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Remember When KICKS 99 Was Off The Air?

2014 will always be known around the KICKS studios and the Beasley Media Group in Augusta as the year KICKS 99 went off the air, for a few days. Here’s…

Ice Storm

2014 will always be known around the KICKS studios and the Beasley Media Group in Augusta as the year KICKS 99 went off the air, for a few days.

Here’s the story....

Ice

Ice Storm

This ice storm was a big one. In radio, when a major weather event happens, you get rooms at the closest hotel or sleep in your office til it’s over. It’s our job to serve the community.

Ice

Ice Storm

It started slowly and we were actually enjoying our hunkered down time together doing weather and traffic reports around the clock. About 5 of us were at the stations throughout our building.

Ice

Ice Storm

Finally, things start to get a little better and it was a good thing, KICKS 99 just went off the air, which usually means we had a power outage at our transmitter site off Highway 25 in Edgefield County. When this happens, usually our generator kicks in and we’re back on, but not this time.

Our engineer, Charlie, drove a very slow 12 miles through the ice to check things out.

Then, I got a call. The KICKS 99 tower had collapsed due to the weight of the ice that had accumulated on it.

Ice

Ice Storm

Nashville and many of our listeners sent in pics of them holding signs saying “I want my KICKS 99 back”. It was awesome. 

Ice

Ice Storm

Ice

Ice Storm

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Tee has worked with KICKS 99 for over 24 years as Operations Manager and Program Director and is on-air each afternoon 3p-7p. When he’s not working, you’ll find him traveling the back roads, taking pictures, and searching for the next dive diner. Favorite place to visit? That’s easy. Folly Beach, SC. He’s usually there at least a few times a year. He lives in North Augusta and on Saturdays in the fall, you’ll find him cooking out and watching his Clemson Tigers. Tee likes to write about travel, Augusta local dive bars and diners and destinations in the Carolinas, as well as new business.