Posted 1:50 am Sunday, February 05, 2012
Arp Man Runs TV Station From Own Home
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
ARP — Don Arber is at ease in the world of television.
Sitting in his office and control room, he monitors programming for CTP-TV Christian Television Programs Channel 7, occasionally pushing some buttons.
Arber, executive officer and general manager for the channel, puts programs into a piece of equipment called a Nexcis and edits them. Now, he checks in to ensure that things run smoothly.
“Everything is done by computers,” he said. “We program the Nexcis from the computer and tell it what programs to put on the air from which network and at what time so you have continuous programming going.”
Staff Writer
ARP — Don Arber is at ease in the world of television.
Sitting in his office and control room, he monitors programming for CTP-TV Christian Television Programs Channel 7, occasionally pushing some buttons.
Arber, executive officer and general manager for the channel, puts programs into a piece of equipment called a Nexcis and edits them. Now, he checks in to ensure that things run smoothly.
“Everything is done by computers,” he said. “We program the Nexcis from the computer and tell it what programs to put on the air from which network and at what time so you have continuous programming going.”
It's all second nature for Arber, who spent his life in communications and runs CTP-TV out of his Arp home on Lowry Street. He's traveled the world and interviewed many notable people, but he doesn't plan to stop working anytime soon.
Originally from Electra, Arber retired in Arp after serving in the Air Force for 29 years.
His love for communications began at 12 years old, when he built a radio station at his Electra home.
“I actually could broadcast probably a 15 to 20 mile radius, and I'd come home from school in the afternoon (and) sign in on the air,” he said. “I'd take requests and everything on the air (and) play their records, so the record shop there in Electra started providing me with all the latest music.”
He said his parents were impressed with what he was doing, although they couldn't understand it.
Originally from Electra, Arber retired in Arp after serving in the Air Force for 29 years.
His love for communications began at 12 years old, when he built a radio station at his Electra home.
“I actually could broadcast probably a 15 to 20 mile radius, and I'd come home from school in the afternoon (and) sign in on the air,” he said. “I'd take requests and everything on the air (and) play their records, so the record shop there in Electra started providing me with all the latest music.”
He said his parents were impressed with what he was doing, although they couldn't understand it.
He eventually graduated from high school and attended broadcast engineering school in Dallas.
In 1961, his interest in radio took him to a station in Wichita Falls, where he served as a staff announcer and interviewed artists.
He later went into the Air Force and worked with electronics.
“I've been all around the world so many times,” he said, adding that he was chief of the Engineering Technical Services division and served as senior officer in charge of electronics.
He decided to retire in Arp because his sister and brother-in-law live in New London, and he wanted to be near them.
His move led to CTP-TV, which he said started three years ago “by accident” on a dark channel in Arp.
In 1961, his interest in radio took him to a station in Wichita Falls, where he served as a staff announcer and interviewed artists.
He later went into the Air Force and worked with electronics.
“I've been all around the world so many times,” he said, adding that he was chief of the Engineering Technical Services division and served as senior officer in charge of electronics.
He decided to retire in Arp because his sister and brother-in-law live in New London, and he wanted to be near them.
His move led to CTP-TV, which he said started three years ago “by accident” on a dark channel in Arp.
Arber attends church in the area and started a DVD ministry for shut-ins. He said he would record Sunday services and also were involved with the local chamber of commerce.
A woman that was over the cable company in town asked him to do the Arp High School football games, and he agreed.
“I ordered three cameras, (and) we went out to the ball games, recorded them, and they liked them so well they asked could I put them on the cable channels so I did, and cable liked it so well they asked if I would take the channels and program it, so it has grown from that,” Arber said.
He started in Arp and moved to Channel 91 in Tyler in October. He said he has now returned to Arp because a full-fledged television station is set to go on the air there on channel 20.
Currently, the same signal from CTP-TV is seen anywhere in world through streaming video, and locally it attracts more than 4,000 viewers in places such as Arp, Troup, New London, Joinerville, Price and Overton, Arber said. Once the new station is in place, Arber expects to gain back 750,000 viewers and “a whole lot more.”
CTP-TV carries Christian television programming, including several churches in the area — Arp Assembly of God, Church Fellowship International in Joinerville and Living Word Church in Kilgore.
Arber said services generally play two to three times a week and are scheduled so people can watch them in the morning or afternoon.
