ANNOUNCER: The following program is a production of Ozarks Public Television.

NARRATOR: The advent of radio broadcasting in the early 20th century was a truly transformative moment in human history.

For the first time, millions of people could collectively share experiences and information right from their homes.

As the technology developed in the 1920s and '30s, it became increasingly popular, and a vast array of radio stations blossomed across the country.

In the Ozarks, one of the first and most influential of these radio stations was KWTO.

Founded by Ralph Foster of St Joseph, Missouri, KWTO became a beacon of culture to the region.

Its focus on local music galvanized the community and helped to define the uniqueness of the Ozarks.

In the three decades after its inception, it helped launch the careers of many regional country music artists and was the driving force behind the development of the Ozark Jubilee, the first successful country music variety show and national television program produced outside of New York or Los Angeles.

[banjo music playing] The story of KWTO in the early 20th century is the story of the Ozarks, its people, and a reflection of our collective values, creativity, and fortitude.

[banjo music playing] The technological advances that made radio a viable means of mass communication began as a series of inventions in the late 19th century.

As the science behind radio transmission continued to develop, the potential of this new technology was quickly realized.

Radio was the first broadcast medium.

And suddenly, the fact that you could have the world sort of coming into your home was amazing and really transformative.

I can't imagine having been an Ozarker in the 1930s and suddenly had this box that would connect you with the rest of the world.

I don't think there's any way that today we can understand the gravity of what that would have been like for these people.

Radio was the lifeline.

It was a way for people to get the news rather than having to wait on the newspaper to be delivered.

NARRATOR: By the mid-1920s, several radio stations had emerged in larger cities, like Kansas City and St. Louis.

The equipment necessary to create a radio broadcast was relatively accessible, and many people began experimenting with low powered transmissions as a hobby.

One of these early hobbyists was Ralph Foster of St. Joseph, Missouri.

There were a lot of tinkerers in radio in the first 25 years of the 20th century.

That was happening in St. Joseph and really across the country.

NARRATOR: Born on April 25, 1893, Ralph Foster was educated in Washington, DC, and by 1924 had returned to St. Joseph to open a Firestone Tire Shop with business partner Jerry Hall.

His hometown was St. Joseph, Missouri, and he and his business partner, Jerry Hall, had a tire station.

And Ralph Foster got interested in radio when it was just in its infancy.

NARRATOR: Recognizing the potential of this emerging technology, Ralph Foster and Jerry Hall enlisted the help of a local enthusiast, Julius Abercrombie, who had been experimenting with radio since 1923, and by 1926 had built a small 15-watt station.

The Federal Radio Commission-- some bureaucrat had a wry sense of humor, because when they applied for a radio station, they gave them-- the four call letters were WEAK-- weak.

NARRATOR: Ralph Foster and Jerry Hall purchased the station from Julius Abercrombie and renamed it KGBX.

They set up a small 4 by 12 foot studio inside their tire shop, and aired their first official broadcast on August 17, 1926, featuring performances by Ralph Foster and Jerry Hall, who sang frequently around the area as The Rubber Twins.

This was a hobby.

It was not their primary business.

Those were the tires.

You know, they would have to interrupt broadcast to go take care of tire customers.

But after he was given a number of ashtrays as kind of a gimmick, he decided to give them away for free over the airwaves, and had a line of customers who showed up for it, which really showed him the power of radio.

And so that's when it dawned on him that they're listening, and advertisers will pay to get their message out.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Now folks, whenever you or any member of your family needs a good laxative, try Crazy Crystals, because these snowy white minerals are amazingly mild yet fast acting and thorough.

NARRATOR: By January of 1927, KGBX was operating at 100 watts on a frequency of 1210 kilocycles.

When radio first took off, they quickly discovered that music was a major part of it.

Radio was completely live.

There was no prerecorded anything in the '20s and '30s in radio.

And so all the musicians would come to the studio.

NARRATOR: Musical programming proved to be popular, and in 1928, they moved the operation to a new dedicated studio and focused on building a pool of local talent.

He was looking to satisfy that country niche that we have that sentimentality for.

Even if you have moved on to the big city, there's still-- there still, you know, attachment to the country and to its simpleness and its humbleness.

NARRATOR: Historically, people's exposure to music was primarily through family members and their local community, following traditional styles passed down through generations.

Most people back then, especially in rural areas, made their own music.

So people were homegrown musicians.

There was a lot of German music.

There was a lot of Scott and Irish music that came in from Kentucky and Tennessee, as families migrated on a generational basis.

So in those days, you had the music that you knew.

It wasn't like you were listening to all sorts of other people.

You had the square dance you went to on Saturday nights, perhaps, or you had your local group of musicians.

Tent shows were very popular, especially in rural areas and small towns.

Vaudeville was big in the cities.

In the '20s and '30s, they discovered that what they called hillbilly music was very popular with radio listeners.

The hillbilly music, as I think of it-- it follows that same pattern of music that reflects life in some way or other, whether joys and sorrows or adventures or whatever.

Every good hillbilly song, I think, has to tell a good story.

You had to go out of your way to come to the Ozarks, so there was a strong cultural identity to the music that was created and played here.

When KWTO and other radio stations came on the air, this cultural identity had an outlet, and it produced a lot of notable people.

NARRATOR: By 1932, KGBX had become a popular outlet for local music.

It was an essential resource to the community, also broadcasting news, weather, sports, and farm reports to St. Joseph and the surrounding areas.

However, they faced continued resistance from the Federal Radio Commission, who repeatedly denied their request for a power increase and tried to shut down the station.

Recognizing that KGBX had little room to grow in St. Joseph, Ralph Foster considered relocating the station.

That same year, Jerry Hall decided to exit the radio business and sold his stock in KGBX and the tire company.

Ralph's brother-in-law, C. Arthur Johnson, bought out Jerry Hall's part of the business, both the tire store and the radio station.

NARRATOR: With a background in financing, C. Arthur Johnson became the business manager for Ralph Foster's growing radio enterprise.

Both avid outdoors-men, Ralph Foster and Arthur Johnson often traveled to southwest Missouri for hunting and fishing expeditions.

During one of these visits, they noted that Springfield did not have a successful radio station, and recognized an opportunity to grow their business.

Springfield in the '20s before Ralph Foster came down from St. Joseph-- they'd tried radio stations.

They'd all gone belly up, because there just wasn't a viable economic model for it.

NARRATOR: On February 8, 1932, the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce approved the move, and they were granted a new license by the Federal Radio Commission to operate in Springfield.

Remember, that was 1932 and 1933.

Those were literally the two worst years of the Great Depression.

They were the worst times, in a way, for radio stations to be coming to Springfield, or for a new business to start in Springfield or anywhere else.

People, you know, especially during the Depression-- they would sell just about anything-- liquidate just about anything and keep their radio.

It was really that one thing that gave them solace, gave them information.

Most folks really loved radio.

NARRATOR: The final broadcast of KGBX in St. Joseph went out on August 13, 1932.

On September 9th, KGBX aired its first broadcast from Springfield.

It was a huge risk, but one they were betting would pay off.

It was something that was relatively new, and therefore, if it was new, it might just work.

NARRATOR: During the transition to Springfield, Ralph Foster worked closely with long time Ozarks resident and entrepreneur, Lester Cox.

Lester Cox was actually an auto supply person.

It made sense that he just sort of naturally got acquainted with the auto supply guy in Springfield.

Lester Cox was very involved in this from the beginning.

You know, reports talk about him being in discussion with Ralph Foster before he even came to Springfield.

And Lester Cox was very involved in many things in Springfield at that time.

And he was considered a visionary, and I have no doubt that he saw the potential.

NARRATOR: Lester Cox was born in Republic, Missouri on August 22, 1895.

By 1927, he had established a successful automotive supply company and built a sizeable business empire, including marketing a line of radios.

He became a core member of Ralph Foster's team, helping to obtain financial backing for many of his future projects.

He would also go on to make many contributions to the city of Springfield, serving on the board of the Frisco Railroad, helping to launch Ozark Airlines, and perhaps most famously, saving Burge Hospital from financial collapse.

Today, the hospital still thrives under his namesake, Cox Health.

With the help of Lester Cox, Ralph Foster purchased another radio station from nearby Grant City, Missouri and renamed it KWTO.

It was licensed to broadcast at 500 watts on a frequency of 560 kilocycles, giving it a significantly larger reach than KGBX.

When you could only reach a small area, you were limiting your potential in a time when I'm sure Mr. Cox and Mr. Foster both saw great possibilities if they could only reach more people.

NARRATOR: The station was moved to Springfield and shared the same facilities and staff with KGBX.

They also adopted their famous slogan-- Keep Watching the Ozarks.

Ralph Foster had a lot of talents, but one of his talents was to recognize talent.

Some of the people that got involved in KWTO he knew from his St. Joseph days.

George Earle Wilson, who had a big long career at KWTO-- Ralph met him in St. Joseph and put him on the air.

NARRATOR: George Earle Wilson joined Ralph Foster in the 1920s as an announcer, earning the nickname Honey Boy and a reputation for his humor and poetry, and would go on to become a principal performer on KGBX and KWTO.

GEORGE EARLE WILSON: (SINGING) The world needs more of the good people, good people, the good, good people.

The world needs more of the good people who'd rather do right than wrong.

NARRATOR: Another KGBX transplant from St. Joseph was engineer Fritz Bauer, who had served in the Army Signal Corps.

Regarded as one of the best radio engineers in the country, Ralph Foster helped secure his release from the army in exchange for setting up the original KGBX station in St. Joseph.

He brought KGBX down here in 1932, and then on Christmas Day of 1933, he launched KWTO.

NARRATOR: The first program broadcast on KWTO was hosted by George Earle Wilson and featured music by legendary guitarist, Les Paul.

Les's mentor at that time was a very fine guitarist named Ralph Wolverton.

He went by the name of Sunny Joe Wolverton.

Mr. Foster hired Sunny Joe to come down to Springfield to help open up KWTO, and Sunny Joe brought Rhubarb Red.

Les Paul's real name-- birth name-- was Lester Polsfuss, but he had the stage name of Rhubarb Red, because Les had that flaming, head-on-fire red hair.

And they call themselves the Ozark Apple Knockers.

But Christmas Day 1933, the Ozark Apple Knockers performed on KWTO on its first day on the air.

Les Paul was a genius.

He was an eccentric genius.

Even as a 15, 16, 17-year-old boy, he was already playing guitar-- already fooling around with electric strings and things like that at a time in the '30s when that was unusual.

Les Paul is generally credited with the first to use sound on sound and multi-tracking, which totally revolutionized the recording business-- totally.

He made a lot of contributions to recording technology.

NARRATOR: Les Paul would only spend a short time in Springfield, but his initial broadcast on KWTO helped the station hit the ground running.

In 1935, KWTO and KGBX moved to a new location across from the Shrine Mosque on St. Louis Street, and were granted a power increase to 1,000 watts, followed by another power increase to 5,000 watts in 1936, giving them a tremendous coverage area.

Where I lived in Texas County, Missouri near Houston, Missouri, we could pull in KWTO just fine during the day.

But we couldn't get KGBX very well there.

So KWTO was the station that we listened to.

Especially in the '30s and '40s, the radio networks were coming to the fore.

NBC Blue and NBC Red-- they develop network programming, so comedy music, drama-- kind of what today we call soap operas.

The problem, Mrs. Everett, please.

Well, doctor, maybe you'll find out what's wrong with my husband.

NARRATOR: In 1934, KGBX joined the NBC Red network and began airing national programming in addition to their established local fare.

KWTO remained independent and continued its focus on local country music.

He was very community minded, very much interested in helping out the community-- did like public service announcements for different organizations, just because he thought that that was a way to, you know, better the community.

Ralph Foster was always very civic minded.

There were variety of projects that they helped raise money for over the years.

But one of the big ones was the polio effort in the 1950s.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: If you will just turn the magic spotlight of your generosity on the wonderful mothers of Springfield, Missouri.

And why?

Well, at this moment they are starting their march on polio, and all you wonderful people have nothing to do but to turn on your porch light, and one of these Springfield mothers will be around to get your donation.

One event that was a fundraiser for the Salvation Army had-- I think it was 1,500 people more than the capacity of the Shrine Mosque who were in there when the fire marshal shut the doors.

And there were hundreds more they turned away.

There's no event like that today-- that has the drawing power like that.

NARRATOR: In addition to music, KWTO also aired many other types of programs.

A full-time news department had been established in 1933, which served both KGBX and KWTO.

It was headed by Floyd Sullivan of Billings, Missouri from 1932 until his death in 1954.

During that time, the department employed up to six regular staff and presented as many as 23 newscasts per day.

I think he had a policy that it was 2/3 local programming, local weather, local news reports, and then a third was going to be, you know, national news.

NARRATOR: It was an integral part of their programming and became an especially vital resource during World War II.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Vern, talk to that lady from the American Red Cross.

VERN WILLIAMS (ON RADIO): All right, thank you, Carl.

What is your name, please?

JANE BENTLEY (ON RADIO): Jane Bentley.

VERN WILLIAMS (ON RADIO): Well, you've certainly been in war work during the terrible conflict.

And what do you feel now?

How do you feel now?

JANE BENTLEY (ON RADIO): I'm very happy.

It means my husband will come home.

VERN WILLIAMS (ON RADIO): How long has he been away?

JANE BENTLEY (ON RADIO): 18 months.

VERN WILLIAMS (ON RADIO): Well, that's certainly a grand thing for you then, isn't it?

Do you have any children?

JANE BENTLEY (ON RADIO): No we don't.

NARRATOR: Agriculture was a central industry in the Ozarks at the time, and farm reports were broadcast on KWTO multiple times a day, often remotely from area stockyards by Green County Farm agent CC Keller.

C.C.

KELLER (ON RADIO): Good morning, fans.

The history of our domestic turkey is indeed a fascinating story.

Since the wild turkey is a native of North America, we find reference to this great bird frequently in early American history.

NARRATOR: In 1950, a full-time Farm Service Department was created, which won the coveted Public Interest Award from the National Safety Council in 1951.

Weather was another important part of the KWTO schedule.

C.C.

Williford of the Springfield Weather Bureau began daily weather reports on KWTO and KGBX in 1935, a first in the nation.

C.C.

WILLIFORD (ON RADIO): You're in the Ozarks and southwestern Missouri.

There is not a great deal of industry, and for the most part, the farm in its products are the primary source of all business activities.

It is no wonder then that the daily weather we have been supplying in the news department of the radio station has met with such popular appeal, resulting in the radio station establishing this direct broadcast service.

WAYNE GLENN: He was stationed in Springfield as the meteorologist-- the professional meteorologist-- starting in the early 1930s.

He was from Illinois himself.

C.C.

Williford was a fisherman.

He was a sportsman.

He was a Shriner, and his personality was outgoing.

He was comfortable on the radio, and so it became something that was done every day.

C.C.

Williford was just a great storyteller.

The other radio stations would pick it up also, so he would be on all four stations here in Springfield.

C.C.

Williford, you know, as a weatherman was one of the most well-known people throughout the whole Ozarks.

And that, I think, speaks to this experiment that Ralph foster and others were able to do in both creating an endearing presence that people wanted to be part of, but also content that was relevant for their lives.

MAN (ON RADIO): (SINGING) Gone fishin'.

There's a sign upon on his door.

Gone fishin'.

C.C.

WILLIFORD (ON RADIO): Yes, gone fishin'.

And there's more than magic in those two little words, for it means a day or two on nature's heart.

For where else can you find so many clear, pure, spring-fed streams than right here in the Ozarks?

NARRATOR: Even within shows like news, weather, and farm reports, much of KWTO's programming in the 1930s and '40s featured live local music.

