Home

Newscasts return to KSGM Radio

Donze Communications welcomes news director Matt Meacham. Following the retirement of longtime newsman Don Pritchard, Meacham will begin producing newscasts for KSGM AM 980 on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 6:00 am. 9:00 am and Noon.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill,” said Meacham. “More than just a voice on the radio, Don became a trusted neighbor in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois. Don had a remarkable career, and I wish him the absolute best in a well-deserved retirement.”

Meacham is no stranger to the area, having grown up in Chester, Illinois.

“I’m looking forward to connecting once again with the people and communities that make this area so special,” said Meacham. “I feel privileged to have been granted this opportunity, and I’m excited to start building working relationships with local leaders, organizations and residents throughout the region.”

“Matt will be a great addition to our staff,” said Jack Donze, owner of Donze Communications, which includes KSGM 980 AM & 105.3 FM, Classic Rock 93.1 and Sun Times News Online. “He brings a wealth of experience and a real passion for local news. We’re excited to welcome him and look forward to having his voice and reporting become an important part of KSGM. We’re also happy that listeners are glad we made the format change from sports  back to classic country.”

Meacham brings a diverse background in journalism, publishing, public humanities and education to Donze Communications. He currently serves as an acquisitions editor with Southern Illinois University Press and is a columnist for the County Journal in southern Illinois, where he previously worked as a reporter from 1998 to 2001.

His professional experience also includes serving as a statewide program manager for Illinois Humanities from 2013 to 2025 and working with cultural and educational organizations throughout the Midwest and South.

Meacham is the son of accomplished journalist John Meacham, who served as managing editor of the Sun Times, a Donze Communications publication, during the 1990s. As a young man, Matt often accompanied his father to the Sun Times office and to events throughout Ste. Genevieve, Perry and Randolph counties.

He is a graduate of Centre College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.