Our Past Is Present September 6, 2018

September 6, 2018

            You are reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Junction City had a radio station as far back as 1925. It was owned and operated by Ben Fegan, President of the Junction City Telephone Co. which was the forerunner of the United Telephone of Kansas, which later became Sprint.

            According to information in a 1999 article in the “Junction City Union” newspaper Marian Grammer, Fegan’s daughter stated that “KFJC was licensed to broadcast one day a week for about 3 to 4 hours. The radio station was in the dining room and living room of the Fegan family home at 410 N. Jefferson Street. An engineer came in to run the equipment, which was in the garage.  Marian’s father, sold the station to Dr. John Brinkley and he moved the station to Milford, Kansas.  The call letters became KFBI and the power was boosted to reach a large portion of the nation.

 In 1949, R.L. Bud Weir, Jr. and his friend, Richard Meek moved to Junction City from Parsons, Kansas to establish a radio station to serve the community.  This station became KJCK-AM at 1420 on the radio dial. 

            Bud sold the station in 1982 to Steve Roesler. Steve managed the station from 1973 to 1982, when it was purchased by the present owner, Platinum Broadcasting Co. The original offices and studio were on the second floor of the former Waters Hardware Building at Washington and West Eighth Streets.  The employees were Dick Meek, Don Whitebread, Van Delilow, a Fort Riley soldier who was the program director; Dave Melton and John Stone was the engineer.  Nancy Harris, the wife of Phil Harris, helped with the books and answered the phones.  C.W. “Bill” Crites was the long-time farm director and Florence Whitbread, was also an employee at the station. 

            In addition to establishing KJCK AM, Bud was also a pioneer in the cable tv business here in 1958. That business grew and was sold for close to $50 million in 1979. 

            People in our area have been listening to this station for 69 years.  And… we thank you for reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.