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| Ray Rouse |
Ray Richard Rouse, 76, of California, Mo., passed away Saturday, December 21, 2013, at California Care Center in California, Mo.
He was 76, according to his obit at newstribune.com.
Rouse developed an interest in electronics and broadcasting at an early age. During his junior and senior years in high school at Centralia, he joined the FFA's radio show and also worked part time as a DJ at radio station KXEO in Mexico, Missouri.
He worked as an engineer at KOMU-TV, and a DJ at KFRU in Columbia.
His career took a change in the 60's when KRCG-TV, Jefferson City gave him the opportunity to become the host of "Showtime", a 60 minute daily live program for kids.
His career took a change in the 60's when KRCG-TV, Jefferson City gave him the opportunity to become the host of "Showtime", a 60 minute daily live program for kids.
As Station Manager of KMOS-TV, which included various duties including News Director, he often did both news and weather, using a map board on which they had to draw all the weather symbols and fronts which is now done with computers. Several years later, a group of investors without broadcast experience contacted him with an offer to help them build a new TV station, Channel 27 in Springfield, Mo. He became its first program director but also filled in with news, weather and engineering when needed.
He decided to apply for a job as an engineer at the ABC Radio Network in New York to fill in for others during the vacation season. During the 14 years at ABC, the most fun at ABC was working at all of the Apollo launches in Florida and space shuttle landings in California. When politicians started campaigning for President, it was constant travel with them and working at their conventions and inaugurations in Washington. He traveled with President Reagan several times before and after he was elected.
He decided to apply for a job as an engineer at the ABC Radio Network in New York to fill in for others during the vacation season. During the 14 years at ABC, the most fun at ABC was working at all of the Apollo launches in Florida and space shuttle landings in California. When politicians started campaigning for President, it was constant travel with them and working at their conventions and inaugurations in Washington. He traveled with President Reagan several times before and after he was elected.
His lifelong ambition was to own his own radio station so he decided to take another giant step. After a lot of research he decided to return to Missouri. He decided California was the ideal location for a radio station.
After obtaining licenses from the FCC, purchase land and build the station. KZMO AM and FM (now KATI 94.3 FM) went on the air in July, 1984, serving "The Heart of Missouri" with heavy emphasis on news and live broadcasts of sports events of several schools in the area.
For 18 years, Rouse served as the chairman of the Missouri State Emergency Communications Committee until he retired from this FEMA appointment.
About 1995, the FCC and Missouri Broadcasters Association developed a pilot program to promote better compliance by broadcasters with FCC regulations. The FCC trained him to inspect radio and TV stations in the entire state, to inspect the stations for both technical and paperwork for possible "violations". The MBA hired him as the first person in the U.S. to do this. Now all states have this program in place.
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