Hello folks everywhere. That’s how Alfred P Daniel began the first broadcast of KPRC-AM on May 9 1925. Right here in Houston.
KPRC-AM 950 is Houston’s longest-operating radio station. It’s a piece of broadcasting history. Its story began much earlier than its official launch. Ross Sterling Jr a 16-year-old boy sparked the idea. He took a YMCA radio course. His father Ross Sr. saw his potential.
Tragedy struck. Before a Westinghouse transmitter arrived Ross Jr died. His grieving father put the equipment in storage. A year later Alfred P Daniel reignited the dream. He had the skills and knowledge. Sterling agreed.
On that May evening in 1925 KPRC went live. It only had four employees. Daniel was the announcer and program director. The station’s call letters stood for Post Radio Company. They also subtly referenced a Houston tourism slogan Cotton Port Rail Center. The K replaced the C.
The station’s early days were a mix of live music comedy sermons. Children’s shows poetry readings time signals weather and news filled the airwaves. In 1927 KPRC broadcast Houston Police Department dispatches. Its first studios were makeshift. They were in the cramped fourth floor of the Post-Dispatch building. A mast on the building and another in a field supported the antenna.
KPRC moved to a new 22-story building in 1926. That’s the current Magnolia Hotel. The station’s transmitter journeyed to Sugar Land in 1929. The studios eventually found a home in the Lamar Hotel then on Post Oak Road. They later moved to KPRC-TV’s facilities then to a Clear Channel location. Today KPRC’s state-of-the-art studios are on Loop 610 near San Felipe. The transmitter is in northeast Houston.
Early broadcasting used meters to describe frequencies. Kilocycles or kc became common. KPRC began at 1010 kc 296.9 meters with 500 watts. In 1941 it switched to 950 kHz with 5000 watts. The signal claimed to reach 9000 miles. KPRC-FM signed on in 1946 eventually becoming today’s KODA-FM SUNNY99.1
KPRC’s journey reflects Houston’s growth. From its humble beginnings in a newspaper morgue to its modern digital studios. Its broadcasts have chronicled significant events shaping Houston. KPRC-AM a testament to perseverance innovation and the enduring power of radio. It’s a story waiting to be fully explored.