Nebraska Radio History Archive Presentation:
More Than Just A Memory
KLMS memories are a favorite topic of many people who still live in Lincoln and those who grew up here...
"The station rocked Lincoln from 1959 through roughly the early 80's. LMS was Lincoln's first 24-hour station, starting in 1965, I believe (others licensed for 24-hours, but signed off at midnight or 1 a.m.) There was that great KLMS Hits You Right promotion in 1975...and remember the Wheel of Fortune when we gave away brand new Corvettes in the first quarter. In 1978 we gave away a 25th anno Vette for first prize, a 75th anno Harley Sportster for SECOND prize. Had to use a cement mixer truck to mix up the entry cards...did it live on the Gary (Collins) and Judy (Converse) show. And how about officer Vern Cambell and his AM and PM drive traffic reports...plus Chuck Stevens sports! Not to mention our 5 1/2-person award winning news department. Those certainly were the days!"
"Did you know that in its first 10 years (1949-1959) KLMS was Lincoln's
polka station, with studios downtown? Somewhere there (were, are)
old electrical transcriptions of the Math Sledke band on KLMS...Mr. Sledke
had them in his possession, last I knew (some 20 years ago). Howard Shuman,
the same guy who started KFOR in 1924, founded KLMS in a dispute with the
Stuarts in 1949. The station started with (and was still using in
1973 when I got there) World War Two surplus equipment. The RCA 1kw
transmitter was vintage 1935, and had seen service in Iceland during the
war. Carl Lewis kept it sounding great until it was downgraded to
standby service in 1975 or 76 by a new solid state Gates (both at the old
transmitter/studio site on 84th between A and O."
Chris Abercrombie
Wichita, Kansas
After KLMS switched to a new age format (on AM radio???) they managed
to upset their listeners and staff. They eventually returned
to the 60's and 70's oldies format (by satellite after continued
revenue loss) but it was too late. Former KLMS staff purchased a
failing FM (known as KISS-FM) and put KLDZ on the air with an oldies format.
By then KLMS could not compete with the FM Stereo format.
By 1991 the call letters of KLMS were abandoned and except for an experimental
"Metal" format, KFMQ-AM simulcasted with their struggling sister station,
KFMQ 102.
Following KFMQ's (FM) format switch to Country, and studio move to
Omaha, KFMQ-AM went dark for a few months.
In a weird sort of irony, the former oldies powerhouse was purchased
by Radio One, who now owned KLDZ...the station that beat them at the oldies
game.
A nostalgia format was put on the air and KMEM - The Memory Station
- was born. The format was similar to the one KHAT-AM had
adopted in their last days (SEE KECK history).
KMEM featured one of Lincoln's radio legends, Dick Perry and had a
small but loyal following.
Shortly after Three Eagles Communications purchased the stations in
1997 the format was modified to Include IMUS in the morning, and The Fabulous
Sports Babe. On June 3rd, 1997 the old KLMS call letters were revived and
a full time sports format was implemented. "The Fabulous Sports Babe" remained
on KLMS along with Colorado Rockies/Avalance games, programming from the
"one on one" sports network and some local high school games. .
"Imus in the Morning" was dropped when the two-year contract 'leftover'
from the previous ownership expired in March of 1998. KLMS would become a
Fox affiliate, picking up Jim Rome, until ESPN came along and offered a nice
package. They kept Rome and put ESPN on the air the rest of the day.
THE KLMS TIMELINE (from 1975..Thanks to Tim Sheridan)
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