KBEC 1390 AM

A commercial AM radio station broadcasting on 1390 kHz, licensed to Waxahachie, Texas, and serving Ellis County. The station carries a classic country and Texas country format, supplemented by talk and sports programming. Programming is also distributed via FM translator K256DE at 99.1 MHz. KBEC holds the distinction of being the longest continuously family-owned radio station in Texas. The station was founded in 1955 by Faye and Richard Tuck, whose family had relocated to Waxahachie in 1952 with the goal of establishing a local broadcaster. It was the third attempt to place a station on the 1390 AM frequency in Ellis County, following two earlier unsuccessful permit applications in 1949 and 1952. For its first two decades, KBEC broadcast an adult standards format. A brief experiment with Spanish-language Regional Mexican programming preceded a return to adult standards. In 1988, the station adopted a classic country format. By 2011, programming shifted toward a deliberate emphasis on Texas artists, with the station adopting the identity of "Made in Texas, Played in Texas, and Born in Texas." Ownership passed through several hands after the founding family, ultimately landing with Jon and Alyssa Garrett, who have maintained the Texas country identity.