Dave Nutter (“Real” Don Steele)

Dave Nutter began his broadcast career at the early age of 13 at KVOC.  Much like Alan Bowker, in 1965-66, he started by setting up remote broadcast equipment at churches and other live broadcast remotes for KVOC.  He later became an announcer in 1967, working weekends and doing a live 3 1/2 broadcast from the local K-mart store every Sunday afternoon. 

One of those Sunday afternoons, he met Steve Broomell, Program Director of KATI, who offered him an announcer position at KATI and giving him the air name of the “Real” Don Steele.  He spent three years, (1968-71) as an announcer at KATI working the overnights and the evening shift called the “CY Strip Show.”  Taking the show with him from KVOC, Dave continued to do the K-mart show for KATI every Sunday afternoon during the entire time working for the station. He was 16-years old and took the largest account with him when he left KVOC in 1968.

After spending nearly three years at KATI, he returned to KVOC for a short time before joining Dorn, Garriety & Payne as a production man.  It was a small advertising agency started by former KATI announcer, Larry Payne & KATI salesman John Garriety.   In 1972, Dave was asked to join the staff at KRAL in Rawlins, Wyoming as Program Director and work for Larry Payne who had taken the job as General Manager of the station.  Nutter stayed in Rawlins for two years working for the radio station and also TelePrompter Cable TV as the Local Origination Program Manager.

In 1974, he left Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and KOLT-AM before getting out of radio for a couple of years.  He worked installing kitchen equipment for McDonald’s restaurants around the country for about three years.  He returned to broadcasting in 1977-78 working for a short stent at KGAR-AM, a station in Vancouver/Portland, Oregon market.

In 1980, after moving back to Casper, Wyoming, he went to work for KTWO Radio & Television.  Over a 25+ year career at K2 & it’s subsidiary the Wyoming Radio Network, he worked as an announcer, Program and Music Director, and produced University of Wyoming network broadcasts for nine years.  In 1987, he even put an FM station, KMGW, back on the air on the old KAWY frequency (94.5 Mhz)  after it had gone “Dark” following bankruptcy of the KATI/KAWY cluster of stations.  In 1994, after working for over 25-years at KTWO Radio & TV he left the stations to pursue other opportunities.

In November, 1994, Nutter founded & operated the Wyoming News Network for 5-years,  WNN provided Wyoming  news, special events programming, sports & weather to nearly 40 radio stations across Wyoming and Western South Dakota.  Due to poor economic conditions in the state, WNN ceased operations in late 2000.

In 2001, he was asked to return to KTWO radio to be their Director of Engineering.  K2 had been purchased by Clear Channel Communications and had expanded from one radio station in 1999 to six stations in 2001. Dave was responsible for all the equipment at two AM stations, four FM stations, three transmitter sites and two studio locations.

During his last nine years at KTWO, Nutter continued to keep a hand in on-air broadcasts and announcing.  He would occasionally fill-in with a shift on the K2 morning show, do a newscast now and then or even do a live remote broadcast once in a while.  In addition to his engineering duties, he also organized an annual four-day broadcast of oldies in association with a local car club show.  It was called “Cruizin with the Oldies” playing the hits from the 50’s to the 70’s. 

The last three years of the show was based on old “KATI KLASSIC WEEKEND” shows.  The broadcasts included former KATI announcers like Bill Sims, Alan Bowker, Jock Blaney, Doc Shutts, Bob Young and of course the “Real” Don Steele.  The shows featured old KATI jingles, commercials, newscasts and special “Free For All” broadcasts.  In conjunction with these special shows, Nutter even organized a KATI reunion of former announcers and employees for years past. The reunion allowed former KATI Dj’s to be on the air in some cases for the first time on over 40-years.  It was a great time, great shows and an amazing reunion of former KATI staffers.  (You can hear some of those shows here on the KATI website under the heading “Sounds of KATI.”) 

In 2010, Nutter retired after 31-years with KTWO and Clear Channel Communications ending a 47-year career in communications. Currently,

Dave is the founder and administrator of this KATICasper.com website.