Larry Fuss, President & CEO of South Seas Broadcasting.
Picture this: It’s 1994, and Larry Fuss is staring out the window of his Mississippi radio station. The northern half of the state is paralyzed by an ice storm. Trees down. The power’s been out for over a week and the station has been operating in emergency mode. And he thinks to himself: “You know what? I should have a radio station on a tropical island where there is no ice.”
Most people would’ve just gone back to bed. Larry filed an FCC application.
That’s how American Samoa’s Best Music Mix 93KHJ was born.
Five Decades of Radio
Larry’s been in radio longer than most of us have been alive. He bought his first station at 20 years old in Newton, Mississippi, before he could legally rent a car. A kid from Atlanta who’d already worked on-air at legendary stations WSB-FM in Atlanta and WWSW-FM in Pittsburgh, Larry decided ownership beat working for somebody else.
In 1991, he did something that became his signature move: he bought two completely dead radio stations in Cleveland, Mississippi. Not “struggling.” Actually off the air. Dark. Silent. Most people would’ve walked away. Larry and his partners Kirk Harnack, Brad Young, Rob Sidney, and Jerry Johnson rebuilt the transmitter sites from scratch, built new studios, and launched WDTL-FM on March 16, 1992.
Within just a few months, it was the number one station in the market.
That became Delta Radio Network, which now operates stations all across the Mississippi Delta and Arkansas. But Larry wasn’t done.
The South Pacific Calling
Back to that ice storm. After Larry had his tropical radio station epiphany, he actually did something about it. He researched American Samoa, found an available FM frequency, and filed the paperwork on November 20, 1995. Then he waited. And waited. For three years.
The FCC finally granted the license on February 13, 1998. Larry partnered with Kirk Harnack from Mississippi and the late Smitty Lutu from American Samoa, and they tackled one of the craziest radio projects in Pacific broadcasting: building a transmitter facility on top of Mount Alava. “It seemed like a good idea at the time”, Larry said. “Having a transmitter atop a mountain meant we’d have good coverage. However, it was a tough place to get to.”
93KHJ started test broadcasts in November 1999. American Samoa radio changed forever. “We were on the leading edge of the available technology at the time”, Larry said. ‘We were running a radio station that was totally computerized. We hooked up with ABC Radio Network for their cutting-edge LocalMax service and brought mainland-style radio to American Samoa. It was an instant hit.”
“Larry had this vision that American Samoa deserved world-class broadcasting,” says Joey Cummings, who’s been Vice President and General Manager for over 22 years. “He didn’t just build a radio station. He built a bridge connecting the territory to the best music with a strong emphasis on news. It’s a fantastic recipe.”
Since then, South Seas Broadcasting has given the community even more choices on the radio dial. V103 (WVUV-FM) began in 2008 (Samoan and Polynesian music), 104.7 The Beat (KKBT-FM) in 2019, and the Oldies format on 93.7 (KKHJ-HD2) began in 2022. What started as a crazy idea during an ice storm became the voice of American Samoa.
Building a Network (Literally)
Larry’s got this habit of calling up friends in radio and saying, “Hey, want to buy a station together?” In 2017, he pulled together 35 broadcasters from across the country to buy a station in Kauai, Hawaii. Radio Ink magazine called it “one of the most impressive groups of broadcasters to ever join forces to buy a radio station.”
When they asked Larry why he didn’t just buy it himself, he said, “I’m so deep in Mississippi right now, I’m rather tapped out. I thought it would make a great project to involve a bunch of other broadcast friends.”
Translation: Larry likes having partners. He likes working with people. He’s not the lone wolf type.
That Kauai station became KHKU “Star 94.3“, which is now the #2 station in a crowded competitive field in Kauai. Then in 2024, Larry and partners’ Akamai Broadcasting of Hawaii picked up eight more stations on Maui and immediately started making them better.
Now Larry’s got stations in Mississippi, Arkansas, American Samoa, and Hawaii. Not bad for someone who just wanted to escape the ice.
Radio Advertising That Doesn’t Suck
Larry writes about radio advertising on the company blogs, and he doesn’t pull punches:
“Why is it that many advertisers want their commercials to sound like commercials? You know the kind. ‘Tell everyone I’ve been in business since 1972, mention my convenient locations and be sure to include my phone number.’ Big yawn! A commercial shouldn’t be like that.”
His approach, borrowed from Michael Corbett’s “The 33 Ruthless Rules of Local Advertising,” is simple: tell stories, not facts. Get attention, don’t recite your resume. Make people care.
This philosophy runs through everything South Seas Broadcasting does. The ads written for clients aren’t boring lists of features and phone numbers. They’re stories that stick.
The Industry Noticed
Larry’s not one to brag about awards, but here’s what’s happened over the years:
Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame. They inducted him for his contributions to broadcasting.
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board of Directors. He served two terms, representing American Samoa, Hawaii, Southern California, Guam, and the Northern Marianas.
Mississippi Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors. Still serves, helping shape radio in the state where it all started.
International Broadcasters Idea Bank. Prominent member of this legendary think tank of radio innovators.
These aren’t participation trophies. They’re recognition from people who know radio inside and out.
Who Larry Is
Larry splits his time between Las Vegas and his stations in Mississippi, American Samoa, and Hawaii. He’s hands-on. If you work for one of his stations, you’ve talked to Larry. If you advertise on one of his stations, you’ve probably talked to Larry. He’s not the CEO sitting in an ivory tower.
After five decades in radio, you’d think he’d be ready to coast. Not Larry. When you ask him what keeps him going, he’ll tell you: “Radio is about serving communities. Whether it’s the Mississippi Delta, American Samoa, or the Hawaiian Islands, great radio connects people, informs them, entertains them, and helps local businesses thrive.”
He means it. That ice storm vision in 1994 wasn’t about making money. It was about building something that mattered somewhere that needed it.
Today
As President and CEO of South Seas Broadcasting, Larry still guides the big decisions while letting the local team run the day-to-day. His partnership with Joey Cummings brings together Larry’s 50 years of broadcast experience with Joey’s deep roots in American Samoa.
“Larry taught me that you can run a radio station from anywhere,” Joey says, “but you can’t serve a community from anywhere. He’s always understood that distinction, and it’s why South Seas Broadcasting has succeeded where others haven’t.”
When you turn on 93KHJ, V103, The Beat, or Oldies 93.7 in American Samoa, you’re hearing the result of that 1994 ice storm dream. World-class radio with a tropical heartbeat. Professional operation with genuine local heart.
From Mississippi to American Samoa to Hawaii, Larry’s built something most broadcasters only dream about: stations that actually matter to the people who listen to them. Not corporate radio. Not absentee ownership. Real broadcasting that serves real communities. That’s the Fuss legacy. And after 50 years, he’s just getting started.
