KPRC turns 82 this year, on May 9th, to be exact. But for an untimely death, it might have been on the air more than a year earlier, however. According to accounts published years later, sometime in 1923, Ross Sterling, Jr., son of the largest shareholder of the Houston Post company, Ross Sterling, Sr., had taken a course in radio from Alfred P. Daniel of WCAK at the Houston YMCA. The young man's fancy attracted the father's attention and Sterling, Sr., asked Daniel to meet with him about starting a Post radio station. Sterling had been urged by others, among them William P. Hobby, former Governor and President of the Post, to launch a station. The decision was made to proceed and according to at least one account, a 500 watt transmitter was ordered from the Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Company. But by the time it arrived, Sterling, Jr., and died, and the grieving father ordered the transmitter put in storage without ever being uncrated.READ THE REST
More than a year later, Daniel again approached Sterling, Sr., about proceeding with the original plans. A major advertising convention was scheduled in Houston and Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover was to be one of the speakers. In addition to announcing and programming skills and building his own equipment, Daniel was apparently a pretty good salesman. Sterling, Sr., relented and ordered the station set up. It was just 3 weeks before the convention but on Saturday, May 9, 1925, at 8pm, KPRC signed on with Alfred P. Daniel as its first announcer and program director. “Hello, folks, everywhere” were the first words spoken according to the official account. The station had just four employees.
I feel terrible I didn't send a card.
