Looking Back: Crete's FM Radio Station

For those too young to recall, Crete once had its own FM radio station, broadcasting from near the intersection of 12th and Main. It played a central role in Saline County life -- offering everything from community programming, to community updates, to polka shows, to weekly football score prediction contests.

Moreover, the station had strong Dorchester connections.

Allow us to provide a little history lesson.

Going back more than half a century ago, Crete's hometown station was KTAP, located on the dial at 103.9 FM.

The first owners were a group from Columbus calling themselves Airwaves Broadcasting Services Inc. The first general manager was Walt Chockley, who was known as Scotty Holiday on his wild morning show, "Scotty on The Potty...Brushin' and Flushin'." The format started out as adult contemporary, going to 1970s-style album-oriented rock after 6 p.m. with "Garry Lee (Rice) in your night time, rockin' your socks 'til midnight." 

Sunday's feature was Hank and Helen Zahourek from Dorchester hosting the "Polka Show" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Dating back to 1955, Zahourek was chief of his own polka band, Hank’s Melody Masters, and was a owner of the Blue River Lodge, which featured Sunday polka dances through the mid-1970s.)

Another key Dorchester-centered feature was a regular update from Dorchester educator Jan Stehlik, who hosted “What’s Doing in Dorchester."

Multiple Dorchester personalities DJ'd at the station over the years.

In 1975, the station was sold to Don Robson and Bill Whitlock (who were the principals of City and Farm Broadcasting, owners of KTTT Radio in Columbus) Joe Stavas, its general manager, and Ron Kruse, the sales manager.  They hired Walt Chockley as the general manager of KTAP. Whitlock thought that people would associate "K-Tap" with taping your toes to the music. The station was in a downward spiral from the moment its doors opened, and Chockley was soon fired and replaced by another General Manager. 

Whitlock and Robson approached Jim Jaworski (from sister KTTT) and asked if he would consider relocating to Crete and reprogramming the station more like KTTT. After three months, Jaworski was offered a fifth of the station to stay on board. He agreed and became an equal partner. 

Two years later the station was for sale, but Jaworski stepped in -- and with the help of Tom Aron and Dick Sinkule of the Crete State Bank -- was able to purchase the station. They ran a contest for what KTAP stood for and the winning entry was "Key To Area Progress". 

The years of 1977 to 1984 brought KTAP's glory days. Polka DJ's included Joe Zumpf and later Elmer Niemec. While known for it's polka, the station became profitable once again with its country music format, local markets, and local news. 

In the spring of 1984, Mel Gleason bought the station and the call letters were changed to KBVB (Blue Valley Broadcasting). Mel brought in Harvey Watson to manage the station. Shortly after, Mel died and wife Louise took over. Harvey quit and went back to work at KFOR.   

By March 1988, KBVB was up for sale again.  According to former employees of the station, the instant the ink was dry, one of the brothers that bought the place walked into the studio, shut the song off in mid-stream, then announced that the station was leaving the air. He then fired the entire staff, and that was the end of commercial radio in Crete. 

The end of local radio was a blow to community journalism in Saline County.