You couldn’t miss the Des Moines Media Group at the 2025 Iowa State Fair, broadcasting, hosting, competing, and even cooking pork chops. The Des Moines Media Group helped to keep children safe and families happy all through the fair from the Kid Find Headquarters, presented by Goodwill.
LAZER 103.3:
Wickett judged the Mr. Legs Contest, hosted the Cow Chip Throwing Contest, and judged the Mumus & Mimosas for Bubbly Bar Contest.
Ethan judged the Mullet Contest, served as the celebrity pork griller for the Iowa Pork Producers, and also the celebrity bingo caller for the Blue-Ribbon Foundation.
Styles judged the Iowa State Fair Parade, competed in the Cow Chip Throwing Contest, and served as the celebrity pork griller for Iowa Pork Producers.
STAR 102.5:
Ken judged the Auctioneer Contest.
Tawinee judged the Mullet Contest and the Mr. Legs Contest.
93.3 KIOA:
Leigh judged the Iowa State Fair Parade and was the served as the celebrity bingo caller for the Blue-Ribbon Foundation.
Luke hosted the Mr. Legs Contest and organized and competed in the Cow Chip Throwing Contest.
Jeriney hosted the Mullet Contest and served as the celebrity pork griller for the Iowa Pork Producers.
104.1 EZ FM
Tony Jones entered a photo of the Yonkers building fire and participated in the Cow Chip Throwing Contest.
See the best of the best in Central Iowa as voted on by YOU in the Des Moines’ People’s Choice!
Morning Show hosts Luke and Jeriney from 93.3 KIOA ended their spring by going on tour, a breakfast tour! This summer, the duo spends each Friday morning from 6-10 am at The Breakfast Club, broadcasting live from one of their three locations around the Des Moines metro.
Listeners are invited to join Luke and Jeriney at The Breakfast Club and enjoyed $2 off alcoholic coffee beverages during The Breakfast Club’s morning Happy Hour from 7-9 am. KIOA listeners who attend The Breakfast Club also have the chance to win a $50 gift card.
The final Breakfast Tour date is
STAR 102.5 asked Girl Scout parents and troop leaders to submit their Girl Scout Cookie booth locations and times, and Ken and Tawinee randomly picked ten different booths to visit. They purchased $102 of Girl Scout Cookies, and the Girl Scout Cookie Buyout sponsor Anderson Erickson Dairy joined to donate each troop a YUM certificate.
All 170 boxes of cookies, in addition to ten cases of milk from AE Dairy, were donated to the Food Bank of Iowa.
LISTEN:
It was another great year at the Iowa State Fair! View photos and hear stories from The Des Moines Media Group’s time at the Fair as radio personalities broadcasted lives from KidFind Headquarters, presented by Goodwill of Central Iowa!
KIDFIND HEADQUARTERS
Luke & Jeriney broadcasting live from the Fair
Leigh McNabb broadcasting live from the Fair
Ken and Tawinee talk with Doug from Vinton as he prepares for the Farm Bureau Cookout Contest
Tony Jones at the Iowa State Fair
Ken & Tawinee chat with Katelyn, the manager for the Farm Bureau Cookout Contest
Farm Bureau Cookout Contest first timers, mother/son duo Connor and Carolyn from Gilbert chat with Ken & Tawinee
LISTEN: 93.3 KIOA’s Luke & Jeriney recap the Fair.
CONCERTS
Foreigner said goodbye to Des Moines with one final show at the Iowa State Fair. Earlier this year, 93.3 KIOA held a Youth Choir Competition for choir groups to submit their group singing a Foreigner song to then be voted on by listeners. The winners, Johnston Middle School Choir Boys, got to perform on stage with Foreigner.
See photos from different concerts at the Grandstand:
SKY GLIDERS FIRST TIMERS CLUB
STAR 102.5’s Ken & Tawinee hosted a contest for listeners to join the Sky Gliders First Timers Club in honor of the 50 year celebration of the sky glider. Josh and his daughters Zaria and Onyx from Bondurant, Amy and Emily from Ames, and Kati who just moved here from Tennesee with her family rode the sky glider for the first time! Hear what they had to say with Ken and Tawinee:
AIR GUITAR CONTEST
Before the Hairball show, 93.3 KIOA hosted an Air Guitar Contest! Cody Baxtor from Des Moines won the contest and walked away with a shiny blue ribbon and major rock’n’roll bragging rights.
MR. LEGS CONTEST
At the Mr. Legs Contest, 93.3 KIOA’s Luke Matthews hosted, STAR 102.5’s Tawinee and LAZER 103.3’s Suzi judged, and LAZER 103.3’3 Wickett participated.
You nominated your favorite businesses, voted on the finalists, and now the winners are here! See all the winners in Des Moines’ People‘s Choice, presented by Pure Salon.
