| KSKU | |
| City: | Sterling, Kansas |
| Area: | Hutchinson, Kansas |
| Branding: | Hit Radio 94.7 |
| Format: | contemporary hit radio |
| Erp: | 50,000 Watts |
| Haat: | 148.0 meters |
| Class: | C2 |
| Facility Id: | 431 |
| Coordinates: | 38.2306°N -98.3147°W |
| Owner: | Cliff Shank |
| Licensee: | Ad Astra Per Aspera Broadcasting, Inc. |
| Sister Stations: | KXKU, KNZS, KWHK |
| Website: | adastraradio.com |
| Former Frequencies: | 102.1 MHz (1969-02/15/86), 106.1 MHz (1986–1998), 97.1 MHz (1998–2007) |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
KSKU (94.7 FM, "Hit Radio 94.7") is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format.[1] Licensed to Sterling, Kansas, United States, the station serves the Hutchinson, Kansas area. The station is currently owned by Ad Astra Per Aspera Broadcasting, Inc.[2] The KSKU call letters have been moved to 5 different frequencies across the FM band in central Kansas since 1985. KSKU has previously broadcast on these frequencies in this order 102.1, 106.1(sister station KXKU now broadcasts on 106.1), and 97.1. As well as music, the station broadcasts several high school football and basketball games from area schools. KSKU is a member of the Jayhawk Radio Network and regularly broadcasts the Kansas Jayhawks football and men's basketball games.
On September 2, 2011, around 2:20 AM, a fire destroyed the studios of Ad Astra Per Aspera Broadcasting, which included KSKU, as well as KWHK, KNZS, and KXKU. As a result, all four stations were off the air for nearly a month until temporary studios were set up in a nearby building. KSKU 94.7 and KNZS 100.3 returned to the air at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, September 28, 2011. Rather than rebuilding after the fire, Ad Astra per Aspera Broadcasting permanently relocated to a preexisting building.
The fire destroyed the KSKU servers, wiping out over 25 years of archived shows from local talent, including full shows and funny and famous bits from past and current KSKU show hosts.
KSKU has been the starting place for a number of talented show hosts, launching several DJ’s to long careers, including Hank the Mechanic (he started off as Michael Paul at KSKU); Tom Simon, who started the Goodnight Line at the original KSKU when it was KSKU FM 102. Simon brought the Goodnight Line back to KSKU when it moved to 106.1 FM, as Program Director. The Goodnight Line is widely thought to be the most successful and popular segment to come out of KSKU. Other hosts who launched successful radio careers at KSKU include Dan Holiday (who owns and operates the weather forecasting company The Storm Report) and Stephanie Linn, who also hosted the Goodnight Line and went on to be a popular DJ in Manhattan, Kansas, and Topeka, Kansas.
The Rick Tyler Morning Show in 1998 was known for poking fun at KSKU owner and CEO Cliff Shank and his rapport with KSKU employees. Tyler poked fun at Shank on a daily basis, with Shank taking it all in good fun and even playing along with some of the bits poking fun at him. Shank was known to take jokes aimed at “the boss” in good humor. Shank’s ability to manage his staff and to take jokes (as long as they were respectful) in good fun is one of the reasons so many talented DJ’s were able to thrive at KSKU.
Other popular KSKU show hosts include Aaron West, Arock, Matt Neal, (hosts of the Matt and Arock Show), and Bryce Allen, just to name a few.
The Matt and Arock Show was one of the longest running shows in KSKU history. The morning show ran from 2007 until 2011, on KSKU, and was also simulcast on 100.3 KNZS. The Show ran as an afternoon show as well in 2010 and 2011. The show was one of the most popular shows in KSKU history, bringing in an average of 12 listeners each day.