KTSA Burns!!!

All photos by Kris Zebrowski

KTSA's historic building burns

Web Posted: 05/24/2007 12:07 AM CDT

Lomi Kriel
San Antonio Express-News

KTSA news anchor Elizabeth Ruiz was poised to go on air Wednesday when news of the fire broke. She knew it was on the radio station's Northeast Side property — smoke was starting to billow into the newsroom — but she didn't know exactly where or how bad it was.

"Just let me know if I need to evacuate," she told her colleagues as they shut the sound doors to muffle the piercing fire alarms that had just begun. Then she started the 7 p.m. newscast: "There was a fire on the 4000 block of Eisenhauer."

"I didn't want to concern our listeners," she said, "because they do care a lot and I didn't know a whole lot."

Seconds later, she and her co-workers would learn it was the AM talk radio station's neighboring building that had gone down in flames — the old building that was vacated in 1984 that now mainly housed promotional materials and sometimes served as a place for transients to spend the night.

For decades, however, the brown-brick building had been home to local radio personalities from Ricci Ware to Sonny Melendrez and the nucleus of the city's longest, continually running radio station and its sister station KTFM, now the popular rock radio station JACK-FM 102.7.

(Kris Zebrowski/Special to the Express-News)

For decades, KTSA's brick building was home to local radio personalities from Ricci Ware to Sonny Melendrez and was the nucleus of the city's longest, continually running radio station and its sister station, KTFM, now the popular rock radio station JACK-FM 102.7.

"It was like history going down in flames," radio host Chris Duel said.

Following a sale to Border Media Partners last year, the station is planning a move to Interstate 10 and Callaghan by the end of the summer, operations manager Greg Martin said.

However, the station had hoped to sell the current building and store its radio transmitters in the now-destroyed property.

Martin and his co-workers gathered in the parking lot to watch firefighters battling the blaze. The roof already had collapsed when they arrived and the fight was made more difficult because the nearest fire hydrant is more than 1,500 feet away, an aide to Fire Capt. Brian Stanush said.

He said arson investigators would try to determine what caused the fire, but that the building was so deteriorated that it would be nearly impossible.

The station remained on air for most of the night — except for a 30-minute period during Jack Riccardi's nighttime talk show when firefighters requested power to the towers be shut off for their safety.

Around 9 p.m., Riccardi was back on air where he and others spent the next hour reminiscing about the good old days.

San Antonio Police Officer Michael Jones, who's also an afternoon traffic reporter for the station, got his start there as a DJ and was the last to play a set — a contemporary adult album he now doesn't recall — before he picked up his records and joined his colleagues across the parking lot.

Bruce Hathaway, a KTSA veteran who broadcast there from 1960 until 1984, said, "it put a tear in my eye. I spent a lot of time there."

Ruiz, a 26-year veteran, said she was greeted by the station's old-fashioned block letters on the building every day for years as she parked her car for work.

Wednesday, "we watched as those letters just melted down," she said. "We knew were going to have to say goodbye. But we just didn't want it to be like this."

lkriel@express-news.net

Staff Writers L.A. Lorek and Jeanne Jakle contributed to this report.

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E-Mail I received recently...

In a message dated 5/2/2007 10:28:32 AM Central Daylight Time, Sandy writes:

Chris
My husband, John and I are long time KTSA listeners. Last week he heard you asking listeners to help with the relief efforts for Eagle Pass. I know there are some big names doing some big things for Eagle Pass, but I though I'd share with you what John did for them after hearing you on the air. He contacted his employer, Intertek Automotive Research, and got permission to use a company truck, then called Family Services and volunteered to help get supplies down. John and Family Services met at the San Antonio Food Bank, filled the truck with food and delivered it to Eagle Pass. They may be going again later this week or next week. John is the tall guy in the truck wearing blue jeans in the attached pictures. I'm very proud of him.

Just thought you'd be glad to know that you started this effort.

Sandy Prets-Bowen

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Farewell To a KTSA Listener...

Ronald Charles Henarie

Born in San Antonio, TX on Sep. 24, 1935
Died Oct. 7, 2006 and resided in San Antonio, TX.
Visitation: Friday Oct. 13, 2006
ROSARY: Friday Oct. 13, 2006
MASS: Saturday Oct. 14, 2006
Funeral Home: Porter Loring Mortuary
Cemetery: Holy Cross Cemetery

Ronald Charles Henarie, 71, was called by the Lord and entered His Kingdom on Saturday, October 7, 2006 shortly after suffering a stoke in San Antonio, Texas. He was born September 24, 1935 to Amelia (Zepeda) and R. C. Henarie of San Antonio.

Ron graduated from Burbank High School and then from San Antonio Police Academy on April 11, 1958. After 34 years of service as a member of the SAPD, he retired as a Detective on September 26, 1992.

He was a member of the SAPD Pistol Team winning numerous medals at national matches as well as the Distinguished Police Marksman award from SAPD. In addition to competitive pistol and rifle shooting, he loved fishing, hunting, gunsmithing and e-mailing his friends.

Ron was a very caring, wonderful and loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, who was always willing to help anyone if he could. He will be greatly missed and will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

His parents, and a son, Roger, also a member of SAPD, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Joan; his children: Patricia (Lawrence) Coffee, Randall (Christina) Henarie, Richard (Peggy) Henarie, Robert (Deborah) Henarie, Russell Henarie, Raymond Henarie and Ronald (Tina) Henarie; half-sister, Mary (Steve) Hancock of San Diego, California; half-brother, Robert (Barbara) Henarie of Portland, Oregon; grandchildren: Edward (Trey) and Jason Cortez, Jeremiah and Lucas Hall, Amanda, Bettina, Ryan, Austie, Brittney, Robert, Benjamin, Brian, Zane and Sterling Henarie; four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

The family wishes to express special appreciation to the members of EMS and the nurses and doctors of the ICU at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital.

One In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the One Hundred Club of San Antonio, 1009 Austin Hwy., San Antonio, Texas 78209, an organization which assists in the education of dependent children of SAPD Officers killed in the line of duty.

Note From Chris:

I received an e-mail Saturday evening regarding the death today of a regular listener to my radio show.

His name was Ron Henarie.

Like so many listeners, I never had the privilege of meeting him in person, but we did exchange several e-mails over the years.

Here's the e-mail...

Quote:

In a message dated 10/7/2006 9:57:06 PM Central Standard Time, Joan writes:

Hello!

This is being sent as a blanket message from Ron's e-mail list.

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Ron passed away today, Saturday, at 4:08 pm at St. Luke's Baptist Hospital.

He suffered a stroke early Tuesday morning with bleeding in the brain and never regained consciousness. He never knew anything that happened and after several tests these past days and another test at Nuclear Radiology this morning the doctors report no brain activity whatsoever. We therefore let him go to his resting place very peaceful.

Definite times for services have not yet been arranged but we think it will be Wednesday or Thursday as the priest we want is out of town until Monday. Hopefully, I can give you a little further information tomorrow.

Joan

Below is the final e-mail Ron sent me last Saturday, just three days before his stroke...

Quote:

In a message dated 9/30/2006 3:42:21 PM Central Standard Time, Ron Henarie writes:

Chris,

I like to listen to you every afternoon that I'm out and about in my truck. I particularly like the way you take the moment of silence on behalf of our service men and women who are fighting for our country.

I'd like to suggest a song you could play during the interlude, "Keep The Home Fires Burning". What do you think?

Ron Henarie

I played the song in his honor last week. Somehow I sense Ron heard it.