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Monday, August 9, 2021

Tyler TX Radio: Big D & Bubba Launch On KKUS


The Big D & Bubba syndicated radio show returns to East Texas airwaves today on KKUS 104.1 FM The Ranch, according to the show’s executive producer, reports KLTV.

“This is the fastest we’ve ever replaced a lost affiliate,” said Patrick Thomas, President of Silverfish Media and Executive Producer for Big D & Bubba. “We couldn’t have done it without the outpouring of support from the community.”

Big D & Bubba will replace current KKUS morning show host Charlie O’, who is moving to afternoons.

The move to The Ranch comes after the duo was replaced on competitor KNUE 101.5 FM with a local morning show on Monday, Aug. 2, after a 21-year run.

The change was immediately met with pushback on social media from longtime listeners.

Derek “Big D” Haskins and Sean “Bubba” Powell talked about the end of their East Texas radio run in an interview with KLTV on Tuesday. They said they were contacted by KNUE leadership about two months prior to being taken off the air.

And while the end of their run on KNUE wasn’t quite as abrupt as some on social media had assumed, that didn’t make it any less of a difficult or disappointing end for the duo.

“We never got to say goodbye, say thank-yous. It was really one of those things that hit us hard,” said Powell. “This is family. We’ve known these folks, people throughout East Texas. And to not even be able to say goodbye was the hardest part.”

“Big D & Bubba” is a syndicated show, originating in Nashville. It first hit the air in Tyler-Longview on KNUE in 2000, making the station one of their oldest affiliates.


Carleen Dark, Tyler Market President for Townsquare Media, said the radio duo was aware of their impending exit from KNUE.

“I’m not sure why they say they didn’t get a chance to say goodbye when they knew when,” she said. “And for whatever reason, they chose not to do something. I really couldn’t speak as to why they would feel like they didn’t have a chance, because I know they did.

Dark says the decision to stop airing the show was not a decision to save money, but a decision to focus on East Texas.

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