Larry Steckline: A Half-century as the Voice of Kansas Agriculture ADR, 2015 - 352 pages He grew up from using an outhouse, became an ag broadcasting powerhouse, was an invited guest at the White House, and now lives in a penthouse - this is the story of Larry Steckline, the "farmer's friend. With personal glimpses of his Volga-German ancestry, his western Kansas roots, his hardscrabble farm background, and even his mother's family recipes, Steckline shares his business and personal struggles, including the devastating loss of his wife of 39 years. Steckline launched his career at the Wichita Stockyards and broadcast his first market report in 1964 on KTVH-12. While continuing to appear on Channel 12 (and later Channel 3), he went to work-full-time with KFRM-AM in 1970, making it the state's pre-eminent ag station. Then - after being ushered out the door by his friend and boss - he created the mid America Ag Network, eventually broadcasting into Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nebraska and leaving a long-remembered legacy as he bought and sold more than 27 radio stations. Today, Steckline continues to own KWLS-107.9FM, uploads weekly ag-business reports on LarrySteckline.com, and actively farms and ranches in south central Kansas. Written by his current wife, Carla Stovall Steckline, former Kansas Attorney General, Larry Steckline: A Half-Century as the Voice of Kansas Agriculture, also shares her professional life, their courtship and her exit from politics. |