Prior to 1950, the Federal Communications Commission did not allow recorded music on the radio, so stations often retained a large staff of musicians to fill the airtime and deliver messages from advertisers.

The single-most important part of the success of KWTO especially was the hillbilly or country music.

NARRATOR: Variety programs, like the "Alpen Brau Show" and the "Little Crossroads Store" were very popular, and featured a mix of comedy and music with an informal cast, recruited from local Ozarks talent.

KWTO was a representative of the Ozark culture.

[MUSIC - "ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA, AND THE SANTA FE"] (SINGING) Do ya hear that whistle down the line, I figure that it's engine number forty nine.

She's the only one that will sound that way on the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe to Fe to Fe Fe Fe.

NARRATOR: One of the first and most notable area musicians to join Ralph Foster and his team in Springfield was Slim Wilson.

Slim Wilson was brought up in Christian and Stone County.

Born in 1910, Slim arrived on the scene like in 1932, 1933.

And his popularity grew.

He went from being a real mountain boy-- a hillbilly rural farm boy who knew all about sweating and working in the fields-- to becoming a man with a guitar, singing the old familiar songs like, "Barbara Allen" and the tunes that even in the 1930s were old.

[music - "barbara allen"] SLIM WILSON (ON RADIO): (SINGING) All in the merry month of May, when the green buds were swelling.

Sweet William came from the western stage and courted Barbara Allen.

NARRATOR: Slim Wilson began playing music at an early age, singing songs over the party line telephone with his six older sisters.

He picked up the guitar after trading one for a pig, and began practicing with his neighbor Zed Tennis, who would also later join the radio roster.

Slim Wilson would become a loyal member of the KWTO cast, and played in many musical groups for the station.

His first group, however, came about in the early 1930s, together with his sister, known as Aunt Martha, and nephew Junior Haworth, who was later known as Speedy and would also go on to have a long musical career.

The group would play regularly on KWTO as the Goodwill Family.

In the late 1930s, a fourth member was added-- Uncle George Rhodes on bass.

[music - the goodwill family] (SINGING) When I'm sad and dreary, needs the sunshine cheery, I long for the one who will understand my care.

While my hearts a feeling, speech from God comes freely.

I get close to heaven through my tears.

The Goodwill Family was promoting Goodwill Flour.

It was a brand name for flour.

Martha was also a restaurateur.

She was a very savvy businesswoman.

She ended up starting and managing probably more than a dozen restaurants.

So Aunt Martha's Pancake House is the one that most people remember, but she was just a really amazing business person and performer.

NARRATOR: Another early musical group on KWTO was the Haden Family.

The Haden Family had a unique situation.

They had a dairy farm out in the Fairgrove.

And they broadcast remotely from the farm.

NARRATOR: With the help of KWTO's talented engineers, the Haden family broadcast remotely from their farm for many years, with their popular program, "The Sunway Vitamin Hour."

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Here's to sunshine and happiness as the Sunway Vitamin Company presents direct from their home the Haden Family.

[music - the haden family] (SINGING) So I'm feeling blue.

I roll on with you.

to the ocean blue sail around so long.

Another element of the success of KWTO would have been pop music.

And probably the most successful man to be a singer of popular music in the 1930s in Springfield was Bill Ring.

Bill Ring was a young fella who had graduated from high school at Stratford in the early '30s, and he came on board with KWTO and KGBX as an announcer, but also as a singer.

Bill Ring was very portly, jovial kind of person.

My understanding is he got his start at the Woolworth store on the southwest corner of the Springfield Square.

And this is back when sheet music was a big source of income in the music industry.

So my understanding is wanted some sheet music.

You'd go into the store and say, oh here's one.

Bill would sing it for you.

[music - bill ring] BILL RING (ON RADIO): (SINGING) Now, I'm just a simple guy.

There's one thing sure as shootin'.

I hate these folks who think that there's a bad bird high falutin'.

I'm a plain old country boy, a cornbread lovin' country boy.

I'll be looking over that old gray mule when the sun comes up in the mornin'.

NARRATOR: With an abundance of local musicians and sustained revenue from advertisers, KWTO continually added to their roster of talent.

Les Kennon came to KWTO soon after its inception as a singer and ad solicitor.

He would later become vice president of the station and remained an important part of his operation for decades.

Another important addition to the KWTO radio team was Lou Black, joining the station in 1940 as part of The Harvest Hands group.

He was later promoted to program director.

A native of Jasper County, Missouri, Lou Black had an ear for talent and was vital to the station's recruiting efforts.

Lou would travel around the Ozarks and find talent and bring it to KWTO radio.

Bill Bailey was another KWTO personality from St. Joseph's, joining the team in 1938 to do a "Man on the Street" interview program.

He eventually rose to director of the KWTO Artists Bureau and managed several other hillbilly music acts.

By 1941, KWTO was broadcasting around the clock, and listeners developed a deep connection with his plethora of personalities.

You have these people dropping in via the speaker every day, and they became almost like family.

Pretty early on, a lot of radio stations realized that having a program guide was a good thing.

And so Ralph Foster and his team decided they were going to put out a monthly guide.

NARRATOR: The "Dial" was first published in August of 1941 as a tabloid style newspaper edited by Bill Bailey.

It included a monthly programming guide, as well as columns and articles written by the staff of KWTO and KGBX.

To readers, it was a window into the lives of their favorite radio performers.

Most of those people were farmers or they were small-town merchants.

