KFRO (AM)
KFRO (AM)
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KFRO (AM)

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KFRO (AM)

KFRO (1370 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Longview, Texas, United States, serving the Tyler–Longview area. Owned by RCA Broadcasting, LLC., it simulcasts a classic hits format with KFRO-FM (99.7), branded as "99.7 and 94.1 KFRO".

The KFRO towers are 177 feet tall. The current KFRO transmitter building was built in 2003. KFRO signed on in 1935 with a 100-watt homemade transmitter. In 1935 KFRO increased its power to 250 watts with a Western Electric transmitter. In 1941 power was increased to 1,000 watts and a new RCA BTA-1D was installed, it stayed in service until 1983, when it was replaced by a Rockwell Collins 820-D2. The Rockwell Collins transmitter was made to run C-QUAM AM stereo, which made KFRO the first AM stereo station in East Texas. The Collins-Rockwell was replaced in 2003 with a used 1978 Harris MW-1 solid state. In June 2019, a C-QUAM AM stereo exciter was reinstalled at the station.

James R. Curtis received a license in 1924 to operate KFRO on 1220 kilohertz in Ft. Worth, Texas. However, financial problems forced Curtis to abandon the plans for the Ft. Worth station, and later revive the KFRO license on 1370 kHz in Longview. According to the 60th anniversary of KFRO (Longview News Journal Supplement), Rogers Lacy, maternal uncle of James R.Curtis, offered to fund $5000 for the equipment needed to get KFRO on the air. Lacy wanted to build Longview into a city, and knew that radio would do exactly that. Mr. Curtis packed his small family and his law practice and moved to Longview.

On October 30, 1933, Voice of Longview received a construction permit to build a 100-watt radio station on 1370 kHz in Longview. The location was listed as a generic "local hotel" for both transmitter and studios (as that was what the larger market stations were doing, renting space in hotels).

The call letters KFRO stand for "Keep Forever Rolling On".

KFRO "The Voice of Longview" signed on the air on February 6, 1935, on 1370 kilohertz with a power of 100 watts daytime by owner J.R. Curtis. The original studio building and transmitter for KFRO was at the northwest corner of S. Green Street (then known as Texas State Highway 149) and Radio Street on the southern edge of town. The original KFRO studio building still exists as of 2020 and is a private residence.

In 1935 KFRO tried to move its frequency to 1210, but was stopped after an experimental period on 1210.

In 1935 First Baptist Church of Longview first started to broadcast its services on KFRO. This made the First Baptist Church Broadcast the third longest-running program in broadcasting (The Grand Ole Opry (November 28, 1925) on WSM is longest-running show and Music and the Spoken Word (July 15, 1929) on KSL are the second longest). First Baptist ceased the broadcasts after 73 years.

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