Tucked away behind a big parking lot in northwest Wichita is a slice of Kansas history – KAKE history.

That’s where you can find a metal shed. It doesn’t look like much, but this “Tin Hut” is where the TV station got its start nearly 70 years ago. The station officially went on air on Oct. 19, 1954.

“The first thing they built on the property was this large Quonset hut towards the rear of the property, and that's actually where KAKE television went on the air,” said retired anchor Larry Hatteberg. “First, they had the news department out there, and they had the studio out there – if you can imagine in this old tin Quonset hut.”

 

INSIDE THE ‘TIN HUT’

The news department, which Hatteberg said was made of only a few people, took a small part of the space of the “Tin Hut,” a nickname staff gave it years ago. Hatteberg wasn’t there when KAKE made its debut, but he did see some the station’s earliest days. He was hired in 1963.

“When I started here, all along these walls were clips. They had the old AP teletype here,” he said pointing at a corner in the shed. “All of the stories were coming over the teletype because this was the news department -- where this old lawn mower is.”

Behind the mower and dusty shelves are large metal filing cabinets. Inside, photos, press releases and other documents are crammed inside folders.

“These files were an integral part of the early newsroom, so very valuable,” Hatteberg explained, looking at photos of Wichita’s rich aviation history to pictures of the late British Prince Phillip, on a visit to McConnel Air Force Base.

Below those folders and squeaky drawers are pictures of KAKE personalities, including radio reporters, longtime broadcaster Henry Harvey, general manager Martin Umansky and Hatteberg.

"There’s a Larry Hatteberg file,” exclaimed anchor Annette Lawless, as they rummaged through the file cabinets. “Here we go! What is in your file?”

“I’m scared to know,” Hatteberg replied.

“Oh my gosh,” Lawless said. “Look at this.”

 

A FRESH, YOUNG TALENT

A folder highlighted moments in Hatteberg’s highly celebrated career as a broadcaster. A large 8x10 photograph shows Hatteberg in a KAKE News vehicle.

“The big picture is me in the KAKE TV newsmobile,” he said looking at the image. “Back then, if you were a photographer at KAKE, you also did radio reports for the radio station.”

Early on, and throughout his tenure at the station, he worked as a photographer. To this day, he’s highly respected in the industry for his storytelling. He’s been recognized with more than 100 journalism honors, including NPPA’s Photojournalist of the Year and being inducted into the Heartland Emmy Silver Circle, among a few.

His “Hatteberg’s People” series is the longest running television feature in Kansas and his book Larry Hatteberg’s Kansas People spent weeks on the state’s best-selling list. He retired from KAKE in 2014. Though, today, he still hosts Hatteberg’s People on PBS Kansas.

Mentors helped propel him to that success, he said.

“I was just a no-nothing kid, and that's what they call me. They call me ‘the kid’ when I started here, because I was…I was actually 18 years old, one month away from 19,” he said. “So, I had no experience. I had no-nothing, and the gift that they gave me was a career.”

“You passed on that gift to so many of us to so grateful for that,” Lawless said.

“Oh, I hope so you have to pass it on,” Hatteberg replied. “You know and if you don't pass it on, what good are you?”

In its earliest days, the KAKE News studio would have a corner dedicated to the news set; the remainder of the studio was used for TV commercials, which many aired live on television. The product has changed. News staff and broadcasts continue to grow, and the needs have evolved.

 

A STEP INTO THE FUTURE OF KAKE

In February 2024, KAKE News debuted a new state-of-the-art television studio. As he steps into the larger, brighter setup, he is encouraged.

“Wow,” he exclaimed. “It’s changed a lot. I love this set.”

“I've just been overwhelmed by it as I walked in here, and it takes up the entire Studio A,” Hatteberg continued, speaking of the main news studio. “And, this is a studio that, over the course of time, has seen a lot of sets since 1954…to have all new equipment in here. All new cameras is just mind boggling for me, because I've gone through many, many sets. This is the biggest one KAKE has ever had because they turned the entire studio into news, and it's wonderful.”

It's been more than 10 years since the station has had major updates to its set, and some say this change is long overdue. Construction started in early December 2022 with the official launch on Feb. 14, 2024. In the studio, there’s a large interview set, multiple video walls and enhanced digital capabilities, which will help the TV station deliver quality news to the public, Hatteberg said.

“This almost looks like a network, as you’re walking into Good Morning America or World News Tonight,” he said. “It has that vibe. I love it.”

With so much change in the industry today, the new studio makes Hatteberg feel confident about what’s next for the place where he dedicated his career.

“What it is, is a foundation for the future for KAKE TV news, and that’s what makes me excited about it. Because KAKE TV keeps innovating,” he said. “KAKE keeps doing things above and beyond what's expected. They could have built a much smaller studio many, many television stations do, but this one is just gorgeous and it's going to serve the community very well.”

“This place is special to me,” he continued. “You know, you can't…You can't invest a half a century in a job in a place without being very close to it for the rest of your life. So those memories don't go away. They accumulate, and it's wonderful because I think about the old days in the old times…And you don't forget the people who touch your life ever.”

If you have a KAKE News memory to share with us -- a story, photo or video -- contact Annette Lawless at [email protected] or on Facebook by clicking here.