UALR Public Radio is moving... to a new tower site! KATV Channel 7 has built a new tower on Shinall Mountain, near KUAR's current site, and invited both KUAR and KLRE to move there. Channel 7 has donated space on the tower and its new transmitting site for both KLRE and KUAR. The value of this contribution, calculated over 25 years, is $2.7 million!

Moving to the new tower site will make your public radio stations even better (read about the advantages below) and will mean cost savings to KLRE and KUAR in the future. However, the move and improvements will cost approximately $200,000 right now and that is why we're asking for your help. Your contribution will truly make a difference for your listening enjoyment.

The advantages for UALR Public Radio at this new site are plentiful:

1. Improved signal: Antennas for both stations will be higher in elevation. The higher an FM antenna, the better the signal. KLRE will especially benefit from the move since it will increase in elevation by 700 feet from its current location on the campus of Metropolitan Career-Technical Center.

2. Energy savings: Antennas located at higher elevations also need less power to operate. It will take less energy to reach the same listening area for each station.

3. State-of-the-art transmitting facilities: Both KLRE's and KUAR's transmitter buildings were in dire need of renovation. Moving to the new KATV state-of-the-art facility will mean avoiding those renovation costs and providing additional room needed for digital equipment.

4. Stand-by generator: At the new KATV site, KLRE and KUAR will have access to a stand-by generator, which will allow the stations to stay on air even during power outages.

5. Other cost savings: UALR Public Radio will also experience additional cost savings through a reduction in the cost of maintaining the current towers sites and paying lease agreements.

Expenses that are a part of this $200,000 transition include new antennas for both stations, cable, additional equipment, electrical installation, engineering consultation and labor. We've designed the project so that we might move to the new site with a minimal amount of interruption to the stations' regular broadcast schedule.

We're asking listeners to help fund this next step in UALR Public Radio's growth. We have already raised nearly $50,000 from listeners. You can help us raise the additional funds needed by making your contribution today. If you've never made a contribution to UALR Public Radio, now is the time. If you give regularly to our stations, we're asking you to make an additional contribution today.

You can call us at 569-8485 or 1-800-952-2528 or e-mail us at tower@kuar.org or tower@klre.org to discuss your pledge. Or, you can use our online pledge form to make a contribution today. We accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

With your help, we reach new heights!

UALR Public Radio has been exploring the possibility of building a new tower at Shinall Mountain for several years. A new tower would provide an improved signal for both stations and a better facility. In 2007, UALR conducted an engineering survey and found that one tower site was still available on Shinall near KUAR's current site.

In January 2008, KATV's broadcast tower in Redfield collapsed. The second highest structure in the world when it was built in the 1960s, KATV considered rebuilding the 2,000 foot structure; however, the commercial television broadcaster also sought the possibility of building a tower at a higher elevation so the structure itself would not have to be so tall.

Consulting with management at Deltic Timber, which owns the land at Shinall Mountain where several other TV facilities are located, KATV found that one site was available, the site that had been surveyed by UALR Public Radio. Deltic Timber suggested that KATV offer to provide free space to the University's public radio stations on its new tower, and KATV agreed.