Published: March 22, 2008 03:30 pm      

Ada radio personality nominated for award

Ada — Rich Kay, morning radio personality for Ada’s own KYKC, is one of three finalists nominated for the 2007 Outstanding Achievement Awards, Non-Metro Radio Division by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters (OAB). According to the OAB website, “The Outstanding Achievement in Broadcasting Awards Program is an annual competition sponsored by the OAB. The competition encourages the highest standards of reporting, programming, and promotion. It is designed to stimulate a desire for excellence among Oklahoma broadcasters in serving the public.”

Kay has been in the broadcasting business since 1977. “Right out of broadcasting school, I worked for a small station in McAlester, KEDB. From there, I went to Poteau, Fort Smith, Wichita Falls, Tulsa. And somehow I ended up in Ada, Oklahoma,” said Kay.

Kay said that his decision to become a broadcaster stemmed from his love of music. “I thought about going to college to get a major,” he said, “but all you can do with that is teach. And I’m not much of a teacher. A buddy of mine suggested radio, and I got to thinking about it and said ‘yeah,’ and thirty years later, I’m still with it.”

While he said that there were a couple of rock gigs early on, Kay has mostly spent his time on-air as a country-western personality. At KYKC, he’s on the air Monday through Friday, from 6-10 a.m. Kay actually arrives at the station at 4 a.m., allowing him to make the necessary preparations for the day before going on the air.

Aside from his career in broadcasting, Kay has spent much of his life in and around the rodeo arena. “I’ve been announcing professionally since 1993,” he said. As an announcer, Kay covers five states: Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas.

The Personality of the Year isn’t the first award that’s come Kay’s way. He was chosen as the Announcer of the Year by the ThunderBull Riding Association in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, he was awarded the Ada Evening News People’s Choice Personality of the Year. The Midwestern Bull Riding Association chose him as the 2003 Announcer of the Year.

“It’s an honor,” Kay said, regarding his nomination. “I never dreamed that I’d be up for something like this. But it’s a nice culmination of a 30-year career. This is one of those businesses where you either love it or you hate it. I must love it. You’ve gotta love it to get up at three-o-clock in the morning!”