KTVK founder to be inducted into Arizona Farm and Ranch Hall of Fame
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Ernest W. McFarland, the founder of KTVK and a former U.S. senator, will be inducted into the Arizona Farm and Ranch Hall of Fame in the East Valley this weekend.
Each year, the Arizona Farm and Ranch Hall of Fame recognizes people who significantly impacted the agricultural community in Arizona.
McFarland, otherwise known as “Mac” around the station and across the state, is being honored for his decades-long fight to establish a sustainable water supply in Arizona. McFarland’s efforts led to the Central Arizona Project, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.
The Central Arizona Project is the state’s single largest renewable water supply and serves roughly 80% of Arizona’s population.
Other 2025 inductees include:
- Arizona Cowbelles
- W.T. Gladdens - Buckeye
- Leona Carlyle-Kakar – Maricopa
- Orme Family/Orme Ranch - Mayer
- Barbra Stevenson Jackson – Tucson
- Jesse Hooker Davis
McFarland was elected governor of Arizona in 1954 and re-elected in 1956. He left a legacy not only to Arizona but also KTVK.
McFarland founded the news station in Phoenix because he was fascinated with the then-new medium of television.
The newly elected Governor chose the name because he wanted “TV to be our middle name.” KTVK began broadcasting on February 28, 1955 and had the first color-equipped studios in Phoenix.
KTVK remained in the hands of the McFarland family until 1999.
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