More than any other sport, baseball is a creature of the radio, and is the rare form of programming which can be almost fully captured by a box and an antenna. A child of the nineteenth-century, baseball expanded via radio in the twentieth, giving rise to the charming concept of the team radio network. In this cynical age of team-owned television networks, seat licensing and luxury boxes, its important to remember that baseball can still be enjoyed essentially for free in a backyard or the front seat from April to October. In an ongoing series, Royals Review highlights the once and future regional appeal of the Royals by exploring the Royals Radio Network in detail.
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
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Trenton Missouri- KTTN 1600 AM
Miles from Kansas City: 94
Population: 6,121
Located 94 miles northeast of Kansas City lies the humble berg of Trenton, Missouri. About 30 miles east of I-35, Trenton is only 37 miles from the appropriately named Lineville, Iowa, and serves as a key outpost of the Royal Dominion in Northern Missouri. The seat of Grundy County, Trenton is home to around 6,200 proud citizens, and is, according to the Trenton Chamber of Commerce, "one of the most desirable and attractive small cities in the Midwest". Thanks to an only slightly declining (ya! non-Sun Belt!) population base, Trenton proudly stands as the 110th largest city in Missouri, about 100 people behind the scandalous Sullivan, who whores itself across two counties. As surprising as it might seem, Trenton is one of the larger cities in the Missouri division of the Royals Radio Network.
Not a hotbed of interracial dating, 99.1% of Trenton residents claim allegiance to one race, 97.2% of which are white. Rounding out Trenton's numbers is a small African-American population (0.6%) and a smattering of Hispanics (2.1%). Proudly, 78.7% of Trenton residents are high school graduates, with 13.5% college grads, although both figures are below national averages.
Trenton is sometimes said to be a part of the Green Hills region of Missouri. Although the "hills" are quite modest - even by Missouri standards - Trenton is home to the lovely Crowder State Park, which offers camping, picnicking, swimming and mountain bike trails. "Deep ravines" are said to exist as well. As the internet makes clear, the region is home to friendly and interesting people. Sadly however, despite bouncing around all over Missouri, Bigfoot has not chosen to make an appearance in Grundy County. Yet.
In recent years communities in Northwestern Missouri have formed an alliance known as The Great Northwest a political action committee designed to "unify and enhance our region's image in Jefferson City". Since 2003 the group has organized a Great Northwest Day at the capitol, and plans are being made for the 2008 event. Tentatively, on February 5th, after a hard day of meetings and lobbying, there will be a "Great Northwest Celebration" in the Capitol Plaza Ballroom:
8:00 am Steering Committee delivers Desktop Reminders
9:45 am Community Delegation meets, State Capitol Third Floor, Southside of Rotunda, Near Staircase
10:00 am Introduction of Delegation in the House
10:45 am Introduction of Delegation in the Senate
11:30 am Legislative Luncheon, Capitol Plaza Ballroom
2:00 pm Community Visits with Legislators or Optional Tours
3:00 pm Community Booth Set-up, Capitol Plaza Ballroom
5-8:00 pm Great Northwest Celebration, Capitol Plaza Ballroom
(Note: This is an adult event - No one under 21 will be allowed.)
--Mardi Gras style, food, music, fun and entertainment
--Community Booths
--Missourah Mudbugs
--Dinner Buffet
Don't bring your fancy potato chips and candy bars into Trenton.
One can only hope that the lobbying efforts of the Great Northwest include a little favor currying for the popcorn industry, considering that Trenton is home to Popcorn World -- "Our Business is Popping!" - a Trenton institution for over twenty-five years. Popcorn World currently produces popcorn in eight flavors: including cinnamon, salsa, caramel apple, nacho cheese and vanilla butter, in addition to your standard butter and cheese. Unexpectedly, Trenton is no monopoly town when it comes to Popcorn Production, also serving as the home of K&W Popcorn the founded-in-1991 Johnny Come Lately to the staid tradition of Popcorn World. Looking at K&W's product line however, this uninformed outsider can only assume that the two companies actually don't truly compete with one another. And that means peace, which means a more harmonious Trenton.
No mention of Trenton would be complete however, without reference to N.C.M.C., North Central Missouri College, which according to President Neil Nuttall is "truly a remarkable college known for its academic excellence and strong sense of community". While its unclear just how large N.C.M.C. is, should you have the question "I'm hungry?" floating around your mind, the F.A.Q. page can answer that question:
Q. What if a vending machine "eats" my money?
A. If the vending machine is in any of the classroom buildings or the ASC, you can get a refund in the Student Accounts Office (ASC) or the NCMC Library. If a machine in the Ketcham Community Center eats your money, you can get a refund at the KCC Information Desk. Residence hall students should check with an RA or the housing director.
Q. I bring something to eat?
A. A microwave and tables are available on the third floor of Geyer Hall. Tables are also available in the lower level of the ASC.
The women of the Truman Chapter of Delta Zeta have doubtlessly associated with people who know people from Trenton, and those people listen to the Royals constantly on KTTN AM
The sounds of Royals baseball are brought to the people of Trenton via 1600 KTTN-AM, "Soft Hits Stereo Sixteen", an "adult contemporary" counter to the radical hip hop and rock metal currently - along with Arod and Barry Bonds, of course -- destroying our national innocence three minutes at a time. KTTN-AM is not a large station broadcasting at only 500 Watts during the daytime before powering down to 33 Watts in the evening. Nevertheless, come day or night, all of Grundy County is easily within range, assuring the proud continuation of Royals fandom in this lovely corner of northwest/north-central Missouri.