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 KASU
celebrates its 45th year in operation in 2002. For over four decades,
KASU-FM has provided quality programming to this region and educational
opportunities in broadcasting for Arkansas State University students.
Beginning as early as 1935, Arkansas State students found ways to
get on the air via local radio stations. In that year, a small broadcast
facility was constructed in Wilson Hall for students to create programming
to be sent out through KBTM radio in Jonesboro. In 1951 Dr. Carl
R. Reng became president of then Arkansas State College. He wished
to offer classes in broadcasting and increase public awareness for
the school. In 1953 John Ed Cramer was hired to head the effort
and his task was not small. Although there was no facility or equipment,
Cramer began organizing the new curriculum by copying the efforts
of Northwestern University.
 Twenty-one
students enrolled in the first year of broadcasting classes. Students
produced a play-by-play of an Arkansas State football game that
same year. That game, as well as a quiz program, was broadcast by
KBTM. Over the course of the next three years, music programs, newscasts
and interviews became standard for students in radio classes. Although
still broadcasting through a local radio station's donated time,
Arkansas State began to seriously invest in the future of broadcasting.
A new facility was furnished in Wilson Hall with donated equipment
and an Associated Press teletype was installed.
John Cramer contacted the Federal Communications
Commission in 1953 to find out if it would be possible to establish
a radio station on the ASC campus. The call letters KASC were available
and Cramer submitted a request. However, once the application was
officially submitted to the FCC, Arizona State College had taken
the KASC call letters. Dr. Reng believed that Arkansas State would
one day achieve university status and therefore KASU would be more
appropriate. The application was approved and KASU was assigned
91.9 FM.
 On
May 17, 1957 KASU signed on the air with the words, "Good afternoon
everyone. KASU-FM, an educational non-commercial station, now begins
broadcast operations on this day, the seventeenth of May, 1957."
This opening-day broadcast featured a speech by Dr. Reng, a concert
by the Arkansas State Band and interviews with students and faculty
members. Though only broadcasting with 760 watts, the station would
rapidly undergo advancements in the coming years. In 1958 area radio
stations donated over 1,500 albums to KASU. At the time, students
broadcast contemporary music of their liking, along with sports,
dramas, political discussions and foreign language lessons. Even
though John Cramer moved on in 1958, he had created a source of
pride for the college. With a diverse class offering in broadcasting,
high student-interest in radio, and an Indian sports network that
covered virtually all of Arkansas and southeast Missouri, Cramer
created something special at ASC.
In 1961 the picture was much different. The station
was not run professionally and rarely signed on. That same year
saw the arrival of a new station manager, Charles Rasberry. His
ideas turned the station and the broadcasting curriculum of Arkansas
State around. Rasberry felt that KASU should be a broadcasting service
for the university. The administration supported Rasberry and granted
him the funds to construct a new facility, a new transmitting tower,
and to hire another staff member. In 1967 Arkansas State College
was granted university status, making KASU an accurate name for
the station. In 1970 KASU received a grant from the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting and began remainining on the air throughout
the summer. The next year KASU became an original member of a fledgling
radio service called National Public Radio (NPR).
 KASU
became a full-power station in 1973, broadcasting at 100,000 watts.
That same year a tornado ripped through Jonesboro.. From that point
on, Rasberry was determined to provide weather information no matter
the time or date. On Christmas Eve of 1982, Rasberry and Operations
Director Richard Carvell began weather coverage as tornadoes again
threatened the area. For their efforts KASU was awarded a citation
for meritorious service from the American Legion and the citizens
of Jonesboro also presented the station with a special award of
appreciation.
Through the eighties the station continued to expand
its program offerings and began broadcasting eighteen hours a day,
later expanding to twenty-four. In the nineties KASU dropped sports
coverage and focused more on diverse music and news programs. In
the mid nineties KASU installed an automation system which allowed
the station to run for short periods of time without staff present.
KASU also became listener supported during this time due to rising
programming costs.
The twenty-first century looks bright for KASU.
The station is undergoing renovation to the KASU website to allow
listeners to pledge online, and many new programs and offerings
are in the works. We celebrate KASU's 44th year of broadcasting
and pledge to present quality programming to our audience for decades
to come.
For more information on KASU, contact Matt McClain at (870) 972-2200
or email at matt@kasu.org.
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