And so nobody was that highfalutin.

So you can hear stories about people and imagine that it could be happening to you or your friend.

People want to be entertained, and they love to hear stories.

NARRATOR: One popular column in the "Dial" was "Hillbilly Heartbeats," penned by local folk historian and philosopher, May Kennedy McCord.

May Kennedy McCord was affectionately known as the Queen of the Ozarks.

She was from here and spent most of her life in this region, and was just this beloved figure.

Eventually, her column in the "Dial" actually became like a 15-minute program on KWTO, and it was called "Hillbilly Heartbeats," and was just like a staple for many years.

MAN (ON RADIO): (SINGING) Hillbilly heartbeats, tender and warm.

MAY KENNEDY MCCORD (ON RADIO): Thank you, Fred.

Say, a kind of pretty day isn't it, Fred?

I wonder how you all are of this fine morning.

And I do believe we have spring.

I just really do.

And the hot summer's been almost breathing down our neck the last few days.

I'm glad to see it for my part.

NARRATOR: The "Dial" continued monthly publication throughout most of the 1940s.

In 1944, the FCC announced that a single company could not own more than one radio station in a given area.

Ralph Foster sold KGBX and kept KWTO, due to its higher power and lower frequency.

Later that year, KWTO joined the NBC Blue network, which became the American Broadcasting Company-- ABC-- in 1945.

This added national news dramas and soap operas to the schedule, but its focus remained primarily on local affairs and country music.

Around this time, Ralph Foster would also add several members to his team.

John Mahaffey of St. Joseph joined the KWTO in 1946, after serving in the army during World War II.

He had a knack for finances and became a vital part of many future endeavors.

In 1947, Joe Slattery joined KWTO as a singer and announcer.

He quickly became a warm and familiar voice of the station, and would later act as the main announcer on the "Ozark Jubilee."

In 1948, another key member would join Ralph Foster's management team at KWTO, one that would transform country music in the Ozarks and across the nation.

That man was Si Siman.

Born in Springfield in 1921, Eli Earl Siman, Jr. was known as Si to his friends and family.

He had a passion for baseball and music, alongside an intense entrepreneurial spirit.

One of the first business endeavors would lead him to meet Ralph Foster in the mid-1930s, shortly after KWTO went on the air.

He was about 12 or 13, and he was going around town selling popsicles.

He'd converted an orange crate and put dry ice in it and wheels on it.

And he went around town selling popsicles.

And he was trying to raise enough money so he and his dad could go to St. Louis and see the Cardinals play.

So he went to KWTO, and Ralph was in there.

And, of course, he gave Ralph his sales pitch, and Ralph said sure.

So Daddy went around the building and gave a popsicle to every person in the building.

And when he came back down, Uncle Ralph said, well what do I owe you?

And Daddy told him, and he said, hey, wait a minute.

You know, I just said we'd take a popsicle.

And Daddy said, well, that's not what I thought.

You know, I thought you said give one to everyone in the building, so I did.

So he paid Daddy, of course, and he said, well, you know, you're a pretty good business guy.

Here, why don't you just come to work for me?

And Daddy said, oh no.

I've got my own business, and business is good.

So-- NARRATOR: This interaction was the beginning of a relationship that would last the rest of their lives, and one that would forever change the landscape of country music.

Si had something.

He could recognize talent.

He knew how to get things done.

When he was in high school, he started booking bands at Half-a-Hill and the Shrine Mosque and different places like that.

He booked Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey and a lot of big name bands, you know?

And he'd go around and put posters up and promote it.

And so he just started doing that, and he just really became the promoter for music in this area, you know?

And he got to know people and made lots of good contacts through all of that, which helped him in later years.

NARRATOR: After graduating from Springfield Central High School in 1940, he enlisted in the US Navy as the United States entered World War II.

His dad and he both enlisted on the same day.

And so he ended up serving in the Navy.

And then after he served in the Navy, he went to a couple of different college programs as a result of the Navy, and then resettled back in Springfield to start his life.

And that's when he sort of hooked back up with Ralph Foster, who became his mentor in the entertainment industry.

When he got out, he came back, and he went in to see Ralph.

And he said, remember one time you told me you wanted me to come to work for you?

And Ralph said, yeah.

Daddy said, well, I'm ready to come to work for you, and I'll make you a lot of money.

So if I make you a lot of money, will you give me some of that money?

And Ralph said sure.

So they were in business, and it became more than a working relationship.

Of course, Mr. Foster was old enough to be his father.

They were of a different generation, but they decided to have a transcription service, which would mean that they would have machinery so that they could transcribe shows-- in other words, record a show for future use.

NARRATOR: KWTO's transcription services operated under a separate business called RadiOzark Enterprises, which had been formed in the early 1940s originally as a talent booking agency for radio performers.

Soon after Si Siman joined the team, they worked together on their first successful syndicated program, called "Sermons in Song."

In Springfield, Missouri, there was the headquarters of the Assembly of God church, which had a series of radio shows called "Sermons in Song."

And so Si and Mr. Foster saw the opportunity to record those and syndicate them.

That was kind of the beginning of their syndication business.

NARRATOR: "Sermons in Song" was a successful and popular program, eventually winning a Churchill award for Outstanding Program Quality.

The RadiOzark transcription service became a lucrative business and continued for more than 20 years, transcribing hundreds of radio programs for many successful country music artists.

