Missouri PBS station steps into the ring with pro wrestling
Show-Me State Wrestling
Tobias Storm, left, takes on "The Realist" Calvin Aldridge in a Show-Me State Wrestling match.
Viewers of Missouri’s KMOS-TV are seeing public TV mainstays like Sherlock Holmes and Miss Scarlet appear alongside some unexpected fresh faces: El Diablo, Iron Pitbull and Sexy Wrexy.
The station in Warrensburg began airing eight episodes of matches from the regional organization Show-Me State Wrestling starting Saturday. The shows will air weekly at 9 p.m. on KMOS Emerge, a digital channel that features documentaries, mysteries and lifestyle shows.
High-school wrestling competitions have aired on stations such as Iowa PBS, Smoky Hills PBS, Nebraska Public Media and South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Show-Me State Wrestling, however, spotlights scripted, theatrical storytelling in the style of World Wrestling Entertainment.
The organization first approached KMOS two years ago about starting a show, said Josh Tomlinson, the station’s GM and director of broadcasting services. KMOS has aired some college sports, but Tomlinson said he was initially unsure how wrestling would fit into the station’s schedule.
Show-Me State pitched the idea again this year and offered to handle most of the production. Tomlinson said he saw that airing wrestling matches after a mystery show could offer a chance to connect with viewers.
“Any time we can have an opportunity presented to us that gives the people in our viewing area the chance to see themselves in the community and on TV, we try and take it,” Tomlinson said.
And though he was hesitant at first, he said, he realized that the sport’s theatrical nature paired well with other KMOS shows.
“PBS is very much into theater, and it’s into storytelling, and that’s what this kind of wrestling is,” Tomlinson said.
The co-owners of Show-Me State Wrestling, Gordon Atkins and Jeremy Harrison, said they were drawn toward KMOS in part because of its connection to PBS’ strong brand.
“PBS is a legacy channel. I mean, you say those three call letters, and everybody knows what you’re talking about,” Harrison said. “So that’s helpful on our end, and hopefully Show-Me State Wrestling and PBS go together like peanut butter and jelly.”
Atkins and Harrison said they also like that KMOS features family-friendly programming. Their organization’s wrestlers are vetted, and many of them have a personal connection to KMOS because, like Atkins and Harrison, they grew up watching it.
The Show-Me State co-founders said they hope that other channels will learn from KMOS and feature more local organizations. Atkins said he loved KMOS for “letting the community showcase what they have” and advised that other stations follow suit and “get back to the community.”
Atkins and Harrison both said they hope their partnership with KMOS continues beyond the initial eight-episode run. Tomlinson said it’s a possibility and noted that Show-Me State wrestlers have also recorded fundraising pitches.
Tomlinson also encouraged other stations to consider using local talents who at first glance may not seem to fit into public TV’s standard fare.
“It’s important for all stations to remember that local storytelling can come in a lot of forms,” he said.
