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 Dr. Ben and Mona Parker and KBOP Radio
N 28° 58.717 W 098° 28.053
14R E 551871 N 3205733
KBOP radio station began in the 1950s, had music, news, and Spanish-language programming. It was sold in 1976.
Waymark Code: WMZZD8
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2019
Views: 3
Ben and Mona Parker were creative, active people, according to the information on their historical marker! Not much is found about them on a normal Google search but from the content of the sign there was always something going on at the Parker's place. He was a Doctor of Chiropractic and she was a whiz as an electrical engineer. They started KBOP to meet the needs of their rural community for news, entertainment and music. They had the foresight to air Spanish-language programming as well as English-speaking programming. The radio station was successful partly because Mona Parker had been the first woman to earn an FCC First Class engineering license. She's also the one who also built the tower and transmitter for this station! Dr. Ben Parker died in 1989 and Mona Parker followed 16 years later in 2005. Besides the radio station KBOP, the Longhorn Museum was another project the Parkers started. It has educational displays of early cowboy life and tools, a children's area, and a whole section (think large room just for one thing) dedicated to displaying a wide assortment of taxidermied animals and trophy heads. Outside the Longhorn Museum, besides the historical marker, are old farm equipment from late 1800s or early 1900 vintage, a train depot with a caboose, and a large windmill. This makes for an excellent family field trip! KBOP brief history: ( visit link) Dedication of this KBOP TX historical marker: ( visit link)
Marker Number: 18788
Marker Text:
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 Parker's ranch northwest of town, later from studios in Pleasanton. KBOP primarily served listeners in the surrounding area, including Atascosa, Wilson, McMullen and Bear 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.
(2017)
Marker is property of the State of Texas
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