Arkansas Radio Network (ARN) was a statewide
radio network
There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass media, mass-media entertainment, and the two-way radio (Duplex (teleco ...
serving
radio station
Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
s in the state of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
. ARN was headquartered in
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...
operating from its
flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship (also known as a flagship station or key station) is the broadcast station which originates a television network, or a particular radio or television program that plays a key role in the branding of and consumer loyal ...
KARN-FM and ended its existence under the ownership of
Cumulus Media.
History
ARN began their broadcasting activities in 1967 and for 55 years provided affiliates in Arkansas
top news headlines,
agriculture business news,
sports
Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...
, and specialty programming.
The Network started as the Delta Farm Network, an early morning program by KARK Farm Director Bob Buice, who also appeared on KARK-TV. Known for his velvet-like voice, he also did a weekend program on the Network for many years called ''Uncle Bob's Stories from the Bible''.
The network later expanded to include the ''AP&L'' (Arkansas Power and Light, later Entergy) ''Live Better Electrically Hour'', a program of music played in the late morning and broadcast over KARK-FM's signal. Ted Snider purchased KARK AM-FM from Mullins Broadcasting and founded the Arkansas Radio Network with newscasts provided by KARK-TV Newscasters (Don Corbett and Les Bolton) and Sportscaster Jim Elder. KARK was distributed by KARK-FM or by relays through other FM stations (KNBY-FM in Newport to KRLW-Walnut Ridge as an example).
ARN's growth came in the early 1980s, when distribution moved to satellite, although the number of affiliates had been growing into the 1970s. ARN was a staple across the state in the 1980s and 1990s, with the newscast broadcast at :55 minutes past each hour. Bob Buice was succeeded as Ag Director by John Philpot, and later by Stewert Doan.
In mid-February 2022,
Cumulus Media (which acquired ARN through its 2011 acquisition of
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company founded and developed by Larry Wilson. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the count ...
) informed ARN's eighteen remaining affiliates that it planned to suspend the network's operations effective March 20.
See also
* KARN-FM
References
External links
*
*
American radio networks
Mass media in Arkansas
Cumulus Media radio stations
{{arkansas-stub