First to bring Radio to East Texas

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 2015 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 announcers 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 Pentagon Communications, 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.

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