Larry Steckline

Larry Steckline is a prominent Kansas broadcasting entrepreneur, and radio and television personality, particularly known for his Kansas agriculture news/feature/commentary programs. His company, Steckline Communications—formerly known as the Mid-Kansas Ag Network

Since 1964, Steckline has produced agricultural news, information and commentary programs aired on television and radio stations throughout Kansas and into adjoining Nebraska, Colorado, and Oklahoma, particularly on KTVH-TV (Wichita, Kansas/Hutchinson, Kansas, and later the Kansas State Network (KSN), the state's main provider of television broadcast to rural communities, as well as three of Kansas' five largest cities (Wichita, Topeka, and Salina). Most recently, his program has appeared on Wichita's KAKE-TV.

Early life Larry E. Steckline was born on August 24, 1941, in Hays, Kansas, and raised in Ellis, Kansas, until nine years old. — his programs reaching into four states.

Over the course of his career, Steckline, or his companies, owned 27 radio stations, mostly in Kansas.

In 1974, Steckline built KJLS (FM) in Hays, Kansas, a country-western station that, according to Steckline, was the first FM radio station to survive west of U.S. Highway 81 (the north–south highway bisecting the nation).

By 1977, Steckline—still broadcasting—was also operating his own farm. In 1977, following an abrupt dismissal from KFRM, he created the "Mid America Ag Network" (Wichita, Kansas), syndicating his ag shows state-wide, and beyond.

In 2010, after 30 years broadcasting his daily "ag report" on the Kansas State Network ("KSN") and its forerunner (KARD-TV), Steckline's contract was abruptly terminated in a one-sentence notice from KSN's general manager, with no explanation or comment

In 2011, Steckline began appearing in an online news format, Steckline Ag Report, with ag news in 3-5 minute segments, produced for the website of the Farm Credit cooperative American AgCredit By 2015, he owned only one remaining radio station, KWLS (FM) (Winfield, Kansas), on which he continued to broadcast his agri-business program daily.

Other business and personal affairs With his first wife, Wah-leeta, by 1977 Steckline had three children.

In early 2002, Steckline interviewed Kansas Attorney General Carla Stovall, then a Republican candidate for Governor, who had served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General. A romance ensued. Despite being regarded as a front-runner, and confident she would win, Stovall abandoned her 2002 gubernatorial run in April, before the primary election, saying she no longer desired the job, and promptly announced plans to marry Steckline (whom she married August 31, 2002, at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Grove, Oklahoma )—withdrawing from politics, and throwing the Kansas Republican Party into chaos; Democrat Kathleen Sebelius won the subsequent general election.

Wife Carla became legal "counsel to a lot of Larry's companies."

In 2004, Steckline had three adult children and nine grandchildren. Son Greg was "in the business," daughter Anita Cochran was a TV news anchor for the Kansas State Network, and daughter Shasta was a school librarian. Board Member, Kansas State Fair, appointed 2003 Fundraiser, Newman University, 1997, 2009 Trustee, Kansas FFA Foundation, (Future Farmers of America affiliate), appointed 2016 2000 Award of "recognition for years of service, accomplishments, and contributions to the farming industry" from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) 2003 NFU Milton Hakel Award for Agricultural Communications, National Farmers Union 2009 "Oscar in Agriculture" award for career contributions: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.