KBEC

KBEC
	Waxahachie, Texas; United States;
Broadcast area	Ellis County
Frequency	1390 kHz
Branding	Hometown Radio KBEC
Programming
Format	Classic Texas Country
Affiliations	Texas State Network
Ownership
Owner	Jon Garrett
History
First air date	1955
Former call signs	KELL (1949–1951); KWHA (1952–1953) (These stations never went on the air)
Call sign meaning	Keep Building Ellis County
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Class	1390: B; 99.1: D
Power	1390: 480 watts day; 260 watts night
ERP	99.1: 250 watts
HAAT	99.1: 45 meters
Transmitter coordinates	1390: 32°25′30″N 96°51′56″W / 32.42500°N 96.86556°W; 99.1: 32°26′48.50″N 96°48′16″W / 32.4468056°N 96.80444°W
Translator	99.1 K256DE (Waxahachie)
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	kbec.com

KBEC (1390 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Waxahachie, Texas and serving Ellis County. It is owned by Jon and Alyssa Garrett and it carries a classic country/Texas country radio format with some talk and sports shows.

Programming is also heard on 250-watt FM translator K256DE at 99.1 MHz in Waxahachie.

History

KBEC has the distinction of being the longest family-owned station in Texas.^{[citation needed]} It has been family-owned since 1955 when it was founded by Faye and Richard Tuck. The Tuck family came to Waxahachie in 1952 to pursue their dream of purchasing a radio station.

KBEC was the third attempt to build a station on 1390 AM in Ellis County. The first was KELL, owned by the Ellis County Broadcasting Company, which received a construction permit in 1949. In early 1950, the Federal Communications Commission denied an extension of its permit because the owners had indicated they wanted to build the station and sell it immediately.^[1] In 1952, Cen-Tex Broadcasting received a construction permit for KWHA, which never came to air.

Ellis County Broadcasting Service, owned by W. Richard Tuck, James B. Branch, and Roy M. Fish, received the construction permit for KBEC in September 1954 and signed the station on in 1955 (with Tuck buying out the remaining partners in 1956). An adult standards format was in place from 1955 to 1978. The station then switched to a short-lived Spanish language Regional Mexican format, reverting to adult standards music again. In 1988, KBEC changed to classic country music. In 2011, the format began emphasizing more Texas artists and adopted the programming theme of "Made in Texas, Played in Texas, and Born in Texas".

The station was purchased in July 2011 by Jim and Ann Eklund Phillips' company, Troubadour Communications, from Jeanne Mosley and Sandra Howell. This was a private stock transfer of assets including the station's studios and office building, 13.98 acres of land housing the station towers and transmitter, as well as personal property and building contents. All key personnel, including general manager Ken Roberts, Barry Wolverton, and then-DJ Jon Garrett were retained.

In March 2022, KBEC was sold to Jon and Alyssa Garrett. Garrett started his radio career at the station in 2010. As an all-cash sale, Garrett retained all common stock, the office building at 711 Ferris Avenue, and the 13.98-acre tower site from Troubadour Communications for $1.05 million. Roberts, Wolverton, and other key staff were again retained.^[2]

In July 2022, Garrett purchased the Texas Theater in downtown Waxahachie.^[3] The theater, which had been abandoned for over a decade, was reopened on April 1, 2023, with a concert by Brandon Rhyder.

On May 18, 2023, KBEC began broadcasting a live music show, titled "Lone Star Nights," from the Texas every Thursday evening. Later that year, the station changed its branding to "Hometown Radio" while retaining its format.

References

^ "KELL Request: FCC Denies Extension" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 20, 1950. p. 66. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
^ BRANCA, ANDREW (March 23, 2022). "New chapter for KBEC". Waxahachie Sun. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
^ joann@waxahachiesun.com, JO ANN LIVINGSTON (July 29, 2022). "Texas Theater's new owner discusses plans for its future". Waxahachie Sun. Retrieved June 2, 2023.

External links

KBEC Facebook
KBEC station website
DFW Radio/TV History
Facility details for Facility ID 21233 (KBEC) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
KBEC in Nielsen Audio's AM station database

[1] "KELL Request: FCC Denies Extension" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 20, 1950. p. 66. Retrieved June 23, 2019.

[2] BRANCA, ANDREW (March 23, 2022). "New chapter for KBEC". Waxahachie Sun. Retrieved June 2, 2023.

[3] @waxahachiesun.com, JO ANN LIVINGSTON (July 29, 2022). "Texas Theater's new owner discusses plans for its future". Waxahachie Sun. Retrieved June 2, 2023.

