OF ITS
ADVERTISING ON KMAQ.   VERN WAS A GOOD BUSINESSMAN FOR MANY
YEARS AND A GOOD HAWKEYE FAN.   HE TOOK ME TO MY FIRST FOOTBALL
GAME AT IOWA CITY.
DENNIS VOY
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED.

TWICE, KMAQ SPONSORED A "HOMEMAKER'S SCHOOL" (ABOVE) AT THE 
FAIRGROUND'S PEARSON BUILDING, IN THE LARGE "ARTHUR JANSEN HALL".
THE LAST ONE IN 1985.    THE OTHER  ABOUT 10 YEARS EARLIER AND BOTH
WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND FUN, CONDUCTED BY A WOMAN FROM WISCONSIN WITH A HOME-EC DEGREE.   SHE COOKED ON STAGE USING A LARGE MIRROR TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO BETTER SEE WHAT SHE WAS DOING UP THERE.    IT WAS SPONSORED BY LOCAL BUSINESS PLACES AND WAS FREE.   MANY GOT A FREE "GOODY" BAG AND OTHERS WON A DOOR PRIZE.

KMAQ STARTED HOLDING TWO-DAY FARM AND HOME SHOWS AT THE BIG PEARSON CENTER ON THE FAIRGROUNDS IN MAQUOKETA BACK IN THE
80'S AND HAS NEVER MISSED A YEAR SINCE.   MUSIC, FOOD,
SEMINARS, CONTESTS, AND MERCHANT BOOTHS.      THIS PHOTO OF THE
FAMOUS JACKSON COUNTY "CORN FED GIRLS" ENTERTAINING THE CROWD.
EACH YEAR, THREE AG AWARDS ARE PRESENTED:    FARMER OF THE YEAR...
AG BUSINESS OF THE YEAR...AND AG PUBLIC SERVICE PERSON OF THE
YEAR.   SOMETIMES IT IS A COUPLE, HUSBAND AND WIFE.   NEARLY TWO
THOUSAND PEOPLE ATTEND THE SHOW EACH FEBRUARY.

FOR MANY YEARS DURING THE FARM AND HOME SHOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE
SO MANY POLKA FANS (HAVE HAD A POLKA DAILY SHOW SINCE DAY 1) , WE
HIRED THE ONE-MAN POLKA BAND, RUDY HODNIC FROM THE QUAD CITIES.
TWO THINGS ABOUT RUDY:   HE PLAYED GREAT POLKA MUSIC WITH HIS
EXPENSIVE ACCORDION AND HE WAS BLIND, FROM BIRTH.    OUR FARM SHOW VISITORS LIKED HIM A LOT AND LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING HIM
(ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE) EVERY FEBRUARY.    BUT, HIS WIFE DIED AND
HE MOVED TO A CARE CENTER FOR THE BLIND AT MILWAUKEE.   I BELIEVE
HE IS STILL LIVING.

SQUARE DANCING WAS POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT AT MANY  KMAQ FARM
AND HOME SHOWS.    JACKSON COUNTY HAS A LOT OF GOOD DANCERS!
THE REALLY GOOD ONES WEAR A TIE!

JACKSON COUNTY FAIR, 1966, LOOKING DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE
GRANDSTAND.

BACK IN 2009 I WAS INDUCTED INTO A "HALL OF FAME"....A FIRST.
THE CLINTON COUNTY FAIR  "HALL OF FAME".    A  "THANK-YOU"  FOR
BROADCASTING FROM THE FAIR EACH SUMMER FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
KMAQ ALSO HAS BROADCAST "LIVE AND DIRECT" EVERY SUMMER
FOR OVER 25 YEARS FROM THE CEDAR COUNTY FAIR, THE GREAT JONES
COUNTY FAIR, AND OF COURSE THE JACKSON COUNTY FAIR.   OUR FIRST  BROADCAST AT IT WAS IN 1959 AND WE CELEBRATED OUR FIRST ANNIVERSARY AT OUR TENT.   WHEN WE WENT ON-THE-AIR IN 1958, THE FAIR HAD ALREADY ENDED THAT SUMMER.     SUMMERS ARE ALWAYS BUSY IN THE RADIO  BIZ.

 LYLE SHEPERS, ABOVE, NEWS DIRECTOR FROM 1993 TO 1997.    DID A NICE JOB BUT GOT TIRED OF COVERING NIGHT MEETINGS AND WRITING THE STORY AFTER,  SO RESIGNED AND TOOK A MEAT PACKING JOB IN THE QUAD CITIES AND NEVER RETURNED TO RADIO.   HIS FOLKS LIVED HERE IN TOWN, BUT JUST MOTHER STILL LIVING.

JIMMY SAUNDERS, IN HIS 50'S, STARTED WORKING FOR KMAQ IN 1988.
THIS YEAR, 2013, (ON OCTOBER 1) HIS 25TH YEAR AS A KMAQ ANNOUNCER.
THIS PHOTO TAKEN IN 2001.   FOR A FEW YEARS, HE NEVER MISSED THE
FAMOUS BELLEVUE RODEO AND ALWAYS WENT IN HIS COWBOY HAT TO IT.
HE IS SINGLE AND HAS NO CAR SO DOES A LOT OF WALKING.    LIKES A
COLD BEER NOW AND THEN.

