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Four generations of KPAN on the 60th anniversary -- Clint Formby, Chip Formby, Sharleen Formby, Jonathan Formby and Lane Formby
History
Texas journalists John Blake of Brownwood and Marshall Formby of Plainview originally planned to establish the station in 1948 in Canyon, but were swayed to move the city of license to Hereford by the town's potential for growth, publicity and the aggressiveness of the community leaders. The AM station went on the air at 6:15am August 4, 1948 at the location of the current transmitter 2 miles west of Hereford. Clint Formby, nephew of Marshall, assisted in the station's construction while a student at Texas Tech, and he commenced regular broadcast ceremonies early that summer morning with "The Star Spangled Banner". The next musical choices were a tune by Spade Cooley, then a Spike Jones number. The first commercial was then read by Clint, a Western Auto special on Truetone two-tube radios for $29.95.
Marshall Formby became the station's sole owner in 1950. He and his wife Sharleen lived in Hereford and managed KPAN in the early years. Clint became a partner in ownership in 1956. Marshall prefaced his local newscasts with the phrase "KPAN.....the only radio station in the world that gives a hoot about Hereford, Texas". Clint began the Day-By-Day Philosopher program in 1955, and he broadcast 17,160 consecutive programs at 7:45am Monday - Saturday. The studios on US 60 were virtually destroyed by fire in 1961, and new offices were then built at the present location at 218 East Fifth. In 1965, KPAN was one of the first area stations to build a companion FM station. It was one of the first West Texas stations to inaugurate daily Spanish programming. KPAN has twice received the Texas Association of Broadcasters' (TAB) Outstanding Radio Station award, and the station has also been featured on the cover of Texas Highways magazine. During the period 1962-1972, KPAN received more TAB awards than any Texas radio or TV station. It is one of two Texas radio stations retained by same family ownership for over 50 years. Chip Formby joined the station staff in 1978, serving as news director and engineer, and became the general manager in 1994. He currently serves on the board of Texas Association of Broadcasters, representing small-market radio.
KPAN began coverage of Hereford High sports in the fall of 1948. Since the daytime-only AM station was turned off at sunset, the Friday night football games were taped and re-broadcast on Saturdays. Eventually, live broadcasts were possible, and KPAN has been all across the state with HHS athletes. KPAN was the first Texas station to conceive D.E.Day, offering training and on-the-job experience for HHS Distributive Education students, and for many years has provided live coverage of the county spelling bee and junior livestock show. Weekly, the stations have provided live broadcasts of Sunday worship services from the First Baptist Church and First Methodist Church.
The stations observed the 60th anniversary in 2008, marking 37,400 local newscasts, over 2,800 ballgames, 3,100 Sunday morning worship services, 21,000 Trading Posts and over 327,000 public service announcements. KPAN became the National Weather Service cooperative observer in 1981, and has broadcast 480,000 weather forecasts and advisories. The stations have broadcast over 6 million songs in English and Spanish since 1948, along with one or two lost dogs and garage sales each day. The KPAN website went on-line in 2000.
KPAN Spanish-language DJ, Rosa Garcia. Circa 1958 in the original studios at the transmitter site southwest of Hereford.
KPAN
MOTHER OF THE YEAR HONOREES
1.
1962 - Mrs. Henry Hastings
2.
1963 - Mrs. Clyde Thomas
3.
1964 - Laura Pickens
4.
1965 - Mrs. Frank Wilhelm
5.
1966 - Thelma Terry
6.
1967 - Louise Ferguson
7.
1968 - Mrs. F.L. Pinckert
8.
1969 - Mrs. Joel Hodges
9.
1970 - Mrs. Gerald Banner
10.
1971 - Mrs. W.F. Ball
11.
1972 - Mrs. Albert Ricketts
12.
1973 - Mrs. Benny Womble
13.
1974 - Mrs. Jimmie Allred
14.
1975 - Caudie Ola Brown
15.
1976 - Mrs. James Jesko
16.
1977 - Mrs. Ed Loerwald
17.
1978 - Murlene Streun
18.
1979 -
Donna Brockman
19.
1980 - Lucy
Moore
20.
1981 - Dolores
Foster
21.
1982 - Bea Hutson
22.
1983 -
Jane Eggen
23.
1984 - Ida
Schumacher
24.
1985 - Ann
Crouch
25.
1986 - Gladys
Cavness
26.
1987 - Eloise
Smith
27.
1988 - Isabel Ramirez
28.
1989 - Clara Reinart
29.
1990 - Donnie
Owen
30.
1991 - Viola
Wagner
31.
1992 - Catherine Cortez
32.
1993 - Mary Lou Shore
33.