On Wednesday, May 22, Ken, Kurt, & Tawinee from STAR 102.5 hosted a game night at B&B Theatres in Ankeny. Listeners had the chance to hang out with the STAR on-air talent while competing in various games to win gift cards to local businesses and other prizes.
LAZER’s 10th annual Walking Fed Food Drive to benefit the Food Bank of Iowa was one for the record books. Together with our dedicated “LAZER Hellraisers,” we were able to raise nearly $29,000, which helped create nearly 5,800 backpack sacks for kids who are food insecure across Central Iowa.
Team LAZER created several different opportunities for listeners to donate throughout the 3-week campaign. There were online donations, the popular “Challenge Week” with LAZER staff members (some of whom were ‘waxed’ for the cause this year), and several silent auction items, including an autographed guitar signed by Des Moines’ own Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour.
We were also fortunate to have several in-person contributions during our inaugural, day-long “Rock-In” event at the Food Bank of Iowa on the final week of the campaign, in which we broadcasted live from 6 am – 6 pm, and also each pulled volunteer shifts, helping to fill the backpacks we raised money to create.
The Food Bank of Iowa currently has 4,101 students enrolled in the Backpack Program, who rely on them every week for nutrition.
Special thanks to Confluence Brewing Company for their $5,000 match donation – and to our “Rock-In” sponsors, Monsterama and Jay’s CD and Hobby, for their generous contributions as well. Also, to our incredible listeners… we can’t thank you enough for your amazing generosity again this year.
Having set a new fundraising record in 2024, we look forward to finding ways to raise the bar even further in 2025 in our quest to eliminate food insecurity in Iowa.
Food Bank of Iowa needs help year-round. Monetary donations can be made at their website, and you can also volunteer your time there as well.
LISTEN:
On Thursday, Feb. 29, STAR 102.5 gathered eight couples from Central Iowa to get married on Leap Day. Weeks leading up to Leap Day, STAR listeners entered for their chance to get married at the Tea Room. Meet the couples that Ken, Kurt, and Tawinee selected to get married:
MEET THE COUPLES:
VIDEOS:
LISTEN: Interviews with the flower girl and with the couples as they walk down the aisle
Thank you so much for sharing your special day with us and being willing to get up this early to get married. Thank you to The Tea Room: it was the perfect setting. It’s truly one-of-a-kind in Des Moines, and it’s breathtaking as soon as you walk in. Thank you to Lori and her awesome staff for making us feel right at home and being such an integral part of the wedding!
Thank you to Destination Grille: to Jonnann and her fantastic team. The prime rib, ham balls, cheesy potatoes, and everything else was delicious! Your crew couldn’t have been warmer and more helpful, and we greatly appreciate it! We overheard so many compliments on the food from our guests.
To Tom and everyone at Boesen the Florist: Thank you, thank you, thank you! The brides’ bouquets and toss bouquets were jaw-dropping; they looked beautiful in person and in photos.
Sue and her Complete Weddings & Events crew crushed it. Their team of 5-6 were everywhere, capturing everything! Their attention to detail and getting the shots they needed was impeccable.
Thank you to our good friend Andrew Fuller for making a perfect Leap Day frog cake. It was delicious, and it was a centerpiece of conversation.
Thank you to the Bridal Connection for making our brides feel extra special at the wedding. We appreciate everything, and we know our brides did too!
How cute was our flower girl, Eden? She did awesome… and yes, we made her walk down the aisle all 8 times! GREAT JOB EDEN!
Listen to the stories of people who deserve a Christmas Wish to help make this holiday season a little brighter.
Presented by NCMIC – We Take Care of Our Own.
Listen to the wishes:
- Wish 1 | From Boone, Cheryl’s friend and hard-working co-worker, Beth, is dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis but is still trying to continue to help others, as she’s always done. Cheryl wants to ensure a Christmas can still be magical for her friend Beth.
- Wish 2 | Her daughter has had to deal with far too many health problems for a child to endure, and now her mom wants to make sure she has something special that she can call her own.
- Wish 3 | A daughter wants to thank her mom for a lifetime of love and support, especially during this difficult time.
- Wish 4 | Hear a Christmas Wish for a woman who has brought so much joy to others through her sewing machine.
- Wish 5 | Hear a Christmas Wish for a woman who helps so many foster kids and wants to ensure that all the trips the kids make are as enjoyable as possible.
- Wish 6 | Hear a Christmas Wish for a mom who’s making sure every moment counts and every memory is special.
- Wish 7 | A 7-year-old boy has faced far too many hardships, but with this Christmas Wish, maybe some of his dreams can come true.
- Wish 8 | Hear a Christmas Wish for the hard-working staff at Orchard Place.
