KXUA

History

Decades ago, the University of Arkansas had a student radio station known as KUAF, broadcasting at 91.3FM. However, in 1986 KUAF changed their format to National Public Radio, gaining a wide following but at a loss of student input. After three years of listening to talk radio, a group of students decided to form a new student radio station, named KRFA, which would be based on the college radio format. The "broadcasting" was done via cable and carrier current, rather than FM or AM, which was available to on-campus facilities only. In the spring of 1994 KRFA disbanded.

In the fall of 1994, KRZR was formed as student organization at the University of Arkansas with the goal of creating an FM station to serve the University and the Northwest Arkansas region. A consulting engineer was hired to do a frequency check and complete the technical portion for a 500 watt station at 90.1FM.

In the Spring of 1996, a communications lawyer was hired to complete the non-technical portion of the FCC application for 90.1FM and it was filed with the FCC. The American Family Association (AFA), a Christian radio organization, also filed for 90.1FM. Subsequently, KRZR filed for 88.3FM; so did the AFA. After several months, the AFA and the University of Arkansas came to a settlement and the student radio station was given 88.3FM

In the spring of 1999, the University of Arkansas Media Board accepted the student radio station as a part of their organization, among the ranks of the Arkansas Traveler (the student newspaper), the Razorback Yearbook, the AuxArc Review (a literary magazine), and UATV. KXUA began its first broadcast on April 1, 2000. In the spirit of April Fools' Day, the first listeners were led to believe that the station wasn't allowed to play music—a stunt upheld by the DJs playing nothing but political speeches. Soon enough the prank was dismissed, and listeners got their first taste of real programming. For the ten year anniversary, the station promoted a switch in formatting to education programming, and broadcast lectures, quantum physics texts, and audio versions of esoteric Wikipedia articles. Listeners called in and complained all day long filling up the answer machine, and then calling other offices on campus. The joke was revealed at the end of the day during a special retrospective show in the evening, during which many former DJs called int and talked about their experiences with the station.

Format

KXUA's format is totally non commercial. KXUA, in principle, does not play any music that has appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 in the last 50 years, however, for functional reasons the rule typically forbids the top 40 from the past 40 years. Eclectic music, mainly the newest arrivals, plays all day long and genre-specific shows air evenings and weekends including some talk shows, spoken word shows, and old time radio broadcasts. Freeform shows, meaning anything and everything, air mainly after midnight. They also sponsor local events, and strive to have frequent in studio performances from local and traveling musicians. Most genre shows are recorded and made available through the KXUA website and individual DJs websites and on iTunes for free.

All DJs are directly affiliated with the University, either as students or employees, and are volunteers. The executive board controls the station and is made up entirely of students that and are elected each year. They are the only paid members of the station.

KXUA is unique for the Northwest Arkansas region, though somewhat similar to several college stations across the nation. They pride themselves in not only providing an opportunity for students to learn broadcasting experience, but as a major source for music education in the campus and community.