Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Area radio stations sold

Federal Communications Commission approval is pending in the sale of Arkadelphia's three radio stations to a De Queen broadcasting company.

Under the pending sale, stations KDEL/KVRC and KYXK are being sold to Jay Bunyard, doing business as Bunyard Broadcasting Co.

KDEL/KVRC are being sold for $400,000 and KKYX is being sold for $325,000. Bunyard Broadcasting operates radio stations in De Queen, Nashville, Mena, Searcy and Texarkana.

The sale, if approved by the FCC, will be effective Aug. 1.

Plans call for the three stations to operate under the same roof and management at the present site of KYXK at 3210 Pine St., but with three different programming formats. The stations will operate here as the Clark County Broadcasting Co.

However, Gurdon residents shouldn't worry. Gurdon will still have a broadcasting station. Although the radio stations will be under the same roof, they will still carry different programs. So Gurdon High School football action will still be able to be heard over the radio.

Bunyard said it is premature to discuss at length his purchase of the Arkadelphia radio stations and his plans for them.

"It's pending right now. We've not received FCC approval," he said.

He predicted the station consolidation "will be good for Arkadelphia and Clark County in general."

Phil Robken, owner of KYXK, known locally as KIX 106.9, said the sale amounts to a consolidation and merger of the three radio stations. He said this is the trend among small city radio stations.

Robken and Eddie Graham, owner of KDEL/KVRC, said the sale will have distinct advantages for listeners of all three radio stations. It will be easier for people to telephone both stations with a single number once the merger is completed.

"It's kind of like one-stop shopping," Robken said. "I just think it will be better for both the listeners and the advertisers' marketplace. This is pretty much the way we have seen it happen in other places."

Another advantage is that the consolidated radio stations will be jointly better off financially than were the two separate radio stations.

"There will be one owner who will have both, who will have the resources to devote to the best quality of programming," he said.

Robken and Graham said the sales of their stations do not spell the demise of the stations' three distinctive programming formats.

"That's not going to change," Robken said.

Graham said it would be impractical to consolidate the three stations' formats.

"If you are going to do that, why not close two of them down and just operate one of them. They'll all have different programming," he said.

It takes an average of 45 days for the FCC to approve radio station sales. Bunyard said that time period will be over in mid-July, with the projected takeover set for Aug. 1.

Graham said his station's personnel will be retained by the new owner. "That was part of my deal that they would keep most of the personnel."

Robken said Bunyard Broadcasting Co. will decide all personnel questions arising from the radio station sale.

KVRC first went on the air in 1947. It was established by Cecil Cupp Sr. KDEL-FM went on the air in 1977. Graham has owned the stations since1985.

Robken established KKYX in 1993 in Gurdon, then moved to Arkadelphia in 1995.