Dr. Ben and Mona Parker and KBOP Radio
Pleasanton, Atascosa County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Following World War II, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lifted its freeze on new radio stations. In 1949, chiropractor, preacher and rancher Ben Parker and his wife, Mona Parker, each veteran broadcasters, helped form the Atascosa Broadcasting Co. to address the situation locally. On May 8, 1951, the FCC granted a permit for a station in Pleasanton, having previously issued the company’s requested call sign, KBOP, inspired by the term “bop” associated with what would become rock & roll. KBOP offered a variety of news, music and entertainment, and tailored its programming to serve a predominately rural south Texas listenership. KBOP first broadcast daily from a studio at the transmitter site on the Parkers’ ranch northwest of town, later from studios in Pleasanton. KBOP primarily served listeners in the surrounding area, including Atascosa, Wilson, McMullen and Bexar counties. It provided an important venue for country music, alternating with Spanish-language programming largely ignored by other stations. The Parkers hired and mentored a large number of announcers and musicians. In 1976, they sold their radio station, which later moved to San Antonio with new call letters and formats. The tower and transmitter built by Mona Parker, the first woman in the U.S. to earn an FCC first class engineering license, still operates at its original location. The control board used for KBOP’s on-air programming was later displayed in the Longhorn Museum founded by the Parkers. Although their station has been off the air for many years, the mere mention of its call letters evokes a flood of memories and stories from former listeners.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When the FCC lifted its postwar freeze on new radio stations, chiropractor-preacher-rancher Ben Parker and his wife Mona—both veteran broadcasters—helped form a local company that won a permit for Pleasanton station KBOP in 1951, its call letters nodding to the "bop" of emerging rock & roll. Broadcasting first from the Parkers' ranch, KBOP mixed news, country music, and Spanish-language programming that other stations ignored, serving rural South Texas listeners. Mona Parker, who built the tower and transmitter, was the first woman in the United States to earn an FCC first-class engineering license.
Why it matters
KBOP captures both the postwar boom in local radio and a pioneering woman engineer, while its bilingual programming reflected the real community of South Texas.
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Related people
- · Ben Parker
- · Mona Parker
Themes & tags
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