Royals Radio Affiliate Profile: Shenandoah, Iowa [KMA 960 AM]
Shenandoah Iowa: KMA-AM 960
Miles from Kansas City: 138 miles
Population: 5,546
The "seed and nursery center of the world" Shenandoah is one of six radio affiliates in Iowa, a state the Royals are only barely remaining viable in. Shenandoah is the rare small city that straddles two counties, in this case Fremont and Page counties, although the vast majority of the city lies in the latter. Both counties have endured substantial population loss during the last century, and are much smaller today than they were in 1900, a remarkable fact considering how much larger the overall population of the country is today. After fifty years of zero growth, around after 1950, true decay set in in southwest Iowa.
| Page County | Fremont County | |
| 1900 | 24,187 | 18,546 |
| 1920 | 24,137 | 15,447 |
| 1950 | 23,921 | 12,323 |
| 1970 | 18,507 | 9,282 |
| 2000 | 16,976 | 8,010 |
Meanwhile, the nation has moved on. In 1900 the population of the U.S. was roughly 76 million, today its nearly four times larger, at 305 million. Despite those sobering statistics, according to the Chamber of Commerce, Shenandoah is a wonderful place to be:
Welcome to Shenandoah, Iowa, the Garden City, a place to shop for a day, visit for a week or live the rest of your life! Shenandoah is a progressive, bustling community full of gardens, entrepreneurs, industry, opportunity, and friendly people. Its unique shops and restaurants have made it the retail hub of southwest Iowa. Shenandoah's lifestyle and appearance have sprouted from a tradition and heritage of garden industries. It's a safe place to raise a family with a top notch school system and is filled with recreation, attractions, and activities for all ages. Its low cost of living, extensive healthcare, and relaxed lifestyle also make it a great place to retire.

Written during Shenandoah’s glory days, W.L. Kershaw’s 1909 book, The History of Page County notes that, "Shenandoah was originally called Fair Oaks, though for what reason cannot be imagined, as no oak trees or any other kind were found on the site of the town" (381). On August 6, 1870 however Fair Oaks was christened Shenandoah, supposedly because of the similarities between the local scenery and the Shenandoah valley in Virginia, which makes little sense either. The town’s proximity to the Chicago, Quincy & Burlington Railroad was what turned it into a real community, drawing in residents from the rest of the county. At the time of Kershaw’s writing, the founding fathers of Shenandoah were still alive, and their accounts testify to the city’s essential birth as a railroad boomtown, not that they would have chosen to describe it in exactly that way. As one account collected by Kershaw begins, "the child is born. Its name is Shenandoah. The story of this indigenous offspring of the prairie forms an era in the future history and romance of one of the loveliest villages of the west" (383). Interestingly, Kershaw opened his history of Page County with this bombshell,
"it is conceded by historians who have given the subject deep thought and careful research that this country was inhabited by a race of beings distinct from the red man. But that is beyond the province of this work. The men and women who opened this state to civilization had only the red man to dispute their coming and obstruct their progress… (6)
Fair enough.
Around downtown Shenandoah lies the Shenandoah Fame Walk, which includes some of Shenandoah’s most famous names, including Don & Phil Everly, aka "The Everly Brothers". Despite a sometimes rocky fraternal relationship, the Everly Brothers charted over twenty six Top 40 singles during their career, including the 1960 number one hit, Cathy’s Clown. Notably, the Everlys also sang backup on Paul Simon’s Graceland album, including on the title track. The Beehive, the E.B. fanclub, is online. A letter to fans from November 2005 reveals a complicated set of disputes, boycotts and confusion.

Western Iowa: Like a window in your heart.
Shenandoah is the proud home of the Mustangs and Fillies, of Shenandoah High School. Since this is Iowa, there’s a mysterious devotion to wrestling, a nearly incomprensible sport to ninety percent of the U.S. population. One of my few good memories from my years at the UI, I believe, were the times I would ironically try to listen to wrestling on the radio (most, if not all, Hawkeye matches had radio coverage) and try to understand even one bit of what was going on. The Shenandoah H.S. webpage is no exception, providing a quite extensive account of the ’07-’08 campaign. Royals Review extends its congratulations to Wes Swygman, Caleb Owens, Cord Willers (yep) and Jake Schubert, the Wrestlers of the Week for Week #8.
So is Shenandoah a Hawkeye or Cyclone town? Well, other than their insane devotion to the Royals, which goes without saying, 960 AM (also the Royals affiliate) was listed as a Cyclone affiliate on a random 2006 webpage I discovered, which makes sense given the vague east/west divide that exists in Iowa. Currently, neither Iowa nor Iowa State has any former Mustangs on their football or basketball rosters. Heck, Iowa only has two native sons on the basketball team, and one of them is the coach’s son, who really grew up in Indiana.
