(LISTEN): Zimmer Communications president John Zimmer outlines importance of local radio on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”

This week’s news that Moberly’s KWIX-KRES Radio had let their entire on-air staff go has generated news stories this week from all three mid-Missouri television stations. Zimmer Communications president John Zimmer joined is live this morning on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” to discuss the importance of local radio. Mr. Zimmer tells listeners that his heart goes out to everyone impacted by this development in Moberly and other towns like Farmington and Festus as well. Mr. Zimmer says this will hurt the community. He notes that Zimmer has modeled a lot of its emphasis on news, sports and severe weather based on what the late Jerrell Shepherd did in Moberly and elsewhere. Mr. Zimmer also talked about his late father, Jerome Zimmer and the stations he started in southeast Missouri’s Dexter. Mr. Zimmer says his father taught him the importance of serving the local community and local advertisers, and that he thinks of his father daily. Mr. Zimmer also discussed a bipartisan bill in Congress aimed at protecting AM radio in cars. He supports that bill and says it’s about safety for all Americans: