KCGM

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The first radiothon occurred in the spring of 1979 when the Daniels Memorial Hospital in Scobey faced serious financial troubles. The problem was solved when a whopping $178,000 was raised over the KCGM airwaves.

In 1988 another radiothon was needed for a worthwhile project — the radio station itself.

Serious vandalism to the radio tower a few miles east of Scobey and other problems put KCGM so far in debt that there seemed to be little chance of recovery.

A radiothon to encourage support from the community was the only way. The total raised to save KCGM was $160,000.

"We hoped we could pull it off, but we certainly didn't expect it," Halverson admitted. "During the radiothon and the next few days we had a tremendous response, but we were still $45,000 short. Then we had one contributor come up with that entire amount. The overwhelming support from people as far west as Opheim and as far east as Plentywood was unreal. The thing that amazes me that it was during the drought years, and to come up with that money when most people didn't have any money, was really a surprise."           

All told, KCGM has conducted 13 radiothons between 1979 and 2005 for community projects, raising $679,939.

In the spring of 2004 KCGM suffered another major setback when the antenna failed and the transmitter was damaged.

Over its own airwaves and through the Daniels County Leader, KCGM put out a "cash call" for help, a dire SOS — Save Our Station.

More than $42,000 was needed. A few weeks later upwards of $50,000 flowed into the radio station's bank account and the problem was solved.

KCGM is more than just raising money, playing music, and providing local, state, national, and world news. It is also great at promoting events — its own and others.

Its coverage of high school sports is second to none, including live play-by-play of volleyball, football, and basketball, from the start of the regular season right through the postseason.

In the spring of 2006 KCGM even broadcasted live from the Scobey School gym during a sixth grade boys basketball game at the Scobey Lions Club Youth Tournament.

Other live remote broadcasts have included sheriff candidate forums, annual 4-H beef sale auctions, the Daniels County Fair and parade, election night coverage, interviews during the annual Pioneer Days celebration at Pioneer Town, and Scobey-to-Opheim railroad branchline abandonment hearings in Opheim.

"To our knowledge we are the first radio station to do live play-by-play of a Cub Scout Pinewood Derby," said station manager Halverson.

KCGM has also hosted/sponsored the annual Colgate Country Showdown, including the state finals in 1998, a Halloween haunted house (huge success), an Ugly Dog Contest, an Ag Appreciation Concert featuring Ken Overcast, a toy show, and Fourth of July activities such as outhouse races, tug-o-war, barstool races, kids' games, and a street dance.

Perhaps KCGM's greatest moment of service occurred on a cold, stormy winter morning with a ton of snow on the ground.

A man and his two small children were traveling on a gravel road south of Richland, located 29 miles west of Scobey, and the vehicle got stuck in the deep snow. The father knew he'd have to do some walking to get help so he tuned in KCGM and instructed his children to listen to the radio because it would tell them what to do.

When he finally arrived at his destination around 8 a.m. he called KCGM and told announcer Lisa Thievin his plight. She told the kids, via the airwaves, Dad was safe and help was on the way and they were not to leave the vehicle.

Thievin and KCGM then went beyond just telling the two children Dad was safe and help was on the way; it pushed its regular programming aside and began catering to the stranded children by playing kids' songs, and Thievin told them stories until KCGM was notified they had been rescued. At that moment those two children were KCGM's most important listeners.