(April 4, 2014) Pat Strathman has earned a college degree and his first two post-graduate sportscasting jobs without ever venturing more than 100 miles from his hometown. A native of Seneca, KS and an STAA client, Strathman has accepted a sports position at 580 WIBW in Topeka.
The Kansas capitol city is roughly 75 miles from Seneca. It’s roughly the same distance from where Strathman attended college at the University of Kansas, and about 25 miles closer than where he accepted his first post-graduate job in Atchison, KS.
With WIBW, Strathman is going to the long-time king of Kansas radio stations. Due to the state’s flat land and WIBW’s location near the end of the AM dial, the station’s 5,000-watt signal blankets the Eastern half of the Sunflower state and much of southern Nebraska. WIBW has been on the air since 1927.
“My 90-year old grandma and my father talked about how much they listened to 580,” Strathman says. “There’s so much success and tradition. Lots of great broadcasters have come from that station and I hope to continue the tradition.”
Strathman moves to WIBW from KAIR 93.7 FM and 1470 AM in Atchison, KS where he has spent the past year as Sports Director. However, this isn’t his first experience at WIBW. As a former intern, he used to run the board on weekend overnights. Now, Strathman will be doing everything from sports updates, to high school sports play-by-play and fill-in work on Washburn University broadcasts, to covering University of Kansas and Kansas State University athletics.
“There’s so much variety, but that’s the one thing I honed in on while at the University of Kansas.”
Strathman appreciates just how far he’s come since his days as a WIBW weekend overnight board operator. “I will admit, it will be different working at the station when there is light outside,” Strathman laughs. “That’ll take some time getting used to, but I’m thrilled with this opportunity.”
(Visit Pat’s STAA Talent Page).