Marty Wind, general manager of KLUX 89.5, says he owes his wife of 25 years, Rose Garza-Wind, a trip to Europe for all the long hours and late-night calls he’d get when inclement weather knocked out power at the transmitter site. “She has taken very good care of me, and I can’t wait to be with her a little bit more.”
In a previous life, Marty discerned religious life as a Marianist in San Antonio. After eight years, he did not renew his temporary vows and, in 1967, went back to Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio to complete his degree in music education. He taught in Taft for five years, then in League City for three years.
As a man who was starting a family, Marty knew he needed to make more money than his teaching salary afforded. As a result, he got his foot in the door at a radio station in Brownsville and fell in love with radio.
Before working for the diocese, Marty had an advertising and consulting firm. He had managed and consulted for broadcast properties in south Texas, including KDUV in Brownsville, KMBH-TV/KMBH-FM in Harlingen, and KEXX and KITE in Corpus Christi.
Since its inception, Marty has been with Diocesan Telecommunications Corp. (DTC), Catholic Communications Network (CCN), and KLUX Radio. As one of the founding board members in 1983, he helped obtain the license and designed the original transmitter and studio plant, signing the station on air on March 17, 1985. In 1987 he closed shop on his advertising and consulting firm and joined the full-time staff of CCN, then was appointed executive vice president and general manager of KLUX in 1991.
According to Marty, KLUX Radio has more than 21,000 people listening to them every week. “That’s a lot of listening, and they’re hearing the Gospel of the Lord. They hear
Today in the Church. They listen to what we believe – through all of these vignettes that we create to teach the Catholic faith or explain the faith and its traditions. One of my favorites is the reading of the Gospel by Bishop Michael Mulvey. The Gospel comes alive, and it’s great storytelling. And people who never would sit still to listen to the Gospel hear that. I think that’s powerful, and our listeners do too because they support us.
“I never would have been able to do what we have done – without the staff that I have. I mean, Russ Martin is a great broadcaster. He could have done many other things, but he elected to stay here and do this ministry – he understands that it’s a ministry. He’s a great talent and a fabulous copywriter. Russ has really been a great assist in all of this,” Marty said. “Richard Luna runs the video Cathedral Mass. Richard is a great video producer. And Irene [Menchaca] has just been a superb office manager/administrative assistant. And before Irene – Margie [Rivera] was with me for many years. All of the staff and volunteers have really been a big part of the success of KLUX,” he said.
A high point in his career was winning the National “Gabriel Award” in 2016 for “Station of the Year”
for its service to the community and overall programming, which uplifts the human spirit. Another achievement was the Centennial Mass video production at the American Bank Center in 2012. “Attendance was at about 8000 people, and we had individual recordings from each of the cameras that were set up. It was a complicated technical operation, and the whole staff worked together to make sure this production took place seamlessly. That was a huge event,” Marty said.
April 2020 presented challenges for Marty; the 1,000-foot tower that held the station’s transmitter for the past thirty years crashed to the ground. But God works in all things, and a new location is now in the works, and before he leaves, KLUX 89.5 will have an even greater broadcast range.
His retirement begins the second week of May 2021, and Deacon Mark Cazalas, the new general manager of DTC and CCN, will take his place. His advice to the new GM is, “You’ve got to do a lot of listening, be open to new ideas and be a servant leader.”
Marty thanks all the listeners over the years who have supported the station and urges them to continue their support of this great ministry.
He says he will be available for the station in some volunteer capacity – that is – after he tours Europe with his wife.
If you want to share a memory or wish Marty a farewell, send your message to
[email protected], and KLUX will post your message on their website at
KLUX.org