KFYO History Part 2

KFYO History Part 2
1971-Present


1972- On September 1, the Avalanche Journal and Globe News transfer ownership to Plains Radio Broadcasting Company

1973- On August 1, ownership is transferred to KFYO, Inc.

1977- On September 7, KFYO celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a public reception at the Memorial Civic Center

1979- Edwin "Big Ed" Wilkes leaves KFYO. He joined KFYO in 1962 as Agricultural Director

1979- On September 1, Bob Clark becomes General Manager of KFYO

1981- Jim Stewart rejoins KFYO as Farm Director and begins an over 20 year run at the station

1985- On February 21, KRUX-FM (102.5 FM) becomes KFYO-FM

1986- On March 27, KFYO-FM becomes KZII-FM (currently sister station 102.5 KISS FM)

1986- KFYO & KZII move to a new broadcasting facility on South Slide Road. The new facility has offices and studios for both stations and a new 3 tower transmitting array for KFYO

1987- December 20. After a 41 year hiatus, KFYO resumes airing the Downtown (Lubbock) Bible Class' weekly Sunday service at 9:45am. KFYO originally aired the Downtown Bible Class from 1935-1946.

1992- August 8. Jack Dale, and his son Steve Dale, start Lubbock's first daily sports talk show; Jack Dale's Sportsline. In addition to Jack and Steve on the show, a different co-host was featured each day of the week. The show airs from 5:30pm-7pm (after a 30 minute block of news & weather at 5p), when not preempted by Texas Rangers Baseball, Dallas Cowboys Football or Texas Tech sports. KFYO, previously broadcast a show called 'Sportstalk' over the previous decade, but the show was not daily in nature and it featured rotating hosts and timeslots. Jack Dale's Sportsline moved to rival 1340AM KKAM in May 1994, expanding its timeslot to 5pm-7pm. Jack Dale's Sportsline then moved to 7am-9am in November 1996 when KKAM became Lubbock's first all-sports radio station, SportsRadio 1340 KKAM. As of January 10, 2011 Jack Dale's Sportsline still airs on SportsRadio 1340 The Fan.

1993- Danny Fletcher becomes General Manager of KFYO & KZII-FM

1994- June 6. Ryan Hyatt and Don Williams take over the afternoon sportstalk timeslot vacated by Jack Dale's Sportsline. The show, branded as the Williams & Hyatt Show, airs 5:30pm-7pm. When the show started, Hyatt was a sports anchor & reporter for KFYO & Z102 (KZII-FM) and Williams was a sports writer and columnist for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. They both continued their previous roles while hosting the show. In November 1996, after KFYO & Z102 (KZII-FM) merged with 94.5 KFMX-FM, 99.5 KRLB-FM & SportsRadio 1340 KKAM-AM, the Williams & Hyatt show moved to SportsRadio 1340. The show expanded its timeslot to 5pm-7pm, while Jack Dale's Sportsline moved to 7am-9am. As of January 10, 2011 both shows remain on SportsRadio 1340 The Fan

1994- September. All Sports Radio Network (ASRN) acquires the network rights for Texas Tech Sports and moves the flagship rights for Texas Tech Football and Men's Basketball from KFYO to KKAM. The 1994 season is the first season Red Raider Football and Men's Basketball games are not aired on KFYO since the broadcasts began. Red Raider Football games in 1994 also air on 94.5 KFMX-FM.

1996- October. Scott Parsons, becomes General Manager of KFYO & KZII-FM

1997- In March, KFYO & KZII were officially sold to GulfStar Communications, who also owned KFMX, KKAM & KRLB (now KQBR- 99.5 Blake FM) in Lubbock. GulfStar Communications also acquires KKCL-FM.

1997- After being acquired by GulfStar KFYO & KZII move their studios back to 82nd & Quaker, in the Copy Craft building (now called The Centre), where their new sister stations were already located. The KFYO Transmitter Site remains at South Slide Road, south of FM 1585.

1997- September. All Sports Radio Network (ASRN) realigns the radio stations for Texas Tech Sports in Lubbock.  KKAM remains the flagship for Red Raider Basketball, Baseball and Football. Red Raider Football also airs on KFMX and Red Raider Basketball also airs on KCRM-FM (the present day KQBR-FM). KFYO resumes broadcasts of Texas Tech Sports by airing Lady Raider Basketball games with KKCL. KFYO also airs Red Raider Basketball games that cannot be aired on KKAM because of conflicts with Red Raider Football and Baseball.  This arrangement remains in effect though the 2008-09 athletic season.

1998- In January, KFYO, transitions from analog to digital broadcasting equipment utilizing the latest in computer technology (replacing cart decks with computer based audio, Prophet's Wizard system)

1998- On December 21, former KFYO Ag Director Ed "Big Ed" Wilkes passes away. "Big Ed" was with KFYO from 1962–1979 and later bought Lubbock radio station KRFE-AM 580 in 1994. His family still owns KRFE.

1999- At some point during the year, The Rush Limbaugh Program is moved from sister station KKCL to KFYO, airing on tape-delay from 1pm-4pm after Jim Stewart's Noon Ag Report

2000- In October, KFYO & its sister stations (KFMX, KKAM, KKCL, KQBR & KZII) were acquired by Clear Channel Communications

2001- January 1. KFYO shuffles its daytime lineup moving Rush Limbaugh from a 1pm-4pm tape-delay to a live airing from 11am-2pm. The net-result is the following weekday lineup: 12am-5am Coast to Coast AM, 5am-6am Bloomberg on the Money, 6am-7am Jim Stewart's Ag Report, 7am-8am KFYO Morning News Hour, 8am-9am Duke & the Doctor, 9am-11am G. Gordon Liddy, 11am-2pm Rush Limbaugh, 2pm-5pm Dr. Laura Schlessinger, 5pm-7pm Michael Reagan, 7pm-9pm Bruce Williams and 9pm-12am Ken Hamblin.

2001- August 1. Robert Snyder is promoted to the position of News & Program Director for KFYO

2001- On October 15, well known Lubbock broadcaster Jane Prince-Jones joins KFYO and begins hosting a daily morning show from 7am-8am and anchoring news updates throughout the day

2002- KFYO celebrates its 75th Anniversary of Broadcasting. Including a special week of shows during the end of April on the Jane Prince-Jones Show with interviews from Jack Dale, Max Mott (longtime KFYO Newsman), & Jim Stewart

2003- February 21. Longtime KFYO Ag Director, Jim Stewart, hosts his last show as he retires from radio. Jim had been with KFYO continually since 1981 and for a few years in the 1970s. Editor's Note: Jim returns to Lubbock radio, as AM 580 KRFE's Ag Director, in June 2005.

2003- February 24. Jane Prince-Jones expands her talkshow to two hours, 6am-8am, after the departure of Jim Stewart

2003- March. Jack Dale, after 50 years (started fall of 1952), retires from broadcasting radio play-by-play of Texas Tech Sports. He broadcast Texas Tech Football through the 1999 season and Red Raider Basketball through the 2002-03 season, his final broadcast came in New York City at the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 3rd place game, which the Red Raiders won. Jack continued hosting Jack Dale's Sportsline on SportsRadio 1340, weekday mornings from 7a-9a. After retiring from play-by-play broadcasting Jack has been inducted in the Texas Tech Mass Comm Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and been bestowed with an honorary doctorate from Texas Tech University

2003- June 1. KFYO after exactly 49 years switches its network affiliation from CBS to ABC News. KFYO also adds Paul Harvey and Sean Hannity to the weekday lineup.

2003- October 14. Former U.S. Congressman Larry Combest joins the Jane Prince-Jones Show as a weekly contributor, and a special political contributor for KFYO. Mr. Combest served in Congress as the Lubbock area's representative for over 18 years, and he was a very vocal voice for Agriculture. Combest's radio debut was covered on local TV stations ABC 28, CBS 13, & KCBD.

2004- April 21 & 22. Nationally syndicated talkshow host Michael Reagan (son of former President Ronald Reagan) comes to Lubbock and does 2 special shows on KFYO. Reagan's national show on April 21 was broadcast nationwide from Lubbock's historic Cactus Theater. Then on April 22 Michael joined Jane Prince-Jones and Larry Combest for a special edition of the Jane Prince-Jones Show.

