History of public radio in the Lower RGV

The first public broadcasting serving the National Public Library programming feed
as well as local programming signed on the air on April 30, 1991, as KMBH-FM.
It began airing NPR programming in June 1991. KMBH-FM signal was limited mainly to Cameron County, Texas.
In July 1992, 88.1 FM signed on as KHID to serve Hidalgo County, Texas,
thereby between both stations, KHID simulcasting the signal the whole of the Lower Rio Grande Valley,
Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy Counties were covered.

This whole project was run by Rio Grande Valley Educational Broadcasting,
an operation owned and run by the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville.
Bishop John J. Fitzpatrick did this project to enhance educational opportunities by broadcasting NPR programming
and thereby offer additional educational opportunities in the area.

In early 2019 the diocese decided to get out of the public radio business
and sold both stations to Immaculate Heart Media.
That organization does not broadcast NPR programming.
It is dedicated to Catholic religious programming in Spanish.

Some people from what was the Upper Valley Advisory Committee for KMBH / KHID met in McAllen
in February to discuss the pending loss of public radio 88.1 FM and 88.9 FM (then KJJF and KHID).
This group decided to form a formal group to save public broadcasting in the Lower RGV.

There were some public meetings in Brownsville headed up by Dr. W.F. Strong of UTRGV Brownsville campus.
He established a fund me situation which collected funds to assist in the process of re-establishing Public Radio in our area.

Grassroots Public Radio RGV as an official Non-Profit (501.c3) was established by some listeners who value NPR and local programming
to support the re-establishment of Public Radio for the Lower Rio Grande Valley area.
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Grassroots group Activity 25 Feb. 2019 to 27 Feb. 2020 main page this subdirectory on Public Radio in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

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