By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Greensburg lies approximately 70 miles to the south and west of Great Bend; yet, the Kiowa County Media Center (KCMC), which sprang from the rubble of the 2007 tornado that destroyed most of the town, has made several appearances in Barton County. The non-profit media organization has covered state basketball championships at Barton Community College, and KCMC Executive Director Grant Neuhold said his team will provide professional-level coverage of tonight’s Great Bend High School football game against McPherson.
“We want to make sure that people want us there,” Neuhold said. “We want to have a good, ongoing relationship anywhere we go. Great Bend has proven to be that in the past. We’ve only been there for track, but (Activities Director Matt Westerhaus) and everybody has been really awesome to work with. It’s pretty easy to sign back up and say we want to be there because they’re going to accommodate some of the things we’re asking for, they’re going to be nice to us, they’re going to do whatever they can to make our lives easier.”
Community leaders in Greensburg had decisions to make after the EF-5 tornado ripped through town, killing 12 and wounding 63 others. Most decisions were geared toward the future.
“We formed in 2008 as a non-profit to be a part of the community, to give open access to technologies, and to help educate and train with the quality multi-media technology we have,” said Neuhold. “Really, the emphasis in what we do is around video and live broadcasting.”
Originally funded by grants to help rebuild Greensburg, KCMC has found ways to raise funds to support its non-profit side. The organization raises funds through professional videography to promote local products and clients. Through its KCMC Sports branch, the non-profit raises funds by covering sporting events in all corners of the state, including all KSHSAA state championships.
“It’s a way we can go out and raise some dollars to help fund everything we do with students and education and the facilities we have,” said Neuhold. “That money has to come from somewhere, and we’re trying to be self-sufficient through the use of our sports broadcasting services.”
KCMC is housed on Greensburg’s Main Street in the Kiowa County Commons Building, which also includes a museum, soda shop, and the Greensburg branch of the Kiowa County Public Library. KCMC features a television studio and media lab, and allows the organization to reach community members of all ages.
Outreach often includes programming within USD 422 schools, but also includes educational opportunities for all demographics. TECH KIDS is a free program offered to all Kiowa County students grades K-8. The students learn various technologies, including 3-D design and printing. Students as young as fifth graders can gain experience in the world of broadcasting. By the time they are eighth graders, that can turn into a paid job.
“Hopefully, we’re giving them the exposure that they understand that this is not just a fun thing to do, although it is, but also more of an opportunity to further it into a professional lifestyle,” Neuhold said.
Neuhold joined the KCMC team in 2010. He honed his video production skills as a graduate of Aims Community College in Greeley, Colo. But his small school had no sports teams to cover, so live broadcasting has required some on-the-job learning.
“I love the environment of live broadcasting, especially sports, because I was an athlete coming through school,” he said. “This is my way of staying involved in the world of sports, just in a whole different way. Because of that, and because of my love of that, I think it was easy for me to formulate KCMC Sports.”
Then came Cameron Birney, a graduate of nearby Bucklin High School. He began working with KCMC as a sophomore in high school before moving on to Kansas State University. While in college, he often returned home to continue his work with KCMC. He is now in charge of sports production, the face of live sports broadcasts, and the play-by-play announcer who chooses KCMC’s Game of the Week.
“I don’t know that you can find too many people who are as passionate as he is about diving into the stats and the history of the school, and projecting outcomes of games and how the season might turn out for all classifications.
“What’s nice is I have the skillsets behind the scenes to really bolster all of what Cameron does really well through the technology knowledge and broadcasting experience that I bring. That’s where we formulate what we like to consider some of the best coverage in the state when it comes to high school athletics.”
With the full-time addition of Birney three years ago, KCMC has been able to expand its reach into all corners of the state because of its high-quality broadcasts.
“You’re going to get multiple cameras with instant replay, all the graphics and the stats, and the stuff that comes with what we consider a television-quality broadcast,” said Neuhold.
In addition to covering games in different locations each week, KCMC contracts with KSHSAA to broadcast state championships. The organization also covers all Kiowa County junior high and high school home and away events.
“For the people who aren’t able to attend in person, we’re beaming that to them wherever they are,” Neuhold said. “That’s a lot of parents and grandparents and everybody else who loves to watch the Mavericks but can’t come in person or travel. Our away-game coverage is really important.”
When KCMC visits another school, staff and volunteers share their knowledge about broadcasting and the equipment they use.
“We can feel pretty good about showing up and taking over for one night, then hopefully giving them some information so they can keep building up themselves,” said Neuhold.
Friday’s GBHS football game against McPherson will be streamed live on the KCMC hudl page and on Facebook Live. KCMC plans to return to Great Bend in week five of the season as the Panthers take on Dodge City.
