STURGIS, S.D. – At the 107th South Dakota Farm Bureau Annual Convention, KBHB Radio (also known as the Big 81) was presented with the Friend of Agriculture Award by the organization.
The Friend of Agriculture Award is a high honor given by the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation (SDFBF) to recognize and strengthen relationships between ag producers and agri-business. Winners are nominated by County Farm Bureaus.
The 63-year-old ‘Heritage Station’ was nominated by Butte, Harding and Lawrence County Farm Bureau’s. A radio station achieves Heritage designation through broadcasting continuously for 50+ years or more, often with a consistent format and branding, signifying a rich history in the broadcasting community; in essence, a “classic” radio station with a well-established presence in its area.
“KBHB Radio provides coverage to a five-state area, providing up-to-date information relative to ranching and farming communities,” stated the nomination. “They provide daily market reports that ranchers and farmers can use to make marketing decisions. They also provide current weather reports and special announcements of weather that impact operations in the area. Those include approaching hail storms, severe thunderstorms with damaging winds affecting crops, and blizzards that can impact livestock – especially during times such as calving season.”
From daily livestock reports, to classic country music, breaking news and national headlines can all be found in one place: 810 AM and 105.5 FM. “KBHB provides reliable information producers can use to make decisions in their operations, including market reports that provide prices so producers may decide to sell or retain their products,” was one nominating comment.
Started by legendary South Dakota Broadcaster, Les Kleven and his wife Marguerite, KBHB has been a staple station in Sturgis since day one on the radio waves. According to news and program director Gary Matthews, KBHB has always been a ranch and farm station, and today, the content isn’t much different than it was more than 60 years ago.
“Since day one on air we have reached out to producers and aired the livestock reports for area sale barns,” said Matthews, “Most radio stations didn’t do that, and even today they don’t always do that.”
According to Matthews, producers from South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and the Nebraska Panhandle market through KBHB, taking advantage of its massive reach which has only grown through its social media platforms.
While the station is also a staple of the immediate Black Hills area, it serves producers across the Western Plains. Not only does KBHB air the livestock and farm reports, listeners can expect local and world news at the top of the hour and breaking news as it happens.
Matthews recalls reporting on the catastrophic 2013 winter storm, Atlas. KBHB joined the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association to help producers during that time. Reporting on breaking news and running radio-thons to raise money are examples of the industry and community support that KBHB has been doing for years and was noted in this nominating comment, “KBHB provides community service like helping to raise money for a new fire hall or community hall in a small, rural community. Most recently, a radio-thon on KBHB Radio helped to raise funds to build a new rodeo arena for the Sturgis High School Rodeo program and the surrounding Sturgis area.”
According to SDFB, a nominated business for ‘Friend of Agriculture,’ should be one who has supported agricultural efforts in their community, either through youth activities, agriculture promotions, local issues or quality of rural life.
Among the nominating comments, the station’s commitment to being a source of information, was noted. “KBHB provides air time for many informational programs such a podcasts and talk shows relating to agriculture. They will be on site at many agriculture related events such as county fairs. They interview participants and producers to inform the general public about what is happening in the agricultural world as well as to educate people about where their food comes from and hos it is produced.”
In 60-some years of broadcasting, the station hasn’t changed much, partly because it has only had three general managers in that time. Operated by Les Kleven until 1989 and then by Dana Caldwell until 2001 and finally by Dean Kinney from 2001 to today where as owner, he is president and CEO of the Homeslice Media Group, of which KBHB is a part.
“One of the things we say every day on the radio is that we’re the voice of the ranch – a place where people in production agriculture can turn to for anything they need, whether that’s market information or helping to raise money for a new community center in a small town,” said Kinney. “We think KBHB has built itself by being the voice of agriculture and the people in agriculture have built KBHB. We are immensely grateful to play a role in production agriculture that is such an important part of the economy, the lifestyle and the people in this place we’re lucky enough to call home.”