KMAQ TRAVEL STARTED IN 1991.   FIRST TRIP WAS TO BRANSON AND WE
ENDED UP GOING WITH 4 BUSLOADS.   BRANSON WAS JUST GETTING
POPULAR THEN AFTER A CBS 60 MINUTES FEATURE ON THE CITY.
THE COST PER PERSON WAS $299 FOR THAT FIRST TRIP.    IN 2013,
FORTY TRIPS TO BRANSON LATER, THE COST IS UP TO $659.
I TOOK THIS PHOTO OF BOXCAR WILLIE WHEN HE CAME OUT TO OUR
BUS TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING HIS SHOW AT HIS THEATRE.
GOOD SHOW.    HE DIED IN 1999.   WE HAVE A PATRIOTIC CD OF HIS
AND PLAY SONGS FROM IT OFTEN EACH  YEAR.    KMAQ TRAVEL HAS
ALSO SPONSORED MANY TRIPS TO NASHVILLE AND TO BASEBALL GAMES.
ALSO A TRIP TO MACKINAW ISLAND AND DOOR COUNTY.

                                        (CLICK-ON THE ABOVE TO READ)
KMAQ EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.    DENNIS VOY
HAS BEEN A MAQUOKETA LIONS MEMBER (PRESIDENT TWICE) SINCE 1965
AND HAS BEEN A MAQUOKETA ROTARY MEMBER SINCE 1973.    LEIGHTON
HEPKER HAS BEEN A LONGTIME CHARTER MEMBER (PAST PRESIDENT)  OF
THE MAQUOKETA KIWANIS CLUB.   LOIS FISCHER HAS BEEN A LONGTIME
MEMBER OF THE MAQUOKETA OPTIMIST CLUB.    BOTH VOY AND HEPKER ARE PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND VOY,  HEPKER AND TOM MESSERLI AND ALL PAST MAYORS OF
MAQUOKETA.     DENNIS VOY REPRESENTED EASTERN IOWA  AS  A 
COMMISSIONER FOR THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FROM 1981 UNTIL 1985, APPOINTED BY GOV. ROBERT RAY.    THE 7 MEMBER BOARD
MET TWICE A MONTH AT DOT HEADQUARTERS IN AMES.

WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF STUDENT ANNOUNCERS OVER THE YEARS AND MIKE LYMAN WAS ONE.   THIS PHOTO IN THE LATE 60'S.   NOTE, THE SIGN PAINTED BY LARRY HAGER ONLY MENTIONS 1320.    THE FM FREQUENCY (THEN 95.3)
WAS ADDED AFTER KMAQ-FM WAS ADDED IN 1967.   MIKE'S DAD WAS CARL,  A RAILROAD ENGINEER AND CLARINETIST THAT HAD A BAND CALLED THE "LITTLE GERMAN BAND"  THAT WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL
EVENTS.   ONE TIME MIKE SHOWED ME A PHOTO HE HAD TAKEN AND I COULD TELL IT WAS TAKEN HIGH UP LOOKING DOWN.   HE THEN TOLD ME HE
WENT OUT TO THE KMAQ TOWER (200 FOOT TALL THEN) AND CLIMBED IT
AND TOOK THE PICTURE WHILE SITTING ON THE RED GLOBE AT THE TOP.
MIKE HAS LIVED IN GERMANY MOST OF HIS LIFE.   IN THE 80'S WE PUT UP A NEW TOWER AND IT IS STILL THE ONE WE USE AND IT IS 404 FEET HIGH.
IT GAVE US BETTER FM COVERAGE ....AND THEN YEARS LATER, WE WENT
FROM 3,000 TO 6,000 WATTS ON FM FOR EVEN BETTER COVERAGE.  

THIS IS A 1959 PHOTO.  LEFT TO RIGHT, NEWS DIRECTOR STAN BARTON,
HIS FRIEND MARILYN HUTE, ENGINEER-ANNOUNCER RAY SHIELDS AND
SALESMAN CLAUDE BECK, NOW ALL DEAD, EXCEPT MARILYN.   RAY'S BROTHER IS RED HENTON.    DUANE WAS SALES MANAGER WHEN KMAQ
WENT ON-THE-AIR.    A YEAR LATER, WHEN BOB BROWN LEFT, DUANE
WAS NAMED MANAGER.   ANOTHER YEAR LATER, DUANE WAS IN A BAD
AUTO ACCIDENT THAT PREVENTED HIM FROM EVER WORKING AGAIN.
DENNIS VOY ACTED AS INTERIM MANAGER THEN UNTIL ART STANLEY
WAS HIRED.   A YEAR LATER, HE LEFT AND DENNIS VOY, AT AGE 21, WAS
NAMED MANAGER, AND WAS AT THE TIME, THE YOUNGEST RADIO STATION
MANAGER IN THE COUNTRY.    HE WAS MANAGER UNTIL DRAFTED INTO THE
ARMY IN 1963.  JOE LOBAITO WAS NAMED MANAGER THEN.

JOESEPH LOBAITO, AGE 93 (ABOVE), DIED SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 , AT HIS
HOME IN GENESEO, ILLINOIS.   HE WAS MANAGER OF KMAQ (AM ONLY THEN)
IN 1963 AND 1964 WHILE  DENNIS WAS IN THE ARMY.  WHILE IN MAQUOKETA, HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE MAQUOKETA ROTARY CLUB AND SACRED HEART
CATHOLIC CHURCH.    DURING HIS RADIO CAREER, HE ALSO ALSO WORKED AT STATIONS IN LITCHFIELD, SALEM, DECATUR, AND ROCK ISLAND (WHBF)
ILLINOIS AND OWNED WGEN AM-FM IN GENESEO FROM 1970 TO 1990.
HIS WIFE WAS MARY AND  HE HAD FOUR CHILDREN.   MORE BELOW.....