2004- April 23. KFYO's Jane Prince-Jones goes down to the Texas Capitol in Austin and broadcasts a special edition of her morning show during the Legislature's Special Session on School Finance. State Representative Carl Isett, Speaker of the House Tom Craddick, and Governor Rick Perry all make special LIVE appearances on her show.

2004- September 24. KFYO nationally syndicated talk show host, G. Gordon Liddy, comes to Lubbock to do his radio show LIVE from the Cactus Theater. KFYO aired all 4 hours of Gordon's show that day. Texas Tech Basketball Coach, Bob Knight, made a special appearance at the Cactus Theater, being on the show for 40 minutes.

2005- April. KFYO is awarded two Honorable Mention Awards from the Texas Associated Press. The first award is Honorable Mention for 2004 Best Sports Play-by-Play (Division B), Texas Tech Lady Raider Basketball with Ryan Hyatt, Crystal Boles, and Kyle Schulein- Producer. The second award is Honorable Mention for 2004 Best Station Website (Division B).

2005- May. KFYO's Jane Prince-Jones, for the second consecutive year, goes to Austin to broadcast a special edition of her morning show with State Representative Carl Isett for his capitol office. Speaker of the House Tom Craddick also makes a special LIVE appearance on Jane's show.

2005- July 10. Lubbock's First Church of the Nazarene joins the KFYO Sunday Morning lineup. First Church of the Nazarene airs a special weekly sermon, Sundays at 8am.

2005- August. KFYO sells its old Collins 1,000 watt backup transmitter (a tube transmitter) to KMUL- Muleshoe. KMUL utilizes the transmitter to change its frequency from 1380 AM to 830 AM.

2005- November 21. Jane Prince-Jones changes stations, moving off of KFYO, to sister station 99.5 The Bear (KQBR-FM) to host The Bear's morning show. Jane rejoins former partner Rick Gilbert (whom she worked with at KLLL) for the morning show.

2005- November 27. KFYO debuts its new morning show, Lubbock's First News with Ron Grant.

2006- January 3. KFYO Program Director, Robert Snyder, takes over hosting Lubbock's First News.  In February, Rex Andrew joins KFYO as Morning News Anchor & Reporter.

2006- April. KFYO is awarded two Honorable Mention Awards from the Texas Associated Press. The first award is Honorable Mention for 2005 Best Sports Play-by-Play (Division B), Texas Tech Lady Raider Basketball with Ryan Hyatt, Crystal Boles, and Kyle Schulein- Producer. The second award is Honorable Mention for 2005 Best Station Website (Division B). It's the second consecutive year, KFYO has been recognized for our news and sports.

2006- April 12. KFYO adds a local afternoon talkshow with former Lubbock County Republican Party Chairman Robert Pratt. Pratt on Texas replaces the Michael Reagan Show in the 5p-7p timeslot.

2006- May 30. Rex Andrew takes over hosting duties for KFYO's morning show, Lubbock's First News

2007- January 2. KFYO expands the timeslot for Lubbock's First News from 6a-8a to 6a-9a.

2007- April. KFYO is awarded an Honorable Mention Award from the Texas Associated Press. The award is for Honorable Mention for 2006 Best Station Website (Division B). It's the third consecutive year KFYO has been recognized.

2007- June 1. KFYO & its sister stations (KFMX, KKAM, KKCL, KQBR & KZII) are officially acquired by GAP Broadcasting

2007- September 17. KFYO adds Neal Boortz to the lineup, replacing G. Gordon Liddy

2007- September. KFYO celebrates its 80th Anniversary.

2007- December. KFYO beings streaming its on-air programming over the Internet. KFYO's webstream can heard through the station website at www.kfyo.com

2008- January 2. Chad Hasty officially joins the revamped KFYO morning show, Lubbock's First News with Chad Hasty. Rex Andrew stays on Lubbock's First News as a co-host and continues reporting for KFYO News. Lubbock's First News airs from 6am-9am, weekdays. Chad Hasty continues hosting, The Chad Hasty Show, Saturday evenings 5-7pm.

2008- August. KFYO staff finds out of the origins of KFYO starting in Texarkana, Texas in 1926, rather than in 1927 Breckenridge, Texas. Future anniversaries and commemorations will be corrected to reflect the 1926 birth of KFYO.

