Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 24

Top Left: Announcer Dave Clark takes a signal reading in the 1960s. Above Left: Musicians playing in-studio were common in the station's early
days. From left: Tom Bassham, Ruth Bassham, Cotton Sanderson, Billy Gilstrap and Eldon Tyree. Right: Local boy Porter Wagoner promotes an upcoming
performance. Wagoner's first band, The Blue Ridge Boys, got their start on KWPM in the late '40s. Photos this page courtesy Ozark Marketing.
'you're going to have to join some of these, and it wouldn't
be a bad idea to join them all,' " Tom says with a laugh. " He
really believed in giving back to the town. He said 'You've
got to play a role, that's the only way the town is going to
grow. And if you do that, the business will be fine.' "
From its inception KWPM filled a dual role in the community,
bringing the news, sports and culture of the outside
world into the living rooms of West Plains and exporting
some of the town's culture back out on to the airwaves.
Then, as it is now, St. Louis Cardinals baseball was a huge
radio draw. Game nights in the Ozarks would find Redbirds
fans parked on hilltops to catch the signal from St.
Louis. " The sheriff was coming in saying, 'We're so worried
that people are going to come running up on these cars sitting
on the hills, could you see about getting the Cardinals
on the radio station?' " Shawn recalls.
Music also was an important piece of programming for
the burgeoning station, particularly in an area rich with
musical talent that spawned the likes of country greats
such as Porter Wagoner and Jan Howard. In the days
24 RURAL MISSOURI | NOVEMBER 2022
when the station had only one studio, it was not uncommon
for musicians to stop by and play their songs live on
the air, particularly to promote an upcoming performance.
When Shawn and Tom took over the business, a former
DJ told them of the weekend during the mid-1950s when
a skinny kid and his manager came in to ask if the station
would mind playing the young man's new single. After
speaking with the singer, the DJ obliged and based on
what happened next, one would assume almost immediately
regretted his decision.
" My great-grandmother, who was a very religious
woman, called up and said, 'Carl Oscar, you better not
be playing that dirty, no-good, son-of-a-gun on the radio
anymore, you're going to get us in trouble!' " Shawn recalls,
noting the ne'er-do-wells in question were a young Elvis
Presley and Colonel Tom Parker. " Outside of Nashville, I
don't know where you would find a station still going today
that probably helped as many country music stars. "
Across 75 years, the company's stations have covered
numerous events both noteworthy and ordinary. Emceeing

Rural Missouri - November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - November 2022

Contents
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - Cover1
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - Cover2
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - Contents
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 4
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 5
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 6
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 7
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 8
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 9
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 10
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 11
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 12
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 13
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 14
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 15
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 16
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 17
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 18
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 19
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 20
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 21
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 22
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 23
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 24
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 25
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 26
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 27
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 28
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 29
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 30
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 31
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 32
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 33
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 34
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 35
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 36
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 37
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 38
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 39
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 40
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 41
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 42
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 43
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 44
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 45
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 46
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 47
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 48
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 49
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 50
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 51
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 52
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 53
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - 54
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - Cover3
Rural Missouri - November 2022 - Cover4
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