KBIL (Texas)
{{short description|Radio station in Texas, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = KBIL
| city = San Angelo, Texas, US
| branding =
| frequency = 1420 kHz
| repeater =
| airdate = {{start date|1954|11|30}}
| last_airdate = {{end date|1990|9|9}}
| power = 1,000 watts (daytime only)
| class = D
| coordinates = {{coord|31|30|08.1|N|100|27|47.8|W|region:US-TX_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| callsign_meaning =
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|KPEP (1954–1981)|KHOS (1981–1983)}}
| owner = Triangle Texas Media
| licensee = Hoss Media, Inc.
}}
KBIL was a radio station broadcasting on 1420 kHz AM, licensed to San Angelo, Texas, United States. Last owned by Hoss Media, Inc., it operated from 1954 until 1990. Financial difficulties of the owner's parent company led to a foreclosure proceeding; the associated FM station returned under new ownership as KDCD, but the AM did not.
History
David E. Pinkston, trading as the Concho Broadcasting Company, applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on April 17, 1954, for a construction permit to build a new AM radio station in San Angelo, to broadcast with 1,000 watts during daytime hours only.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=43911 |title= History Cards for KBIL|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) The permit was granted on August 4 of that year, after changing from 1260 to 1420 kHz to clear a conflict with another proposed station by Walton Foster (which started as KWFR).{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92505927/foster-pinkston-push-pleas-application/|date=July 18, 1954|page=11|title=Foster, Pinkston Push Pleas: Applications Pending For Two More Radio Stations|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 13, 2022}}
KPEP signed on November 30, 1954, with a country music format.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92506136/arts-and-darts/|date=December 5, 1954|page=5D|first=Jack|last=Allard|title=Arts and Darts|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 13, 2022}} Pinkston would remain an owner or part-owner of the station for the next 20 years in different ownership arrangements. C.H. "Joe" Treadway became a part-owner in 1955,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92506382/part-owner-okayed-for-station-kpep/|date=July 31, 1955|page=5D|title=Part-Owner Okayed for Station KPEP|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 13, 2022}} exiting the partnership in 1959 and allowing Pinkston to sell 50 percent of KPEP to Leroy Elmore of Lubbock.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92506462/kpep-transfer-of-stock-gets-fcc-approval/|date=April 2, 1959|page=6|title=KPEP Transfer Of Stock Gets FCC Approval|newspaper=San Angelo Evening Standard|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 13, 2022}} Elmore sold his shares to Pinkston in 1964,{{r|hc}} and general manager Bill Nicholson then bought half of the company in 1966.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92506542/nicholson-buys-part-of-kpep/|date=February 7, 1966|page=6A|title=Nicholson Buys Part Of KPEP|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 13, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170437/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92506542/nicholson-buys-part-of-kpep/|url-status=live}} Once again, Pinkston became the sole owner at the start of 1971.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92507593/kpep-partnership-is-dissolved-here/|date=December 18, 1970|page=7B|title=KPEP partnership is dissolved here|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 13, 2022|archive-date=January 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113200103/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92507593/kpep-partnership-is-dissolved-here/|url-status=live}}
Pinkston sold KPEP in 1975 to Simstone Broadcasting, a venture of San Angelo native Dick Sims and Robert W. Stonestreet of Houston. Simstone retained the country format, with Sims noting that KPEP and KDAV (580 AM) in Lubbock, Texas, which were also started by Pinkston, were among the first country music stations anywhere.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92513600/sims-takes-over-kpep/|date=August 17, 1975|page=7B|title=Sims Takes Over KPEP|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 13, 2022|archive-date=January 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113223809/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92513600/sims-takes-over-kpep/|url-status=live}} Simstone ownership, however, would encounter several bumps in the road. In 1979, he was sued by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a performing rights organization, for playing ASCAP-licensed songs without paying its royalties.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92513979/angelo-ex-broadcaster-is-defendant-in/|date=August 17, 1979|page=2A|first=Jim|last=Morris|title=Angelo ex-broadcaster is defendant in fed suit|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 13, 2022|archive-date=January 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113223822/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92513979/angelo-ex-broadcaster-is-defendant-in/|url-status=live}} That year, Sims filed to sell the station to Linda Smith and George Day, who in turn alleged that, by opening an advertising agency in the city, Sims was violating a non-compete clause in the sales contract. Stonestreet objected to the sale,{{r|hc}} while Sims then sued Smith because she failed to make payments toward the purchase price.{{r|SanA790817}} The sale went through anyway, though Smith then sold the station in 1981 to KHAG, Inc.{{r|hc}}
