The announcement came from KOGT owner Gary Stelly on his morning show Tuesday.

ORANGE, Texas – KOGT, a longtime locally produced radio station from Orange, will shut down permanently on Friday.

The moving announcement came from KOGT owner Gary Stelly on his morning show Tuesday.

He cited a number of factors, including the change of media, as the reason for all operations to stop.

“I can’t wait to look back on the KOGT Morning Show the next two mornings and have the opportunity to thank the people who have been there for us,” said Stelly.

Stelly was one of the first media operators in the region to start a website with KOGT.com, but he said radio had always been his top priority.

Stelly is an Orangefield High School graduate who worked at KOGT when he was in college. He then bought the station in 1992 from a small business out of town.

Over the years, their content has covered hurricanes, crime, sports, elections, scandals and, of course, music.

1600 KOGT began its first broadcast on Friday, Jan. 16, 1948. On that day, listeners heard local news, a basketball game from Stark High, Bing Crosby and organ music, according to the website. KOGT.

When KOGT started up, its antennas were set up on land at 5304 Meeks Drive, which at the time was three miles from the city limits of Orange, according to their website.

The first production studio was in a building owned by Joe Molley on 10th Street between Green and Elm avenues. Later, the studios moved to the downtown building across from the Fair Store in Main and Fifth.

Since then, all station operations have resumed at Meeks Drive, which is now surrounded by houses.

Many hosts and fans shared their farewell messages on Facebook after the announcement.

I’m losing part of my soul, but everything has changed in the business since my newspaper salad days. To Gary Stelly for keeping local news so long.

Posted by Margaret Toal on Tuesday, December 28, 2021

HELLO EVERYONE ! It is with a Very Sad Heart that I write this. WEDNESDAY – 4-7 p.m. CST BRITT GODWIN …

Posted by Britt Godwin on Tuesday, December 28, 2021

😢 I have very sad news !! 🍊KOGT announced this morning on its morning show that it would close its doors on Friday 12/31/21. They are surely a staple in Orange, TX and will be missed so much.

Posted by Sharon Schrieber Stephenson on Tuesday, December 28, 2021

SAD WEEK FOR FRUITS! God bless Gary Stelly Margaret Toal and all who have given us so much, from the desperate times to the good times. It is definitely a huge loss for all …….

Posted by Jim Sichko on Tuesday, December 28, 2021

I will always try to support community radio on #Spotify or #pandora as it’s usually a slice of Americana that …

Posted by Charlie Ramsey on Tuesday, December 28, 2021

The voices and brains behind KOGT include Garry Stelly, Clay Williams, David Ingram, Iva Odom, Marty Monogue, Margaret Toal, Janet Johnson, Dan Perrine, Glenn Earle, Russ Ingram and Ralf Mims.

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