A recent and devastating windstorm that swept through on December 17 and 18 resulted in gusts reaching speeds of 70 to 80 miles per hour, severely damaging the tower of KLOE, an Oldies radio station operated by Kansas Broadcast Company in Goodland, KS. Following this incident, a subsequent storm over the weekend triggered the tower's collapse, prompting the difficult decision not to rebuild the station.
During the initial windstorm, the powerful gusts caused critical failures in the porcelain insulators at the base of KLOE’s tower, which left the structure leaning precariously and rendered it unstable. While engineering evaluations confirmed that the main tower structure remained intact, the significant damage to multiple insulators and the challenges in sourcing replacement parts made safe operation impossible. A tower crew was brought in with intentions to stabilize and possibly reconstruct the tower, but another windstorm on December 27 and 28 shifted the structure further, leading to its eventual fall into a nearby wheat field. Fortunately, this collapse did not result in any harm to surrounding properties or individuals.
In light of the "substantial expenses" associated with constructing a new AM tower and the current challenges faced by AM broadcasting, the company has decided against rebuilding KLOE. They expressed their sorrow, stating, "This was not a decision taken lightly. KLOE represents decades of voices, memories, and service to this community. Losing the tower is heartbreaking, especially after all the efforts put into restoring and celebrating the station’s legacy."
Despite the closure of KLOE, its popular program, the "Good Neighbor Hour," will continue to air from 5:30 to 7:00 AM Mountain Time on its sister station, Classic Rock "RockIt 102.5" KKCI. Furthermore, the station has appointed a new News Director for Goodland, who is set to begin in January.
