KPET (AM)
Encyclopedia
KPET is an independently owned and operated radio station
licensed
to serve Lamesa, Texas
, USA. The station is owned by Dawson County Broadcasting LLC and the broadcast license
held by DCB License Sub LLC. The station's 280-foot tower is located at the south edge of the city of Lamesa.
Slogan: "Lamesa's Home Town Radio, KPET"
KPET airs many play-by-play sporting events. The station airs Lamesa High School football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, Texas Tech Red Raiders
basketball and football, Dallas Cowboys
NFL football, and Texas Rangers Major League baseball.
KPET is an affiliate of the ABC Radio Network, a service of Citadel Broadcasting, and of Texas State Network, a Dallas-based news and information service owned by CBS Radio. KPET(AM) carried Paul Harvey News and Comments, the daily noon report, and "The Rest of the Story". Paul Harvey had aired since the station was new in 1947 until his death in 2009.
The station airs mostly news, sports, farm commodities info, and the occasional country song. In earlier days, the station featured a Top-40 format, and in some years a large dose of country tunes. The hosts for the mornings reports are Don Sitton, Gerald Parsons, and Jim Rush. http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?s=2095911&clienttype=printable
In the late fifties and sixties, many of the country artists travelled the area, playing clubs in Lamesa and the areas north and south. "Gentleman" Jim Reeves not only performed in the area, but he also once owned stations in nearby counties.
The station was later owned by the Parkers and the Bradburys. In 1959, Thomas E. Conner and Bob Bradbury purchased KHEM and KFNE (FM) in Big Spring, Texas
. In 1960, they bought KPET. They reorganized as The Cobra Corp. in 1963. Thomas E. Conner purchased the station on October 1, 1968 as The Conner Corporation. An FM station on 100.3 was added in 1966 (founded as KPET-FM, changed to KELE in early 1969, and voluntarily taken off air in 1972 or 1973); the station was sold in 1973 to a company headquartered in Dallas.
It was acquired by the current owners in January 2008. KPET is owned by Dawson County Broadcasting LLC and its license-holding subsidiary DCB License Sub LLC. The station is managed by and partly owned by Don Sitton, who has worked at the station since 1989. Don is a long-time resident of West Texas.
The station founded and later spun off stations now known as KMMX (FM) Tahoka, Texas
(Lubbock area) and KTXC (FM) Lamesa (Midland–Odessa area). KPET works with the schools in its home area, including the Lamesa Independent School District, Klondike schools, Odonnell School District, Sands schools, and Borden County schools. It has broadcast programs of the churches of Lamesa for more than 60 years.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Lamesa, Texas
Lamesa, Texas
Lamesa is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,952 at the 2000 census. Located south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado, Lamesa was founded in 1903. Most of the economy is based on cattle ranching and cotton farming. The Preston E...
, USA. The station is owned by Dawson County Broadcasting LLC and the broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
held by DCB License Sub LLC. The station's 280-foot tower is located at the south edge of the city of Lamesa.
Programming
Its format is accurately (if awkwardly) described as Local Happenings, Local News and Sports, Area News and Sports, Farm and Agribusiness News, and Country Music. The station is on air 24 hours a day on 690 AM, and on Northland Cable across the area. The audio can sometimes also be found on a subcarrier of FM station (KBXJ). Since April 2010, KPET has also been heard on FM translator K286AO on 105.1 FM.Slogan: "Lamesa's Home Town Radio, KPET"
KPET airs many play-by-play sporting events. The station airs Lamesa High School football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
basketball and football, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
NFL football, and Texas Rangers Major League baseball.
KPET is an affiliate of the ABC Radio Network, a service of Citadel Broadcasting, and of Texas State Network, a Dallas-based news and information service owned by CBS Radio. KPET(AM) carried Paul Harvey News and Comments, the daily noon report, and "The Rest of the Story". Paul Harvey had aired since the station was new in 1947 until his death in 2009.
The station airs mostly news, sports, farm commodities info, and the occasional country song. In earlier days, the station featured a Top-40 format, and in some years a large dose of country tunes. The hosts for the mornings reports are Don Sitton, Gerald Parsons, and Jim Rush. http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?s=2095911&clienttype=printable
In the late fifties and sixties, many of the country artists travelled the area, playing clubs in Lamesa and the areas north and south. "Gentleman" Jim Reeves not only performed in the area, but he also once owned stations in nearby counties.
History
The call letters stand for "PET"roleum, found and pumped in the surrounding oil fields (Texas Permian Basin). The station was authorized by the FCC in 1946, and went on the air around May 10, 1947. The founders were Kermit S. Ashby, R. O. Parker, and R. A. Woodson doing business as Lamesa Broadcasting Company. Mr. Ashby was onetime owner or cofounder of several Texas stations, including KPET, 1400 AM KVOP Plainview, TX, and 1050 AM KCAS Slaton, TX. Studios were located on Radio Road, south of Lamesa and across from the Lamesa Country Club Golf Course. The studios were located on south first street, west of the town square and the tower sat/sits on a high knoll overlooking the city of Lamesa. Directly below the station is Sulphur Draw, which forms the headwaters of the Colorado River, one of the main rivers in Texas. The station has had the same call letters since it signed on in 1947.The station was later owned by the Parkers and the Bradburys. In 1959, Thomas E. Conner and Bob Bradbury purchased KHEM and KFNE (FM) in Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 25,233 at the 2000 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, Abilene to the east, Lubbock to the north, and San Angelo...
. In 1960, they bought KPET. They reorganized as The Cobra Corp. in 1963. Thomas E. Conner purchased the station on October 1, 1968 as The Conner Corporation. An FM station on 100.3 was added in 1966 (founded as KPET-FM, changed to KELE in early 1969, and voluntarily taken off air in 1972 or 1973); the station was sold in 1973 to a company headquartered in Dallas.
It was acquired by the current owners in January 2008. KPET is owned by Dawson County Broadcasting LLC and its license-holding subsidiary DCB License Sub LLC. The station is managed by and partly owned by Don Sitton, who has worked at the station since 1989. Don is a long-time resident of West Texas.
The station founded and later spun off stations now known as KMMX (FM) Tahoka, Texas
Tahoka, Texas
Tahoka is a city in and the county seat of Lynn County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,910 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tahoka is located at ....
(Lubbock area) and KTXC (FM) Lamesa (Midland–Odessa area). KPET works with the schools in its home area, including the Lamesa Independent School District, Klondike schools, Odonnell School District, Sands schools, and Borden County schools. It has broadcast programs of the churches of Lamesa for more than 60 years.
External links
- Tower location as shown in Trails.com
- http://www.fccinfo.com/CMDProEngine.php?sCurrentService=AM&tabSearchType=Appl&sAppIDNumber=305289&sHours=U