NWKS Radio’s Curtis Duncan Inducted into KAB Hall of Fame

One of northwest Kansas radio’s most recognizable and beloved voices is receiving the highest honor in Kansas broadcasting.

Curtis Duncan of Goodland has been named a member of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Duncan, who passed away in July 2024, is being inducted posthumously alongside Carolyn Long, Ted Woodward and Melissa Brunner.

The KAB Hall of Fame Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters. Recipients are broadcasters who have been major contributors to the growth and welfare of radio and television in Kansas or nationally and who have been exemplary stewards of the broadcasting industry.

For those of us at NWKS Radio, this one is especially meaningful.

Curtis dedicated nearly 30 years of his life to our stations and to the communities of northwest Kansas. His voice, personality and commitment to local broadcasting became a part of everyday life for countless listeners. We could not be more proud of Curtis, the work he did, and the legacy he left behind. This is an incredibly well-deserved honor for someone who gave so much of himself to broadcasting and the people it serves.

Here is the announcement from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters:

Curtis Duncan - posthumously

Goodland

Curtis Duncan’s broadcasting career was defined by a remarkable commitment to community service that spanned six decades.

His love for radio began at age nine, when he joined KOFO broadcasters covering a local county fair. That experience launched a career that took Curtis to radio and television stations across Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, Mississippi and Nebraska before bringing him to northwest Kansas in the mid-1990s.

After serving as morning host at KXXX-AM in Colby, Curtis joined KLOE/KKCI in Goodland, where he became one of northwest Kansas’ most trusted and recognizable voices. Through KLOE’s “Good Neighbor Hour,” Curtis shared local stories, interviews, weather, school activities and community events with generations of listeners.

His dedication was legendary. During severe weather, Curtis sometimes stayed at the station for days, and the National Guard even helped get him to the station during major winter storms so he could keep listeners informed.

Curtis was honored with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters’ Sonny Slater Award in 2019 for his outstanding service to his station and community.

More than a broadcaster, Curtis Duncan represented the very best of local Kansas radio: trusted, dedicated and always there for his neighbors.

A Legacy That Continues

Those words perfectly describe the Curtis Duncan we knew.

When Curtis passed away in July 2024, NWKS Radio remembered him as much more than a broadcaster. He was a friend, mentor and trusted source of information who genuinely cared about the people on the other side of the radio.

Curtis was a constant presence throughout Goodland and the surrounding communities. He covered local events, visited with community leaders, educators and students, and kept listeners informed when severe weather threatened the area. His work earned numerous KAB honors for news and weather coverage, but his greatest accomplishment may have been the trust he built with generations of northwest Kansas listeners.

There truly will never be another like him.

Curtis also joins a growing list of people connected to NWKS Radio stations who have received the broadcasting industry's highest honor in Kansas.

In 2024, NWKS Radio owner Kyle Bauer and longtime radio personality and salesperson Paul Heskett were inducted into the KAB Hall of Fame. Through the years, numerous broadcasters connected to NWKS Radio stations have been included in the Hall of Fame, something that remains a tremendous honor for our entire organization.

Radio has changed dramatically over the decades, but broadcasters like Curtis Duncan remind us what local radio has always been about: serving your neighbors, telling their stories, being there when it matters and becoming a trusted part of the community.

Curtis did all of that for nearly 30 years at our stations.

We wish he could be here to receive this honor himself, but we are incredibly proud to see his name permanently added to the KAB Hall of Fame.

Congratulations, Curtis.

A well-deserved honor for an unforgettable broadcaster, colleague, friend and Good Neighbor.

To learn more about the other members of the 2026 KAB Hall of Fame Class, visit the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame page.

2026 Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame