Young Guns, Big Wins
The KVFD/KUEL Broadcast Legacy
This is a rare chapter in American radio: a small-town station, led by a young, innovative leader and an energetic youthful staff, that turned their pride of living in Fort Dodge into a string of national NAB Awards.
The efforts and the wins didn't stay inside the hallways of KVFD/KUEL, as winning became contagious. The stations lifted community standards, sparked bolder volunteerism, and played an important role in helping the City of Fort Dodge receive national recognition in 2001.
Read on to see how an unlikely team made history, why those years still matter, and what small stations, and even small towns, can learn from a moment when everything clicked.
The NAB Streak Six in a Row
Crystal Radio Awards (Community Service): KVFD-AM and KUEL-FM in Fort Dodge won three consecutive Crystals in 1998, 1999, and 2000. They had also been finalists in the two years prior (1996 and 1997), so it was a five-year stretch of national recognition.
Marconi Radio Awards (Overall Excellence): The same stations also won three consecutive Marconis in 1998, 1999, and 2000. They were finalists in multiple categories, including Small Market Personality of the Year and Station of the Year in different formats.
Why It's Extraordinary - The Double Win Trifecta: Winning a Crystal and a Marconi in the same year is rare. Doing it three years in a row had never been done before, by any broadcaster, and hasn't since.
Small Market: Fort Dodge is a city of about 25,000 people. Most Marconi and Crystal winners come from major markets like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. For a small-market Iowa station to dominate at the national level is astonishing.
National Spotlight: These awards are given by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), so Bill Grady's stations were competing against thousands of others across the U.S.
Powerful Statement: A double-win for three straight years sends a powerful message that the stations were not only financially and commercially successful but also deeply committed to its community. It also shows that they had exceptional on-air talent and management, and maintained a high standard of quality across all aspects of its operations, from community outreach to program content.
While some stations have won multiple Crystal or Marconi awards over time, and a handful may have won both, doing so for three consecutive years places KVFD/KUEL's achievement in a class of it's own. It represents a "perfect storm" of outstanding leadership, talented staff, and a deep commitment to both business and public service.
The Underdogs Nowhere To Go But Up
Financial Turnaround: During the previous 2 years before Bill Grady's arrival, KVFD/KUEL sustained operating lossses of over $340,000. As owner Dean Sorenson would recall, "Until 1988 KVFD was operated by two different owners, over 40 some years, both deeply committed to Community Radio and Community service. At that time the station was sold to a new owner, of which I was 50% owner and 100% non-active. The other 50% directed the operation and although everyone tried real hard, the station stumbled, sales fell, formats changed, and there were 4-5 managers over 3 years."
Sorenson continued, "I was embarrassed and tired of feeding (cash) the operation. I offered to sell-out to the other 50% owner, who reversed the roles and I ended up buying it. We were so concerned about 'it's history' we didn't merge it into Sorenson Broadcasting for over a year. Wanted to be sure all the skeletons were found and buried. Needing a manager we found Bill Grady. Grew up in Fort Dodge and was working in Wisconsin and wanted to return to Iowa. We found Bill to be honest, interested, well rounded in all areas of radio, and had parents and family in Fort Dodge. For over a year, Bill only fixed things, and fought off all the problems you encounter in a messy radio station."
At age 30, Bill Grady was able to turn the financially struggling stations around during his first year, and never looked back.
In 1997, Sorenson would praise Grady, saying, "You have clearly taken KVFD and KUEL from a couple 'mutts' to two of the best properties in SBC. Probably two of the best in entire State of Iowa." The financial growth continued through the NAB Award streak, demonstrating that deep community involvement was good for business growth as well.
When Bill Grady left KVFD/KUEL in July of 2002, he left the stations $20K ahead of goal YTD, and on-track to do over $1 million in annual advertising sales.
The 30 Something Manager: Age was no barrier to success for Bill Grady. He was in his 30s for the entirety of the station's award-winning run, from the first national recognition at 34 to the final Marconi at 39. He capped off this incredible period by becoming one of the youngest presidents in the history of the Iowa Broadcasters Association.
Young Staff: The staff at KVFD/KUEL was a reflection of its young leader. The majority of the team was in their 20s and 30s, many of them new to the radio industry. This created a vibrant and innovative atmosphere where new ideas could flourish.
Individual Staff Accolades: The station's culture of excellence was further evidenced by the prestigious awards conferred upon individual staff members. The team's talent was recognized across the industry, beginning with Max Landes' induction into the Iowa Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1995. The following year, Joe Peterson was named the 1996 Play-by-Play Announcer of the Year by the Iowa Sportscaster Association. In 1997, Jeremy Borash made history as the youngest nominee for the prestigious Marconi Award, earning the title of Small Market Personality of the Year Finalist. The recognition of the team's high-caliber performance continued with Ann Halbur being named a finalist for the Radio Wayne Streetfighter of the Year Award in 1999.
all-America City award Broadcast For the Ages
All-America City Award Broadcast: The 2001 All-America City Award for Fort Dodge was a highlight for the community. The bold, live media campaign led by KVFD/KUEL ranks among the most electrifying broadcasts in the city's radio history.
The stations carried out daily reporting as they followed the city's delegation in Atlanta and carried the presentation ceremony live on the air, with Jeremy Borash and Jay Alexander anchoring the Atlanta coverage. KVFD/KUEL coordinated with the local Fort Dodge committee to combine a closed-circuit video link with a live radio remote broadcast, creating a single, high-impact civic transmission that brought the citizens of Fort Dodge directly into the live presentation in Atlanta.
Back in Fort Dodge, Bill Grady and Tony Thomas conducted a continuous live remote from the Fort Dodge Public Library which aired live simultaneously on both KVFD-AM and KUEL-FM. The Atlanta delegation was hoping to see a crowd of 250 people inside the library when the live video link was established, but were amazed to see that the live station remotes drew more than 1,200 citizens.
The broadcast served as the culminating achievement of a young, award-winning staff, demonstrating the station's industry-leading community service into a definitive civic showcase that both amplified Fort Dodge's national recognition and KVFD/KUEL's civic reputation within the community.
powerful Benchmark The KVFD/KUEL Legacy
The Legacy: This extraordinary streak was forged through relentless teamwork and a shared pursuit of excellence. At its center stood Bill Grady, whose leadership seamlessly united award-winning programming with deep-rooted community service. Under his guidance, KVFD/KUEL achieved an unprecedented trifecta - earning both the Crystal and Marconi Awards three years in a row.
This astonishing feat brought national acclaim to a small-market station and solidified Bill Grady's standing as one of the most distinguished broadcasters of his generation - a rare talent whose achievements at such an early stage remain virtually unmatched.
More than a milestone, the legacy reflects the staff's unwavering commitment and sets a powerful benchmark for what local broadcasters can accomplish when vision and service align. It's the kind of achievement that gets remembered in NAB circles, proof that small-market radio, when done with passion and skill, can outshine the giants.
Historical Context: The historical record of NAB awards shows that while some stations have earned multiple Crystal or Marconi Awards over the years, winning both in the same year is unusual. To repeat that success three times in a row, as Grady's stations did from 1998 to 2000, places them in a unique and prestigious category within the history of American radio. It's the broadcasting equivalent of a small sports team winning multiple national championships against well-funded major-league competitors.
