Happy 40th Birthday to KICK-FM Born in Palmyra as KIDS

September 1st, 1981 in Palmyra, Missouri a little 3,000 watt station was born. 40 years later it is still standing and servicing the Tri-States as 97.9 KICK-FM

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Do you remember KIDS country 98.3-FM? Well the only way you'd remember it is if you lived in the Palmyra area between the years of 1981 and 1991. That station eventually became what we all know and love today as 97.9 KICK-FM, 40 years ago today it all started.

I was lucky enough today to speak on the phone with the man who started it all former owner of 97.9 KICK-FM Bud Janes, he told me the story of how KICK came to life in the Tri-States as we celebrate it's 40th birthday. Here is the timeline of events...

- September 1st, 1981 Bud Janes and Bick Brothers Broadcasting open up KIDS 98.3, a small 3,000 watt station in Palmyra. Palmyra was chosen due to its great local sports, and proximity to both Quincy and Hannibal. KIDS were the call letter chosen by Bud, he mentioned how he always wanted the call letters KICK but they weren't available, so he went with KIDS hoping one day he could sell those off.

- By the late 1980's Bud Janes was able to increase the wattage of KIDS to 50,000 from 3,000, making it a powerhouse station for the Tri-State area and also changing the dial numbers from 98.3 to what we know now 97.9, but still KIDS.

- Summer of 1991 (I was less than a year old in the suburbs of Chicago) MEANWHILE Bud had seen a woman in Springfield, Missouri had inherited her father's radio station and wanted to change the format to a kids focused music station, that station had the call letters KICK-FM, and Bud negotiated a trade deal with her giving her KIDS-FM for her kids music station, and bringing KICK-FM up to Palmyra for his country station.

-Bud owned 97.9 KICK-FM from the beginning in 1981 all the way until 2006.

We here at 97.9 KICK-FM are now a proudly owned Townsquare Media station, that want to thank all of our listeners over the years, we wouldn't still be here bringing you the best and newest country music if it wasn't for all of you. Happy 40th Birthday 97.9 KICK-FM, and here is to another 40 years!