Sonny Slater Award for Service to Station and Community
The Sonny Slater Award was established in 1992 to honor Sonny Slater and recognize a Kansas broadcaster, who is not an owner or general manager, for long-term service to their station and community.
To nominate an individual for the KAB Sonny Slater Award, please complete the nomination form below. Include a brief history of the nominee’s broadcasting career and describe how they have demonstrated outstanding service to their station and community. Please provide current contact information for both the nominee and the nominator. Nominations must be received by August 7.
Honorees will be recognized through KAB press releases, the KAB website, publications, member communications, and social media. Recipients will also be honored at the KAB Annual Convention on October 19, 2026.
About Sonny Slater
Sonny Slater was farm director at KSAL Radio in Salina for 40+ years. He retired on May 25, 1990. On retirement, he and his son, Tom bought a 400-acre farm in the Flint Hills near Madison. Sonny and his wife, Esther, moved to the farm. Sonny died December 9, 1991 in a farm accident. He was 64.
Sonny began his broadcast career in 1945 at WIBW Radio, Topeka. He was one of 85 paid entertainers at the station, where he played the guitar and was part of the Kansas Roundup Gang. He worked with a state radio network and with stations in Clinton, IL and Shenandoah IA, before joining KSAL Radio as farm director and singer in 1950. He was featured vocalist with KSAL’s Smoky Valley Boys. During his tenure at KSAL, Sonny was up at 2:30 AM each morning, at the studio by 4:00 AM, and on the air from 5:00 am to 8:30 am. He also aired market and farm news and weather over the noon hour. Before his retirement, Sonny was one of Kansas’ senior broadcasters in terms of years spent covering state farm meetings and workshops and farm Extension events.
Past Recipients
2024 Dave Grant, KAKE, Wichita
2023 JJ Hayes, KFDI, Wichita
2022 No recipient
2021 John O’Connor, KVGB, Great Bend
2020 Bob Thibault, KSNT TV, Topeka
Full List Below
2019 Curtis Duncan, KLOE /KKCI, Goodland
2018 Carla Eckels, KMUW FM, Wichita
2017 Scott Donovan, KHOK FM, Great Bend
2016 Carol Hughes, KFDI FM, Wichita
2015 Brian Cunningham, KSOK AM/FM, Ark City
2014 Vern Napier, KLEY/KMWE, Wellington (posthumously)
2013 Carol McCaffrey, KLWN, Lawrence (posthumously)
2012 Joe Miller, KWCH TV, Wichita
2011 Paul Heskett, KXXX, Colby
2010 Rod Keen, KCLY FM, Clay Center
2009 John Wright, KFDI / KFTI, Wichita
2008 Bill “Ray” Rowson, KSAL AM, Salina
2007 Phil Grossardt, KBGL FM, Great Bend
2006 Dowe Quick, KOAM TV, Pittsburg
2005 Marlena Adkison, KTPK FM, Topeka
2004 Laverne Goering, KWCH TV, Wichita
2003 Lloyd Mintzmyer, KOOD TV, Bunker Hill
2002 Larry Moore, KMBC TV, Kansas City
2001 Larry Hatteberg, KAKE TV, Wichita
2000 Claude Hughes, KNGL/KBBE, McPherson
1999 Mike Cooper, KAYS/KHAZ, Hays
1998 Abram Burnett, KHOK FM, Great Bend
1997 Wilma “Perky” Perks, KWBW AM, Hutchinson
1996 Don Engelhardt, KSAL/KYEZ, Salina
1995 Tad Felts, KKAN/KQMA, Phillipsburg
1994 Bob Kearns, WIBW Radio/TV, Topeka
1993 Dan Willis, KKOW AM, Pittsburg
1992 Sonny Slater, KSAL/KYEZ, Salina