Iowa’s only jazz radio station named one of the best in all 50 states

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owa's only jazz radio station is one of the best in all 50 states. And it has one of the nation's top jazz programmers in Program Director Bob Stewart.

KCCK was named JazzWeek Station of the Year for 2014, beating out all nominees in the small market category for the fourth time. Stewart was named Programmer of the Year for the sixth time.

Although he has dominated the small market programming category in recent years, Stewart said this year's Programmer of the Year award was especially meaningful because the award was just renamed after Bobby Jackson, a popular jazz-radio personality who died in 2013.

'He was one of the leaders in jazz programming,” Stewart said. 'He really knew his stuff, and we all learned a lot from him over the years.”

The awards were presented at the JazzWeek Summit, an annual gathering of jazz radio and record industry professionals. Stewart attended the summit in San Jose, California in August to accept the awards.

Stewart said 88.3 KCCK was selected as Station of the Year from among 50-60 radio stations that program jazz in small markets around the country (markets 80+). Other nominees in the category included stations in Spokane, Washington; Princess Anne, Maryland; Jackson, Mississippi; Traverse City, Michigan; and Toledo, Ohio.

The winner was determined by vote of subscribers to JazzWeek.com, a national industry publication.

'It's gratifying to know what we are doing is being recognized even in bigger markets,” Stewart said. 'People set goals to do what we do. Not many do it 24 hours a day and are listener and member supported.”

Stewart said the ongoing support of Kirkwood Community College has been critical to KCCK's success.

The station got its start as a Kirkwood electronics communications class project in 1972. The class constructed a 10-watt FM radio station using a donated FM transmitter, and the college applied for an F.C.C. license. The station went on the air in September of that year, playing mostly classical music.

In 1975, after KUNI at the University of Northern Iowa upgraded its transmitter and gave KCCK its old one, the station began broadcasting from a 400-foot tower with 10,000 watts of power.

Stewart started with KCCK as full-time music director in 2000 and took on the additional responsibilities for programming in 2003 or 2004.

Today, KCCK is the only full-time jazz radio station in the state. Its playlist features both contemporary jazz artists and traditional jazz masters. Additional programming includes news and public affairs programs from American Public Media and blues, funk, new age and world music.

Stewart said his favorite part of the job is listening to all the new music that comes in. He often takes music home with him to listen to it there.

'I love hearing what's going on in jazz these days and exposing other people to it,” he said.

In addition to its on-air programs, KCCK also engages in many community outreach activities such as jazz music education in the schools and the Jazz Under the Stars free music concert series in the summer.

'It's a small operation and everyone here has a hand in making it work,” Stewart said. 'Everyone does their part to make it happen.”