KHAG dropped the KPEP call sign for KHOS in December 1981.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1981/1981-12-14-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|title=Call Letters|page=78|date=December 14, 1981}} Three years later, KHAG sold the station to Hoss Media Inc., a firm that also owned KBIL (92.9 FM) locally and KMHT-AM-FM across the state in Marshall, for $350,000.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1984/BC-1984-11-26.pdf#page=75|date=November 26, 1984|work=Broadcasting|page=77|title=For the Record|access-date=January 13, 2022|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155448/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1984/BC-1984-11-26.pdf#page=75|url-status=live}} After the sale closed, the AM station became a simulcast of the successful FM outlet and adopted the KBIL call sign.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-04-01.pdf|date=April 1, 1985|work=Broadcasting|title=Call Letters|page=104|access-date=January 13, 2022|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155239/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-04-01.pdf|url-status=live}} By 1990, KBIL AM had split off again with an oldies format.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92567384/radio-log/|date=April 1, 1990|page=28F|title=Radio Log|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170455/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92567384/radio-log/|url-status=live}}
Regional economic troubles at the end of the 1980s would take a serious toll on the Burke radio interests, including KBIL and KMHT. In June 1990, the station laid off three employees citing a "poor business climate". The entire sales staff was dismissed at the end of August, and on September 9, KBIL-AM-FM shut down.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92566688/kbil-leaves-air-waves/|date=September 13, 1990|page=9A|title=KBIL leaves air waves|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170453/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92566688/kbil-leaves-air-waves/|url-status=live}} A judge appointed a receiver at the request of Connecticut National Bank, which had loaned the KBIL stations $1.3 million in 1988 and was not being paid back with $800,000 still owing;{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92567104/receiver-appointed-for-kbil/|date=September 14, 1990|page=1C|first=Sherri|last=Deatherage|title=Receiver appointed for KBIL|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170514/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92567104/receiver-appointed-for-kbil/|url-status=live}}{{r|SanA901215}} the Internal Revenue Service filed a tax lien for more than $16,000.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92503876/tax-lien-filed-against-defunct-kbil/|date=November 27, 1990|page=10B|title=Tax lien filed against defunct KBIL stations|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170515/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92503876/tax-lien-filed-against-defunct-kbil/|url-status=live}} While this happened, on the night of October 15, an arsonist broke into the control room of the AM transmitter site on Chadbourne Avenue and set it on fire; the building and its contents, which suffered heat and smoke damage, were not insured.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92566933/radio-station-building-burns-in-apparent/|date=October 17, 1990|page=1A|title=Radio station building burns in apparent arson-set blaze|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170517/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92566933/radio-station-building-burns-in/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92567578/kbil-am-arson-probe-continues/|date=October 24, 1990|page=1C|title=KBIL-AM arson probe continues|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170523/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92567578/kbil-am-arson-probe-continues/|url-status=live}}
In December 1990,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92566585/judge-approves-kbil-fm-sale-application/|date=December 15, 1990|page=1C, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92566622/kbil/ 3C]|first=Sherri|last=Deatherage|title=Judge approves KBIL FM sale application|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170532/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92566585/judge-approves-kbil-fm-sale-application/|url-status=live}} the receiver entered into a deal to sell KBIL-FM to Regency Broadcasting Inc., whose stakeholders were from Amarillo, for $186,000.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-08-26.pdf|date=August 26, 1991|title=Ownership Record|page=53|work=Broadcasting|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108151249/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-08-26.pdf|url-status=live}} The FM station returned to operation as KDCD in March 1993.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92567839/new-station-goes-on-air/|date=March 3, 1993|page=3A|title=New station goes on air|newspaper=San Angelo Standard-Times|location=San Angelo, Texas|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170540/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92567839/new-station-goes-on-air/|url-status=live}} The FCC dismissed a license renewal application for KBIL AM in June 1992, deleting the facility.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1992-06.pdf#page=24|date=June 24, 1992|title=Returned/Dismissed Applications|page=4|work=M Street Journal}}