Fort Smith Radio Group to launch ‘Arklahoma Today’

It didn’t take long for a competing radio station to fill the news/talk void following Clear Channel’s decision to cancel a once-popular morning radio show.

On July 19, officials with San Antonio-based Clear Channel said Arklahoma AM, a morning radio show that was a cornerstone in the Fort Smith media market for more than 20 years, was canceled effective immediately. The show was broadcast on KWHN AM 1320, and featured four hours (5 a.m. to 9 a.m.) of local news, interviews and information about events and issues in the Fort Smith metro area.

Gary Elmore, the long-time voice of Arklahoma AM, passed away June 7 at the age of 56. Dave Ashcraft, the Fayetteville-based manager for Clear Channel stations operating in Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith, said Elmore’s death was the primary reason the show was pulled.

Fort Smith-based Pharis Broadcasting announced late Friday (July 23) it would bring a news/talk format to KFPW-AM 1230 beginning Monday (July 26). KFPW is one of five stations in the Fort Smith Radio Group (The Fort 94.5; KOOL 104.7; and The Sports Hog 103.1FM/1580 AM.) The Fort Smith Radio Group claims that KFPW has been “the Voice of Fort Smith since 1930.”

“We had been planning to expand our local programming in the morning anyway,” said Karen Pharis, general manager of the Fort Smith Radio Group. “So now we’re not only offering a new, local news/talk voice, we’re offering the only local news/talk voice.”

“Arklahoma Today” will be anchored by Bill Pharis, who will be assisted by news director Steve Rinke and the resources of KFSM/5News, including contributions by newscaster Daren Bobb and meteorologist Garrett Lewis.

Features will include Fox News/Business News updates, Arkansas Radio Network News, the Mike Huckabee Report, Bill O’Reilly’s Radio Factor, and Chronicles of the Old West.

Bill Pharis said the new Monday through Friday offering will be “a work in progress” as it seeks to serve the needs of the listeners.

“People have called to encourage us to add local news/talk to our line-up and they have given us some very good suggestions, “ he said. “Gary Elmore, Daren Bobb and the other contributors at KWHN set a pretty high standard over the years, but we’re going to do our best to deliver a quality show for the people the Fort Smith area.”