KXUA

From 1973 to 1986, the University of Arkansas had a student radio station known as KUAF, broadcasting at 91.3FM. However, in 1986, KUAF became a network affiliate of National Public Radio, gaining a wide following but at a loss of student input. Three years later, 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 surrounding communities. 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 government application for 90.1FM and it was filed with the Federal Communications Commission (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, while 90.1 became a religious outlet.

In the spring of 1999, the University of Arkansas Media Board accepted the student radio station as a campus organization, among the ranks of the Arkansas Traveler (the student newspaper), the Razorback Yearbook, the AuxArc Review (a literary magazine), and UATV. KXUA signed on with 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 in and talked about their experiences with the station.

KXUA's format is non commercial. The station usually does not play any music that has appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the last 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. KXUA also sponsors local events, and scheudules 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 many college stations across the nation. KXUA prides itself in not only providing an opportunity for students to learn broadcasting experience, but as a major source for music education on the campus and community.

• KXUA in the FCC's FM station database
• KXUA on Radio-Locator
• KXUA in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• KXUA Blog