WFAA was the first radio station in Texas to join a national network (becoming an affiliate of the NBC Red Network in 1927, four years after it agreed to join the network), co-founded the Texas Quality Network, and was the first Texas station to carry educational programs, to produce a serious radio drama series, to air a state championship football game and the first to broadcast an inaugural ceremony (that of Texas Governor Ross Sterling in 1931). The station's original on-air staff members and reporters consisted of columnists and editors employed with "The Dallas Morning News". WFAA (AM) was home to the long-running morning program, "The Early Birds", hosted by John Allen (and which was one of the early appearances by Dale Rogers, who would later go on to star in several western films with actor husband Roy Rogers); as well as programs such as the gospel music series "Hymns We Love", hosted by Norvell Slater; music programs "Saturday Night Shindig", "The Big D Jamboree" and "Slo-and-Ezy"; the agricultural news program "Murray Cox RFD"; and later, "57 Nostalgia Place". Many of the early Dallas television pioneers began their careers at WFAA radio, including Ed Hogan, one of the most well-known personalities in Dallas during the early years of television. After maintaining an entertainment/variety format for many years, the station became a Middle of the Road (MOR) music station in 1970, before switching to a Top 40 format in 1973. On November 9, 1976, the station made its final format change, adopting a news and talk-based schedule (as "Newstalk 570").