KRBA-AM Radio Station

By the 1930s, radio had become an established medium for commercial advertising, and in 1938 commercial radio came to Angelina County when Redland Broadcasting Association received the first license in the area. Station manager Darrell Yates financed, built, and launched KRBA-AM on May 3, 1938, with the understanding that he would assume full ownership from investors in five years. Programs were initially broadcast only during the day, and the station operated at a frequency of 130 kilocycles at a 100-watt power level. KRBA originally operated from Cash Drug Store in downtown Lufkin. Since 1948, broadcasts have originated from 121 Cotton Square, and the transmission site has been at what is now 2105 Spence Street. Early programming included broadcast news, drama, music, and sermons, and the station also covered sports, beginning with Lufkin Panther football in 1938. During World War II, the station employed a number of women to take the place of male employees. By the 1950s and 1960s, new programs included "The Song and Dance Parade," a prelude to rock-n-roll programming, and "Tunes and Tempos," which introduced African-American radio to local audiences; Spanish programming began in the late 1960s with "Sabado Alegres." Over the years, the station made a major impact in the area, sponsored charitable activities in Lufkin, served as a launching pad for noted radio and broadcast personalities, and under the direction of Yates Media continued to be directly involved in community and regional events while serving the public as a viable broadcasting institution into the 21st Century.

Lufkin, Texas · United States