Shows were recorded live, mostly at the KWTO studios, and syndicated to more than 1,000 stations across the country.

My dad ended up producing I think over 270 shows on Smiley Burnett.

He produced a number of radio shows on Tennessee Ernie Ford.

He produced radio shows on George Morgan.

So yeah, really they built a really successful radio syndication business.

NARRATOR: Though never officially employed at KWTO, Si Siman would work independently in various affiliated companies over the years, recording transcriptions, booking performers, and scouting local talent.

Si Siman started the top talent booking agency in 1948, and along with John Mahaffey in 1949 formed the Earl Barton Music Company to record and distribute albums by country music artists.

They worked well together.

They disagreed.

You know, there were times when they disagreed.

I mean, Daddy got fired.

I think it was three times in one day Ralph fired him.

And I don't know what the disagreement was, but he fired him, and Daddy left.

And then he came back and went to his desk, and Ralph fired him again.

And so Daddy left.

And when he came back the third time, Ralph said, I fired you.

Why aren't you gone?

And Daddy said, I don't have any place to go.

Si Siman was just one of those people who was able to persuade people to do things and to get things organized and get it on the air and make it good.

He was a great blessing to Springfield.

NARRATOR: Perhaps one of Si Siman's most famous discoveries came in 1951 after hearing about a local guitar player from West Plains.

Porter Wagoner was born and reared and Howell County near West Plains-- much like the Slim Wilsons of the world was a real hillbilly.

KWPM, the West Plains radio station, went on the air in '47.

And word got up to KWTO that there was a kid down in West Plains that was making some noise.

He was broadcasting from this grocery store, and this guy would get on there and talk about the groceries and sing a tune or two.

Sid Vaughn's Market, where Porter worked full-time as a meat cutter.

Lou Black and probably some others from KWTO drove down here to hear him.

So he was behind the counter at the meat market, and Daddy said, you know, I heard you're pretty good.

Why don't you come out from behind that counter and sing me a song?

So Porter did, and Daddy said we gotta get you on KWTO.

So Daddy brought him up here, and he bought him his first suit and got him on the radio.

And then they became lifelong friends and had a wonderful working relationship.

NARRATOR: Porter Wagoner was hired by KWTO in 1951, and would perform on the station for several years.

In 1952, Si Siman helped Porter get a contract with RCA records.

Porter is probably the most well-known country and western performer to come out of the Ozarks.

He had an amazingly astute sense of what worked.

One of the attributes of Porter Wagoner was that he never changed.

Even as an older man, he never left his rural roots behind.

He sang country music.

He was brought to fame in Springfield, Missouri on KWTO, then the Ozark Jubilee, and as a businessman.

He felt like the time was right, so in 1957, he left the Ozarks and went to Nashville.

But he never left his Ozarks roots.

NARRATOR: Many artists from outside the Ozarks would also come to Springfield to perform on the radio before making a name for themselves in the national country music scene.

One of them was the legendary Chet Atkins.

Chet came to KWTO in 1946, after having bounced around from station to station.

The country station said he wasn't country enough, and some other stations would say he was too country.

Chet said he was just about to give up on being a guitarist when he heard about the gig in Springfield.

He came down here and was hired as staff guitarist in 1946, and that was a big turning point for him, because he met Si Siman, who got him to start calling himself Chet instead of Chester.

He and Si Siman were lifelong-- very close friends.

He worked in Springfield twice.

The first time he was fired, because his music was too progressive.

Si Siman went to New York, and had a demo of Chet playing the guitar, and convinced RCA to sign him to a contract.

And Daddy was out of town one time, and they fired Chet.

And Daddy said, oh, that's just great.

I just got you a record deal.

So he had gotten him his first record deal.

After he was fired from KWTO, he wound up going back to WNLX where he started.

And it was there that he met the Carter Sisters.

And they became very fond of Chet, and when Chet joined them, the act took off like a rocket.

They eventually came to KWTO in Springfield.

'49, Ralph and Si and everybody here convinced them to come.

And they didn't stay here even a year.

So in early May of '50, they left for Nashville.

NARRATOR: When Chet Atkins first came to Springfield, he performed on a program called "Korn's-A-Krackin'," which began in 1941 as a live hillbilly variety show broadcast from the Shrine Mosque in Springfield.

The story is that some of the leadership team had gone up to Kansas City to see a touring Broadway show called "Hell's a Poppin."

And driving back, they were just talking about wasn't that a great show?

Maybe we could do something along those lines.

And they said well, we'd better call it "Korn's-A-Krackin'."

You know, with Ks-- "Korn's-A-Krackin'".

"Korn's-A-Krackin'" became very popular.

It was like a Vaudeville production.

It was just a-- just back and forth, really fast-- a lot of costume changes and things like that.

So it was in that context of Vaudeville and that traveling Vaudeville show that they developed basically what we now-- what is a hillbilly variety show or a country and western variety show.

NARRATOR: "Korn's-A-Krackin'" featured many famous performers during its run, which continued through most of the 1940s.

In 1946, it was picked up by the Mutual Broadcasting Service and syndicated to stations across the country.

And sure enough, it was the one show that they had prior to the "Jubilee" that really developed a national audience.

One of the major selling points for "Korn's-A-Krackin'" was the fact that the engineers at KWTO had developed the technology that allowed them to take the "Korn's-A-Krackin'" troupe of 25 or 30 people-- men and women-- out on the road.

