Recognizing the need for additional local expression, several local, progressive business and professional men banded together in December 1947 to establish a radio station in Alliance, NE. The Sandhills Broadcasting Corporation was formed, and an application was made for a 250-watt radio station operating at 1400 kilocycles. A construction permit was granted by the FCC in September 1948. Construction to house the new station began in December 1948 at 1030 West Third Street, with the hope of being on the air by Spring, 1949. However, the big blizzard of early January 1949 severely handicapped the completion of the building. Feeling the need that a local radio station was even greater due to the blizzard and its effects; it was decided not to delay the start of operations until spring. Securing the use of a small building, installation of radio equipment began as soon as workmen could break through the snow drifts.
KCOW Radio went on the air at 6:30 am, Tuesday, February 15, 1949.
The first board of directors were Hans Jaggers, president; Walter Metz, Sr.; vice-president, Wharton Cover, Sec/Treas. T.C. Gregory, Harry McKibbin & Don Berman.
The call letters KCOW tell a story by themselves. KCOW is situated in cow country at the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills.
The station was located at 1030 West Third Street for six years, which is the current location of the Bloedorn Building Center. In 1955, Sandhills Broadcasting, Inc. purchased a tract of land west of Alliance on 10th Street. The studio was moved to its present location at 1210 West 10th Street.
The managers in succession were Charles Bilyue, Gene Ackerly, Jim Ballas, Don Gill, Jack Everton, Jim Kamerzell, Rich Epp, Mike Garwood, Lois Loyd, Mike Fell, Terri Friesen and Olivia Hasenauer. The station’s first Sales Manager was Arnold Kuhn, longtime publisher of the Hemingford Ledger newspaper.
In 1966, KLOE Radio, Inc., a Kansas based corporation, purchased Sandhills Broadcasting. The sale was made so amicably and smoothly that not even an inventory was taken. A handshake secured the sale, which was made over a dinner meeting in the Drake Hotel restaurant in downtown Alliance.
From 1949 to 1975, KCOW was a non-directional, 1,000-watt, daytime station, apart from night ball games and special events.
As KCOW has grown, new equipment has been added and the facilities updated and expanded. On October 1, 1985, a new FM station, KAAQ 105.9 MHz, was added to the KCOW broadcast facilities.
KAAQ covered western Nebraska, and reached into northern Colorado, and eastern Wyoming with 100,000 watts of power.
In July 1989, the station celebrated its 40th anniversary by giving away a tool shed donated by Alliance Lumber and a four-wheel drive “mule” donated by Alliance Tractor. Several listeners also had phoned in their memories of the great Blizzard of 1949.
In June 1999, KCOW celebrated the station’s 50th anniversary with on air prizes and a dance at the Heartland Aviation hangar at the Alliance Airport with live “big band” music provided by the Dean Bushnell Orchestra of Denver, CO.
In 1991, KQSK, 97.5 MHz FM Radio in Chadron, NE was purchased. On August 14, 1991, Double Q Country was formed. KAAQ and KQSK simulcast country music to a four-state region. The KQSK studio is located at 331 Main Street in downtown Chadron.
The stations began offering streaming audio of Chadron State College Sports on the internet in 1999.
The company was renamed Eagle Communications, Inc. on October 6, 1992. Ten years later, on October 1, 2002, the employees of Eagle Communications, Inc., and its subsidiary, Eagle Radio, Inc. acquired majority ownership of the company, officially making KCOW/Double Q Country employee-owned radio stations.
Eagle Radio, Inc. owns several radio stations in Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.
On December 13, 2002, doubleqcountry.com became a full service, information/entertainment web site. Updated regional and state news and sports stories are posted several times a day, as well as weather forecasts and AP on line video. Live and archived play by play of Chadron State College sporting events is also featured.
In August 2007, kcowradio.com was launched. Live and archived play by play of Alliance High School sports is offered, as well as Box Butte County news and sports features.
In March 2008, KCNB, 94.7 FM, Hay Springs / Chadron, NE went on the air, offering northern Nebraska panhandle listeners continuous HOT Adult Contemporary music.
On Monday, February 16, 2009, KCOW celebrated its 60th anniversary with a daylong remembrance broadcast. Interviews with former station employees were aired, as well as archived audio from broadcasts of days-gone-by.
KCOW became a member of the social web site, Facebook, on March 18, 2011.
The radio station’s two web sites were combined on November 1, 2012, and panhandlepost.com was launched, and offers streaming audio of all four radio stations.
On January 29, 2013, the Alliance stations began operating in new studios with 21st Century state of the art broadcast equipment.
As KCOW celebrates its 75th anniversary, its current staff members are:
General Manager Olivia Hasenauer; Sales Manager Aaron Willey; Operations Manager Derek Beck. Account Executives include Amanda Jurado, Sarah Dunn, Anna Werner and Maxine Kyser. Morning Show Host/Director of Creative Services is Jason Wentworth. On-Air Talent/Production Assistant is Kalin Krohe. News & Sports Director is Alex Benzegala. Video Production is headed by Robert Adair.
KCOW’s 75th anniversary promotion includes the displaying of the KCOW Memory Quilt at the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center. Several KCOW photographs and newspaper clippings are also on display at the Knight Museum through the end of February.
The popular Cash Cow contest and Journey ticket giveaway contest will be conducted as a way of thanking listeners for tuning in and a monthly 75th anniversary podcast will be available on Panhandle Post.
Of the 30 years I worked in the radio industry, 24 years were spent at KCOW. There just isn’t enough space to share that many memories. However, I must tip my topper to those that helped make the station a success while I was a staff member. They include Mike Garwood, Marcene McMasters, Mike Glesinger, Jim Shull, Murray McGee, Mark Vail, John Jones, Helen Iossi, Dennis Klinker, Doug Abbott, John Axtell, John Howard, Jason Wentworth, Pat Adriance, John Kant, Wendy Firestein-Kreta, Phyllis Ditsch, Jennifer Schmid, Ed Bartels, and several high school and college students who worked for us parttime. Some of our incredibly dependable youths were Tracy Overstreet, Jean Placek, Lark Potmesil, Carey Tritle, Jonathan Moravek, Dustin Harris, Brandon Bell, David Kuskie, Kalin Krohe, Mike Stewart and many others!
Happy 75 years, KCOW!