Broadcasting the Ozarks: Si Siman and Country Music at the Crossroads

＂Broadcasting the Ozarks explores the vibrant country music scene that emerged in Springfield, Missouri, in the 1930s and thrived for half a century. Central to this history is the ’Ozark Jubilee’ (1955-60), the first regularly broadcast live country music show on network television. Dubbed the ’King of the Televised Barn Dances,’ the show introduced the Ozarks region to viewers across America and put Springfield in the running with Nashville for dominance of the country music industry--with the Jubilee’s producer, Si Siman, at the helm.＂

Kitty Ledbetter is professor emerita of English at Texas State University. She formerly served as editor of the Journal of Texas Music History. Before entering academia, she was a country music disc jockey at radio stations in Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, and North Carolina.

Scott Foster Siman, son of Si Siman, is a country music entertainment executive. He is former chairman and president of the Academy of Country Music and board member of the Country Music Foundation. He currently serves as president of EM.Co, which oversees the management and marketing of country music artist, actor, and author Tim McGraw, among others.