The Voice of kansas agri-business over 50 years
Larry Steckline
“Not too bad for a good-ole-boy from western Kansas ”
On The Farm and On The Air
For more than a half century, Larry Steckline has been the voice of Kansas agriculture, broadcasting farm information on radio and televisions stations across the state. Beginning on KWCH in Wichita doing daily reports for the Wichita Union Stockyards, later adding reports on KRFM radio, Larry built his own wheat farm and cattle operation, while building his own radio network across Kansas.
Ogallah to Wichita
Larry grew up on 200 acres of leased land in Ogallah, Kansas. From an early age, he was an integral part of his parents’ operation as he helped plant and harvest wheat, pasture and milk the cattle, feed and butcher the hogs and chickens and perform all the other chores that needed to be accomplished.
Upon graduation from Trego County High School, Larry attended Wichita Business College with the aim of becoming a bookkeeper. He obtained a part-time job at the Wichita Union Stockyards to pay for his schooling and remained there upon graduation. He rose to be the Public Relations manager and, while in that position, was designated to become the on-air presence for the Stockyards, giving the market reports daily at noon.
Upon graduation from Trego County High School, Larry attended Wichita Business College with the aim of becoming a bookkeeper. He obtained a part-time job at the Wichita Union Stockyards to pay for his schooling and remained there upon graduation. He rose to be the Public Relations manager and, while in that position, was designated to become the on-air presence for the Stockyards, giving the market reports daily at noon.
This was not a task Larry aspired to – and, in fact, as he drove to the KWCH station for his first live appearance, he prayed he would be in a car wreck! He reasoned that would be a valid excuse not to show up. But he arrived at the station uneventfully and, thus, began his television career. He has been the personification of Kansas agriculture on KWCH Channel 12, KSN Channel 3, KAKE Channel 10 over his long career.
Also while at the Stockyards, Larry began broadcasting the markets live on KFRM. He eventually became so valuable to the radio station that its owner, Mack Sandeers, offered him a full-time position as Farm Director and Sales Manager, which Larry accepted.
Also while at the Stockyards, Larry began broadcasting the markets live on KFRM. He eventually became so valuable to the radio station that its owner, Mack Sandeers, offered him a full-time position as Farm Director and Sales Manager, which Larry accepted.
Reporting And Selling
Larry helped grow KFRM and enjoyed the sales side of the business, as well as his agricultural reporting. The two positions complemented one another: sponsors were more likely to buy advertising from Larry, a voice they had come to recognize on the air daily. He was becoming something of a celebrity.
Radio station owner
The entrepreneurial traits in Larry began to kick in and he wanted to own his own radio station. His boss at KFRM gave him permission to, and he sought and obtained, an FM license for KJLS in Hays (near his hometown of Ogallah).
KFRM was an AM station but Larry believed the nascent FM market was the future of radio. His KJLS-FM was the only FM around and he struggled to sell advertising to local businesses whose customers did not even own an FM radio. Business owners wanted to reach customers now, not in the future!
KFRM was an AM station but Larry believed the nascent FM market was the future of radio. His KJLS-FM was the only FM around and he struggled to sell advertising to local businesses whose customers did not even own an FM radio. Business owners wanted to reach customers now, not in the future!
Larry’s savior was Herb Lundgren, the local Chevrolet dealer. When Larry came to call on him, he was impressed with the young man’s energy and enthusiasm and Larry reminded him of his younger self. He declared that he would not order another new car without an FM radio. Larry could now tell his potential sponsors that their customers would soon be able to listen to their advertising in their automobiles! That – and a full capacity crowd at the Gross Memorial auditorium in Hays starring the very popular Roy Clark as a station promotion – were events that precipitated the success of KJLS.
The Mid America Ag Network
Larry and Mack parted ways acrimoniously when Mack fired Larry. Unbeknownst to Larry, Mack had sold KFRM and, by kicking Larry off the payroll, Mack could reduce expenses and pocket more of the sales price for himself.
Devastated by his unexpected job loss – and still needing to make his house mortgage payment and meet his KJLS financial obligations – Larry reeled for a few days. He then came up with a grand idea. He formed the Mid America Ag Network (MAAN) and began contracting with radio stations across Kansas and in southern Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and northern Oklahoma to carry his agricultural-business reports twice daily in exchange for advertising spots during or near his own reports.
Ag-casting Across Kansas and beyond
At its zenith, the Ag Network was carried by 18 stations in Kansas, 10 in Nebraska, three in Oklahoma and two in Colorado and a few in Wyoming, Arkansas and Missouri. Larry’s reports reached farms in 244 counties that grew nearly 27 million acres of wheat, 6.5 million acres of sorghum, 4.5 million acres of corn, and raised 13.4 million cows/calves. National vendors signed up to advertise to the volume of farmers and ranchers on Larry’s network.
Hands-on boss
While Larry had extensive staff across his radio station, he was a hands-on owner and made all important business decisions. He also was the agricultural reporter, broadcasting radio reports twice each weekday. In addition, he was on TV at that time twice a day, 5 days a week. And he flew himself on a regular basis to manage each station and meet with sponsors, also planned promotions, and addressed his other growing business interests. This was one very busy man! He often says, there was never a time in his life, since joining the Wichita Union Stockyards that he had only one job title at a time. He was always involved in many money-making opportunities simultaneously. That, too, continues to this day.
