DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about KRBA-AM Radio Station in Angelina County. By the 1930s, radio had already planted itself firmly in American life as a serious vehicle for commercial advertising. But Angelina County was still waiting for its own signal — and then came 1938.
That year, the Redland Broadcasting Association received the first commercial radio license in the area, and a man named Darrell Yates stepped up to make something of it. He didn't just show up with a checkbook and a handshake — he financed it, he built it, and he launched it. KRBA-AM went live on May 3, 1938, and Yates did it under a particular understanding: that within five years, he would assume full ownership from the investors who'd helped him get there.
Now that's a man who knows where he's headed. The station started modest, the way most big things do. Broadcasts ran only during the day, operating at a frequency of 130 kilocycles and a power level of 100 watts.
And where did all this broadcasting originate? From Cash Drug Store in downtown Lufkin. That's right — a drugstore.
Early programming covered the spread: news, drama, music, sermons. And sports weren't far behind, with Lufkin Panther football getting airtime that very first year, 1938. Then the world changed.
During World War II, with male employees leaving, KRBA did what it had to do — it employed a number of women to keep the station running. The signal didn't go dark. By the 1950s and 1960s, the programming kept evolving.
There was "The Song and Dance Parade," something of a prelude to rock-and-roll, and "Tunes and Tempos," which introduced African-American radio to local audiences. Then in the late 1960s, Spanish programming arrived with "Sabado Alegres." This station wasn't just reflecting the community — it was introducing people to each other. Since 1948, broadcasts have come from 121 Cotton Square, and the transmission site settled in at what is now 2105 Spence Street.
KRBA has sponsored charitable activities in Lufkin, served as a launching pad for notable radio and broadcast personalities, and stayed woven into the fabric of community and regional life. Today, under the direction of Yates Media — that name carrying all the way forward from that first May morning in 1938 — KRBA-AM is still on the air, still in the community, still broadcasting into the 21st century. Some signals, once sent, just don't stop.
What the marker says
By the 1930s, radio had become an established medium for commercial advertising. 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 only broadcast 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 KRBA programming included broadcast news, drama, music, and sermons. 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." ? Through the years, the station has made a major impact in the area. KRBA-AM has sponsored a number of charitable activities in Lufkin. The station has also served as a launching pad for a number of noted radio and broadcast personalities. Today, under the direction of Yates Media, historic KRBA continues to be directly involved in community and regional events, and continues to serve the public as a viable broadcasting institution into the 21st century. (2009)