Ozarks Profile - Art Hains

What is your job?

Art Hains is the sports director of Meyer Communications, which owns KWTO-AM and -FM and KTXR-FM. Also, since 1985 he has been the play-by-play voice of Southwest Missouri State University football, basketball and baseball and since 1995 has hosted the nightly Sportstalk show on KWTO-AM.

Please tell us about your company.

The Meyer Communications radio stations are the only home-owned group of radio stations in the Springfield market, the largest AM signal and the two largest FM signals in the area, Hains said. He added that KWTO-AM is Springfield's oldest radio station and now is an all news-talk format. "KWTO-FM became all-sports Jock 98.7 in January," he said, "and KTXR features an adult contemporary format with SMSU sports and Cardinals baseball."

What prepared you for work in your field?

Hains was "intensely interested" in sports at an early age, he said. "I started at the hometown station in Marshall while a high school student." He majored in broadcast journalism at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "I worked in the sports information office there and worked part-time at KRLO-AM. I became sports director of KGBX-AM (in Springfield) at age 21."

How would you rate the quality of athletics in southwest Missouri?

"Very good and getting better, especially in women's basketball and men's and women's soccer," Hains said, adding, "Basketball still and probably always will be the Ozarks' favorite sport."

Do you see any new trends developing in broadcast sports coverage?

"All-sports formats were unheard of 15 years ago," Hains said. "In the last five years, nearly every city has gotten one. Our management made a bold move switching to this format on a 100,000-watt FM. Nationally, the trend is towards more critical, in-your-face guy talk' more than focusing on sports. We have some of that on network shows, but try to stick to sports on local programs."

What's the best part of your job?

Hains said that the best part of the job for him is what nearly all sportscasters like best, "getting to announce the games." He added, "I enjoy the preparation and the challenge of describing things as they happen and trying to analyze why they happen. Also, getting to voice my opinion on the talk show and interact with listeners."

Can you tell us something about your personal life and family?

Hains has been married 21 years to the former Lisa Davis of Monett. They have two children, Chris, 16, a sophomore basketball player and golfer at Parkview High School, and Kathleen, 11, a Greenwood fifth-grader. "We attend First and Calvary Presbyterian Church and enjoy doing many things together, including traveling to sports events," he said.

How do you like to spend your leisure time?

Hains said he most enjoys "watching sports (for) business and pleasure, canoeing Ozarks streams, golfing with my son and friends and just relaxing with the family."

by Frank Shipe