KGFF’s Morning Show host, Derek Barton, recently won an Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters (OAB) award for long form programming for a segment honoring the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.
For the bombing anniversary in 2025, Barton interviewed fellow KGFF staff member Trey Davis, who was working for KTOK Radio in Oklahoma City in April of 1995. When the bomb detonated, Davis was already on his way to a regular assignment near the Murrah Federal Building.
“He literally turned the corner right after the bombing, so I thought with the 30th anniversary, we have an inside track because he really was the first media person on site at the time of the bombing,” Barton said.
In his interview with Davis, Barton asked about the first-hand perspective, but also about balancing covering tragedy as a journalist with the human emotions that surface in the face of so much loss.
“Our goal was to remember that day not only for the devastation it brought, but for the strength, unity, and compassion that emerged in its aftermath,” Barton said. “The response from our listeners was profound and heartfelt, reminding us that reflecting on April 19, 1995, was the right decision. Together, we continue to honor those who were lost, those who responded, and all who were forever changed by an event that remains an indelible part of Oklahoma’s history.”
After entering the segment for OAB’s Outstanding Achievement Awards, Barton placed first for long-form reporting in the non-metro radio division.
He received the award at an OAB event in Oklahoma City in April.
Barton got his start in radio in the 1980s while in high school in Buffalo, Wyoming. He also worked in the media room and as music director and rodeo announcer for the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association), covering professional rodeo at events such as the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. He retired from rodeo announcing a few years ago and has worked at KGFF for about two years. He does the morning shows for the station Monday through Friday and is also a sales manager there. He is married to Sovereign Bank Executive Assistant Renah Barton.