1994 - Rafaelita Pacheco
34.
1995 - Emelene Kriegshauser
35.
1996 - Lale Vargas
36.
1997 - June Henderson
37.
1998 - Andrea Urias
38.
1999 - Virginia Anstey
39.
2000 - Dean Bradley
40.
2001 - Frankie Barrett
41.
2002 - Evelyn Hacker Dowell
42. 2003 - Bennie J. Beck
43. 2004 - Florestela Rodriguez
44. 2005 - Grace Paschel
45. 2006 - Frances Foster
46. 2007 - Johnnie Alford
47. 2008 - Margaret Carnahan
48. 2009 - Betty Lady
49. 2010 - Janie Banner
50. 2011 - Georgia Sparks
51. 2012 - Rosa Garcia
KPAN
FATHER OF THE YEAR
1.
1966
Rocky Lee
2.
1967
S.A. Fangman
3.
1968
Martin L. Simpson
4.
1969
Bill Bradley
5.
1970
W.J. “Joe” Schumacher
6.
1971
Jack Nunley
7.
1972
Hugh McCrary
8.
1973
Jimmie Allred
9.
1974
G.B. “Dick” Hagar
10.
1975
Dick Montgomery
11.
1976
Lester Wagner
12.
1977
Eldon Owens
13.
1978
Eddie O’Rand
14.
1979
Kenneth Duncan
15.
1980
J.C. Allred
16.
1981
Eluterio Mariscal
17.
1982
John Sublett
18.
1983
Bill Buford
19.
1984
Sammy Gonzales
20.
1985
Sid Killough
21.
1986
Terry Connally
22.
1987
Clarence Strange
23.
1988
Walt Warren
24.
1989
Nick Yosten
25.
1990
Elmer Reinart
26.
1991
Lupe Perez
27.
1992
Jim Culpepper
28.
1993
Herb Vogel
29.
1994
Mark Koenig
30.
1995
Andrew Kershen
31.
1996
Richard Hagar
32.
1997
Ramon De La Cerda
33.
1998
Jose Morales
34.
1999
Jerry Warren
35.
2000
Emilio Valdez
36.
2001
Jess L. Robinson
37.
2002
Harlan Resch
38.
2003
Toby Torres Jr.
39. 2004 Frank Garcia
40. 2005 Roy Lopez
41. 2006 Pete Vargas Sr.
42. 2007 Erasmo Gonzales
43. 2008 Todd Murray
44. 2009 Pete Madrigal, Jr.
45. 2010 Gene Streun
46. 2011 Cal Mitts
47. 2012 Guadalupe Tapia
KPAN
PIONEER
OF THE YEAR HONOREES
1.
1967
EZRA NORTON
2.
1968
F.H. OBERTHIER
3.
1969
BESS WERNER
4.
1970
EDGAR S. IRELAND
5.
1971
IRA RICKETTS
6.
1972
CLAUDE RICKETTS
7.
1973
VIDA JACOBSEN
8.
1974
LENA BELL
9.
1975
CALLA MOUNTZ
10. 1976
BESSIE HILL
11. 1977
LEE COCANOUGHER
12. 1978
ROBERTA WILSON
13. 1979
BILL HACKER
14. 1980
C. ORA COCKRELL
15. 1981
HORACE & JUANITA HERSHEY
16. 1982
BILLIE JOHNSON
17. 1983
JENNIE BUCKNER
18. 1984
DICK HAGAR
19. 1985
PET OTT
20. 1986
CAUDIE OLA BROWN
21. 1987
IRA OTT
22. 1988
MARLIN GILILLAND
23. 1989
MARY MORRISON
24. 1990
HAROLD WESTER
25. 1991
MARGARET SCHROETER
26. 1992
EMMITT MILBURN
27. 1993
LETA KAUL
28. 1994
ELEANOR HUDSPETH
29. 1995
LOIS GILILLAND
30. 1996
URSALEE JACOBSEN
31. 1997
A.B. "HAP" HIGGINS
32. 1998
BENNY WOMBLE
33. 1999
LOIS RUTTER ETHRIDGE
34. 2000
CATHERINE RICKETTS RUSSELL
35. 2001
EMILY W. SUGGS
36. 2002
J.B. NOLAND
37. 2003 F.A. "SPECK" MARNELL
38. 2004 ALTA MAE FORTENBERRY HIGGINS
39. 2005 LESTER WAGNER
40. 2006 CLINT FORMBY
41. 2007 BETTY JO CARLSON
42. 2008 RUTH TEMPLE HASTINGS HILL
43. 2009 BEA NOLAND
44. 2010 BARTLEY DOWELL