NARRATOR: One of the early headliners on "Korn's-A-Krackin'" were the Weaver Brothers and Elviry, a successful traveling performance troupe originally from Christian County.

They had toured the Vaudeville circuits in the United States and Europe since the early 1920s, and are often credited with popularizing the hillbilly variety show format.

The initial success of "Korn's-A-Krackin'" would have to be because of the Weaver Brothers and Elviry connection.

We can't overemphasize how popular they were then.

Who else in Springfield, Missouri or the Ozarks in the '30s and '40s was going Hollywood and making national movies?

It was the Weaver brothers that made it popular to start with.

The Weaver Brothers and Elviry, I think, were the first ones to really prove that you could make good money with what was essentially a hillbilly variety ad.

The basic hillbilly variety show is singing, playing instruments, comedy, and dance.

NARRATOR: The core membership included brothers Leon and Frank Weaver, alongside June Petrie as Elviry.

Throughout their travels, the troupe would often perform with several more members of the Weaver family and others.

At its peak, the cast numbered more than 20.

And they were very, very popular-- popular from the end of World War I through the 1930s.

NARRATOR: Other principal performers on "Korn's-A-Krackin'" included the comedy duo of Lenny Aleshire and Goo-Goo Rutledge.

Lenny and Goo-Goo were such great entertainers.

They had all the experience of working with the Weaver Brothers and Elviry through the years before, so when they came to KWTO in the '40s and then finally to TV in the '50s, they knew how to win over an audience.

Lenny was a comedian-- played a single string bass.

And Goo-Goo Rutledge was a cab driver here in town.

Goo-Goo plays the part of a big fat fool.

And then Lenny-- he's the straight man.

And ultimately, by the time the big fat man gets through clowning around, and Lenny has his instrument in hand-- by the time we get to the end of the performance, you realize you've been entertained.

NARRATOR: "Korn's-A-Krackin'" remained a popular live show throughout the 1940s until it was retired in 1949.

However, Ralph Foster, Si Siman, and John Mahaffey soon started making plans for a new hillbilly variety show, one that would expand the concept in a very big way.

You know, it's interesting to look back at the history of KWTO and see how they always kind of anticipated the next thing.

When KGBX and KWTO were in their early years, they knew that radio was the thing.

And so as TV began to evolve, you think about the same type of approach-- that they believe that this was the next big thing.

It dawned on them that they were doing really successful in radio.

Maybe they could be successful in television.

NARRATOR: Building on their experiences with "Korn's-A-Krackin'," Ralph Foster and the KWTO team imagined a new improved hillbilly variety show, designed for the modern medium of television.

Other shows, including the Grand Ole Opry, were trying to get on television.

But they didn't last, so Si Siman thought, look.

We've got a lot of talent.

If we can get these guys on television where people can see them, we can make money.

But there was one thing lacking with "Korn's-A-Krackin'"-- why it didn't last, at least in the minds of Mr. Foster and Mr. Mahaffey and Mr. Siman.

And that was there was no star.

They decided they had to have a big name star to be on the "Jubilee," and so Red Foley was their first pick.

So he contacted Red, but Red was in Nashville by then.

And so Daddy said, well, why don't I come down, and we'll spend a little time and talk about this?

Well, Red had had his teeth pulled, and Daddy had a broken leg, so Mother drove Daddy down there and talked and talked and had a few drinks, and decided yeah, Red would come up here and be the star of the "Jubilee."

NARRATOR: Red Foley was already a popular and experienced showman, having hosted the televised portion of the Grand Ole Opry-- "The Prince Albert Tobacco Hour" since 1946.

In 1954, Red Foley left the Grand Ole Opry and moved to Springfield to join the "Ozark Jubilee."

His talent and charisma would be a major contribution to the show's success.

(SINGING) You're the one.

You're the one I do.

You celebrate.

You're the one.

You're the one.

All the love you give, they just won't take.

You can ask me, please.

Please, please, please, please.

And all of your love is there to take.

It's hard-- It should not be overlooked what a coup that was for the "Jubilee."

Red was a very beloved entertainer and had a lot of hits.

He was very much at ease, had a very congenial, warm, folksy style on camera.

That was a major selling factor for the "Jubilee."

It was the day after Christmas of 1953-- was the first "Ozark Jubilee" broadcast, as a local broadcast out of the KY3 Studios.

And it was just local talent.

I mean, they just sort of took their talent from KWTO and put them on television.

A number of them were ones who had been on stage in the successful era of "Korn's-A-Krackin'" in the 1940s.

It was the same people-- the Slim Wilsons, the Zed Tennises, the Speedy Haworths, the Doc Martin's-- name them-- Bill Rang, Bill Bailey, announcer.

They'd all had the experience of "Korn's-A-Krackin'" and its success.

And the show was a hit.

There was just no denying.

It was fun, it was funny.

The music was good.

The big stars were coming up to be on that show, and people loved it.

(SINGING)I wanna, wanna, wanna, wanna some of your love.

I just gotta, gotta get some of your love.

It was so successful that by '54-- early '54-- they realized they had something.

They needed to move to a bigger venue, so then they renovated the Jewell Theater.

NARRATOR: The Jewell Theater was purchased by Si Siman and Ralph Foster's top talent booking agency as a new home for the "Ozark Jubilee" broadcast.

But it required extensive remodeling.

