targeting the notables and quotables of kansas city
Rare is the guy who can make a career out of doing something most guys gladly do for fun—talking sports. But one such guy is the not-yet-30 Chad Boeger, President and General Manager of Union Broadcasting Inc., which owns two local stations, 810 WHB and Sports Radio 1510 KCTE. After Boeger graduated from KU in 1995 with a business administration and liberal arts degree, he didn't know exactly what he wanted to do. A sports enthusiast, he figured he'd just get a job. He went to work for a small newspaper company, but soon thereafter in a brave leap he broke off and created a "free" newspaper, the National Football Weekly. The local sports scene was naturally part of his beat. When he was asked if he'd do a general sports show at KCTE in late 1996, he leaped at the chance, calculating, "It was a good opportunity to see what was out there."
By 2000, a hectic schedule and several promotions helped him decide he needed to stop the on-air duties. At their peak, these duties had him getting up at 4:30 a.m. and often not quitting until midnight. Now, Boeger sticks to the business side of radio and attributes his success to "some hard work, being in the right place at the proverbial right time, and being surrounded by a great group of individuals."
Boeger is justifiably proud of his two radio stations. The two have gone from "hardly being on the ratings map to the top three in the area." But mostly, he says, his work is sheer fun. "When you love what you do, it doesn't seem like a job. And this is a fun place - being locally owned and operated, the atmosphere is different here."
Admitting to the possibility of being "a Type A guy," he still manages time for friends, family, and sports. To be sure, he goes to lots of games and says he's as happy as can be.