2008- October 31. Dale Harris becomes the new General Manager of GAP Broadcasting- Lubbock, which includes KFYO. He is the sixth General Manager in KFYO's history and replaces Scott Parsons.

2008- November 4. KFYO continued its decades old tradition of Election Coverage with special coverage of Election 2008. Local, state and national elections were covered, including the election of President Barack Obama

2009- January 20. KFYO's Robert Snyder broadcasts live from Centennial Plaza in Midland, Texas at the 'Welcome Home' celebration for George W. and Laura Bush. KFYO News airs George W. Bush's speech at the event live during Pratt on Texas. The speech was Bush's first as a private citizen as Barack Obama was sworn in as President earlier in the day

2009- March 25. Texas Governor Rick Perry comes to the KFYO studios for a live in-studio interview on Pratt on Texas. The interview lasts 30 minutes and is conducted by KFYO's Robert Snyder and Chris Winn.

2009- May 5. Robert Pratt continues a KFYO tradition by broadcasting his talkshow, Pratt on Texas, live from the state capitol during the Texas Legislative Session. Pratt interviews many legislators including State Rep. Carl Isett (Lubbock)

2009- May 9. KFYO News broadcasts coverage of May Election Date, which includes the historic vote of Lubbock County approving packaged beer, wine and liquor sales; and sale-by-the-drink throughout the whole county.

2010- February 8. Legendary Lubbock broadcaster Paul R. Beane joins KFYO. Beane will host a daily commentary at 8:30am during Lubbock's First News with Chad Hasty. During his career Beane has been on the air and/or had ownership interests in KSEL-AM, KSEL/KAMC-TV, KRBL-FM and KJDL-FM

2010- August 13. GAP Broadcasting is folded into Townsquare Media, the new operating company for KFYO and its sister stations (KFMX, KKAM, KKCL, KQBR & KZII)

2010- December 26. The Lubbock Bible Class airs their final service during KFYO Sunday Morning. The Lubbock Bible Class held the Sunday morning 8:30am timeslot on KFYO for 37 years. Neil Davidson was the final leader of the Lubbock Bible Class, as they disbanded at the end of 2010.

2011- April 28. Former KFYO talkshow host and current Townsquare Media- Lubbock Production Director Ron Grant passes away. At the time of his death, Grant was the imaging voice for numerous television and radio stations across the country. Clients included: FOX Business Network; KCBD-TV, Lubbock; 610 Sports, Kansas City (KCSP-AM); SportsRadio 1250, Milwaukee (WSSP-AM); Michigan Wolverines Football Network

2011- July 29. KFYO, and Lubbock radio legend, Jack Dale passes away at the age of 79. At the time of his death, Jack was still co-hosting Jack Dale's Sportsline on SportsRadio 1340 The Fan (KKAM-AM) with his son Steve Dale. Jack called the play-by-play of various Texas Tech sports (mainly football & men's basketball) for 50 years from 1953-2003. In 2005 he was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. In the ultimate show of respect, after Dale's passing, the Saddle Tramps wrapped the Will Rogers statue in black.

2012- July 15. KFYO staff finds new KFYO historical archive material and learns of a new origin for KFYO. The radio station that eventually became KFYO originated in Bentonville, Arkansas in 1923. That is according to a KFYO News Release which was dated April 23, 1957. The station was established by T.E. Kirksey as a 15-watt station. Quoting the KFYO News Release, "KFYO's history, in one way or another dates back to 1923 when the late T.E. Kirksey first established the station in Bentonville, Arkansas. It was a 15-watt operation at that time." As of July 2012, the only known record of a radio station licensed to Bentonville, Arkansas between 1923-1926 was KFVX in June 1925 (source: Jeff Miller 'A Chronology of AM Radio Broadcasting 1900-1960' website [4] ). KFVX is also listed in the September 1925 edition of Burgess Index of Radio Broadcasting Stations. It broadcast on the 236 meter wavelength, which is 1270 AM, with 10 watts. However, the ownership of KFVX is listed as The Radio Shop, R. H. Porter, with no known connection to T.E. Kirksey (source: National Radio Club [5]). Then, in the January 1926 edition of Stevenson's Bulletin of Radio Broadcasting Stations KFVX is listed as being discontinued. It is assumed that KFVX could be an ancestor to KFYO, but more information is needed to prove the connection. Moving back to KFYO, the 1957 KFYO News Release further states the Buchanan-Vaughn Company purchased the station from T.E. Kirksey and moved the station from Bentonville to Texarkana, Texas (presumably in late 1925). KFYO is then authorized as a new station in January of 1926 to Texarkana, Texas (source: Jeff Miller 'A Chronology of AM Radio Broadcasting 1900-1960' website [6]). The first known listing of KFYO broadcasting in Texarkana is in the May 1926 edition of Stevenson's Bulletin of Radio Broadcasting Stations. KFYO is listed as a 10 watt station on 1440 AM owned by the Buchanan-Vaughn Company. The 1957 KFYO News Release continues, "T.E. Kirksey re-purchased the station in 1927, moved it to Breckenridge, Texas, and there secured an increase in power to 100 watts." At that point forward, everything else known about KFYO's history matches up to what was previously stated.