WHEN SGT. VOY (A RADIO ANNOUNCER IN THE ARMY TOO) WAS DISCHARGED TWO YEARS LATER, HE WAS ASKED TO COME BACK TO KMAQ AS MANAGER IN THE WINTER OF 1965.    THEN IN OCTOBER THAT YEAR, HE PURCHASED THE STILL AM-ONLY STATION FROM THE 3 WISCONSIN OWNERS.   AN
INTERESTING SIDE NOTE.   BEFORE DUANE'S ACCIDENT, HE, DENNIS AND
A CEDAR RAPIDS RADIO ENGINEER FORMED A PARTNERSHIP AND GOT FCC AUTHORITY TO BUILD A NEW AM STATION IN BARABOO, WISCONSIN.   THEY WERE MAKING PLANS TO BUILD IT AND MOVE THERE.     MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, DENNIS AND DUANE AND HIS WIFE SOLD THE CONSTRUCTION PERMIT TO THE CEDAR RAPIDS PARTNER AND VOY REMAINED IN MAQUOKETA.   ONE OF THOSE "WHAT IF?" STORIES.    THE RADIO STATION WAS PUT ON THE AIR BY THE CEDAR RAPIDS MAN AND IT WAS KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS AS WBOO.

KMAQ HAS HELPED MANY ORGANIZATIONS WITH PUBLIC SERVICE TIME.
THIS PHOTO IN 1959 WAS TAKEN THRU THE WINDOW OF DON-MARVIN
FURNITURE STORE DOWNTOWN, NEXT TO THE PASTIME THEATRE.   BOTH BUILDINGS WERE TORN DOWN AND THE CURRENT BUILDING IN THAT LOCATION IS THE LARGE "SMILES ON MAIN" DENTAL AND OFFICE BUILDING.
SHOWN AT THE RCA 44 BX MIKE (DARN IT, I SOLD THAT MIKE, NOW IT IS
AN ANTIQUE JEWEL) AT LEFT, KEITH FAULKNER AND JACK BLOSSFIELD AT
RIGHT.   KEITH WORKED AT "BETTER HOMES FURNITURE"  AND JACK OWNED
"THE SPOT CAFE", BEHIND WHERE WAUGH TIRE IS NOW LOCATED.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE JAYCEES WERE DOING THIS DAY.    I WAS A JAYCEE, BUT NOT UNTIL I TURNED 21, THE MINIMUM AGE THEN.   AND I WAS A MEMBER ONLY A SHORT TIME, UNTIL I WENT INTO THE ARMY IN MARCH 1963.
WHILE A JAYCEE, I WAS CHAIR PERSON AND EMCEE FOR THE FIRST MISS MAQUOKETA PAGEANT.   DARLENE BRADY WON THE CONTEST AND
REPRESENTED MAQUOKETA AT THE STATE PAGEANT IN CLEAR LAKE'S
"SURF BALLROOM"  WHERE BUDDY HOLLY DID HIS LAST SHOW.    DARLENE
MARRIED DAVE HAYES AND THEY HAVE LIVED HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER  HERE IN MAQUOKETA AND HAVE DRIVEN THEIR MOTORCYCLE IN ALL 50 STATES.

KMAQ WAS AT 136 1/2 SOUTH MAIN, A LONG STAIRWAY, UNTIL OCTOBER 26,1970.
A NIGHT FIRE AT THE  "COAST TO COAST STORE"  NEXT DOOR, GUTTED THE
BUILDING.  THE FIRE GOT TO THE KMAQ HALLWAY(ABOVE) AND WE HAD LOTS
WATER AND SMOKE DAMAGE AS WELL.    AFTER MIDNIGHT, WE SET UP A TEMPORARY STUDIO OUT BY THE TRANSMITTER IN A SMALL CAMPER AND
THE NEXT MORNING (OCT 27), WE WENT ON THE AIR FROM THERE AND BROADCAST ALL DAY THERE.    I HAD PURCHASED THE 129 NORTH MAIN BUILDING FOR USE SOME DAY BY KMAQ.     ONE HALF OF IT WAS USED BY THE CHAMBER.    THE CHAMBER QUICKLY MOVED THEIR DESK AND FILES
TO ONE OF THE BANKS AND WE SET UP OUR STUDIOS IN THAT NORTHERN
HALF OF THE BUILDING.    THEN, ON DAY 2 AFTER THE FIRE, WE WERE BROADCASTING AGAIN FROM DOWNTOWN.    SEARS CATALOG WAS IN THE SOUTH  HALF OF THE BUILDING WE ASKED THEM TO LOOK FOR A NEW
LOCATION AND THEY AGREED TO DO SO.
WHEN  SEARS FOUND A NEW LOCATION, WE STARTED REMODELING THE
TWO SEGMENTS INTO ONE LARGE STUDIO-OFFICE BUILDING THAT WE
HAVE TODAY.   THIS TOOK ABOUT A YEAR TO ACCOMPLISH (LOTS OF
SAWING AND  HAMMERING HEARD OVER THE AIR REGULARLY) AND WE HAD
A GRAND OPENING LATE IN 1971.      WE LIKED OUR NEW LARGER HOME,
BUT IT WAS PRETTY HECTIC AND TRYING FOR THAT ONE YEAR.