Iowa Western Community College, with an enrollment of over 5,000 and branch campuses in Shenandoah and Clarinda, is the area’s primary source for higher education. At the main campus in Council Bluffs (the Iowa side of the Omaha metro) is the main campus, including the school’s athletic teams, The Reivers. What is a reiver, you ask? A reiver is a river pirate.

The IWCC Reiver Sprit Squad listens to the Royals constantly on 960 AM when near Shenandoah, which they are with great regularity.
Has Shenandoah ever produced a Major League baseball player? With towns this size, its never a sure thing, despite Iowa’s former status as a relatively populous, nearly entirely white, state during the pre-integration era of baseball. The question comes down to the contested birthplace of Max Marshall (1913-1983) an outfielder who played three seasons with the Reds during the depths of the Second World War. According to the Baseball Cube, Marshall was born in Shenandoah, while Baseball-Reference lists Marshall as being born in Randolph, a smaller town eighteen miles away. There isn’t a clear consensus here and a run through various internet sites (most of whom are getting their information from one another obviously) shows both Randolph and Shenandoah as listed birthplaces. A story in the Des Moines Register about Iowa ballplayers lists Marshall as a Shenandoah boy, and lists an actual person as the source of this information, so we’ll go with that. Marshall was a just slightly below average hitter (career OPS+ 84) who debuted for the Reds as a 28 year old in 1942. His best season was his final one, a 1944 campaign that saw him hit .245/.308/.371. For people who think baseball was always a speed game and that steroids destroyed our national innocence by killing little ball, we note that in 1943 Marshall stole eight bases, which was good for 10th best in the National League. Max Marshall played the game the right way and died in Salem, Oregon in 1983.
Interestingly while on the subject of baseball, during the boom days, Shenandoah had a few minor league teams. In 1903 Shenandoah had an affiliate in the Southwest Iowa League, a class D outfit. Shenandoah’s squad finished 22-14, middle of the pack in the six team league, but disbanded mid-season. Eight years later, a Shenandoah club spent two seasons in the so-called Mink League so named because it was based in Missouri-Nebraska-Iowa-Kansas. The Shenandoah Pin-Rollers competed in the Mink League in 1910 and 1911, finishing third and fourth, respectively, in the six-team league. Fellow future Royals Radio Affiliate Nebraska City was also a member of the league.
The Royals affiliate in Shenandoah, KMA 960 AM is one of the hoary bearded elders of the Royals Radio Network and a fixture in southwestern Iowa since 1925. The station was long linked to Earl May’s various seed ventures in the region and was mentioned in the film version of The Bridges of Madison County. On good nights, KMA can be heard from Topeka, Kansas to Sioux City, Iowa and points in between. Thanks to KMA, despite the ravages of population loss in the region, Shenandoah remains a key affiliate.
May her next hundred years be better than the last.
------
Previous Affiliate Profiles:
York, Nebraska
Conway, Arkansas
Waynesville, Missouri
Topeka, Kansas
Storm Lake, Iowa
Vinita, Oklahoma
California, Missouri
Garden City, Kansas
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Ulysses, Kansas
Trenton, Missouri
Fairbury, Nebraska
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Winfield, Kansas
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Butler, Missouri
Enid, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Bolivar, Missouri
Holdrege, Nebraska
Read Related
Comments
Another rural community which is slowly fading away
This is why the Republican Party is in trouble. But that’s another discussion…
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by NYRoyal on Nov 30, 2008 10:56 PM EST 0 recs
farming is still a vital industry
it just doesn’t require hardly any farmers anymore
by royalsreview on
Nov 30, 2008 11:06 PM EST
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It is amazing how the vast majority of Americans still think farming is primarily done by the stereotypical family farm, when in reality, the vast majority of farming is being done by corporate farms. And corporate farming doesn’t keep small, midwestern, communities alive. They’ve been dying for a long time and there is no end in sight. Well, there is an end, but it’s not pretty.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by NYRoyal on
Nov 30, 2008 11:11 PM EST
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the railroads!
I mean call centers!
"So whattya say, should we clean this place up?" - Tom Cruise
by DyeFan187 on
Nov 30, 2008 11:17 PM EST
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people in iowa & nebraska are accentless
I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
by LeoBloom on
Nov 30, 2008 11:19 PM EST
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It's complicated
Some people in Nebraska have somewhat think “country” accents (a rural, hickish dialect — no offense to anyone intended). Some people in northern Iowa have a thick Minnesotan accent (dontcha know).
