KTBQ (107.7 FM) is a

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

formatted

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

serving the

Lufkin Lufkin is the largest city in Angelina County, Texas and the county seat. The city is situated in Deep East Texas and about 60 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana border. Its estimated population is 35,021 as of July 1, 2019. Lufkin was founded ...

Nacogdoches Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchitoch ...

area. Q107 is under ownership of

Townsquare Media Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...

, and has featured the Classic rock formst since 1997.

History

In 1989 Ken Williams from Center City Communications purchased KTBC-FM 92.1 from Texan Broadcasting Company Bob Dunn and upgraded to 50 kW and moved to 107.7 FM creating Q107 and changing the calls to KTBQ. Q107 signed on the air on September 7, 1989 as an adult contemporary format with Jimbo Powers (Jim Kipping) and JJ Hemmingway programming the station as the areas first Hot AC format. Prior to the station's sign on, the station began stunting with a simulated

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

based robotic voice counting down from 10,077 to 1, and Q107 was born. In 1991, Ken Williams sold Q107 to George Wilkes and Class Act of Texas. Wilkes made many changes to the station both on and off the air. His changes included changing the station's logo, bringing back Jimbo Powers to program the station (Jimbo had left Q107 a year earlier to pursue an opportunity in Austin), and hiring new account executives when most of the sales staff quit. Wilkes' unfamiliarity with the Lufkin-Nacogdoches radio market, a new and relatively inexperienced sales staff, and a few bad business decisions resulted in a decreased stream of revenue for the struggling station. Wilkes began to consider satellite/computer automation to the dismay of his on-air talent. After two years of Wilkes' ownership, both Jimbo Powers and Chuck Baker left Q107 to pursue opportunities in other radio markets. As air talent departed and revenue continued to decline, Wilkes was left with little choice other than satellite automation. In late 1993, Q107 was programmed as a satellite station with services based in Dallas. During this time of automation, Gary Richards continued as News Director while George Wilkes recorded weather breaks to keep a local sound in the station. In the fall of 1995, Q107 and sister station KSFA-AM merged with KJCS-FM and KEEE-AM forming Class Act of East Texas with KJCS-FM owners the Vance Family of Beaumont, TX. During the spring of 1997, Q107 switched formats from Soft AC to Classic Rock. The summer of 1997 brought the end of the merger between Q107 and KJCS-FM with the Vance family moving KJCS in the middle of the night leaving George Wilkes with Q107 and KSFA-AM. Wilkes sold Q107 and sister station KSFA-AM in the fall of 1997 to Gulfstar Communications in Lufkin; later transactions put the station under the ownership of first

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

, then

Gap Broadcasting Gap Broadcasting Group was a group of companies that owned around 116 broadcast stations (including 1 low-power television station and 5 low-power stations) in 23 radio markets in northwestern and central southern United States in the late 2000s. ...

, and finally Townsquare Media. Gary Richards and John Moring moved with the station as its last remaining employees after the Wilkes sale. Upon the sale of the station to Gulfstar, Steve Rixx became the stations program director while Gary Richards continued as News and Sports Director. Q107 studios moved to Lufkin, TX in the summer of 1998 and is still there present day. Most notable personalities on Q107 were Jimbo Powers, JJ Hemmingway, Denny Stone, Shelly Swanzee, Gary Richards, Johnny Walker, Chuck Baker, Jason Pointer, John Swan, Jana Stone, John Moring, Debbie Wylde, Doc Roberts, Eric Raines, Steve Ricks, Walton & Johnson and most recently John Boy & Billy
Mark Cunningham
in addition to Westwood One's ''The Lu Valentino Show''.

On-air personalities

Weekday personalities include

John Boy & Billy John Isley (born August 15, 1956) and Billy James (born August 31, 1957), known as John Boy & Billy, are American radio hosts based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their comedic morning program ''The John Boy & Billy Big Show'' broadcasts from 6:00& ...

(based in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

) mornings, Lisa middays, Jen Austin afternoons, and ''The Lu Valentino Show'' (based in Denver, Colorado, Westwood One) evenings. Weekend personalities include Jen Austin midday, plus programs such as '' Flashback'' with Bill St. James (based out

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

) on Saturdays and Sunday night shows ''

House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...

'' and ''

The Classics The Classics were an American vocal group formed in 1958 in Brooklyn. The Classics first sang together in high school; two of them had previously sung in a group called The Del-Rays. In 1959, under the auspices of manager Jim Gribble, they record ...

''. *General Manager- Johnny Lathrop

External links

Q107 KTBQ official websiteQ107 and Jammin' 860 Alumni on Facebook - Old photos and contacts with former employees and friends
* {{Townsquare Media TBQ Classic rock radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1967 Townsquare Media radio stations