Death of former WTAW Radio owner and founder of KYLE-TV Bill Watkins

This podcast includes comments from Bill Watkins YouTube channel "Thoughts While Thinking".A former owner of WTAW Radio who also built Bryan/College Station's first FM radio station has died.Bill Watkins came to Bryan/College Station in 1961, where he would manage WTAW, then at 1150 AM, for 18 years. In 1964 he built WTAW-FM. Then he would own the stations between 1979 and 1986. Also during his 25 years at WTAW, he took the AM signal from a daytime hours only to a fulltime signal.Watkins, who at 93 considered himself the oldest YouTuber in Texas, shared on his "Thoughts While Thinking" channel bringing on a 16 year old Scott DeLucia (now the lead on WTAW's The Infomaniacs) to do Consolidated High School basketball play by play on the new FM station.Watkins YouTube commentaries also included the 1973 hiring of Sunny Nash as a newsperson, before she became the first Black graduate of Texas A&M's journalism school.Another commentary shared the 1964 WTAW promotion of the movie "The Yellow Rolls Royce", which included stars of the movie appearing in downtown Bryan at the Palace theater. Watkins said that event put WTAW on the map.According to Bryan Broadcasting president Bill Hicks, Watkins was born and raised on a farm/ranch in Cranfills Gap TX where he was given the nickname “Cotton” due to his shock of white blond hair. Enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school. Following his service, he used the G.I. Bill to attend and graduate from Texas Tech.Watkins started in radio sales in Abilene TX then went to Port Arthur before arriving in Bryan/College Station. Watkins chaired the board of the Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) and Hicks says Watkins was one of the first members of the TAB's pioneer broadcasters group.Hicks says Watkins lifelong dream was to separate Bryan/College Station from the Temple/Waco SMSA/DMA (standard metropolitan statistical area/designated market area) and start a new local TV station. That dream was fulfilled with the start of KYLE-TV in 1994.Watkins shared the following biography on his YouTube channel "Thoughts While Thinking": Beginning my ninety fourth decade, I’ve lived through remarkable changes in society, technology, and culture. Each era demanded adaptability and resilience — the ability to stay relevant while holding onto the lessons and values that stand the test of time. From my early days as a Ranch Hand to serving as a Navy Veteran, from charting new frequencies in Radio to studying at Harvard Business School, my path has been one of grit, growth, and gratitude. “TWT” represents my interpretation of the bigger picture — the threads that connect experience, purpose, and progress. My journey through the broadcast industry, including my time as a TV station executive and Past President of the Texas Association of Broadcasters, has been more than a career; it’s been a lifelong pursuit of connection, learning, and service.