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by NYRoyal on
Nov 30, 2008 11:21 PM EST
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kansas city is like that
lots of KCers have rural accents, as any STLer will tell you
I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
by LeoBloom on
Nov 30, 2008 11:23 PM EST
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i haven't heard much of that....
take that STL information with a grain of salt…..they don’t call people “hickish”…but rather “hoosier-ish” Yet another example of STL being extremely LAME.
by Fernando Vina School of Linguistics on
Dec 1, 2008 1:38 AM EST
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much of metro KC does seem to have a rural/southern accent
and I don’t get that as much in metro STL, other than on the Illinois side
"So whattya say, should we clean this place up?" - Tom Cruise
by DyeFan187 on
Dec 1, 2008 1:37 PM EST
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When The Okies
And Arkies moved to the city for the factory jobs, they overwhelmingly chose KC. The kids I grew up with were largely first generation city dwellers.
My mother was born in OK in 1914, and her journey to KC began in 1915 via covered wagon. My father was born around Jefferson City in 1913. I don’t know when he came to KC, but he remained an outrageous hillbilly until his dying day.
I speak with no discernable accent most of the time, but after a few drinks I can get my hick on with the best of them.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on
Dec 2, 2008 11:07 AM EST
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Suburbs and exurbs are growing
And that is GOP territory. But there are other demographic trends that are against the GOP in the future, that’s for sure.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on
Dec 1, 2008 11:52 AM EST
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After the uprising of the 17th of June
The Secretary of the Writers Union
Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee
Stating that the people
Had thrown away the confidence of the government
And could win it back only
By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier
In that case for the government
To dissolve the people
And elect another?
— Brecht,
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
by devil_fingers on
Dec 1, 2008 11:59 AM EST
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The suburbs are pretty split
The GOP has done well in the suburbs in some elections (Bush, Bush and Bush), while the Democrats have done well there in other elections (Clinton, Clinton and Obama). I think the suburbs aren’t reliably on either party’s side. I haven’t seen any data on the exburbs, but I would imagine they are similar. But the rock solid, reliable base of the Republican Party has always been rural whites. And the U.S.A. continues to get less rural and less white with each passing day.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by NYRoyal on
Dec 1, 2008 3:39 PM EST
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btw...
the belief in an ancient race of white americans is still strong
by royalsreview on Nov 30, 2008 11:10 PM EST 0 recs
we should probably stay away from this one
"So whattya say, should we clean this place up?" - Tom Cruise
by DyeFan187 on
Nov 30, 2008 11:18 PM EST
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I don’t know if this is related, but I did see a documentary once which showed some evidence of migration from northwestern Europe (Scandinavia) a long, long time before Leif Ericson and Vinland. Perhaps at roughly the same time as Asians crossed the Aleutian land bridge, or even before, early Europeans may have come to North America by fairly small boats traveling along ice/coastline. I think this work still represents a minority opinion, but it is at least about science. I suspect some of this “race of beings distinct from the red man” theorizing is about delegitimizing or marginalizing Native Americans.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by NYRoyal on
Nov 30, 2008 11:18 PM EST
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I think that there's been evidence that during the ice age
some prehistoric people reached north america from europe, although a lot of places they landed are now underwater
I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
by LeoBloom on
Nov 30, 2008 11:21 PM EST
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And then the question is to what extent (if any) did these Europeans mix with the Asian immigrants? Have their genes passed down to be a part of Native American genetics? Or, did these European settlements stay separate and perhaps geographically distant from the Asians? Some posit that the European settlements died out before ever mixing with the Asians. Others think a mixture of Asian and European genes gave rise to what we know of as Native Americans.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by NYRoyal on
Nov 30, 2008 11:25 PM EST
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my understanding is that genetic evidence has been found
but I am basing most of this off of a TV show I saw a year ago, so, proceed with caution
I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
by LeoBloom on
Dec 1, 2008 1:15 AM EST
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I think it depends on how the genetic evidence is interpreted. In this kind of thing, there’s a lot of room for varying interpretations.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by NYRoyal on
Dec 1, 2008 2:31 AM EST
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I've read about this as well, although it's been a while
There’s a difference between what John Buck believes and certain recent archaeological/natural historical arguments about this stuff, as you note. The older stuff is about the “providential” nature of the Western Expansion. The latter has to do with curious archeological fossil finds.
there’s a certain ironic tension, since Native American tribes often claim such discoveries as their “ancestors” irrespective of what (disputed) scientific opinion about the actual origins of the remains might be. For better or worse, this is roughly analogous to give “Young Earth” Creationists the right of “first disposal” of dinosaur fossils…
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
by devil_fingers on
Dec 1, 2008 12:45 AM EST
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no way way in hell those fossils are European
although if the Smithsonian picks up his option and makes him curator, he might have to reconsider
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
by devil_fingers on
Dec 1, 2008 10:53 AM EST
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when do we get the first "Olivo is unhappy" story from Mellinger or Dutton next season?
