BROOKINGS – Tim Webster, known to his radio audience here in Brookings as “Mr. Quinn,” is a native of Riverdale, North Dakota, a town built by the federal government. He grew up on the site of the nearby Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery and graduated from Riverdale High School in 1983. 

Now after three decades here, more than half his life, he remains a dedicated bring-your-dreams Brookings resident. 

His post-high school education began with a short stint at Brainerd (Minnesota) College, a two-year community and technical college in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. Next came 2 1/2 years at the University of North Dakota. He then attended the Meyer School of Broadcasting in Minot, North Dakota, a broadcast school, where he later taught.

“I don’t think it still exists,” Webster said. (Online search yields no evidence that the school is still in operation.)

His next stop and the beginning of his life’s vocation came in 1986 at KIZZ-FM 93.7 in Minot; in 1989 he spent a year at KYYZ-FM in Williston, North Dakota. Finally came his last stop: Brookings Radio. He began with a spot on Rock 94 on May 28, 1990.

“I came here completely on a whim.” He described his job in Williston as “not the best situation; let’s put it that way.” His next step was to send out resumés and audition tapes.

“The first person that offers me a job – I don’t care where it is or what it pays – that’s where I’m going.” 

Brookings Radio responded and he took the offer; however, he admitted that he had no plan to stay here permanently.

“I figured I’d be here a couple years, springboard to something else. But that’s not how it worked out.”

Shortly after his arrival, ground-up construction began on the 100,000 watt B93.7 (KBRK-FM). The station signed on the air for the first time on Feb. 17, 1991. From its start he had his own show.

“Essentially, I did the morning show on B93.7, for almost exactly 20 years,” he said. “When I first came here though, it was KGKG Rock 94, just a little 1,000 watt peashooter. Then we pumped it up to 100,000 (watts), moved it out to Arlington and changed the frequency to 93.7.”

Since about 2005, Webster has broadcast on 107.1 The Hawk Classic Rock.

Becoming ‘Mr. Quinn’

In a circuitous fashion, Webster can trace his radio name to Bob Dylan, noted American songwriter, singer, musician and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. About 1967, Dylan penned and recorded “The Mighty Quinn,” a song that also mentioned “Quinn the Eskimo.” Over the years several other artists also recorded the song.

As to the monicker “Mr. Quinn,” Webster has claimed it “pretty much from the beginning. Before that it was the ‘Mighty Quinn,’ which came from the Manfred Mann and the Earth Band song.”

“We were at broadcast school, a horrible blizzard, the evening lab instructor couldn’t make it in,” Webster explained. “But most of us were already there. So we ran down to the liquor store and got a case of beer and started playing records.

“One of the them was Manfred Mann. And I remember one of the guys said, ‘You should be the Mighty Quinn.’” The name stuck with Webster until he got to Brookings.

“Dave Harris, our news director at the time, said, ‘You should be Mr. Quinn.’ We were talking about Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Webster explained. “The solution was to make it Mr. Quinn’s Neighborhood, so we did. It was Mr. Quinn’s Neighborhood for a very long time (about 24 years).

“It was a strange transition to make, going from what was an adult contemporary station to a classic rock station; it was a whole different cat, a character change, I guess.”

Still ‘someplace special’

Webster now shares the Hawk with J.D. Berreth and Dusty Stalder – a three-man rock-and-roll morning show, from 6 to 11 a.m., Monday through Friday. The trio plays “classic rock, probably from the late ’60s through the mid ’90s.” 

Webster conceded that it could sometimes be a struggle to come up with enough banter to carry through a five-hour on-air show. “It really depends on the day and what’s happening.” But he comes to work prepared.

“My day starts at 4 a.m.,” he said. “I get up, stumble around with some coffee, and get online and review some things. I take a lot of notes throughout the day.

“I always make sure I have a Post-It pad with me, because some of your best ideas come while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or standing in the shower and something strikes you.”

Webster sees a wide range of demographics in his audience: “25 to 65, maybe more blue collarish-type workers, probably more male than female. It’s deceiving, it really is, especially when you run contests and whatnot. You get a surprising number of women that call.

“You kind of get a basic idea of what you hope the audience is; but when you find out what it actually turns out to be, it can sometimes be surprising.”

At the time Webster came here, Brookings prided itself on being “someplace special.”

“It kind of is,” he said. “It kind of is. A lot has changed in the last 30 years. But the soul of the city has remained completely intact. I think that’s one of the things that keeps people here.”

Webster said he tries to keep his finger on “the pulse of the city” and hopes that he brings that to his radio show.

Webster has a grown daughter, Johnna, and a year-old grandson, Booker James. Webster and his wife Emily have a teenage son, Liam, and a dog named Dan.

A lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, Webster is a supporter of Sioux River ABATE; additionally, he supports veterans issues via Rolling Thunder, South Dakota Chapter 2.

Contact John Kubal at jkubal@brookingsregister.com.