x

NPR Radio Comes to an End in the Rio Grande Valley

4 years 9 months 4 weeks ago Thursday, May 30 2019 May 30, 2019 May 30, 2019 4:30 PM May 30, 2019 in Community
Photo courtesy of MGN Online.

HARLINGEN – National Public Radio broadcasting has come to an end in the Rio Grande Valley.

Mario Muñoz, a talk show radio host at RGV Public Radio 88FM, announced the station would no longer be around after 2 p.m. Thursday.

The Harlingen-based station was sold to Immaculate Heart Media, Inc., a Wisconsin-based Catholic radio group.

RGV Educational Broadcasting, Inc. has served the Valley community for more than 35 years, with the support of the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville.

An application was filed in February to sell the stations, KJJF 88.9 and KHID 88.1, for $1 million and was later granted by the FCC.

At that time, Bishop Daniel Flores stated, “While we wish we could continue, we recognize that as a growing diocese we must be prudent with our resources and make sure they are in line with the mission of the Church.”

In April, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez wrote to Dr. Guy Bailey, president at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, asking him to make the campus a new home to the NPR and PBS station.

"It is a sad day in the Valley that we will now be the largest market in the U.S. without its own NPR station," said Dr. W.F. Strong, commentator for Texas Standard Network.

According to a press release, the diocesan relations director, Brenda Nettles Riojas, said, “We extend our gratitude to Mario Muñoz and Chris Maley who have seen the station through this transition. We thank them for all the years they have given to promoting public radio and the variety of programs.”

More News


Radar
7 Days