I sat May 1
by royalsreview on
Dec 1, 2008 12:06 PM EST
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side bets
1) How long after that will DMGM issue a denial
2) Will the denial call the story “sensationalized,” “irresponsible,” or “an absolute lie”?
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
by devil_fingers on
Dec 1, 2008 1:54 PM EST
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western iowa
after des moines, it turns into nebraska-east, without the character
not the funnest place to be
"So whattya say, should we clean this place up?" - Tom Cruise
by DyeFan187 on Nov 30, 2008 11:18 PM EST 0 recs
usually in these types of places
the towns are actually growing a bit, since no one lives in the country anymore and lots of little communities die out
it would not surprise me if Shenandoah’s population has grown since 1900
I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
by LeoBloom on Nov 30, 2008 11:22 PM EST 0 recs
I think most populations have grown since 1900....but anyway, here's your info
1890 Pop: 2440
1900 Pop: 3573
but………
http://www.clrsearch.com/RSS/Demographics/IA/Shenandoah/Population_And_Growth
by Fernando Vina School of Linguistics on
Dec 1, 2008 1:51 AM EST
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Delia, KS Is
A good example of a dying farm town.
http://kansas.hometownlocator.com/ks/jackson/delia.cfm
I worked for 1st National Bank Of Topeka, and I occasionally was dispatched to correspondent banks in rural KS to deliver computer work that was completed too late for the scheduled courier. It was like driving 30 years into the past.
Happily, Delia is being kept alive by Pope Michael.
http://www.vaticaninexile.com/
http://www.popemichaelfilm.com/
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on
Dec 2, 2008 11:21 AM EST
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the 960 signal is insanely strong
i can get it here in Lincoln very clearly.
also go through this town whenever i go to my grandparents.
Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.
by doublestix on Dec 1, 2008 12:08 AM EST 0 recs
does anyone know if 960 carries all the games?
I sometimes wonder about these more far-flung affiliates
by royalsreview on Dec 1, 2008 1:00 AM EST 0 recs
KMA FM in Shenandoah is listed as a cards affiliate, yes
insert raging anger here
I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
by LeoBloom on
Dec 1, 2008 1:15 AM EST
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KMA carries most of the games
in the fall, they will pre-empt for local high school football. If the Omaha station doesn’t carry a game, I can usually drag in KMA. I can usually listen to it when I travel between Omaha and Des Moines on I-80.
The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future. - Collected sayings of Muad'Dib
by buddyball on
Dec 1, 2008 1:26 PM EST
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I bet if the team was in the midst of a pennant drive
that there would be a more loyal broadcastership (?)
The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future. - Collected sayings of Muad'Dib
by buddyball on
Dec 1, 2008 5:13 PM EST
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Probably
Until the Royals contend, there will be a lot of half-affiliates, as there are many half-fans.
This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.
by NYRoyal on
Dec 1, 2008 5:16 PM EST
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Fremont County
Lots of Fremonts around the country – California, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Idaho, New Hampshire. I presume named after John Fremont, former Presidential candidate, military leader and 19th century explorer. Pretty underrated guy in American history to have all this stuff named after you.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Dec 1, 2008 11:55 AM EST 0 recs
he picked a good time to have his glory days
since new counties were popping up everywhere
by royalsreview on
Dec 1, 2008 12:07 PM EST
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Good point
Its all about timing.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on
Dec 1, 2008 3:36 PM EST
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This is the signal I listened to every Royals game growing up.
Good memories either listening to it while I shot hoops or sitting on the deck listening to Brett and others with my lineup notebook keeping track of the stats.
It takes 46 muscles to frown but only 4 to flip 'em the bird.
by kcscoliny on Dec 1, 2008 1:05 PM EST 0 recs
I love it
"So whattya say, should we clean this place up?" - Tom Cruise
by DyeFan187 on
Dec 1, 2008 1:37 PM EST
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960
If I remember correctly this is the station I would listen to as I drove home to Kansas when I was going to school in Ames. Pretty sure I’ve never been there though.
According to Wikipedia KMA was one of the first radio stations in the area causing it to draw “thousands of visitors to the city in the 1920’s.” I’m guessing its pull as a tourist attraction is somewhat diminished.
by Pauli on Dec 1, 2008 7:06 PM EST 0 recs