Partners and Mergers
In the 1990’s, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began loosening its tight strictures on businesses owning multiple radio stations in a single market. Major companies were buying up radio stations to create mammoth networks. In 1996, Larry’s primary competitor broached a merger between his company and Larry’s. It was an offer Larry could not – and did not want – to refuse.
Thus, Larry merged with Mike Lynch and Mike Oatman’s Great Empire, Inc. and had an ownership stake in KFDI-AM and FM and ten other stations in Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska and Louisiana. Within a few years, Journal Broadcasting Group, a Minnesota-based enterprise, expressed interest in buying the new collection of stations and did. Journal added these to its stable of 16 radio stations in six states and its print, internet and telecommunication companies in 15 states.
Concerts
To promote his fledgling KJLS-FM, Larry held a country music concert starring Roy Clark in 1974. The concert was advertised on the radio station and listeners were encouraged to obtain free tickets to the concert at area advertisers. This concert-free ticket promotion became a template for years as Larry hosted numerous well-known entertainers.
Festivals
Over the years, he had shows featuring the Bellamy Brothers, Charlie Pride, the Oak Ridge Boys, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Don Williams, Ronnie Milsap, John Anderson, Ronnie McDowall, Ann Murray, Brenda Lee, John Conlee, Johnny Lee, Jerry Reed, Mickey Gilley, Buck Owens, Jeannie C. Riley, Crystal Gayle, Kentucky Headhunters, Asleep at the Wheel, Johnny Paycheck, Marie Osmond, Tom T. Hall, and Glenn Campbell. Plus John Michael Montgomery, Tracy Lawrence, Joe Diffe and a host of others.
With Mark Chesnutt at Wichita's Old Cowtown Museum
Farm Shows
Larry developed another template to promote his radio stations. The Farm and Home Shows became popular attractions throughout Kansas, similar to a small version of the state fair. Vendors set up booths to showcase and sell their products to attendees. Admission was free by picking up tickets at advertisers.
Building Silos
Larry had other business interests. In 1975, he and four others purchased the Salina-based dealership of HarvestStore. This company sold cobalt blue silos made from glass fused with steel and touted as being oxygen free. The internal augers allowed livestock to be fed 24/7 without farmhands. Unfortunately, the manufacturer, A.O. Smith, faced expensive litigation that successfully argued the silos were not 100% oxygen-free. The judgments, essentially, shut down the dealership in which Larry had invested.
banking Boards
A more successful gambit for Larry was banking. He served on the board of a Hutchinson-based bank and learned the banking business. He was then able to personally invest in banks throughout the U.S. In 2007, he accepted a seat on the Board of Directors of Crossfirst Holdings, a start-up banking operation based out of Wichita, that went public a number of years later.
Personal And Family
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Larry could not have achieved the success he did in his career, without his life partner. He met Wah-leeta Schubert of Fairfax, Oklahoma when they both were students at the Wichita Business College.
They married in 1961 and were blessed with three children: Greg, Anita, and Shasta.
The marriages of their children gave them 9 grandchildren.
With Wah-leeta as his partner, Larry took Kansas farmers on tours around the world. They traveled to Hawaii, England, Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Amsterdam, Holland, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Costa Rico. They provided the opportunity for Kansans to travel around the world, likely something they would not have done without the security and safety that traveling with Larry and Wah-leeta provided.
Early Days on the farm and the air
Since Larry’s first television broadcast on KWCH as a very nervous employee of the Union Stockyards in 1964, he remained on TV through this day (July 2021). While on KSN, he requested and received, a tower in his own backyard. This allowed him to do his morning broadcasts from farm home west of Wichita instead of having to drive into town. Wah-leeta served ably as his videographer from their basement TV studio.
In 1976, Larry and Wah-leeta bought land outside of Garden Plain, a small town ten miles west of Wichita. They built their home there and began a farming operation that continues today. Larry returned to his roots, in this way, and raised wheat and cattle. Wah-leeta was instrumental in all aspects of farming.
But, tragically, it was farming that brought a premature end to her young life. At just 59, she died in a tractor accident that devastated the family, the Garden Plain residents, and the agricultural community across the state.
After an intense period of grieving and utter desolation, Larry married Carla Stovall Steckline, the then Kansas Attorney General in 2002.
philanthropy
Larry parlayed his financial successes into philanthropic commitments. A scholarship in posthumous honor of Wah-leeta was established at Newman University in Wichita. The University also has an art gallery and nursing classroom eponymously named. Larry contributed to the construction of Gerber Hall, named in honor of his close friend Bishop Eugene Gerber. A pop-up water feature at the Kansas State Fair bears his name and that of another good friend, Mary Alice Lair. She actually was the impetus behind his first date with Carla.
benefit Biography
Carla wrote a book about Larry -
Larry Steckline: A Half Century as the Voice of Kansas Agriculture and the couple donated all the proceeds to FFA chapters across Kansas.
Contributing to FFA was in recognition that his business success was beause farmers, ranchers and related businesses relied on – and trusted - him for their agri-business news.
Steckline Ag Scholarship
In a similar vein, and in honor of his 80th birthday, Larry and Carla have recently established the Larry Steckline Agricultural Appreciation Scholarship at Trego County High School. The financial assistance will be awarded each spring to a deserving high school student who has an agricultural background and/or is pursuing an education in an aspect of agricultural business.
Download the application
Get information about the scholarship, the criteria, and an application