KMAQ HAD A "SISTER" STATION FOR A FEW YEARS IN THE EARLY TO MID 70'S.    RANDY SMITH CALLED ME ONE DAY AND WANTED TO KNOW IF
SAVANNA COULD HAVE A RADIO STATION.    HE KNEW ME BECAUSE HE
WAS MARRIED TO A MAQUOKETA NATIVE, MARY JO McCARTHY, DAUGHTER OF WALT AND HELEN OF MAQUOKETA.   WALT WAS AN ATTORNEY AND HELEN
WORKED AT COURTHOUSE.   MARY WAS FORMER MISS MAQUOKETA,
ATTENDED NOW-CLOSED SHIMER COLLEGE IN MT. CARROLL, BECAME A TEACHER IN CARROLL COUNTY AND MARRIED RANDY.   SHE DIED OF
CANCER IN 1999.     ANYWAY, RANDY (WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT RADIO) AND I DID BUILD WCCI AND STORY ABOVE TELLS MORE.    RANDY WAS MANAGER AND I MADE A COUPLE TRIPS A WEEK TO SAVANNA, ACROSS
THE TOLL BRIDGE.    A COUPLE YEARS OR SO LATER, RANDY DECIDED TO
GO BACK TO TEACHING AND I PURCHASED HIS INTEREST.    THEN A COUPLE MORE YEARS LATER, I SOLD OUT TO SOME ILLINOIS RESIDENTS, AS
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DOING WELL, IT NEEDED LOCAL OWNERSHIP
AND I WAS TOO BUSY AND NEEDED TO SPEND MORE TIME AT KMAQ.    THOSE WERE BUSY YEARS.....AS I WAS MAYOR, RUNNING KMAQ, STARTING IN THE
THEATRE BUSINESS AND RUNNING WCCI.    MY DAYS MANY TIMES WERE 8 TO 8 OR MORE.    RANDY RE-MARRIED AND IS STILL  ACTIVE IN CARROLL
COUNTY.      WCCI HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL RADIO STATION, NOW
OWNED BY BEAVER MILLER IN SAVANNA.   THE YOUNG MAN I HIRED AS
AN ANNOUNCER IN 1971, MARK SHOENING, IS STILL THERE AND HAS BEEN
NEWS DIRECTOR FOR MOST OF THE YEARS.    ANOTHER  YOUNG MAN I
HIRED, LES ASKILDSEN, IS NOW OWNER OF A DECORAH RADIO STATION.

HERE THE "LITTLE GERMAN BAND" WAS PLAYING OVER KMAQ AT THE FAIR. IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER YOU CAN SEE THE KMAQ SIGN
ATTACHED TO A POST ON THE FAIRGROUNDS, WITH 1320 ACROSS THE
BOTTOM.    OUR BOOTH WAS AT THE BASE OF THAT POLE.    LEFT TO
RIGHT:   FRED CLARK,  TROMBONE PLAYER "SLONIE" SLOAN OF CLINTON, JACKSON COUNTY TREASURER WINDY RIMMER ON TRUMPET,  JIM SHIELDS (BROTHER OF RAY SHIELDS OF KMAQ AND RED HENTON) AND TED BANOWETZ AT THE ACCORDION.    CARL LYMAN WOULD ALSO SOMETIMES PLAY WITH THEM.  ALL FIVE ARE NOW DECEASED.   ALL WERE MAQUOKETA NATIVES EXCEPT THE TROMBONE PLAYER WHO WAS FROM CLINTON.    FRED CLARK WAS A VERY GOOD SINGER ALSO.    WINDY WAS THE LOCAL BOWLING ASSOCIATION SECRETARY FOR MANY YEARS AND SUPPLIED KMAQ WITH LOTS OF BOWLING SCORES AND STORIES.

ALL OF MY TIME WAS NOT SPENT IN MAQUOKETA IN THE 80'S.    DURING THE FOUR YEARS ON THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, I ATTENDED 2-DAY MEETINGS OF THE 7-MEMBER COMMISSION
TWICE A MONTH AT THE HEADQUARTERS IN AMES.    PLUS WE ATTENDED
OTHER EVENTS DEALING WITH TRANSPORTATION AROUND THE STATE.
IT WAS INTERESTING AND FUN AND IT WAS A JOB THAT HAD A SMALL
SALARY TOO.    NEXT TO THE MOST POPULAR STATE BOARD, THE BOARD  OF REGENTS, IT WAS THE AN EXCELLENT COMMISSION TO BE ON AND I HAVE
GREAT MEMORIES OF SERVING ON IT.   KMAQ COVERED TRANSPORTATION
MATTERS MORE THAN EVER THOSE YEARS AND EVEN  HOSTED A BUSLOAD
OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF HERE IN MAQUOKETA FOR
A SHORT VISIT.
NEXT CAME THE APPOINTMENT TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PARKWAY
COMMISSION, WHICH WAS MADE UP OF MEMBERS FROM 10 STATES AND CANADA THAT BORDERED THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.    WE RECEIVED NO PAY, ATTENDED ABOUT 4 OR 5 MEETINGS A YEAR PLUS WENT (WITH SPOUSE) TO A COUPLE CONVENTIONS A YEAR IN TWO OF THE STATES.     IT MANAGED THE GREAT RIVER ROAD AND I WAS TREASURER OF THE NATIONAL GREAT
RIVER ROAD FOR ONE YEAR.     THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION WAS TO PROMOTE (AND PROTECT) ONE OF THE TOP 5 RIVERS OF THE WORLD AND PROMOTE THE ROAD THAT GOES ALONG SIDE.   TOURISTS STILL FIND IT
A GREAT ROAD TO DRIVE.   AND KMAQ COVERED RIVER MATTERS MORE THAN EVER.

BOB WARNER STARTED AS AN ANNOUNCER IN 1970 AND RETIRED IN
2007 AS MORNING ANNOUNCER ON KMAQ(AM).   HE ALSO DID MANY FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL PLAY-BY-PLAY GAMES FOR MAQUOKETA AND
OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS WHEN WE DID AN "AREA GAME OF THE WEEK" ON
KMAQ-AM.    HE STILL LIVES IN MAQUOKETA AND I SEE HIM SUNDAY MORNINGS AT THE SUNDAY SERVICE AT FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH.
HE IS DIVORCED AND HAS A DAUGHTER AND GRANDDAUGHTER.
BOB WAS A VERY DEPENDABLE ANNOUNCER WITH A GOOD RADIO VOICE.
SINCE HE WAS FROM OHIO, HE WAS ALWAYS PULLING FOR THE INDIANS
AND THE BROWNS. 

