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and began broadcasting on
December 25, 1933. Cox applied for and got the call sign KWTO, which stands for "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
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Foster was a member of the board of directors for the Ozark Empire Fair in
Springfield for more than 20 years and was involved in many other civic activities. He died August 11, 1984, in Springfield and was buried in St. Joseph Memorial Park Cemetery. His widow, Harriett, died December 5, 1986.
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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
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337:, on national television. He named his new enterprise Crossroads TV Productions, Inc., with Siman and Foster's nephew, John B. Mahaffey, as managing vice presidents and KWTO commercial manager Leslie I. Kennon as vice president.
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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
440:, Foster established Top Talent, Inc. (under general manager W.E. "Lucky" Moeller); and to publish their compositions, he founded Earl Barton Music, Inc. in partnership with Si Siman, John Mahaffey and
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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.
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series featuring national country music stars, which ran for almost six years. Known by the cast and crew as "the
Skipper," Foster made his only appearance on its final telecast (by then renamed
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with the promise of hosting a national TV program. Foster leased the Jewell
Theatre and spent nearly $ 100,000 to outfit it for live TV production. On January 22, 1955,
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a quiz show (popular at the time) with a country theme hosted by Smiley
Burnette; and in January 1960, Crossroads videotaped a pilot for a pop-variety TV series,
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the show for other stations, and eventually 200 carried the program. To expand his business into country music, Foster started RadiOzark
Enterprises, Inc. with
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Live broadcasts, however, dominated KWTO's programming. Many country music stars either got their start or performed on the station, including
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The museum's focus is the history and culture of the Ozarks region. Exhibits include the original vehicle used in the television series
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494:. In 1969, Foster's financial donations saw to the addition of a new wing, a new entrance, and a new name: the Ralph Foster Museum.
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artifacts and firearms for many years, and in the 1960s donated a large collection to the museum at The School of the Ozarks (now
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The networks, however, passed on two other efforts to expand programming from
Springfield: early in 1957, Crossroads produced a
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picked up Ring's show, sponsored by
General Mills. Eventually, more than 1,200 U.S. and Canadian stations aired their programs.
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In 1963, Foster, Siman and
Mahaffey formed Tele-Color, Inc., which in 1964 filmed color segments for ABC's
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Misurrell, Ed "How a Local Boy's Hobby Brought TV to the Ozarks" (October 2, 1955), "Pictorial TView,"
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Misurrell, Ed "How a Local Boy's Hobby Brought TV to the Ozarks" (October 2, 1955), "Pictorial TView,"
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was a stepping-stone for many top country artists; and with his music businesses, led to creation of
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and moved it to Springfield, signing on December 25, 1933, on 560 kHz. KWTO was founded by
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Turtle, Howard "Ozarks Folk Tunes and Comedy Make Springfield a TV Center" (January 29, 1956),
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Turtle, Howard "Ozarks Folk Tunes and Comedy Make Springfield a TV Center" (January 29, 1956),
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Foster was an avid hunter and fisherman and a strong conservationist. He collected
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Dessauer, Phil "Springfield, Mo.-Radio City of Country Music" (April 1957),
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Dessauer, Phil "Springfield, Mo.-Radio City of Country Music" (April 1957),
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Foster began to realize radio's full potential after World War II. The
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International News Service "Rural Music Rocks, Too" (April 29, 1956),
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International News Service "Rural Music Rocks, Too" (April 29, 1956),
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Billings, Jim "Comes Long Way From Dwarf Role," (January 20, 1957),
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393:(1955), both ABC. From 1960–1961, the company produced
364:) on September 24, 1960, singing "Woodman, Spare That Tree".
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Terry, Dickson "Hillbilly Music Center" (February 5, 1956),
774:(second edition, 1956), © Ozark Jubilee's Crossroads Store
448:. The combined companies grossed $ 2.5 million annually.
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132:(April 25, 1893 – August 11, 1984) was an American
753:"Hillbilly TV Show Hits the Big Time" (March 10, 1956),
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Sachs, Bill "Folk Talent and Tunes" (August 3, 1959),
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645:"Plan New TV Series for Lanson" (January 25, 1960),
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To represent the regular performers on KWTO and the
344:, considered America's top country music star, from
186:with his partner, Jerry Hall, in a corner of their
861:Roadside America report on The Ralph Foster Museum
694:"Tin Pan Alley in the Ozarks" (January 3, 1955),
260:(Ring was producer for 260 15-minute episodes of
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311:variety” program, was carried nationally by the
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797:, Stewart, Dillbeck & White Productions,
612:, Stewart, Dillbeck & White Productions,
778:Country Music Jubilee Souvenir Picture Album
179:. In 1924, at age 31, he set up a low-power
323:Foster believed Springfield might overtake
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737:"They Love Mountain Music" (May 7, 1956)
433:and Paul Mitchell's instrumental combo.
