During testing periods, WOAW was one of four stations used by Explorer Donald McMillian during his expedition to the North Pole. Letters came in that voices on WOAW were heard on ships in both mid-Pacific and mid-Atlantic waters.

On April 2, 1923, WOAW’s first broadcast took place. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was the first sound broadcast from the 19th floor studio, followed appropriate words from Sovereign Commander Fraser and speeches by Nebraska state and Omaha local officials and prominent Omahans. Also featured were an orchestra and a 75-member chorus.

In these early days, Fraser himself was the station announcer and active manager. Stiles, Col. T.E. Patterson and General Attorney De E. Bradshaw were his willing and enthusiastic assistants. The rest of the staff included one day and one night hostess, both of whom doubled as pianists and singers, as well as one night announcer, plus two engineers.

Earl May, a seed and nursery man from Shenandoah, Iowa, was able to foresee the great opportunity of talking to thousands of people by this new means of communication called radio. He traveled to Omaha to broadcast his program on WOAW. After two years, he built his own station in Shenandoah, the historic KMA.

The original operating power was a maximum of 500 watts, with an increase to 1,000 watts in 1927. Later, on October 1st, WOW became affiliated with the Red network of the National Broadcasting Company. In 1926, with the retirement from service by the SS Bibble, the letters WOW were awareded to the Society.

In 1928, WOW was forced to share the 590 frequency with Nebraska Weslayan College station WCAJ. WOW was permitted to use the frequency six-sevenths of the time, with the college using the remaining seventh. In 1930, WOW applied for full time use of the frequency, finally winning its battle in 1933.

On December 8, 1935, the Society moved into the Insurance Building at 17th & Farnum, and opened a new studio. After the move, the radio station was permitted to operate at 5,000 watts of power, making it, at the time, one of the most powerful broadcasting facilities in the Midwest.

Lyle DeMoss with Father Flanagan at Boys Town, late 30's.

In 1940, the staff increased to 65, plus a host of others who did specialized programs.

The Sophisticated Rangers - 1939

The WOW Orchestra, circa 1941



Perpetual showman, GM Johnnie Gillin with his "Prestige Plate".

The Society soon negotiated a 25-year lease with the same company - Radio Station WOW, Inc.--and the deal was closed.

In October 1958, the stock of Radio Station WOW, Inc., was purchased by the Meredith Corporation, which subsequently purchased the property for $1.2 million. Meredith paid a rental fee of $140,000 per year until 1976 as deferred payment of the purchase price.

During the Meredith years, WOW changed with the times, adopting a Top 40 format about 1970. WOW attracted popular Disc Jockeys well known in the Omaha area and offered the areas youthful listeners a new alternative. Competing head to head with the Top 40 giant KOIL, WOW proved a worthy challenger, but after only a few years chose to rather "switch than fight". Country and Western music, along with farm news, became the niche WOW targeted and succeeded at for the next quarter century.

In 1983, Mike Lynch and Mike Oatman, as "Great Empire" acquired WOW-AM and KYNN-FM. The FM call letters were changed to create the WOW- AM/FM combination. Ken Fearnow was named vice president and general manager of the two stations.

WOW, along with 12 other Great Empire stations, was sold to Milwaukee-based Journal Broadcast Group on June 14, 1999.

In a surprise move, the historic call letters of WOW-AM were then surrendered and the station became KOMJ "Magic 590" on November 22, 1999, with the format switching from Country to Adult Standards. WOW-FM became KYSS-FM. KOMJ has since moved to 1490 and has been replaced with KXSP, all sports.