DOROTHY MORRIS (DIED THIS SPRING, 2013) AT HER HOME IN MAQUOKETA.   SHE WAS A LONGTIME BOOKKEEPER AT KMAQ, FROM THE MID 60'S TO 1988.
AT LEFT, JOAN SOMERVILLE, WIFE OF KEITH, A KMAQ ANNOUNCER
FROM 1976 TO 1978.   HE WAS FROM WYOMING AND LEFT KMAQ TO
JOIN HIS FATHER-IN-LAW IN BUSINESS THERE.    WAS ELECTED MAYOR
IN 2011 (NOT SURE OF THIS YEAR) AND STILL MAYOR IN 2013 AND RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION.  HE IS RETIRED.    DOROTHY'S HUSBAND MORRIE ALSO DIED THIS PAST SPRING.   HE IS LISTED AS ONE OF THE 10 BEST GOLFERS
OF ALL TIME IN MAQUOKETA.    DOROTHY ALSO WAS GOOD AT GOLF. 

 BOB SCHMIDT AND KEITH SOMERVILLE AT A SUMMER PARTY.   THEIR
 WORK AT KMAQ IS MENTIONED ELSEWHERE ON THIS BLOG.

LEFT TO RIGHT:    ANDY CARSON, NEWS DIRECTOR FROM 1964 TO 1967.
GIL BARTLET OF MILES, IOWA, A KMAQ SALESMAN IN THE MID 60'S.   FOR MANY  YEARS PRIOR, HE HAD A POPULAR SUNDRY STORE IN MILES.
AT RIGHT,  JOHN PORTER.    JOHN WAS MORNING ANNOUNCER AND
CHIEF ENGINEER IN THE MID TO UPPER 60'S.    HIS WORK INCLUDED GETTING KMAQ-FM ON THE AIR IN THE FALL OF 1967, IN TIME FOR THE FIRST FOOTBALL "LIVE" BROADCAST OF THE SEASON.  WHEN FM WENT ON THE
AIR, KMAQ WAS THEN ABLE TO BROADCAST AT NIGHT,  A BIG STEP UP FOR THE STATION.   FROM 1958  UNTIL 1966, FOOTBALL GAMES WERE TAPED AND PLAYED THE FOLLOWING MORNING.     JOHN DIED IN 2012.  JOHN'S MOTHER WAS GLEE PORTER, POPULAR WRITER FOR MAQUOKETA NEWSPAPERS.   ANDY AND GIL DIED MANY YEARS AGO.    NOTICE, IN THOSE DAYS, WE DRESSED UP (WITH WHITE SHIRT, TIE AND EVEN VEST) WHEN WE HAD A KMAQ PARTY AND ENJOYED OUR APPLE JUICE AS JOHN IS ABOVE. 

THE SONG "BLESS THIS HOUSE" HAS BEEN PLAYED ON KMAQ AROUND 20,000 TIMES.......

KMAQ HAS BROADCAST THOUSANDS OF CHURCH SERVICES OVER THE YEARS.     IN THE BEGINNING AND FOR MANY YEARS, WE HAD A "CHURCH-
SERVICE-OF-THE-MONTH"  SUNDAY MORNINGS "LIVE" AND "DIRECT" FROM THE CHURCH.    FIRST LUTHERAN ONE MONTH,  SACRET HEART CATHOLIC THE NEXT MONTH, ASSEMBLY OF GOD (NOW CLOSED) THE NEXT MONTH, ETC.     THEN AFTER THE ROTATION ENDED, WE WOULD START ALL OVER AGAIN.    WE USED TELEPHONE LINES CONNECTED BY I.S. CASSIDY OR BOB ARNESON OF THE TELEPHONE OFFICE AND EVERY MONTH, I WOULD MOVE THE  EQUIPMENT TO THE NEXT CHURCH, CALL I.S. OR  BOB AND TEST THE
LINE.    THE CHURCH PAID ONLY FOR THE PHONE LINE.   FOR SOME REASON, THIS ROTATION OF CHURCH BROADCASTS ENDED AND THEN WE HAD FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH DECIDING TO BROADCAST ONE  SUNDAY MORNING  SERVICE EVERY SUNDAY (ON AM) AND NOT LONG AFTER, THE METHODIST CHURCH DECIDED TO DO THE SAME (ON FM).   AND THEY PAID KMAQ A NOMINAL AMOUNT FOR THESE BROADCASTS  WITH MOST ALL  SPONSORED BY A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH IN HONOR OF A DECEASED MEMBER OF THE FAMILY, OR A CURRENT WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.    THE LONGEST RUNNING "PAID"  CHURCH SERVICE IS STILL ON KMAQ-AM TWO SUNDAYS A MONTH AT 5:30 PM ON KMAQ-AM AND, TITLED "THE JESUS NAME SINGERS" AND SPONSORED BY A MOLINE CHURCH.    IF YOU HAVE HEARD IT, YOU WILL REMEMBER THEM  SAYING  "PRAISE GOD" OR "PRAISE THE LORD" MANY TIMES DURING THE BROADCAST.     THEIR MONTHLY CHECK IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO COME TO US EACH MONTH.    I GUESS THEY HAVE BEEN ON-THE-AIR AROUND 40 YEARS. 

FOR KMAQ'S 50TH ANNIVERARY, WE HAD THE FLOAT ABOVE AND IT WAS IN 8 PARADES THAT SUMMER, PULLED BY A BLACK JEEP.    WE ALSO GAVE A FREE RADIO AWAY EVERY MONTH IN 2008.

OUR FIRST STATIONARY AT KMAQ, IN BLACK AND GRAY.    IT WAS DESIGNED BY LARRY HAGER OF MAQUOKETA.   THE STATION STARTED OUT AS JACKSON COUNTY BROADCASTING COMPANY BY THE FIRST OWNERS AND WHEN I BOUGHT IT, IT WAS CHANGED TO MAQUOKETA BROADCASTING COMPANY. 

