KLOE 730 Tower Falls After Windstorm, Station Goes Silent

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, December 30, 2025 | 3:36pm CT

KLOE-AM Goodland, KS

The broadcast tower for Goodland's KLOE-AM (730) has collapsed following a series of extreme wind events in northwest Kansas, prompting Kansas Broadcast Company and NWKS Radio to permanently take the station off the air.

KLOE first signed on in 1948 and served Goodland and surrounding communities for more than 75 years with farm reports, weather coverage, local news, high school sports, and long-running programs such as the Good Neighbor Hour. The station marked its 75th anniversary in 2023.

According to the companies, windstorms on December 17 and 18 produced gusts ranging from 70 to more than 80 miles per hour across the Kansas-Colorado border, with Goodland recording gusts near 79 mph. The winds damaged porcelain insulators at the base of KLOE's tower, leaving the structure unstable. While engineering assessments found the tower itself intact, multiple failed insulators and limited availability of replacement parts made safe operation impossible.

Plans were made to stabilize and potentially rework the tower, but additional wind gusts late December 27 into early December 28 caused the structure to shift and fall into a nearby wheat field. No injuries or property damage were reported.

Citing the cost of constructing a new AM tower and broader challenges facing AM broadcasting, Kansas Broadcast Company said KLOE 730 will not be repaired or rebuilt and will remain permanently silent.

While KLOE is off the air, the companies said their presence in Goodland and northwest Kansas will continue. The Good Neighbor Hour will air weekday mornings from 5:30-7am MT KKCI (RockIt 102.5). NWKS Radio also announced plans to hire a new News Director who will relocate to Goodland in February.

NWKS Radio continues to operate other stations in the region, including KRDQ (100.3 The Ride), KKCI (RockIt 102.5), KXXX 790, and KWGB (FlyOver Country 97.9).