Thursday, December 20, 2012

KFOR's Stevens Retiring After 50+ Years

There will be no more “holy molys” from Chuck Stevens.

Lincoln Journal-Star photo
After more than 50 years in broadcasting, including the last 30 at Lincoln, Nebraska radio station KFOR 1240 AM, the 71-year-old sports announcer is retiring.

His last day is Friday, according to Jeff Korbelik at journalstar.com.

KFOR has aired tributes this week to Stevens, who is to Lincoln area high school sports as the late KFAB announcer Lyle Bremser was to Nebraska football.

Former Lincoln Southeast High School coach Chuck Mizerski called him “golden throat.”

Former Nebraska Wesleyan University men’s basketball coach Jerry Schmutte urged him to work on his golf game.

And then there’s been the several “holy moly” references.

Stevens came to Lincoln in 1960 to work at KOLN-TV as a staff announcer.

He was just one year removed from high school, but already had quite the resume, having worked at a radio station in his Sterling, Colo., hometown, another radio station in Hot Springs, S.D., and a TV station in Rapid City, S.D.

In 1972, he left KLIN for KLMS and spent 10 years at the station, primarily in sales. Ten years later, he moved over to KFOR, where he’s been ever since.

 “His sort of down-home style appealed to a lot of people,” said Dick Janda, KFOR sports director, who also worked with Stevens at KOLN. “Chuck is kind of like an old shoe. He really fit. He was what (listeners) were used to and could relate to.”

“He’s the voice of credibility and trust,” said KFOR personality Cathy Blythe, who came to the morning show two weeks after Stevens did. “People knew he cared about the players and about their families.”


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