Ralph D. Foster
| Ralph D. Foster | |
|---|---|
Foster c. 1956
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ralph David Foster |
| Born | April 25, 1893 |
| Origin | St. Joseph, Missouri, USA |
| Died | August 11, 1984 (aged 91) |
| Genres | country music |
| Occupation(s) | radio station owner radio and TV program creator-producer |
| Website | Ralph Foster biography |
Ralph David Foster (April 25, 1893 – August 11, 1984), was an American broadcasting executive and philanthropist who created the framework for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as the nation's country music capital during the 1950s. His KWTO was a stepping-stone for many top country artists; and with his music businesses, led to creation of Ozark Jubilee, the first U.S. network television program to feature country's top stars.
Foster was born April 25, 1893 in St. Joseph, Missouri. In 1924, at age 31, he set up a low-power AM radio station with his partner, Jerry Hall, in a corner of their Firestone dealership, Foster-Hall Tire Co., in St. Joseph. It began as a hobby, but as local businesses increasingly sought to advertise on the station, it became a full-time occupation. He increased its power and on June 30, 1926, it was licensed as KGBX on 1040 kHz. Foster built a new service station and glassed-in studios for the radio station a few blocks north. A singer himself, he and Hall performed on the station as The Radio Rubber Twins.
In 1932 Hall moved to California, and Foster and his brother-in-law, Art Johnson, relocated the station to Springfield (KGBX-AM was licensed for 1310 kHz on November 3). Unable to get its transmitting power increased, the next year he bought the license of a station in Grant City and moved it to Springfield, signing on December 25, 1933 on 560 kHz. He requested and received the call letters KWTO and used the on-air slogan, "Keep Watching the Ozarks." As president and general manager, Foster made KWTO-AM the dominant station in the region. In 1944, KGBX-AM (operating by then on 1260 kHz) was sold under new FCC ownership rules.
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