By: Hunter H.R. No. 1652
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Donald J. Dunlap of Corpus Christi, general manager
and president of KEDT, is marking a half century in broadcasting in
2022; and
WHEREAS, A Robstown native, Don Dunlap joined KEDT at its
inception in 1972; he was employed as an engineer, television
production manager, operations manager, and assistant general
manager before taking the helm of the station in 1996; partnering
with the Texas State Aquarium and the Art Museum of South Texas, he
served as executive producer on two nationally distributed public
television series, Wonders Under the Sea and Art Journeys; his
tenure has brought a wealth of local programming, including the
documentary Justice for My People: The Hector P. Garcia Story; the
high school quiz show Challenge, now in its 17th season, and The
KEDT Edition, a discussion forum for community leaders;
WHEREAS, his engineering and fundraising acumen enabled the
South Texas Public Broadcasting System to add a second radio tower
in Victoria to deliver high-definition television and digital radio
programming; In 2016, Mr. Dunlap guided the station into a new era
with the relocation of KEDT-TV and KEDT-FM to the $48-million KEDT
Center for Educational Broadcasting at Del Mar College; moreover,
during the COVID-19 pandemic, the station expanded digital services
to the Valley and instituted daily radio health newscasts and
launched PBS Learning Media, a free distance-learning tool for
teachers and students; it collaborated with the Corpus Christi
Independent School District on Operation Stay Connected, providing
basic math and reading instruction for prekindergarten through the
second grade, taught by CCISD teachers; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Dunlap serves on advisory committees for PBS and
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; he has worked tirelessly
at the local, state, and national levels on the digital conversion
of public television, and he has given generously of his time and
expertise in numerous leadership roles, among them chair of the
National Educational Telecommunications Association and member of
the Del Mar College curriculum advisory board; and
WHEREAS, Few in broadcasting can claim a career as long and
impactful, and through his outstanding contributions to KEDT and
the communities it serves, Don Dunlap has earned the admiration and
appreciation of countless South Texans; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Donald J. Dunlap for a half century of
service to public broadcasting and extend to him sincere best
wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Dunlap as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.