KBPU (88.7 FM) and KTYC (88.5 FM) are

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

s in De Queen and

Nashville, Arkansas Nashville is a city in Howard County, Arkansas, Howard County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,627 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The estimated population in 2018 was 4,425. The city is the county seat of Howard Count ...

. The two stations form a simulcast known as Ed 88 with a variety/classic hits format. The stations are owned and operated by

Cossatot Community College Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (CCCUA) is a public community college serving southwest Arkansas. Its main campus is located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains in De Queen, Arkansas. History Cossatot Vocational- ...

, part of the University of Arkansas System, and maintain studios in De Queen and Nashville.

History

The

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

issued a

construction permit Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...

for KBPU to Educational Opportunities, Inc. on September 7, 1999, and issued it the KBPU

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

. On July 25, 2002, the permit was assigned to the

American Family Association The American Family Association (AFA) is a Christian fundamentalist 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States.

. The station received its license to cover on December 6, 2002. It aired a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

format and was an affiliate of

American Family Radio American Family Radio (AFR) is a network of more than 180 radio stations broadcasting Christian Conservative Christianity, Christian-oriented programming to over 30 states.IHR Educational Broadcasting IHR Educational Broadcasting dba Immaculate Heart Radio operates a network of radio stations in the Western United States, airing Roman Catholic religious programming. The network provides a 24-hour a day schedule consisting of call-in talk ...

. It was silent throughout much of 2005 and 2006. On May 2, 2006, the station was donated to Radio Assist Ministry/Edgewater Broadcasting. It aired a Christian format as an affiliate of Freedom Radio FM. On June 14, 2012, the station was sold to the board of trustees of the University of Arkansas for $67,500. In 2007, the University of Arkansas had applied for a construction permit for a station in Nashville, which the FCC approved on May 5, 2009. KTYC was granted program test authority in May 2012, initially broadcasting at 850 watts. In January 2020, the Ed 88 stations entered into a consent decree with the FCC which saw the payment of a $76,000 penalty for broadcasting improper underwriting announcements that impermissibly promoted products or services in 2016.

References

External links

* {{Classic Hits Radio Stations in Arkansas BPU Radio stations established in 2002 2002 establishments in Arkansas Classic hits radio stations in the United States Sevier County, Arkansas