The radio program After Hours debuted on Houston's Pacifica radio station, KPFT, on September 6, 1987. The program, which aired in the early morning hours of Sunday was described as a “queer variety show” featuring “music, news, chat, risqué antics, gossip, and above all, activism.” First produced and hosted by Buddy Johnston, Jimmy Carper soon joined the broadcast along with a huge variety of guest co-hosts, including Judy Reeves, Roy McCarthy, Francisco Sanchez, Sarah DePalma, Vanessa Edwards Foster, Monica Roberts, Stephen Jerome, Ray Hill, and many more. Johnston eventually left the show in December 1991, with Carper remaining the show's executive producer through the 2000s. In the early 2000s, Chris Harrison joined After Hours as a co-executive producer and host. A defining feature of After Hours was its commitment to representing LGBTQI+ voices from a spectrum of communities, including Hispanic, African American, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, Leather, and Youth communities. The show regularly featured themed segments such as Black on Black, Hispanic Hour, HATCH Youth, Bi Night, and Trans Night, showcasing the diversity and richness of queer experiences. For many years, Queer Music Heritage hosted by JD Doyle was featured every fifth Saturday.

After Hours served as a platform for community engagement and awareness, with segments like Houston's Q Patrol providing vital information to the Montrose community regarding safety concerns.

The recordings in this collection include episodes of After Hours from 1987 - 2006, as well as other related materials from KPFT, such as live recordings made at Houston Pride and the Texas Gay Rodeo, and more. The recordings were made by Jimmy Carper (January 13, 1948 - January 27, 2014) and entrusted to Judy Reeves, a contributor to After Hours and close friend of Carper. Through a post-custodial agreement with Reeves, the recordings have been digitized, and the digital files are maintained by University of Houston Special Collections.