FAYETTEVILLE — It was a day to celebrate a new era in local public radio.
KUAF-FM, 91.3, held an open house at its new building, the Lynn and Joel Carver Center for Public Radio, on Dec. 16. The National Public Radio affiliate is moving from its shabby digs on the University of Arkansas campus into a new 7,500-square-foot facility at 9 S. School St., across the street from the Fayetteville Public Library. The buildings complement each other - both were designed by the same architect, Jeffrey Scherer of the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
The new radio station, significantly larger than KUAF’s former facility, will allow for expanded regional news coverage and programming. KUAF has three high-definition radio stations - its existing news/music format, an all-classical station and one with all news/information programming. The latter two stations can be heard free of charge by listeners with HD receivers or on kuaf.com.
Attendees at the open house included those who led the ongoing $1.5 million capital campaign to build the facility: honorary chairman Jim Blair and campaign co-chairmen Ann Henry, Dan Ferritor and Frank Sharp. So far, organizers have raised $1.1 million. The largest gift was an anonymous $500,000 donation.
Other large gifts came from the Carvers and Denise and Dr.
Hershey Garner. The station’s 350-square-foot Firmin-Garner Performance Studio is named for the Garners’ parents.
After the open house, many gathered for a celebratory dinner at the Garden Room on Dickson Street.
Northwest Profile, Pages 39 on 12/27/2009