Founder of KLOR visits station on Tuesday

Jerry Mash, who founded KLOR-FM Radio in the late 1950s, returned to Ponca City on Tuesday and stopped by to visit Team Radio, which now owns KLOR-FM, KPNC-FM, Ponca City Now and Ponca City Deals.

KLOR was the first FM station in Ponca City, Mash said.

The business has changed considerably since Mash started KLOR. At the time, he broadcasted from the Community Building. Over time, the station moved to Third Street and Cleveland Avenue and later to the historic Poncan Theatre building at 102 East Grand Ave.

Mash was the first voice broadcasted on the station known by the call numbers 99.3 FM.

On Tuesday he said he had studied the markets between Ponca City and Enid, and chose Ponca City because he liked it better. He was assisted in obtaining the FCC license and call letters by then-Reprentative Page Belcher.

Mash sold KLOR and Blackwell radio station KLTR in March 1968 to J. Robert Wootten, Hugh Jones and Gene A. Allen.

When asked how he chose KLOR as the call letters, Mash said "FM was the same to radio as color was to television. KLOR signified color radio."

After selling the stations, Mash earned his doctorate in law and made a career pioneering in Native American law. He also served as an administrative assistant to then-Gov. Henry Bellmon.

He was accompanied on his visit by Meagan Reaves of Ponca City, who said Mash is her teacher. She is majoring in pre-law.

Jerry Mash, founder and first owner of KLOR-FM, visits Tuesday with current Team Radio owner Bill Coleman in front of the KLOR and KPNC studios in the historic Poncan Theatre building.