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v t e Country radio stations in the state of Texas
Stations	KABW – Baird KACQ – Lometa KACT – Andrews KACT-FM – Andrews KAGG – Madisonville KAJA – San Antonio KAJE - Ingleside KALP – Alpine KAML – Kenedy-Karnes City KARX – Canyon KASE-FM – Austin KATP – Amarillo KATX – Eastland KAUM – Colorado City KAYD-FM - Silsbee KBCT – Waco KBCY – Tye KBEC – Waxahachie KBEY – Burnet KBHT - Bellmead KBQQ – Smiley KBST-FM – Big Spring KBUK – La Grange KCKL – Malakoff KCKM – Monahans KCLW – Hamilton KCTX-FM – Childress KCWM – Hondo KCYY – San Antonio KDCD – San Angelo KDDD-FM – Dumas KDHN – Dimmitt KDLK-FM – Del Rio KDNZ – Pecos KDRX – Laughlin Air Force Base KEAN-FM – Abilene KEKR - Mexia KEON – Ganado KERC – Kermit KEYE – Perryton KFLP-FM – Floydada KFST-FM – Fort Stockton KFTX – Kingsville KFWR – Jacksboro KFYN-FM – Detroit KGAS-FM – Carthage KGKL-FM – San Angelo KGNC-FM – Amarillo KHBR – Hillsboro KHDY – Clarksville KHEY-FM – El Paso KHFX – Cleburne KHKX – Odessa KHLB – Mason KHOS-FM – Sonora KIBQ – Austwell KIKT – Cooper KILT-FM – Houston KIMP – Mount Pleasant KIUN – Pecos KIVY-FM – Crockett KIXS – Victoria KJCS – Nacogdoches KKBQ – Pasadena KKCN – Ballinger KKLY – El Paso KKUS – Tyler KKYN-FM – Plainview KKYR-FM – Texarkana KKYX – San Antonio KLLL-FM – Lubbock KLSR-FM – Memphis KLUR – Wichita Falls KLXK – Breckenridge KMBL – Junction KMHT – Marshall KMIL – Cameron KMKT – Bells KMOO-FM – Mineola KMVL-FM – Madisonville KMWX – Abilene KNAF – Fredericksburg KNAF-FM – Fredericksburg KNAL - Port Lavaca KNEL-FM – Brady KNES – Fairfield KNFM – Midland KNUE – Tyler KNUZ – San Saba KOLI – Electra KOLJ – Quanah KOMX – Pampa KORA-FM – Bryan KORQ - Winters KOXE – Brownwood KOYN – Paris KPAN – Hereford KPAN-FM – Hereford KPET – Lamesa KPIR – Granbury KPLX – Fort Worth KPSO-FM – Falfurrias KPUR-FM - Claude KQBB – Center KQBQ – Meyersville KQBR – Lubbock KQTY-FM – Borger KRBL – Idalou KRMX – Marlin KRNH – Kerrville KRPT – Devine KRRG – Laredo KRUN – Ballinger KRVA-FM - Campbell KRVF – Kerens KRXT – Rockdale KRYS-FM – Corpus Christi KSAM-FM – Huntsville KSAQ – Charlotte KSCH – Sulphur Springs KSCN – Pittsburg KSCK-LP – Sterling City KSCS – Fort Worth KSEM – Seminole KSNY-FM – Snyder KSSL – Post KSTA – Coleman KSTV-FM – Dublin KTEX – Mercedes KTFW-FM – Glen Rose KTHP – Hemphill KTKO – Beeville KTTX – Brenham KTTY - New Boston KTWL – Hempstead KTXM – Hallettsville KUFA – Hebbronville KUKA – Driscoll KULM-FM – Columbus KULP – El Campo KUSJ – Harker Heights KUZN – Centerville KVET-FM – Austin KVLG – La Grange KVMC – Colorado City KVMK – Wheelock KVRP-FM – Haskell KVST – Huntsville KVWC-FM - Vernon KWBC – College Station KWBF - Lubbock KWBY-FM - Ranger KWED – Seguin KWFS-FM – Wichita Falls KWPW - Robinson/Waco KWRD – Henderson KWYU – Christine KXDJ – Spearman KXEZ-Farmersville KXOX – Sweetwater KXXN - Iowa Park KYKK – Junction KYKM – Yoakum KYKR – Beaumont KYKS – Lufkin KYKX – Longview KYOX - Comanche KYXX – Ozona KYYK – Palestine KYYW – Abilene KZAH - Harper WACO-FM – Waco WTAW-FM - Buffalo
Defunct	KOGT – Orange KRHC – Burnet KSEY-FM – Seymour KSLI – Abilene KSTB – Crystal Beach KTON – Belton KUOL – San Marcos
See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Texas

Programming

Waxahachie, Texas United States
Broadcast area	Ellis County
Frequency	1390 kHz
Branding	Hometown Radio KBEC
Format	Classic Texas Country
Affiliations	Texas State Network
Ownership
Owner	Jon Garrett
History
First air date	1955
Former call signs	KELL (1949–1951) KWHA (1952–1953) (These stations never went on the air)
Call sign meaning	Keep Building Ellis County
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Class	1390: B 99.1: D
Power	1390: 480 watts day 260 watts night
ERP	99.1: 250 watts
HAAT	99.1: 45 meters
Transmitter coordinates	1390: 32°25′30″N 96°51′56″W / 32.42500°N 96.86556°W / 32.42500; -96.86556 99.1: 32°26′48.50″N 96°48′16″W / 32.4468056°N 96.80444°W / 32.4468056; -96.80444
Translator	99.1 K256DE (Waxahachie)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	kbec.com