NTIA / PTFP: Public Broadcasting Coverage

ARKANSAS


State population (2000 census)		2,673,400

Population receiving a FM public radio signal		1,955,291	73.1%
(from both in and out-of-state stations)
Population in uncovered areas		718,109

Stations in State	FM stations	6
	FM translators	6
	AM stations	0

1989 PTFP Study:	Population receiving a
	FM public radio signal	1,499,000	66%

Broadcast Coverage Maps

FM Stations - Detail FM Stations - Printable

Public Radio Stations in State

Main stations in bold followed by associated repeaters
Facilities in italics operated by out-of-state broadcasters
Location in ( ) - actual location of transmitting facilities
N - New facility since 1989 study # - Station now meets study criteria

FM Stations

KBSA¹
90.9
El Dorado KLRE
90.5
Little Rock

KUAF
91.3
Fayetteville KUAR
89.1
Little Rock

   K205AA N
88.9
Fayetteville    K233AD N
94.5
Monticello

   K203BO N
88.5
Mena    K234AB N
94.7
Forest City

KASU
91.9
Jonesboro    K234AC N
94.7
Batesville

KABF
88.3
Little Rock    K295AB N
106.9
Hope

¹Operated by KDAQ, Shreveport, LA.
AM Stations
None
General Comments
Six stations and six translators provide public radio service in Arkansas. Five stations are licensed to universities and one is licensed to a non-profit community organization. Residents of the Little Rock region receive multiple program service, including two services operated by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, licensee of KLRE and KUAR.
FM Service
Over the past 15 years, six translators were added to the six full-power stations that were reported in the 1989 PTFP study. The heavily populated areas of the state are well covered with three stations serving Little Rock and the surrounding area in the center of the state. Fayetteville, in northwest corner of the state, is covered by a station and translator.
The percentage of population in Arkansas receiving a public radio signal has increased from 66% in 1989 to 73.1% currently. The number of people in the state who cannot receive a public FM station has decreased from 787,000 in 1989 to 718,109.
AM Service
None
Service from Adjacent States
KBSA, located in El Dorado, Arkansas, is operated by and repeats the signal of KDAQ Shreveport, Louisiana. Several stations in Tennessee, WNKO and WEVL Memphis and WKNQ Dyersburg, provide public radio service to Arkansas residents living in Mississippi and Crittenden counties along the Mississippi River on the Tennessee-Arkansas border. From Missouri, KSMS Branson provides public radio service to the residents of Carrol and Boone counties in the northwest part of the state.

Unserved Areas
Arkansas’ terrain features low mountains, rugged hills and national forests. Sparsely populated areas are prevalent.   The unserved areas of Arkansas appear as a ring surrounding Little Rock. In total, about 50% of the land in Arkansas is not covered by public radio. The following three areas are each about the size of the state of Delaware.
Region A
The area north of KUAR and between KUAF to the west and KASU to the east includes nearly 300,000 citizens without public radio. PTFP funded a project in 1997 to provide a full power repeater station in Mountain Home, Arkansas, but the project was unable to be completed. This repeater would have brought first service to over 60,000 residents.   The terrain is rugged and a channel 6 TV station operated by Arkansas Educational Television is in Mountain View.
Region B
The area along the Oklahoma border, between KLRE-FM and KBSA, contains over 150,000 residents without public radio service. On the southwest border, KTXK in Texarkana, Texas, is increasing its power from 5 kW to 100kW and will extend its signal further into southwest Arkansas.
Region C
The southeastern section of Arkansas is a flat flood plain with relatively low population density.