Bill Ray Rowson
Bill "Ray" Rowson attended Liberal High School graduating in 1968. While there Bill helped produce a high school radio show, which aired on KSCB-AM in Liberal. He later went on to work part-time at KSCB-AM. He studied radio and TV broadcasting at Emporia State University. In 1973 he obtained his first class FCC license and upon returning to Liberal began his 34-year full-time radio career. Between 1973 and 1980 Bill worked at KLIB-AM and KSCB-AM respectively, in Liberal as air personality and program director.
In 1980 Bill moved to Salina and he became program director and an on air personality at KINA-AM/KQNS-FM until 1987. For the next 10 years Bill worked for KYEZ-FM/KSAL-AM in various capacities including on air personality, programming and operations. He moved to KINA/KSKG and was in charge of changing formats for both stations—one to news talk and the other to country. In 2004 Bill was asked to return to KYEZ/KSAL to run operations and programming in addition to hosting the morning show on KYEZ. He remained there until he retired in 2014. Bill’s commitment to his craft and especially to his audience in the community led to him broadcasting his morning show from home on numerous occasions following surgeries that required extensive bed rest.
Bill’s commitment to his community of Salina is second to none, as he helped organize benefits for “Toys From the Heart,” St Jude’s Radiothon, “Helping Hands,” and the Child Abuse Awareness Prevention Services—just to name a few. He served on the KAB board, and was recipient of the Sonny Slater Award for Service to Community and Station in 2008. He was named “Personality of the Year” by the Salina Journal numerous times.
Bill and his wife Virginia have been married for 42 years and have four children—Stephen of Jacksonville, Florida; Daniel of Salina; Kaysie Chrisman and husband Scott of Salina; and Nathan and wife Ashlee of Salina. They have nine grandchildren with another due in 2018.
He was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2017.
Entry: Rowson, Bill Ray
Author: Kansas Association of Broadcasters
Author information: The Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame honors those who have worked in broadcasting in Kansas and made substantial contributions to broadcasting, the state, and the nation.
Date Created: October 2017
Date Modified: April 2019
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