WE HAVE HAD EMPLOYEES LATER IN LIFE, OWN THEIR OWN STATION.
OUR FIRST NEWS DIRECTOR STAN BARTON WAS OWNER OF A STATION IN  ELWOOD, INDIANA FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS.   ABOVE IS DAN LEATHERMAN, WHO DID NEWS AND SALES FOR KMAQ IN THE EARLY 80'S.  HE  IS NOW OWNER OF KCHI AM AND FM IN CHILLICOTHE, MISSOURI, A CITY OF 9,000
ON THIS SIDE OF KANSAS CITY.   HE HAS OWNED THE STATION FOR 17 YEARS.    HIS WIFE PATTI ABOVE WORKED FOR CHANNEL 40 IN DUBUQUE
AS A TV NEWSCASTER WHILE DAN WORKED FOR US.     THEY ENDED  UP HAVING TWO BOYS (ON THEIR OWN NOW) AND A DAUGHTER STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL.   CHECK OUR HIS NICE WEB SITE.

MID 70'S PHOTO ABOVE.    LEFT TO RIGHT:   KEN HENSLEY IN SALES AND
AFTER LEAVING HERE, WENT INTO BIG CITY RADIO IN WATERLOO AND
STILL LIVES THERE.    DOROTHY MORRIS, LONGTIME BOOKKEEPER AT KMAQ.   DIED EARLY THIS YEAR.    AND TIM SWEENEY, AN ANNOUNCER.
HAVE NO IDEA WHERE HE IS TODAY.

LEIGHTON ENJOYING LEMONADE WITH HIS "REAL" BOSS.    SHE WORKED AT KMAQ BEFORE WE WERE MARRIED, AS TRAFFIC PERSON AND RECEPTIONIST.   I HIRED HER AFTER SHE GRADUATED FROM MHS.   AFTER WE BOUGHT THE STATION, NANCY WOULD RECORD A COMMERCIAL OCCASSIONALLY, BUT HELPED ME MAKE BIG (AND SMALL) DECISIONS BACK HOME ON NORTH JONES AVENUE.   AFTER THE KIDS WERE GONE, SHE ALSO BECAME QUITE ACTIVE WITH THE JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC HOSPITAL AUXILIARY.....WAS PRESIDENT A COUPLE  YEARS IN FACT.
WE WERE MARRIED IN 1964 (WHILE I WAS IN ARMY).   SHE DIED (DVT) IN
2005.   WE  HAD GREAT TIMES TOGETHER WITH RADIO AND THEATRES

AND RAISING THE FOUR KIDS

PHOTO AT MILWAUKEE COUNTY STADIUM.   GARY WORKED IN SALES

AND DID MAQUOKETA CARDINAL PLAY-BY-PLAY IN THE EARLY 70'S.     FOR 2 OR 3 YEARS, MAYBE LONGER, KMAQ CARRIED BREWERS  GAMES AND

IN 1971, THE NETWORK STATIONS WERE  INVITED TO MILWAUKEE FOR

A DAY OF FOOD AND BEER  AND SEEING A GAME.  GARY AND I WENT AND I TOOK THIS PHOTO.   I ENJOYED HAVING GARY ON THE STAFF.    HE WAS TAKEN AWAY BY A NEWSPAPER OFFER AND NEVER AGAIN DID RADIO WORK.

GARY HAS PLAYED A LOT OF GOLF SINCE THEN.   HE LOVES THE GAME! 

BELOW, I THAT SAME DAY IN MILWAUKEE, INTERVIEWED ROY McMILLIAN WHO WAS A BREWER'S COACH AND BECAME MANAGER THE NEXT YEAR.

BECAUSE OF MY ASSOCIATION WITH RADIO, TV AND MOVIES, OVER THE YEARS I  HAVE MET HUNDREDS OF FAMOUS PEOPLE (INTERVIEWED MANY)

AT MOVIE CONVENTIONS, KMAQ TRAVEL TRIPS TO BRANSON AND NASHVILLE, AND AT THE LOCAL COUNTY FAIRS EACH SUMMER.   AND MANY  HAVE STOPPED IN AT STATION TO PROMOTE THEIR VISIT TO TOWN.   THE LIST WOULD INCLUDE SPORTS CELEBRITIES (JOE ADCOCK) AND POLITICIANS, INCLUDING VICE-PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.   ABOVE, BRENDA LEE AT BRANSON.

 DON ANDERSON WAS A TICKET SELLER AT THE FAIR IN MAQUOKETA IN
1965.     HE WAS A JAYCEE MEMBER AND HE WAS KMAQ'S MORNING ANNOUNCER AND CHIEF ENGINEER IN 1964 AND 1965.   ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE I DID NOT HIRE AS  HE STARTED AT KMAQ WHEN I WAS IN THE ARMY.  HAD A VERY NICE  VOICE AND FRIENDLY PERSONALITY.  HE WENT ON TO A BIGGER STATION IN WESTERN IOWA.    HIS WIFE MARY WORKED AT THE JC PENNEY STORE.   WHEN THEY LEFT MAQUOKETA, WE NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN.

DUANE HAYES RAN A POPULAR RESTAURANT DOWNTOWN UNTIL IT BURNED DOWN AND THEN HE STARTED UP AGAIN ON EAST PLATT STREET.    JOHN
CULVER WAS A GOOD CONGRESSMAN AND WENT ON TO BE A SENATOR.
HE WAS FRIENDS WITH THE KENNEDY FAMILY.    HIS SON 35 YEARS AFTER THIS PHOTO,  WAS ELECTED IOWA GOVERNOR FOR ONE TERM.

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN DURING THE FAIR IN A TENT AND KMAQ WAS DOING A REMOTE BROADCAST.   I THINK THE BASS PLAYER WAS FAYE MOELLER.

