City Jacksonville, Texas Frequency 1400 kHz Power 1,000 watts unlimited | Branding Unforgettable QX FM First air date 1947 | |
Format Big Band and Adult Standards | ||
KEBE (1400 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Big Band and Standards format. It is licensed to Jacksonville, Texas, United States, and is owned by Charles Conrad, through licensee Chalk Hill Communications, LLC. KEBE features programming from Texas State Network.
History
AM 1400 KEBE Jacksonville, was licensed in 1946 to Bill A. Laurie of Jacksonville, Texas. KEBE was branded "The KEBE Corral", and was one of the first country stations in the United States. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, KEBE became the career starter for East Texas radio legend, Tom Perryman.
In 1957, Bill Laurie died in a fishing accident. Laurie's wife took over ownership briefly. Mrs. Laurie placed the station up for sale, and a TV Newscaster from El Dorado, Arkansas, Dudley Waller, put together the money to buy the station. Dudley and his wife Dorothy "Dot" Waller have run the station ever since. KEBE was an affiliate of the ABC radio network, and at one time began running the Jones satellite network's "Classic Country" format. Some of KEBE's famous alumni include: Tom Perryman, Dudley Waller, Rick Watson, Jim Lord, and Al Mather.
KEBE's success led to the Wallers filing for an initial construction permit for an FM station for East Texas. KEBE-FM 106.5 signed on the air in the early 1970s. KEBE-FM became the first class C 100 kW FM Stereo station in East Texas. KEBE-FM was a beautiful music station that made the transition to easy listening/soft rock. In 1983, KEBE-FM changed to KOOI, with the moniker "Sunny 106.5 KOOI".
KEBE remained a full service country station until 2007, when a simulcast of sister station 103.1 KDVE/KMPA began. Since 2012, it has been simulcasting KZQX (former sister station 100.3), a big band and standards station based out of Chalk Hill, Texas. KZQX is owned by Chalk Hill Media.
On September 8, 2014, KEBE was sold to Chalk Hill Media, and thus continued the simulcast of KZQX. The sale of KEBE ended the 57 year ownership of KEBE by the Waller family.
On January 24, 2017, Charles Conrad's Chalk Hill Media filed for license reassignment, as an agreement has been made with the North Texas Radio Group to sell the original Jacksonville radio station for $50,000. North Texas Radio Group owns KMAD (AM) Madill, Oklahoma and KOEE Tipton, Oklahoma, and KERA-FM Dallas, Texas. License reassignment is currently awaiting F.C.C. authorization.