The channel also carries “The Voice of Truth” with Teresa Richenberger, who will be on The 700 Club in about two or three months. The main source of Arber's programming comes from the Family Friendly Entertainment Network, as well as the LeSEA Broadcasting Network and the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
“It's great,” Arber's wife, Louise Arber, said of the channel. “It's wonderful and he enjoys it too.”
Arber said he's always loved radio and when television came along, he loved that too. In the Air Force, he also was a communications officer and developed a lot of training programs for his engineers.
“So I had fingers in it all my life,” Arber said. “I have worked both sides of the camera. I've been an anchorman with news and love it. I don't care what side of the camera I'm on.”
Arber said he also enjoys meeting people.
“We've had a lot of people on the air here — everything from congressmen to governors — and we've had one of greatest archeologists in the world, Dr. Ron Charles (and carried football games).”
Arber said he's gotten to do things people only dream of, such as walk in the Valley of the Kings and Queens where Cleopatra walked.
“I have lived a life that has just been amazing,” he said. “I have had airplanes at my disposal to go where I wanted to, so I've lived a dream life pretty much.”
But he said it was not all without cost. He was on-call constantly while serving in the military, especially during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he recalled a New Year's Eve when he was on air and was told to report to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. He had to get someone to take over the show, which he was doing at WDXY radio station in Sumter, S.C.
Through it all, he said he has managed to keep going and will continue to pursue his passion.
“I've been blessed with so much. I just got over a bout with cancer. I had surgery about eight months ago … The Lord has healed me from that. I had chemo, the whole nine yards, but I kept going. Three days after I got out of the hospital, I was at the station,” he said.
“I work. I have always worked (because) I love it. This is just awesome.”
A woman that was over the cable company in town asked him to do the Arp High School football games, and he agreed.
“I ordered three cameras, (and) we went out to the ball games, recorded them, and they liked them so well they asked could I put them on the cable channels so I did, and cable liked it so well they asked if I would take the channels and program it, so it has grown from that,” Arber said.
He started in Arp and moved to Channel 91 in Tyler in October. He said he has now returned to Arp because a full-fledged television station is set to go on the air there on channel 20.
Currently, the same signal from CTP-TV is seen anywhere in world through streaming video, and locally it attracts more than 4,000 viewers in places such as Arp, Troup, New London, Joinerville, Price and Overton, Arber said. Once the new station is in place, Arber expects to gain back 750,000 viewers and “a whole lot more.”
CTP-TV carries Christian television programming, including several churches in the area — Arp Assembly of God, Church Fellowship International in Joinerville and Living Word Church in Kilgore.
Arber said services generally play two to three times a week and are scheduled so people can watch them in the morning or afternoon.
The channel also carries “The Voice of Truth” with Teresa Richenberger, who will be on The 700 Club in about two or three months. The main source of Arber's programming comes from the Family Friendly Entertainment Network, as well as the LeSEA Broadcasting Network and the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
“It's great,” Arber's wife, Louise Arber, said of the channel. “It's wonderful and he enjoys it too.”
Arber said he's always loved radio and when television came along, he loved that too. In the Air Force, he also was a communications officer and developed a lot of training programs for his engineers.
“So I had fingers in it all my life,” Arber said. “I have worked both sides of the camera. I've been an anchorman with news and love it. I don't care what side of the camera I'm on.”
Arber said he also enjoys meeting people.
“We've had a lot of people on the air here — everything from congressmen to governors — and we've had one of greatest archeologists in the world, Dr. Ron Charles (and carried football games).”
Arber said he's gotten to do things people only dream of, such as walk in the Valley of the Kings and Queens where Cleopatra walked.
“I have lived a life that has just been amazing,” he said. “I have had airplanes at my disposal to go where I wanted to, so I've lived a dream life pretty much.”
But he said it was not all without cost. He was on-call constantly while serving in the military, especially during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he recalled a New Year's Eve when he was on air and was told to report to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. He had to get someone to take over the show, which he was doing at WDXY radio station in Sumter, S.C.
Through it all, he said he has managed to keep going and will continue to pursue his passion.
“I've been blessed with so much. I just got over a bout with cancer. I had surgery about eight months ago … The Lord has healed me from that. I had chemo, the whole nine yards, but I kept going. Three days after I got out of the hospital, I was at the station,” he said.
“I work. I have always worked (because) I love it. This is just awesome.”