AT THE ACCORDION, WAYNE LITTELL.    WAYNE OF MAQUOKETA WAS A  

PART TIME ANNOUNCER ON KMAQ.    ANYONE KNOW WHO THE DRUMMER

WAS?    

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN WHEN THE GIRLS AT THE GREEN MILL, AT LUNCHTIME, SURPRISED ME WITH A FAREWELL CAKE A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE I LEFT FOR MY 2-YEAR TERM (DRAFTED) IN THE U.S. ARMY.    THE MAN BEHIND ME IS NATE GOETZ, WHO WAS 1/3 OWNER OF KMAQ.   HE, HIS BROTHER AND A FRIEND, ALL IN MONROE, WISCONSIN, STARTED KMAQ IN 1958.   THIS WAS 1963.     NATE WAS THE PARTNER THAT TOOK THE MAJOR PARTNERSHIP ROLE AT THE STATION AND  CAME DOWN TO MAQUOKETA WEEKLY.    AS OF THIS DATE (JAN 2014) HE LIVES IN NAPLES, FLORIDA , AT

THE AGE OF 87.      IN HIS HOMETOWN OF MONROE, HE AND  HIS BROTHER

OWNED THE DOWNTOWN GOETZ THEATRE THERE AND THE DRIVE-IN THEATRE NEAR THE CITY.    THEY ALSO OWNED A RESTAURANT.      I GOT DISCHARGED AS SGT. VOY THE WINTER OF 1965.   IN THE BACKGROUND SITTING IN A BOOTH IS GILBERT POOLER.   HIS DAD, MAC, STARTED THE

MAQUOKETA STATE BANK IN 1958, THE SAME YEAR KMAQ WENT ON-THE-AIR.    ANOTHER PHOTO THAT DAY, BELOW, WITH THEN KMAQ OWNER NATE GOETZ AND THEN GIRLFRIEND (NOT WIFE) NANCY MEYER,

WHO WAS THE KMAQ RECEPTIONIST.

THIS PHOTO WITH FAMOUS ACTOR CHARLTON HESTON WAS TAKEN AT A

HOTEL IN KANSAS CITY IN 1980.   HE WAS AT THE "SHOW-A-RAMA" 

MOVIE CONVENTION PROMOTING A MOVIE AND HAD OPEN HOUSE IN HIS

SUITE.   I TOLD  HIM MY FAVORITE MOVIE THAT HE STARRED IN WAS

"THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH", WHICH WON THE OSCAR FOR BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR IN THE 50'S.   HE SAID HE LIKED THAT MOVIE TOO.

HE DIED IN APRIL OF 2008.

WHAT IF?

WHAT IF?   I DID NOT BUY KMAQ IN 1965?    THIS HISTORY BLOG WOULD NOT

BE HERE!     MAQUOKETA PROBABLY WOULD NEVER  HAVE HAD

A RADIO STATION, LIKE DEWITT, TIPTON, MONTICELLO, AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER  CITIES THE SIZE OF MAQUOKETA.      NATE GOETZ, A HAM RADIO OPERATOR IN MONROE, WANTED TO OWN A COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION,

LOOKED FOR A TOWN NEARBY AND GOT A FREQUENCY (ALREADY THEN

HARD TO FIND) AND PUT KMAQ ON THE AIR.    AND THEN, 7 YEARS LATER,

WANTED ME TO OWN KMAQ, AGREED TO SELL IT TO ME ON CONTRACT, FOR

$150,000 (THOSE DAYS EQUAL TO ABOUT A HALF-MILLION) AFTER A DOWN

PAYMENT OF $20,000 WHICH WAS LOANED TO ME BY MY MOTHER AND DAD, BEN AND CORA VOY IN HORICON, WISCONSIN.    NATE SOLD IT BECAUSE

HE HAD A STATION IN FORT ATKINSON AND WANTED TO BUY ANOTHER IN WISCONSIN.    

SO...THE REST IS HISTORY....HISTORY  YOU JUST READ.    

NATE GOETZ AND HIS (2ND) WIFE IN THIS 2012 PHOTO.   HE'S RETIRED, AND STILL

ENJOYS GOLF AT 88.     NATE GOETZ DIED IN 2019.

HE WAS IN THEATRE BUSINESS IN MONROE, WISCONSIN, (DOWNTOWN AND DRIVE-IN) WHEN HE STARTED KMAQ IN 1958 WITH  HIS BROTHER BOB, AND CPA FRIEND MERLIN MEYTHALER.     NATE AND BOB DID ALMOST ALL OF THE

CONSTRUCTION OF THE DRIVE-IN IN 1956.     IT IS STILL OPEN (2019) AND

OWNED BY A GOETZ.

MY FOLKS, CORA AND BEN, AT AN OPEN HOUSE AT THE KMAQ GARAGE.

BOTH DIED SINCE 2000....DAD AT 92 AND MOM AT 88.   HE RETIRED AS A HARD WORKING LABORER FOR JOHN DEERE IN HORICON AND SHE WAS A VERY GOOD HOUSEWIFE AND COOK AND BOTH WERE GOOD MISSOURI SYNOD LUTHERANS.    MY TWO BROTHERS AND I WENT 1-8 GRADES AT ST. STEPHEN'S PAROCHIAL SCHOOL.

THIS PHOTO TAKEN ON JUNE 9, 2015, THE DAY WE CELEBRATED LEIGHTON'S

40TH YEAR AT KMAQ, WITH A NOON PIZZA PARTY IN THE KMAQ BASEMENT

CONFERENCE ROOM.   CINDY TWO MONTHS EARLIER RETIRED AFTER 38

YEARS AS A KINDERGARDEN TEACHER IN MAQUOKETA.

