Whole ‘nother Story

Whole 'nother Story began without warning, like stepping on a wad of gum on a crowded sidewalk.

KMOX reporter Kevin Killeen was called into the boss's office, thinking he was in trouble. Instead, he was told they wanted him to start doing live man-on-the-street interviews at five in the morning, as part of Total Information A.M.

Never an early riser, Killeen responded, "I don't get up that early to go to the bathroom."

A compromise was reached and Whole 'nother Story was born. He would do a two-minute pre-recorded feature, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, airing around 6:35 a.m.

The title was chosen by Killeen, thinking it would be catchy and as hard to forget as the name, Englebert Humperdinck.

But many listeners struggle to recall the name. (Some call it "the other story," "a whole story," or "a whole lot of nothing.")

Since its inception in January of 2003, Whole 'nother Story has become a morning ritual for many listeners. Some report it's the last thing they listen to in bed before they have to get up for work. Others report after hearing it, they don't want to get up.

The first episode was on how to arrange your sock drawer for the new year.

Other episodes have featured people of achievement (The boy who took the blue ribbon by cheating on his grade school science project).

Many episodes have focussed on family values and family memories. (How his young daughter had her first sucessful trip to the bathroom, while Killeen watched the Ken Burns episode on the Battle of Chancellorsville in the other room.)

Whole 'nother Story has also looked into such questions as, "Where did the summer go?" and "How to go cheap on your daughter's wedding."

Nothing of consequence has ever been discussed on Whole 'nother Story. But somehow, people like hearing about "Memories of a dead Volkswagen," or the tale of a disturbing dream triggered by the sound of Killeen's wife snoring.

Killeen feels honored to be able to pick and choose his own subject matter. His general guidelines are, it can't be boring or commercial. It can be funny or sad or strange. But it has to have that extra something that hits him.

That's what puts "the Whole" in Whole 'nother Story.