2012- October 1. KFYO changes its morning lineup to add more local programming. Tom Collins & Laura Mac come on board to take over as hosts of Lubbock's First News. The show's timeslot is also changed to 6a-8:30a. Chad Hasty replaces Neal Boortz in the daily lineup, hosting a new solo show from 8:30a-11a.

2013- March 24 & 25. Robert Pratt continues a KFYO tradition by broadcasting his talkshow, Pratt on Texas, live from the state capitol during the Texas Legislative Session. Pratt interviews many legislators including Rep. John Frullo (Lubbock), Rep. Charles Perry (Lubbock) and Sen. Robert Duncan (Lubbock)

2013- August 12. Rob Burton becomes the new general manager for Townsquare Media of Lubbock, which includes radio stations KFYO, KFMX, KKAM, KKCL, KQBR & KZII. Burton is the seventh general manager in the history of KFYO.

2014- April 30. Paul R. Beane retires from broadcasting after a career of nearly 60 years. For the past four years Beane's daily commentary, "The Way I See It" aired on KFYO. Beane also served as a fill-in host for KFYO on the Chad Hasty Show and Pratt on Texas. Listen to Beane's farewell by clicking this link.

2014- July 15. Brad Bullington becomes the new general manager Townsquare Media of Lubbock, which includes radio stations KFYO, KFMX, KKAM, KKCL, KQBR & KZII. Bullington is the eighth general manager in the history of KFYO.

2015- February & March. KFYO's Chad Hasty and Robert Pratt, from Pratt on Texas, both broadcast multiple shows, separately, from the Texas Capitol during the Legislative Session. Guests included Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, State Senator Charles Perry, State Reps. John Frullo, Dustin Burrows, Susan King, Drew Springer and Speaker of the House Joe Strauss

2015- October 12. The Texas Tech Museum and KFYO announce plans to refurbish a 1927 Ford Model T once owned by KFYO. The restoration and refurbishment of the Model T is being conducted in conjunction with KFYO's 90th Anniversary in 2016. State Representative John Frullo donates $1,000 for the restoration of the Model T. [9]

2015- October 15. Phil Hand becomes the new General Manager of Townsquare Media of Lubbock, which includes KFYO. He is the ninth General Manager in KFYO's history and replaces Brad Bullington.

2016- October 12. KFYO officially launches an FM simulcast on 95.1 FM. The 250-watt FM translator (K236CP-FX) provides additional coverage in Lubbock County and the surrounding area.

2017- February 20. KFYO launches a new morning show, "KFYO Mornings with Dave King and Matt Martin". The show replaces "Lubbock's First News with Tom Collins and Laura Mac" and retains the timeslot of weekdays 6am-8:30am. Dave King owns a local advertising agency, is the stadium announcing voice of the Goin' Band from Raiderland, and is a former talkshow host for KJTV-AM. Matt Martin is a local realtor who was a fill-in host on Chad Hasty's show.

2017- April 24-27. Robert Pratt continues a KFYO tradition by broadcasting from the State Capitol during the 85th Legislature. Guests included Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, State Sen. Charles Perry and State Reps. John Frullo, Dustin Burrows & Drew Springer