K105 has had an eventful few months, as the station’s popular morning show, In The Know, celebrated show number 3,000 in July, and on Monday night the program was recognized by the Kentucky Broadcaster’s Association with the Best Talk Show award, and K105 Digital Productions was chosen for Best Use of Streaming Video.
In The Know, hosted by founder and CEO of Heritage Media of Kentucky Mark Buckles, also features K105 Digital Director Sam Gormley and K105 General Manager Christy Buckles.
The program, born out of Mark Buckles’ and former show member Misty Thomas’ experience providing vital information to listeners during the 2009 Ice Storm, two years later became an almost immediate must-listen for those who desired to stay informed on what was happening locally while featuring city and county leaders of industry, politics, law enforcement, and other areas of import and interest.
“I’m extremely proud to be recognized by the KBA as the best talk show in the state of Kentucky. We’re not the biggest, but we have been deemed to be the best,” Mark Buckles said about the honor.
He further stated that because of his previous positions on the KBA Executive Committee and as KBA president, he thought it wise not to have Gormley nominate the station for KBA awards for the last several years so as not to give the appearance of an “unfair advantage.”
“So the fact to me … the moment that I took the handcuffs off and said (to Gormley), ‘Nominate us for whatever you want to nominate us for,’ and we win two of the three categories (the station was nominated in) says to me that we probably would have been holding our own and recognized … the trophy case would be a lot more full had we not been in the situation we were,” Mark Buckles said.
“Again, just super proud of our team and being recognized,” he added.
The broad, award-winning appeal of In The Know has proven to be its presentation of diversified information on local, state and national events of the day, as well as its coverage of sports, weather and the political scene.
“If you think about it … everybody is living a different life and a different season in their life … so there are a different set of ears listening each and every morning,” Chris Winkle, KBA President/CEO, said about In The Know. “So, to be diverse, to appeal to that, Mark and the team, they do a fantastic job with hitting you with the quick information. Whether that be news, sports, weather, but also to have the engagement with the guests.”
Leitchfield Mayor Harold Miller perhaps best captured the essence of In The Know, as he noted the program’s longstanding role in keeping the community informed with an entertaining approach.
“In The Know has been an important vehicle in our community for many years,” Miller recently said. “They have, with integrity and humor, kept us all up to date with things we need to know to make daily decisions based on the information provided (by the show). Mark and his crew have been wonderful community partners through the years, and I wish them many more.”
Best Use of Streaming Video
Sam Gormley, fresh from graduating from WKU, joined the K105 staff as Director of Digital Productions in July 2018, and immediately became an indispensable part of the team.
K105 Digital Productions has become the envy of radio stations and news/sports websites around Kentucky for its excellence in broadcasting all manner of events, from Grayson County High School football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and soccer games, as well as other school-related events, to fiscal court meetings, business grand openings, and the ever-popular Cougar Conversations.
Gormley, Mark Buckles and crew members have established a tradition of high-quality broadcasting that was recognized Monday night by the KBA with its Best Use of Streaming Video award.
“This is a great honor for the K105 Digital Productions team. When I was hired in 2018, adding a video component to our broadcasts was one of my first goals,” Gormley said. “Since that point, we have put a lot of effort into making our production one of the best in the local area.”
While Gormley spends hours preparing for each of K105 Digital Productions’ broadcasts, he could not produce and present the broadcasts without the assistance of his many team members, comprised mostly of Grayson County High School students.
“We absolutely could not have done this without a great group of crew members that have helped take my vision and put it into action these last few years,” Gormley said. “While our name is on the award, this is as much theirs as it is ours.”
The KBA awards ceremony and dinner were held at the Central Bank Center in Lexington on Monday night.
(Headline photo l-r: Sam Gormley, Mark Buckles, Christy Buckles, Tom McMakin, Chairman of the KBA Board)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
