KICK (1340 AM) is a

conservative talk Conservative talk radio is a talk radio format in the United States and other countries devoted to expressing conservative viewpoints of issues, as opposed to progressive talk radio. The definition of conservative talk is generally broad enough ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

. The station is owned by Karen and R.C. Amer, through holding company Vision Communications, along with its FM partner

KADI-FM KADI-FM (99.5 FM) is a Contemporary Christian Music radio station in Republic, Missouri serving the Springfield, Missouri area. The station is owned by Karen and R.C. Amer through its holding company Vision Communications. KADI-FM was also the ...

Programming

The station features a mostly syndicated lineup, carrying affiliations with

Salem Radio Network Salem Radio Network is a United States-based radio network that specializes in syndicated Christian political talk, music, and conservative secular news/talk programming. It is a division of the Salem Media Group. Network information Salem Rad ...

's "The Answer" conservative talk lineup (providing '' Morning in America with Bill Bennett'',

Michael Medved Michael Saul Medved (born October 3, 1948) is an American radio show host, author, political commentator, and film critic. His talk show, ''The Michael Medved Show'', is syndicated from his home station KTTH in Seattle. It is syndicated via Gen ...

and

Dennis Prager Dennis Mark Prager (; born August 2, 1948) is an American conservative radio talk show host and writer. He is the host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show ''The Dennis Prager Show''. In 2009, he co-founded PragerU, which creates five-m ...

Fox News Radio Fox News Radio is an American radio network owned by Fox News. It is syndicated to over 500 AM and FM radio stations across the United States. It also supplies programming for three channels on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. History In 2003, ...

(carrying

Brian Kilmeade Brian Kilmeade (born May 7, 1964) is an American television and radio presenter and political commentator for Fox News. On weekdays he co-hosts the morning show, ''Fox & Friends'', and he hosts the Fox News Radio program ''The Brian Kilmeade Sho ...

), '' The Dave Ramsey Show'',

ABC News Radio ABC News Radio is the news radio service of ABC Audio, a division of ABC News in the United States. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Skyview Networks, five minute newscasts on the hour and news briefs at half-pas ...

(top-of-hour news updates), and the

USA Radio Network USA Radio Network is an American mass media company, specializing in long-form spoken word (talk radio) and radio newscasts, produced and distributed with a generally conservative focus. USA Radio Network produces and distributes 24-hour news, n ...

(weekend programs). Local programs include "The Shopping Show" (

home shopping Home shopping is the electronic retailing and home shopping channels industry, which includes such billion dollar television-based and e-commerce companies as Shop LC, HSN, Gemporia, TJC, QVC, eBay, ShopHQ, Buy.com and Amazon.com, as well as tradit ...

), "Business Spotlight" and "The Business Rockstars" (both of which are brokered shows). Since January 20, 2017, the station has begun featuring more local programming, including a morning show with long-time Springfield radio personality Woody P. Snow.

History

The station was previously known as KICK and signed on in 1950.

Charles McCord Charles McCord (born c. 1942 in Joplin, Missouri) is an American former news anchor and radio personality most notable for his association with ''Imus in the Morning'' for over three decades. Career In his early career, McCord worked as a copy writ ...

, a cast member of ''

Imus in the Morning ''Imus in the Morning'' was a long-running radio show hosted by Don Imus. The show originated on June 2, 1968, on various stations in the Western United States and Cleveland, Ohio before settling on WNBC radio in New York City in 1971. In Octob ...

'', worked at the station in the 1960s (his first job in radio) before moving on to larger markets. The station changed call signs to KIDS in 1991. When Vision Communications first went on the air in June 1990, the AM station was off the air, and the FM station was small, employing approximately eight people. Chicago-based Snowmen Broadcasting Inc. owned it and Amer was a sales representative. In the years between, Amer moved into the role of sales manager, then station manager, before purchasing KADI. The purchase was finalized in 2000, but Vision Communications had a management agreement with KADI since 1994, the year Amer formed the company. In 2001, Amer obtained rights to 1340 AM KADI (formerly 1340 AM KIDS, which was previously 1340 KICK). Staff grew to the 20 there today, and sister station KADI-FM reached the top spot in Arbitron’s ratings for contemporary Christian stations in the 18- to 34-year-old women category, its target market. 1340 AM KICK has also grown in listenership since adopting the Conservative Talk format. In summer 2016, KICK began simulcasting at 92.3 FM, K222CT. On Friday, January 20, 2017 long-time Springfield radio voice Woody P. Snow began hosting a local morning show and the station rebranded as "92.3 FM KICK."

Recent growth

Some of the station's biggest points of pride are in its community involvement. The station and its listeners have taken on causes from the Good Samaritans Boys Ranch to Ozarks Food Harvest. 1340 AM KICK sponsors the annual

Children's Miracle Network Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) (French: Réseau Enfants-Santé (RES)) is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for children's hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. Donations support the health of 10 million children each ...

Radiothon, which raised more than $30,000 in 2006. The station also sponsors Relay for Life events for the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

. 1340 AM KICK has also participated in the annual "I Love America" Celebration hosted by James River Assembly of God every

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

during the celebration's 14-year duration.

External links

1340 The Ozarks Big Talker (1340 AM & 92.3 FM KICK) Official websiteOfficial Shopping Show Facebook page
* {{Springfield Radio ICK (AM) News and talk radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1991 1991 establishments in Missouri