And Mother said that Daddy came home and said, I need you to sign this loan agreement to get cameras for the "Jubilee."

And she looked at it, and she said, I can't sign this.

This is as much money as our house.

And Daddy said, well, if you don't sign it, we can't go into the business.

So she did it, of course.

But that was a big deal in transitioning.

So they were taking a tremendous risk, but that's what smart entrepreneurs do.

They take calculated risks and get the payoff.

It was a beginning of television, and they wanted to do it so badly.

And they just decided they'd do it.

NARRATOR: The Jewell Theater was home to the "Ozark Jubilee" for the remainder of its broadcast run, although the name was changed to "Country Music Jubilee" in 1957 and then to "Jubilee USA" in 1958.

It continued to host some of the biggest names and rising stars in country music.

The "Ozark Jubilee" was the first televised country music show to feature major stars on a regular basis.

For many years in the 1950s, Springfield became one of the most well-known places in the country because of the music that was piped out from here to the rest of the country.

And it's really, in my opinion, because of KWTO.

It's hard for us to fathom today, I think, that Springfield really was a huge deal.

You know, when you look back at the "Ozark Jubilee" and that era and what happened at the Jewell Theater and with, you know, all of that, I mean, Springfield was quite a broadcast empire, really.

Boy, a lot of stars came through here-- big stars-- and cut their teeth here.

And I think that was just kind of part of the mystique of being in the Ozarks.

NARRATOR: The "Jubilee" series remained a popular country music variety show until it was eventually canceled in 1960.

Mr. Foley got into some income tax trouble.

The "Jubilee" was done on a year-to-year contract with ABC.

And it came time to sign the next year contract, and Mr. Foley didn't know if he was going to be available, because the trial had not happened yet.

And so he couldn't sign it.

As it turned out, he was acquitted of the tax charges, but by then the time slot for the "Jubilee" was gone.

NARRATOR: Red Foley left "Jubilee USA" in late 1959.

The show featured a rotating group of hosts last season before it was retired completely.

They tried so hard to keep the "Jubilee" going, probably a year or two after maybe it should have stopped.

But they were able to get Massey Ferguson to be a major advertiser and keep it on the air in 1959 and '60.

And then in 1961 when the show was completely gone, they bring back the five star "Jubilee" by buying the Landers Theater.

Ralph Foster and company bought the Landers Theater so they would have a definite place where they can have this show-- the "Jubilee".

It didn't work.

It failed.

You know, he loved it, but I think it was just time.

You know, his joke was-- people say, well, why did "Jubilee" get canceled?

And he'd say it was canceled due to illness.

They got sick of us.

NARRATOR: By 1960, the radio landscape was changing.

Rock and roll was gaining popularity, and radio stations switched from live performances to recorded music.

It was a rough time in the early and mid '60s for the Foster group, not only because of the loss of the "Jubilee" and the failure of that, but also because times, they are changin'-- That the days of Bill Ring singing on the radio pop songs from the '40s-- that ain't gonna get it.

And it just didn't work.

It was culture shock.

Well, in 1960 they basically disbanded their talent pool.

They went from live music in the station to recorded music played by DJs.

That live connection just passed on, you know, with the switch over to recorded music.

And it was just not the same.

NARRATOR: Despite the end of the "Ozark Jubilee" and the changes happening at KWTO, many at the station continued to work in the music and entertainment industries.

Slim Wilson continued his musical career in Springfield with "The Slim Wilson Show," which debuted on KY3 in 1964.

Produced by Fred Range and featuring many former "Ozark Jubilee" musicians, it continued for 11 years.

Si Siman remained an influential player in the music industry for the rest of his life.

He recorded songs and managed the careers of numerous famous musicians, including Chet Atkins, the Browns, Red Foley, Brenda Lee, and Porter Wagoner.

So Daddy just segued from doing the "Jubilee" into music publishing.

It was always about the song.

He loved the song, so being a music publisher was a natural for him.

Well, there's no doubt that I wanted to follow my father's footsteps in the music industry.

And so I think I had a really novel opportunity to learn by being at the radio station, screen material for my dad, watch him in the song pitching process.

NARRATOR: After a long career, Si Siman retired in 1987 and passed away in 1994.

In the decades following the "Ozark Jubilee," Ralph Foster stayed at the helm of KWTO through many changes, until his death in 1984.

When he passed away, they sold KWTO to another radio station group.

Then they ran it for a while, and somebody else got it, and so it just kept changing hands.

Both radio and country music have become much different than they were in the '30s and the '40s.

There are so many more competing forms of entertainment.

So many people now did not grow up in the country or in a teeny tiny little town, and they've all been exposed to television.

NARRATOR: Though much different today than it was during the 1940s and '50s, KWTO remains on the air, and its legacy has become an important part of Ozarks history.

The Ozarks is a special place.

People have always been deeply involved in the culture and in the traditions.

And you know, I mean, it's a tradition-rich area, and I think that the media reflected that.

I wonder about a lot of things with how our region would look if it wasn't for the "Jubilee" and KWTO before it.

I don't think that Branson would look the way that it is.

I don't think that tourism would look the way that it is.

I think that KWTO had a much bigger impact on the region than just through the airwaves.

It was unique.

There were other stations-- good stations, too.

But KWTO ruled.

Springfield benefited beyond calculation by that.

And we owe it our gratitude.

[guitar music playing] [banjo music playing]