K-BEER

K-BEER

A. V. Bamford was known for getting an FCC Radio Station License, putting the station on the air and as soon as it had some billing he would sell the station at a good profit and then look to find another station to put on the air somewhere.

Previous to coming to San Antonio, Bamford and Texas transplant Ray Odem had put K-HEP on the air in Phoenix Arizona where they used the tagline: You ain't hep if you don't listen to K-HEP!

After the sale of K-HEP, Bamford got a license for a radio station in San Antonio on 1150 with the call KBER. Bamford was able to get on the air quickly because he had the complete station (other than the towers) in a mobile trailer.

It is a little known fact that when KBER went live on the air in the early 1960s it was known as K-BEER. Not...K-BEAR as it went on to be known for most of its existence.

Bamford was ready to sell K-BER after he got the billing up. But...The FCC had changed the rules extending the length of time you had to own a new facility before you could sell it. That meant Bamford kept and ran K-BER for a while.

By the way...B. Bailey Brown's first on-air gig was at KBER.

John Ross

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Photo Courtesy of John C. Johnson.