Radio KPAN-FM (Good Timesin Your Country)

Texas journalists John Blake of Brownwood and Marshall Formby of Plainview originally planned to establish the station in 1948 in Canyon, but were swayed to move the city of license to Hereford by the town's potential for growth, publicity and the aggressiveness of the community leaders. The AM station went on the air at 6:15am August 4, 1948 at the location of the current transmitter 2 miles west of Hereford. Clint Formby, nephew of Marshall, assisted in the station's construction while a student at Texas Tech, and he commenced regular broadcast ceremonies early that summer morning with "The Star Spangled Banner". The next musical choices were a tune by Spade Cooley, then a Spike Jones number. The first commercial was then read by Clint, a Western Auto special on Truetone two-tube radios for $29.95.

Marshall Formby became the station's sole owner in 1950. He and his wife Sharleen lived in Hereford and managed KPAN in the early years. Clint became a partner in ownership in 1956. Marshall prefaced his local newscasts with the phrase "KPAN.....the only radio station in the world that gives a hoot about Hereford, Texas". Clint began the Day-By-Day Philosopher program in 1955, and has broadcast nearly 15,000 consecutive programs at 7:45am Monday - Saturday. The studios on US 60 were virtually destroyed by fire in 1961, and new offices were then built at the present location at 218 East Fifth. In 1965, KPAN was one of the first area stations to build a companion FM station. It was one of the first West Texas stations to inaugurate daily Spanish programming. KPAN has twice received the Texas Association of Broadcasters' (TAB) Outstanding Radio Station award, and the station has also been featured on the cover of Texas Highways magazine. During the period 1962-1972, KPAN received more TAB awards than any Texas radio or TV station. It is one of two Texas radio stations retained by same family ownership for over 50 years. Chip Formby joined the station staff in 1978, serving as news director and engineer, and became the general manager in 1994. He currently serves on the board of Texas Association of Broadcasters, representing small-market radio.

KPAN began coverage of Hereford High sports in the fall of 1948. Since the daytime-only AM station was turned off at sunset, the Friday night football games were taped and re-broadcast on Saturdays. Eventually, live broadcasts were possible, and KPAN has been all across the state with HHS athletes. KPAN was the first Texas station to conceive D.E.Day, offering training and on-the-job experience for HHS Distributive Education students, and for many years has provided live coverage of the county spelling bee and junior livestock show. Weekly, the stations have provided live broadcasts of Sunday worship services from the First Baptist Church and First Methodist Church.

The stations observed the 60th anniversary in 2008, marking 37,400 local newscasts, over 2,800 ballgames, 3,100 Sunday morning worship services, 21,000 Trading Posts and over 327,000 public service announcements. KPAN became the National Weather Service cooperative observer in 1981, and has broadcast 480,000 weather forecasts and advisories. The stations have broadcast over 6 million songs in English and Spanish since 1948, along with one or two lost dogs and garage sales each day. The KPAN website went on-line in 2000.

KPAN's first Spanish-language DJ, Rosa Garcia. Circa 1958 in the original studios at the transmitter site southwest of Hereford.