In 1950 Look Magazine predicted that radio would be dead in 10 years, but Todd Storz was just beginning to tinker with a radio format that would quickly propel him to the crest of the wave of AM radio.
  He did it with a formula that relied on repetition, consistency, vitality and a sense that “something is happening all the time.” Storz wanted to “give the public what they want,” and what became known as “Top 40 radio” did exactly that. Storz once said, “If the public suddenly showed a preference for Chinese music, we’d play it.”
  The Storz sound also relied heavily on promotions and giveaways. Disc jockeys with personality, brief, locally oriented news segments and sound effects gave Storz stations a fresh, vibrant feel.
  Storz, and his father, Robert, started with a small station in Omaha. Within two years of its purchase in 1949, station KOWH rose from sixth place to first. In fact, it had the highest percentage of listeners of any independent station in the country.  The Storz duo purchased other stations in New Orleans, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Miami, and St. Louis. They followed similar patterns of market dominance.
  Though he pioneered Top 40, Storz didn’t make it to that age. He died suddenly in 1964 at age 39. But for more than a decade, the name his grandfather made famous on beer bottles reigned supreme in broadcasting.

                                                                                  — Gary Rosenberg
                                                                                             DCHS Staff

Sources:
Vertical Files, Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center