I note with sadness the passing of fellow broadcaster Matt Provenzano who died yesterday (7/22/2010) following a yearlong battle with cancer. Matt held a unique distiction in Houston these days; his station (KYND 1520 AM) had been in his hands since day one. He first applied for it as a new CP in June, 1986. The original CP was granted in November, 1987. In spite of being in the depths of the '87-88 Texas Depression, Matt immediately went to work building the station, choosing for it the abandoned beautiful music FM call sign KYND. KYND AM went on the air in July, 1988. Without resting, Matt next set about increasing KYND's power and in December, 1990, he was granted 3 kW in the Daytime and later 260 watts at night, though the night facilities never were built. When he first got the station, Matt left the banking business and devoted himself fulltime to KYND. He remained active in the station's daily operations until his illness would no longer allow it several months ago. At the time he fell ill last year, he was actively engaged in a plan to upgrade KYND's 3 kW Daytime operation. Unfortunately, the illness prevented him from seeing that plan through.
Matt Provenzano was a kind and gentle man, a devout Catholic, a devoted husband (whose wife and lifelong partner Shirley died three years ago), a loving father and a pragmatic broadcaster who resisted numerous offers to sell his beloved KYND in the go-go days. He upgraded the original 500 watts to 3 kW and as mentioned, was working to increase the station's footprint again when illness struck. As part of that plan, he purchased a co-channel on 1520 kHz (KHLT) in Hallettsville in 2008 and was granted a CP in 2009 to relocate the station further west to Stockdale in order to make more room for KYND. That CP remains active but unbuilt.
Matt was a close friend. We were among those who originally worked to get his first CP and so knew him for nearly 25 years. He was a delight to work with and we will very much miss the Mexican food lunches we routinely shared over the years.
Funeral Mass will be held next Tuesday morning at 10:00. Specific details are in the Houston Chronicle:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ho...?n=matthew-provenzano&pid=144233379&fhid=6290
Matt Provenzano was a kind and gentle man, a devout Catholic, a devoted husband (whose wife and lifelong partner Shirley died three years ago), a loving father and a pragmatic broadcaster who resisted numerous offers to sell his beloved KYND in the go-go days. He upgraded the original 500 watts to 3 kW and as mentioned, was working to increase the station's footprint again when illness struck. As part of that plan, he purchased a co-channel on 1520 kHz (KHLT) in Hallettsville in 2008 and was granted a CP in 2009 to relocate the station further west to Stockdale in order to make more room for KYND. That CP remains active but unbuilt.
Matt was a close friend. We were among those who originally worked to get his first CP and so knew him for nearly 25 years. He was a delight to work with and we will very much miss the Mexican food lunches we routinely shared over the years.
Funeral Mass will be held next Tuesday morning at 10:00. Specific details are in the Houston Chronicle:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ho...?n=matthew-provenzano&pid=144233379&fhid=6290