Friends will gather to say "bye" to KTPB

Friends of Kilgore College's public radio station KTPB 88.7 FM will honor station staffers and its legacy in an open house planned for 3-6 p.m. this Thursday in KTPB offices located at 814 E. Main Street in Kilgore.

Pumping classical music into the East Texas airwaves for the past 15 years, the cultural sounding board is expected to go off the air sometime in

the next few months, pending FCC approval on the sale of its 88.7 frequency to EMF Broadcasting of California.

Local residents, saddened by the loss of fine arts on the radio dial, came together and planned the July 27 celebration to recognize the impact both KTPB and its dedicated personnel have had on the area.

One of those residents, Gem Meacham, a grant writer at Kilgore College has been a contributing member since the station's inception in 1990. Meacham said not having the station around will take some getting used to but she and her husband have many lasting memories of KTPB programming.

"Absolutely, we will miss the station," Meacham said. "It was always on at our house so it's like an old friend that's going away. My husband's favorite program in the world was 'Echoes.' It played such ambient music."

Open to the public, the celebration will provide the opportunity for station workers and listeners to visit while being recognized for the years of cultural enrichment they brought to the college and the area.