240:as vice president and local businessman
167:program to feature country's top stars.
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367:Crossroads TV also produced the show's
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244:as a financial backer. They produced
106:radio and TV program creator-producer
772:Ozark Jubilee Souvenir Picture Album
748:The Ozark Jubilee starring Red Foley
704:Ozark Jubilee Souvenir Picture Album
513:
410:for a proposed ABC-TV series called
750:(1956), RadiOzark Enterprises, Inc.
175:Foster was born April 25, 1893, in
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901:American music industry executives
733:"The Everyday Magazine", p. 1
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891:People from Springfield, Missouri
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886:People from St. Joseph, Missouri
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906:American television executives
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152:capital during the 1950s. His
140:who created the framework for
1:
795:Remembering the Ozark Jubilee
793:Spears-Stewart, Rita (1993),
765:Springfield News & Leader
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634:Springfield News & Leader
610:Remembering the Ozark Jubilee
608:Spears-Stewart, Rita (1993),
595:Springfield News & Leader
911:College of the Ozarks alumni
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7:
340:In April 1954, Siman lured
319:Crossroads of country music
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203:"Keep Watching the Ozarks"
896:American radio executives
712:New York Journal American
678:New York Journal American
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697:Broadcasting/Telecasting
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262:The Tennessee Ernie Show
856:The Ralph Foster Museum
730:St. Louis Post-Dispatch
500:The Beverly Hillbillies
488:Point Lookout, Missouri
866:Photos from the museum
119:Ralph Foster biography
38:Background information
812:Ralph Foster Museum,
780:(third edition, 1957)
706:(first edition, 1955)
523:Ralph Foster Museum,
484:College of the Ozarks
248:of programs starring
142:Springfield, Missouri
526:Who Was Ralph Foster
462:and other programs.
459:Wide World of Sports
384:The Eddy Arnold Show
325:Nashville, Tennessee
313:Mutual radio network
258:Tennessee Ernie Ford
177:St. Joseph, Missouri
146:Nashville, Tennessee
72:St. Joseph, Missouri
470:Ralph Foster Museum
446:outdoor advertising
381:(1961); as well as
246:transcription disks
104:radio station owner
358:network television
165:network television
148:, as the nation's
130:Ralph David Foster
48:Ralph David Foster
396:Today on the Farm
378:Five Star Jubilee
305:Korn’s-A-Krackin’
221:ownership rules.
124:
123:
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848:Biography portal
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818:, archived from
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721:Kansas City Star
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529:, archived from
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390:Talent Varieties
297:Homer and Jethro
256:, Bill Ring and
230:Sermons in Song.
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476:Native American
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250:Smiley Burnette
226:Assembly of God
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163:the first U.S.
144:, to challenge
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82:August 11, 1984
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20:Ralph D. Foster
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126:Musical artist
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63:April 25, 1893
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822:on 2009-02-01
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581:The Billboard
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533:on 2009-02-01
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442:Lester E. Cox
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417:Snooky Lanson
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350:Ozark Jubilee
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150:country music
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824:, retrieved
820:the original
815:Ralph Foster
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763:
759:, p. 30
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535:, retrieved
531:the original
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457:
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437:
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421:Guests were
415:
412:Pig 'N Poke,
411:
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366:
361:
356:, the first
349:
339:
332:
322:
307:, a weekly “
304:
289:Wynn Stewart
270:
261:
234:transcribing
229:
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174:
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134:broadcasting
129:
128:
84:(1984-08-11)
916:1984 deaths
881:1893 births
715:, p. 9
452:Later years
387:(1956) and
362:Jubilee USA
352:debuted on
301:Slim Wilson
277:Chet Atkins
875:Categories
826:2009-01-06
689:References
537:2009-01-06
427:Anita Kerr
423:Brenda Lee
285:The Browns
210:Grant City
59:1893-04-25
44:Birth name
429:Singers,
346:Nashville
342:Red Foley
309:hillbilly
266:ABC Radio
232:He began
188:Firestone
171:Biography
768:, p. A16
598:, p. A16
369:spin-off
329:local TV
293:Les Paul
238:Si Siman
193:licensed
786:Coronet
666:, p. 17
651:, p. 12
636:, p. D2
583:, p. 45
570:, p. C1
552:Coronet
492:Branson
490:, near
480:Western
438:Jubilee
401:Chicago
264:), and
115:Website
801:
681:, p. 9
616:
425:, the
373:NBC-TV
354:ABC-TV
331:show,
299:, and
279:, the
91:Genres
68:Origin
507:Notes
486:) in
419:Time.
408:pilot
799:ISBN
742:Time
614:ISBN
478:and
197:KGBX
154:KWTO
79:Died
74:, US
53:Born
375:'s
219:FCC
195:as
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739:,
515:^
403:.
371:,
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303:.
295:,
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287:,
283:,
275:,
252:,
181:AM
808:.
623:.
161:,
61:)
57:(
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