MN Radio: KBEW's Kevin Benson To Retire

After 42 years in radio 41 of them at KBEW 98.1 FM in Blue Earth, MN,  Benson is retiring  on Dec. 12, his 65th birthday.

"I want everyone to know that this has nothing to do with the new ownership here at KBEW," Benson says. "They are good people to work for, and they are very experienced in ownership of stations in small markets like Blue Earth. But, eventually you feel one thing it's time."

It was music that first led Benson to radio, according to The Register.

"I loved to listen to popular music," he recalls. "And radio intrigued me from an early age. I loved listening to radio, the Stones, Beatles and Credence. And I thought, you know, it would be fun to be on the radio."

"It was Sept. 15, 1975, that (then KBEW owner) Paul Hedberg hired me," Benson remembers. "It was a strange job interview. We just chatted about various things until he said, 'well, you're hired.' It was after I had worked a while that I realized he had never said how much I was going to be paid. Turned out it wasn't much."

KBEW 98.1 FM (25 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

Years later, Benson reminded Hedberg of that low starting salary. Hedberg laughed and said, "Well, that was probably what you were worth."

"I started by doing all sorts of things, like writing copy for commercials, doing some announcing, even did the suppertime news," he says. "Eventually I did even more, like more of the news, the midday shift from 10 to 1. I did the remotes, recorded commercials and even did some sports."

Then in 1991 Benson left KBEW and spent one year working at the New Ulm radio station doing sales. After that he returned to Blue Earth and continued doing sales.

"Sales is a tough job," Benson says. "I have the utmost admiration for anyone in sales, whether it is cars, radio commercials or newspaper ads. It can be hard or easy, depending on your ability."

In February of 1996, long-time KBEW morning announcer and station manager Roy Haven left and Benson became the general manager and continued with full time sales. He is grateful to station owner at the time, Jerry Papenfuss, for giving him that opportunity.

Benson says he and his wife, Becky, plan on doing a lot traveling, something they have not done much of in the past.

Benson says he looks back and thinks he was always destined to be a radio announcer.

"It wasn't just my love of music," he says. "I was a good student but I was getting in trouble for being a smart aleck. I thought I was just witty and clever."