Incident of double bombing by the Ku Klux Klan on a Houston radio station.
Houston's Radio Rebellion:
Hear ye, hear ye! It's no yarn that the classic read The Fishermen and the Dragon by Kirk Wallace Johnson shines some light on the tumultuous history of radio station KPFT (90.1), based in Houston, Texas. Boy, did they have a rocky ride back in the 70s!
In the late sixties and early seventies, the Ku Klux Klan, fresh from a resurgence, was stirring up trouble in the South, and Texas was no exception. They couldn't stomach the progressive strides being made—be it the Civil Rights Movement or the influx of Vietnamese fishermen—and perceived this change as a threat to their beloved white supremacy.
Enter KPFT, a beacon of free speech and progressive politics, broadcasting without a care for commercials via the Pacifica Foundation network. For this audacity, KPFT quickly found itself in the crosshairs of the KKK.
May 12, 1970, had barely warmed up when KPFT's studios got hit with explosives, forcing the upstart station off the air for three weeks. But the community rallied, raising funds to rebuild and get back on the airwaves. Unfortunately, the Klan was far from done. In October of that same year, Arlo Guthrie's classic "Alices's Restaurant" was just hitting the right chord when another bomb blast crippled the transmitter, leaving KPFT off the air for an excruciating three months.
But they'd been dealt a bad hand before, and KPFT wasn't about to cave. Support poured in from all corners of the world, restoring the station to its rightful place on the airwaves.
Fast-forward to today, and KPFT-FM is still going strong, broadcasting commercial-free on 90.1 in Houston, along with an HD station offering up a mix of music, news, talk, and call-in programs. If it's been a while since you tuned in, it's high time you gave them another spin—you won't be disappointed!
Kirk Wallace Johnson's book details the bombing story and much more. Jump in on the Gulf Coast conversation, and you won't regret it one bit!
For a deeper dive into the history of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups, past and present
Pacifica Radio: Unleash the Power of Progressive Broadcasting (Audio CD)
Immerse yourself in speeches, interviews, and coverage spanning over 70 years of progressive radio broadcasting. From Pacifica, for the people!
Events in politics and general-news boldly revealed the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the late 60s and early 70s, particularly in Texas. KPFT, a progressive radio station, found itself at the forefront of this conflict, as they were bombarded twice due to their progressive stance and broadcast of events related to crime-and-justice, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the influx of Vietnamese fishermen.
Readers intrigued by the history of white supremacist groups and their impact on politics and events could delve deeper with the Pacifica Radio audio CD, which showcases over 70 years of progressive broadcasting.
