Downtown Alva was shiny clean. Street markings were bright and clear. There was no litter to be found. It was NWOSU Homecoming weekend when my husband Lynn and I visited Alva to look at a radio station for sale. Alva was putting her best foot forward.

After my father-in-law sold his radio station in Rolla, Missouri, where both my husband and I worked, he offered to help us buy or build a radio station. Lynn and I visited three towns, one in Arizona and two in Oklahoma, with stations for sale in our price range.

We knew about KALV in Alva from Charles Wood, a real estate agent and a relative on...