GALVESTON — After years of changing musical formats and a gradual slide into obscurity, island radio station KGBC is going back to its roots.
Since it first started broadcasting in 1947, the station was a vital part of the community, delivering music, local news and coverage of community events, said Vandy Anderson, one of the station’s former owners.
Julian Arango, whose family now owns the station, said he plans to bring KGBC back to prominence as a source of local entertainment and news.
The Arangos, whose company Siga Broadcasting owns several other small stations around the state, bought KGBC about six years ago, Arango said.
Until about three weeks ago, the family leased the station out to other people to operate, a business plan it uses for all but one of its stations.
But after Hurricane Ike, the Arangos decided to operate KGBC themselves because of its smaller market, Arango said. The format will be more personal than the corporate fare offered by stations in larger markets, he said.
The station, which broadcasts on 1540AM, is now playing a mixture of music from the 1960s through the 1980s.
The Arangos have dubbed it “sounds of the bay.”
In the next few months, Arango plans to add local, on-air disc jockeys and talk show hosts to the mix. As general manager, Arango is searching the island for possible talent.
He also wants to create relationships with island businesses that might have expertise, like landscaping or home repair, they can offer on air during regular shows, he said.
“We’ll have all the good stuff that comes along with being a local station,” he said.
As a community service, the station will also offer information to islanders during a hurricane, something that’s lacking now, Arango said.
Island residents still share stories of riding out Hurricane Alicia in their cars, listening to KGBC for weather updates, Anderson said.
KGBC’s studios used to be in downtown Galveston, but in 1959, owner Jim Bradner moved both the studio and the transmitter to Pelican Island. In 1964, a group of local businessmen bought the station, operating it until the late 1990s, said Anderson, who joined the owners in the late 1960s.
Anderson welcomed news of the station’s return.
“This community definitely needs a radio station,” he said.
