TUNING INTO COMMUNITY, TELEVISION AND THE LORD

A highlight of the year within the Cape Girardeau business community came the night of Feb. 4, when more than 700 people turned out for the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner and dance at the Show Me Center.

A feature of the event was presentation of the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. Award, which is named in honor of 102-year-old Rush Limbaugh Sr., a Cape Girardeau attorney for more than 75 years and first recipient of the award.

The Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. Award goes to a business person who has expended exceptional effort on behalf of the community for an extended period of time. The 1993 recipient, Joe F. Gambill, certainly exemplifies the qualities for which the award is presented.

Gambill, who retired Nov. 1 as manager of the Biokyowa Inc. plant, a position he held since it opened in 1984, carries an outstanding track record within the business and civic community.

A graduate of the Wisconsin Institute of Technology, Gambill is a mining engineer. He first came to Cape Girardeau in May 1971, when he began what became a 10-year stint as manager of the Marquette Cement Co. plant, now Lone Star. He then went to California, and in August 1983, returned to Cape Girardeau to manage the Biokyowa plant.

Joe has given much to the chamber. He was instrumental in revitalizing its annual industrial appreciation dinner, which saw attendance go from 100-200 to 750-900 people, attracting some high-profile speakers.

Joe often remarked that after living many places Cape Girardeau was the only locale where "I sank my roots." We are delighted that he did; the community has certainly been better off for it.

It too is fitting that KBSI-TV was named recipient of the chamber's Small Business of the Year Award that same night. The Cape Girardeau television station, which had some shaky times in its early years, now enjoys a stalwart position among regional stations.

KBSI started broadcasting in September 1983 as the area's first independent television station. It grew quickly financially and in audience share, but in 1987 its owner, Media Central Inc., which owned seven other TV stations, declared bankruptcy. During the next three years, the station floundered.

A turnaround came soon after December 1989, when Engles Communications Inc., bought KBSI from the federal bankruptcy court. Under the able eye of Steven Engles, its facilities were remodeled and equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. It also invested in new programming to attract family, children and sports audiences, and gained telecast rights to Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University and Murray State University basketball and football, to name just a few. It is affiliated with the growing Fox network.

In accepting the award, Engles told dinner attendees that all of the improvements have paid off in phenomenal growth. With inclusion on cable systems, the station now reaches an audience of more than 350,000 viewers in five states, he said.

Engles said that over the past four years the station has grown more than its three TV competitors combined. That's quite an accomplishment, and we extend to KBSI our congratulations.

While on the topic of community events, an important one is coming up Thursday when the Christian Business Men's Committee of Cape Girardeau, in cooperation with the mayors of Cape Girardeau and Jackson, hold the seventh annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast at the Show Me Center.

In addition to its spiritual qualities, the breakfast promises to be an entertaining and enlightening event with the appearance of syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, whose works regularly appear in the Southeast Missourian. Thomas, a 30-year veteran in broadcast and print journalism and the author of eight books, will discuss his life.

Since its beginning, the breakfast has grown in attendance from 400 people seven years ago to a record 1,350 people in 1992. It sold out last year, and already more than 1,100 tickets have been sold for Thursday's breakfast. Attendance conceivably could surpass 1992's attendance.

We highly recommend the event. It is a an opportunity for people of all communities to come together and begin their morning in uplifting and enjoyable fashion.