Remembering KLTY
The people of 94.9 FM KLTY played a significant role in my successes during the mid-nineties and beyond. As the station is set to sunset on January 30th, I’ve been reflecting on its history and its impact on the Dallas-Fort Worth market and my own life.
KLTY was a trailblazer station—a Christian adult contemporary format consistently ranked in the top 10 of a major market for decades. The station was the vision of owner Marcos Rodriguez, who turned it into a remarkable success story.
I had the privilege of serving in marketing at KLTY from December 1995 to September 1998. My task was to protect the station's reputation and help the team secure a spot in the top 10.
As a twenty-something, I had much to learn, but I was eager to work hard and unafraid of taking risks or making waves to achieve our goals. I was hired by Pete Thompson and Tony Bryan, who both had to rein me in when I became too overzealous.
Celebrate Freedom, the station's major annual event was a highlight of my time at KLTY. In 1996, we moved the event to Southfork Ranch, where it experienced tremendous growth. Producing the event each year was both the most stressful and the most enjoyable part of my job. Keith Nagengast later elevated the event to even greater heights.
While at KLTY, I formed close friendships that I still treasure today. I also met Al Boenker, one of our advertising clients. Al and I developed a rapport, and in 1998, I left the world of radio after a decade and stepped into the insurance industry. That move, facilitated by my time at KLTY, was life-changing. It led me to the company where I’ve now spent 27 years, a role that has allowed me to work all over the world, collaborate with incredible and diverse people, and enjoy a career I never could have imagined.
The cast of characters at KLTY taught me valuable business lessons and provided endless entertainment. I have countless funny stories about Jon Rivers, Scott Wilder, Dave Tucker, Frank Reed, and others. Call me if you’d like to hear a couple!
I am deeply grateful to the kind and talented people I worked with: Clint Lewis, Bonnie Curry, Tony Bryan, Pete Thompson, Joy Bruso, Shawn Watwood, Keith Nagengast, Mike Prendergast, Ken Robison, Vernell Dooley, Billie Taylor-Smith, Trey Morris, Andrea Jaxson and Frank Reed. These individuals not only built remarkable careers but also led inspiring lives.
A wealth of individuals contributed to building KLTY into a commercial radio station that reached millions and shared the Gospel story through music.
The deeper, more poignant stories belong to those who devoted decades to KLTY: Frank, Bonnie, Keith, Mike, Billie, and others. They weathered ownership changes and industry shifts, ensuring the station’s legacy endured.
In October 1995, I sent my resume directly to Marcos Rodriguez. As the story goes, his wife Sonya reviewed it, and I was offered an interview. When I arrived, two other candidates were in the lobby for the promotion director position. The interview process was fun, and I was fortunate to be chosen.
KLTY introduced me to the importance of serving a family in the business realm. I learned to take seriously the responsibility of protecting and managing something that belonged to others, treating it as if it were my own. This lesson prepared me for the next 27 years of serving the Boenker family. The opportunity and kindness shown by the Rodriguez family were gifts that kept giving as my path unfolded.
From my start as an intern at KLUV to my roles in marketing at COPRA and KLTY, to Al Boenker Insurance, and ultimately to becoming CEO and president of an insurance company, my journey has been one I could never have planned. The people of KLTY set me on this course and continued to support me over the decades.
I am saddened by the end of KLTY’s forty-year history and heartbroken for those who dedicated their entire careers to building it. They poured their lives into it because they believed in the transformative impact of its message on millions.
To quote Plato: "Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul."
Though KLTY was always a commercial endeavor, it carried a profound message through its music: Jesus Christ has come to save you. The individuals I’ve mentioned in this reflection played an integral role in ensuring that the message of hope resonated across DFW for forty years.
My prayer is that the paths of those now leaving KLTY will lead to even greater opportunities and blessings in their lives and careers.