The Arkansas State University Athletic Department, along with East Arkansas Broadcasters, announced Wednesday that KFIN 107.9 FM, a 100,000-watt radio station located in Jonesboro, will become the new flagship station and home of Red Wolves’ football broadcasts for the 2008 season.
KFIN’s 100,000-watt signal reaches parts of Tennessee, Missouri and a large portion of Arkansas, giving more ASU football fans the opportunity to follow the Red Wolves during the upcoming season. Today’s announcement comes one year after ASU made the move from 103.9 FM (Earl FM) to the 34,000-watt station 95.9 FM (The Wolf), both also part of East Arkansas Broadcasters.
“Our goal is to use KFIN as the flagship station of the Arkansas State Radio Network in order to expose ASU Athletics to as many people as possible,” said Bobby Caldwell, owner and CEO of East Arkansas Broadcasters. "KFIN is on one of only three 100,000-watt stations in Northeast Arkansas and has a signal that goes into Tennessee, Missouri and a large portion of Arkansas."
ASU football broadcasts will now be back on a 100,000-watt station for just the second time in school history and the first time since games were aired on ASU’s campus station, KASU. ASU football games were carried by KASU from approximately 1957-92. Along with the Arkansas State Radio Network’s list of affiliates, the Red Wolves’ football games will possibly reach more fans than ever before. A full list of affiliates will be announced at a later date when details become finalized.
“We are extremely grateful to Bobby Caldwell and East Arkansas Broadcasters for the great service they continue to provide Arkansas State University and our athletic department,” said ASU Director of Athletics Dr. Dean Lee. “Their commitment to excellence has not wavered and their coverage of ASU Athletic events has been outstanding.
“Naming KFIN the flagship station for Red Wolves football is a big step towards reaching a larger listening audience,” said Lee. “EAB has really stepped up in our combined efforts to make ASU football broadcasts more accessible to fans locally, regionally and state-wide. This announcement, without a doubt, goes a long way in showing that we have a quality product that continues to generate more and more interest.”
“We’re extremely excited to be making the move to a 100,000-watt flagship station,” said Red Wolves football play-by-play announcer Matt Stolz. “It’s another big step for our network and hopefully we can continue to provide a great product on the air to go with a great product on the field. Bobby Caldwell has a tremendous love for ASU sports and that’s been shown through what he’s done with this network (EAB) over the last five years.”
“I am happy about this move as part of the broadcast team, but as a lifelong Arkansas State fan I am thrilled that the games are going to be heard over such a large area,” said Red Wolves football color analyst Bill Keedy. “Broadcasting the games on KFIN will put Arkansas State in areas where we haven’t been heard in many years.”
“I am delighted to hear that KFIN will carry ASU football this fall,” said Charles Rasberry, Emeritus Assistant Professor of Radio/TV at ASU. “It is great to have our broadcasts back on a 100,000 watt outlet. That will insure our games will be heard throughout a large portion of Arkansas, west Tennessee and southern Missouri.”
