KFRO (AM) - History

History

James R. Curtis received a license in 1924 to operate KFRO on 1220 kilocycles in Ft. Worth, TX. However, financial problems forced Mr. Curtis to abandon the plans for the Ft. Worth station, and later revive the KFRO license on 1370 kHz in Longview. According to legend, Carl Estes (late owner of the Longview News Journal) and R.J. LeTourneau (owner of LeTourneau Industries) offered to finance the station if Curtis would move the license to Longview. The hope of Estes and LeTourneau was that if Longview had its own station it would basically turn Longview into a big city and put it on the map. Which in turn would bring more readers to the Longview News Journal, and more quality employees to LeTourneau Industries.

On October 30, 1933 Voice of Longview received a construction permit to build a 100 watt radio station on 1370 KC in Longview, Texas. The location was listed as a generic "local hotel" for both transmitter and studios (as that was what the larger market stations were doing, renting space in hotels).

The call letters KFRO stand for

"Keep Forever Rolling On"

KFRO "The Voice of Longview" signed on the air on February 6, 1935 on 1370 kHz with a power of 100 watts daytime by owner J.R. Curtis. The original studio building and transmitter for KFRO was at the SW corner of S. Green St. (then known as Texas State Highway 149) and Radio St. on the southern edge of town.

In 1935 KFRO tried to move frequencies to 1210, but was stopped after an experimental period on 1210.

In 1935 First Baptist Church of Longview first started to broadcast its services on KFRO. This made the First Baptist Church Broadcast the 3rd longest-running program in broadcasting (The Grand Ole Opry (November 28, 1925) on WSM is longest-running show and Music and the Spoken Word (July 15, 1929) on KSL are the second longest). First Baptist ceased the broadcasts after 73 years.

On October 7, 1936 KFRO powered up from 100 watts to 250 watts from the location on Radio Street in South Longview.

For two years (until 1937), Rogers Peterson (legendary oil wildcater in Longview) was partners with J.R. Curtis. On 7-24-1937 James R. Curtis became full owner of "The Voice Of Longview".

On March 18, 1937, KFRO covered the New London school explosion, in which approximately 300 students and teachers were killed in the deadliest school building disaster in US history.

In 1937, KFRO's studios moved to 620 Glover-Crim Building Suite 411 in downtown Longview.

In 1938 Jerry Doggett, LA Dodgers announcer got his start on KFRO. He left KFRO in 1941 to go to WRR in Dallas.

In 1939 KFRO's transmitter moved to its current site, the property behind the J.R. Curtis mansion at 2118 East Marshall Avenue (Hwy 80). At the new transmitter site there were three towers erected, which allowed KFRO to be a full-time station. KFRO's new transmitter was an RCA BTA-1B. At that time KFRO was an RCA turn key station. KFRO runs 1 kilowatt with one tower daytime, and 1 kilowatt three tower directional at night.

In 1940 Grant Turner of Baird, Texas joined the KFRO air staff. Turner was known as the "Voice of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1981 Grant Turner was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Turner also sang, and had several duet albums with Helen Carter on the Tennessee and Republic labels. He also performed on the Grand Ole Opry.

In 1947, KFRO moved into former home of the Hurst Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital on Methvin St. in downtown Longview and renamed the building The Curtis Building. The new studios were very plush, with grand piano, harp, and room for a full band. The Hurst Hospital building was built in 1919 by Dr. V.R. Hurst, and was located on Methvin St, between the U.S. Post Office and The Hilton Hotel.

1941 The FCC shifted all of the frequencies above 710 kilocycles to make room for more stations, and more Clear Channel frequencies, but 1370 KFRO was never moved off of its original frequency. It is unknown how J.R. Curtis achieved this.

In 1953, The East Texas Hillbilly Jamboree debuted on KFRO. The show opened at the Rita Theatre starring Claude King and the Roadrunners, and some 30 other entertainers. The East Texas Hillbilly Jamboree was started to capitalize on the popularity of the WSM Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and the KWKH Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport. With the close proximity of Longview to Shreveport KFRO was hoping to siphon some of the Louisiana Hayride's talent and audience. But due to KFRO's limited signal the show failed. WSM and KWKH had national audiences due to the 50,000 watt signals.

In the 1980s, Mr. Curtis moved KFRO to new facilities at 481 East Loop 281 near N. Fourth St, in northeast Longview.

Both The Curtis Building and the former Hilton Hotel were torn down in the early 1990s and the site is now occupied by Heritage Plaza.

In the mid-1980s J.R. Curtis Jr. bought 95.3 KNIF Gilmer, on December 5, 1986 95.3 became KAEZ, and moved the studios to Longview. 95.3 then became KLSQ on September 17, 1990. Then March 1, 1993 95.3 was rebranded as KFRO-FM, and the format changed to oldies (1950s and 1960s rock and roll and pop), and was called "The Frog". On December 7, 1998 95.3 became KCGL, and then back to 95.3 KFRO-FM February 15, 1999. 95.3 has been just about every format in the book, Beautiful Music, Easy Listening, Country, Top-40, Oldies, Spanish, Smooth Jazz, Soft Rock, and now a Top-40 mix variety format. The most successful time in 95.3's history was the oldies era when the station was known as "The Frog".

Throughout KFRO's history it has been every network affiliation (except NBC/NBC Red). It has been Mutual, TSN, Keystone, ABC/NBC Blue, CBS, CNN, ESPN, and Fox. KFRO was last a Fox news affiliate. Now KFRO is an affiliate of the Moody Bible Institute.

KFRO remained in the Curtis family for 63 years until the late J.R. Curtis Jr. sold the station in 1998.