By: Joshua Danker-Dake | Category: Financial Services | Issue: August 2007
Ken Staley, general manager of AM 970 KCFO, displays a poster for the Dave Ramsey Show.
While getting out of debt is easier said than done, it is possible no matter how daunting the task might seem. Now, there is help. For 27 years, AM 970 KCFO has stood by its motto, “Talk You Can Trust.” While KCFO airs Bible and teaching programs in the morning and talk shows in the afternoon, it has begun offering additional help this year. The Dave Ramsey Show is KCFO’s newest program designed to help people of all income levels to get out of debt.
“This is not a stuffy investment show,” says Ken Staley, general manager. “This show is about real life. It’s more about how you run your life because how you run your life determines how you run your money.” Staley has been with KCFO for over 20 years.
Dave Ramsey, originally from Nashville, Tenn., was a millionaire by the time he was 26. After losing all his wealth, he developed a system to help people get out of debt and avoid living beyond their means. Ramsey warns against the irresponsible use of credit. He encourages people to pay with cash as often as possible, and he points out that creditors are the ones who want people to build up their credit ratings. Ramsey mentions that people should not go into debt for anything other than a home.
Ramsey counsels people to put their pride aside and make wise financial decisions. “The paid-off mortgage has replaced the BMW as the status symbol of choice,” Staley says. Ramsey encourages his listeners to remember that if they live like no one else now, they will be able to live like no one else later. That is, if people are willing to deny themselves now, they will prosper for their wise decisions later in life.
The kind of people who typically call into the Dave Ramsey Show might be a little surprising. “Debt knows no income bracket,” says Staley. “Most people on the show are in the $80,000 to $120,000 income range. They’re spending everything, and they have no plan.”
Ramsey has now been on the radio for over 10 years, offering solid, practical advice. “He gives you the same advice your grandma gave you, except he keeps his teeth in,” says Staley. Ramsey’s humorous but difficult advice can be heard on over 300 radio stations nationwide. While the show draws over three million listeners each week, Ramsey’s popularity is increasing. Staley says, “As a manager, I like that I can call people and tell them I want to talk about the Dave Ramsey Show; 90 percent of the people I talk to already know about him.”
In addition to his radio program, Ramsey does speaking engagements across the country. A conference in Kansas City at which he recently spoke drew 40,000 people. Ramsey has appeared on many national television programs, including “60 Minutes,” “Oprah” and “Larry King Live.” Four of his books have made the New York Times’ Bestsellers List.
Additionally, Ramsey offers the Financial Peace University program, which is typically presented at churches as part of a 13-week series. However, the target audience of the program is not purely Christian. Anyone can buy the program. “It’s a great nuts-and-bolts financial piece,” says Staley.
The Dave Ramsey Show airs Monday through Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. on AM 970 KCFO. The program is aired live, and listeners are invited to call in with questions and comments. Dave Ramsey would love to talk to any caller. For more information about KCFO programming, Dave Ramsey or advertising, visit KCFO online at www.kcfo.com.
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