I HAVE BEEN DOING A LOCAL NEWS BLOG SEVERAL TIMES WEEKLY ON

THE KMAQ WEB SITE....WWW.KMAQ.COM.....CALLED "DENNIS DAILY REPORT".     MOST OF THE TIMES, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BUT I SOMETIMES SKIP A DAY.    I GET 800-1,000 HITS A DAY, LOCAL AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.   GET LOTS OF COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE WHO LIKE IT.

THE FIRST "DAILY" (COPY OF)IS BELOW.     MOST SHOULD BE ON THE

INTERNET SOMEPLACE OR DAVE OR I HAVE MOVED THEM INTO A FOLDER.

ALLEN EMBURY IN 1974 AND 1975 CAME DOWN FROM GREEN BAY  WISCONSIN TO BE KMAQ STATION/SALES MANAGER, A NEW POSITION

CREATED BY OWNER DENNIS VOY.   HE WAS THEN IN HIS 60'S WITH A LOT OF  EXPERIENCE IN RADIO IN WISCONSIN.   HE WAS AN AVID GREEN BAY PACKER FAN AND WAS A FRIEND OF VINCE LOMBARDI.   AFTER TWO FUN, GOOD YEARS HERE, HE & WIFE DECIDED TO GO BACK TO WISCONSIN WHERE HE GOT INTO RADIO CONSULTING.   IN THE LATE 70'S HE HELPED BUILD THE HOOPESTON, ILLINOIS RADIO STATION,  DRIVING BACK AND FORTH WEEKLY WHILE GETTING THE STATION ON THE AIR, IN THE DANVILLE AREA.

BELOW..A LIST OF ALL PAST AND PRESENT EMPLOYEES OF KMAQ AM AND FM.   IF YOU WORKED AT KMAQ AND ARE NOT LISTED, LET US KNOW (EMAIL kmaq@kmaq.com) AND WE WILL ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST.

 BELOW...THE PHOTO OF STAFF IN 2008, THE YEAR KMAQ CELEBRATED
OUR 50TH YEAR....AUGUST 26, 1958

 

DON SHIFFER WAS OUR NIGHT-TIME DISC JOCKEY

 IN 1973-74.   HE WAS FROM LAMOTTE AREA.   LEFT HERE TO GO INTO INSURANCE AND ENDED UP BEING A LONGTIME SUCCESSFUL FARM BUREAU INSURANCE AGENT.

ADDITIONS FOR LIST OF KMAQ EMPLOYEES....

ANNOUNCERS:

MARY ROSE RICKERTSEN, PART-TIME,

2011   -   PRESENT.

CODY BARNS LEFT MARCH 2016 AFTER 14 MONTHS TO GO BACK TO COLLEGE.

TERESA HOSCH JOINED KMAQ AS NEWS DIRECTOR   3-7-2016, SEE PHOTO OF CURRENT STAFF ON HOME PAGE HISTORY BLOG.

IN THE KMAQ "INTERVIEW (JUST TALK) STUDIO, THE BACK WALL IS A KMAQ

HISTORY WALL.    THE BIG AUGUST DATE IS THE DAY KMAQ-AM HAD THE

FIRST FULL DAY OF BEING ON THE AIR.    IN THE CENTER, THE COLLINS

CONTROL ROOM BOARD, THE FIRST ONE AT KMAQ AND IT CAME FROM 

COLLINS RADIO "BROADCAST DIVISION" PLANT IN CEDAR RAPIDS.

ABOVE....A 1958-1959 KMAQ PROMOTION PIECE.

FIRST KMAQ OWNER (ONE OF 3 PARTNERS) NATE GOETZ AFTER RETIRING, WITH

THE HALL OF FAME AWARD HE RECEIVED FROM THE  WISCONSIN BROADCASTERS 

ASSOCIATION.    HE SERVED AS THE TREASURER OF THE BADGER ASSOCIATION FOR MANY YEARS.

STAFF PHOTO, AUG 26, 2018 (60TH ANNI) L TO R...PEGGY FLENKER, TERESA HOSCH,

LOIS FISHER, THERESA CELENTANO, ROXANN CLAUSING, OWNER DENNIS VOY,

LEIGHTON HEPKER, SHERI MELVOLD, JIM SAUNDERS,  TOM MESSERLI, AND

MARYROSE SIMMONS.  ABSENT:   STUDENT BRETT MASSEY AND PLAY-BY-PLAY

ANNOUNCER, DALE SCOTT.

WE ADDED A 2ND FM STATION IN 2018...TO BETTER SERVE BELLEVUE.   THE AD FOR THIS LOW-POWER STATION WAS RUN IN OCTOBER 25, 2018 BELLEVUE

HERALD LEADER.  

DENNIS VOY AT THE KMAQ FARM AND HOME SHOW, FEBRUARY 2019.

KMAQ XMTR SITE NORTHEAST OF MAQUOKETA, PURCHASED FROM DEL JETTER IN 1956.    SMALL XMTR BUILDING IN MIDDLE AND LOOKING AT

TOWER FROM TOP ALSO.    UPPER RIGHT, A BUILDING  ERECTED BY

CHARLIE CLASEN AND DAUGHTER CHRISTY IN 2003 FOR STORAGE.

LAND IS AROUND 2 ACRES.    LOWER RIGHT EXTENDS UP THE HILL A

LITTLE AND WAS MENT TO BE A POSSIBLE SITE SOME DAY FOR A STUDIO.

ST. PATS DAY 2019, WITH ALL GREEN PRIZES FOR BINGO SHOW, IN 

ADDITION TO THE $15 CASH AND $10 VOY THEATRE GIFT CARD.

THERESA THE CALLER THAT DAY AND LOST NATION COUPLE WON.

THANKS FOR VISITING THE KMAQ HISTORY BLOG!