John Kimmons knows what people in the Springfield area like to hear.
For 16 years, Kimmons has been working to meet the radio listening habits of many in the area, and he has had quite an impact.
Kimmons is operations manager for Mid-West Family Broadcasting stations KKLH 104.7 The Cave – a station he helped develop – and KOMG 105.1 Bob-FM.
During his 12 years with the broadcasting group, he also helped develop 92.9 Bass Country.
While Bass Country was replaced in 2010 by Star 92.9 and then to 92.9 The Beat in 2012 to capitalize on the 25- to 44-year-old female demographic, Kimmons says it was a revenue generator for the Madison, Wis.-based broadcasting company and competitive with other local stations.
“The entire time that station was on the air, we led the cluster in revenue generation and never fell out of the top five in our key demographic,” Kimmons says.
In January 2006, Kimmons helped Mid-West launch 104.7. His work to start and grow the station represents his greatest accomplishment to date, he says.
Though the classic rock station has had to compete in a market with established veterans such as US97, Kimmons says “The Cave” has become one of Mid-West’s most profitable stations, and a dominant area station among 25- to 54-year-old males.
Kimmons cut his teeth in local radio working for Sunburst Media from 1997 to 2001. There, he gained experience as on-air talent and as the promotions director for US 97, “My Country” 100.5 and KGBX 105.9.
In 2001, the Drury University graduate and Billings native became program director for KKLH. In 2007, he also began to work as program director for KOMG.
Last August, he was named operations manager for both stations. So far, he says he is making strong improvements, especially with 105.1, which hadn’t been meeting its budgetary or ratings’ goals.
“Within the first four months of my leadership, we have made massive headway in both our programming and fiscal goals,” Kimmons says, adding he’s been working closely with concert promoters and event coordinators to improve KOMG’s local standing during the next ratings period.
Overall, he says he is pleased with his career track.
“Operations managers are usually older people,” he says. “Many people my age would only now be making the move to program director.”
Kimmons also has been an active volunteer in the community, working with groups including the Crosslines advisory committee and no-kill animal shelter CARE.
He also says he’s proud that when Bass Country was around he helped the station raise more than $100,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network, setting a radio-thon record for the nonprofit that has yet to be topped.
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