For more than 35 years, one of Ken Meyer’s radio stations has delivered St. Louis Cardinals broadcasts to the Ozarks. Several other stations have carried a combination of the Kansas City Royals and the sports teams of Missouri State, Missouri Tigers, Drury, Evangel and Southwest Baptist universities as well as local high schools and the Springfield Cardinals.

His company, Meyer Communications, also has been a long-time corporate sponsor of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, supporting its growth and advancement since its inception in 1994. And that’s to name only a few ways that Meyer has had an impact in the Ozarks, where his outreach through sporting events and community endeavors has been felt.

In other words, Meyer has been one of the key figures on the sports scene in southwest Missouri, and thus the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to honor Ken Meyer as the 2016 recipient of the President’s Award.

The award is the second one for Meyer in the Hall of Fame’s history. Meyer Communications was bestowed the John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award in 2005.

Even better, Meyer isn’t one to farm out duties and go jet-set the world. No, you can find him daily at the station that sits near Highway 65 and Chestnut Expressway in east Springfield. It speaks to the fact Meyer cares deeply about the quality of content being delivered to listeners.

Meyer has owned Meyer Communications since 1962, and the portfolio features KTXR, KTXR-HD KWTO-AM, JOCK 98.7 FM and KBFL AM & FM. At one point there were 10 other stations and two television stations.

The stations have brought major sports into the Ozarks. KTXR, Missouri’s biggest coverage FM, is the go-to station for the St. Louis Cardinals as the Ozarks can listen to Mike Shannon and John Rooney. KTXR is also the flagship station for Missouri State athletics and the first to broadcast women’s basketball.

To add more to the sports fan’s appetite, JOCK 98.7 FM has become the Ozarks’ dominate all-sports station. “The Sports Reporters” morning show features longtime and since-retired KY3 Sports Director and Missouri Sports Legend Ned Reynolds. The show recently celebrated its 15th year on air. The station also carries “Sports Talk” with the voice of the Missouri State Bears, Art Hains. Both programs have dedicated followings and have raised MeyerCom’s profile by consistently bringing in big-name guests. The Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, have had their games broadcast on 98.7 FM since the team’s 2005 arrival to the Ozarks.

Mr. Meyer also has supported the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, the PGA’s Web.com Tour event at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield. The PCCC has generated more than $12.8 million for children’s charities in the past 26 years. It is among numerous charities supported by Meyer.

Additionally, the Meyer family has contributed greatly across the region, including for The Meyer Center for Wellness and Rehabilitation at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. The center covers 90,000 square feet and allows Cox Health Fitness Centers to provide more space and additional facilities along with new programs and services. It features basketball and racquetball courts, a six-lane pool and warm water therapy pool, indoor rubberized track and spacious locker rooms that include a dry heat sauna and whirlpool. In Bolivar, Southwest Baptist University’s basketball arena is enormous. The Meyer Center is a 2,500-seat facility with a fitness center, racquetball courts and climbing wall.

It’s probably to be expected that the Ozarks are near and dear to Mr. Meyer.

He is a Mount Vernon native who graduated from Missouri State University in 1950 with a degree in business education and has an honorary doctorate in business administration from SBU. After purchasing the radio stations, he and his late wife, Jane, ran the stations for decades as the Ozarks came to know KTXR 101.3 FM as “The Gentle Giant” for its lite and easy-listening format. In 2015, KTXR switched to a successful new format, “Outlaw Country.”

Throughout the years, Meyer has donated time to important endeavors.

He has served as president or director of the Springfield Southeast Rotary Club, Council of Churches Foundation, Mount Vernon High School Foundation, Westminster College Broad of Trustees, Missouri State University Foundation Board of Directors, the Cox Medical Center Board of Directors, Cox Health Foundation, Cox Health Plan Board of Directors, Boy Scouts of America Ozarks Trails Council Trust Advisory Committee, MSU College of Business Administration Advisory Council, and the Missouri Wine and Grape Board. He also is an elder at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Meyer also supports non-profit organizations such as the Salvation Army, the American Lung Association of Missouri, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Springfield Symphony.

Put another way, Meyer has been a pillar of the Ozarks community.