Former KFYO News Director Max Mott Passes Away

For about 30 years, Max Mott (pictured, above right), was one of the most visible voices on News/Talk 790, KFYO.  As news director, Mott led the largest radio-only newsroom in Lubbock throughout a multitude of changes in both Lubbock, and the media industry as a whole. Mott worked for KFYO in the decades of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

He recently passed away on May 5, 2016.

According to Agape Funeral Chapel, the 83 year-old Mott was born on October 7, 1932. In addition to his decades work in media, Mott loved gardening, reading, and travelling to rural areas of New Mexico to explore the history there.

Mott is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons, Steven and Paul, both of Lubbock; and his daughters, Donna Holmes and Cynthia Rangel both of Arlington, Texas. Mott's legacy also extends to numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On April 24, 2002, Mott last appeared on KFYO to reminisce about his time on the radio station with then-morning show host Jane Prince-Jones.

Mott was on-duty during coverage of the Lubbock Tornado on May 11, 1970, "I had gone back to work (around 9:40pm) because we had a plan where certain members of the staff would come back (to the station), if the weather had gotten worse," he said.

Mott continued, "I was at City Hall in the Emergency Operations Center when the tornado hit.  Actually, I was down in the basement. City Hall at that time was at 9th Street and Avenue J, which is now the location of the police station. It was right across the street from the KFYO Studios, which was located at 914 Avenue J, downtown."

He then recalled KFYO being the only broadcast media outlet in Lubbock to provide information in the immediate aftermath of the tornado, "We stayed on the air miraculously because we had a generator at our transmitter site at the corner of 82nd and Quaker, which is now Kingsgate North. We also had a portable generator at the studio site, so we stayed on the air."

"It was the entire staff that covered the tornado," Mott said. "Once it hit, Bud Andrews and Bill Reynolds were up at the studio, they were there (on the air). Once it was over, our people began to show up (to provide the latest news)."

News/Talk 790, KFYO, and NewsRadio 1080 KRLD in Dallas, received a Presidential Citation from President Richard Nixon for their news coverage of the Lubbock Tornado.