Springfield Business Journal_2020-08-24

MCKENZIE ROBINSON CALL IT A COMEBACK Kevin Howard and Liz Delany returned to the airwaves this month on 98.7 The Dove through Zimmer Midwest Communication’s pending purchase of Meyer Communications. $2.00 · SBJ.NET AUG. 24-30, 2020 · VOL. 41, NO. 5 County starts issuing CARES Act funds by Kathryn Hardison · khardison@sbj.net The Greene County Commission began chipping away at the $34.4 million in Coro- navirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds this month when it announced the first round of awarded grants. The Springfield-Greene County Health Department came out ahead in the Aug. 13 announcement with nearly all of the initial $4.1 million in awards. The Health Depart- ment was approved for $4 million to reim- burse front-line COVID-19 expenses. The remainder was dispersed among Community Partnership of the Ozarks Inc., Vision Rehabilitation Center of the Ozarks, Be A Jewel Inc. and Ozarks Area Communi- ty Action Corp., according to a news release. Lyle Foster, the county’s grants admin- istrator, said the Greene County Commis- sion will issue funds every week until the $34.4 million sum is disbursed among or- ganizations in five categories: health care, taxpayer-sup- ported entities, ed- ucational entities, small businesses, and nonprofits and community organi- zations. The county received over 400 applications by the Aug. 10 deadline. Funds may be used to cover COV- ID-19-related expenses of public hospitals, clinics, testing and emergency medical re- sponse, as well as communication of public health orders, acquisition and distribution of personal protective equipment, disinfec- tion of public areas, the issuance of paid sick leave to public employees and pay- roll expenses for public employees who Zimmer deal ends Meyer era, returns familiar DJs by Kathryn Hardison · khardison@sbj.net Columbia-based Zimmer Midwest Com- munications Inc. is making some changes to Springfield’s airwaves. The family-owned company has nearly fi- nalized the acquisition of Springfield-based Meyer Communications Inc. Co-owner John Zimmer said the parties are just awaiting Federal Communications Com- mission approval. Since entering into a management agree- ment in early July, Zimmer Midwest Com- munications has brought “Kevin and Liz in the Morning” back to the airwaves in an Aug. 17 launch of 98.7 The Dove, a new soft rock station. The Dove takes the spot of sports talk radio chan- nel The Jock, which is moving to 96.9 FM and 1060 AM, according to a news release. Zim- mer also is taking over 101.4 The Outlaw and news-talk radio station KWTO-AM. Zimmer Midwest Communications is joining iHeart Media, Mid-West Family Broadcasting and Summit Media LLC in the local radio scene. “We’re so excited to be in the Spring- field market. It’s a dream we’ve been working on for 15 years with the Meyer family,” said Zimmer. “To be a part of that history and legacy in Springfield – it’s ex- citing for us.” Ken Meyer, who’s now in his 90s, has been a Springfield broadcasting icon since founding Meyer Communications in 1964. Meyer, who was elected into the Missouri Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2015, declined an interview for this story. Kevin and Liz Zimmer said bringing Kevin Howard and Liz Delany back to Springfield radio See CARES on page 33 See DEAL on page 32 Lyle Foster : Public health funding is a county priority. PAGE 9