There’s a new stop on the radio dial in Conway and there’s no telling what song will play next, and that’s just the way they like it.
Broadcast from “the dumpy little shack at the Toad Suck Lock & Dam,” JACK 92.7 FM is bringing a new attitude to the radio scene in central Arkansas. Jay Runyon, market manager for East Arkansas Broadcasters Conway and disc jockey for the JACK 92.7 FM, said you’re likely to hear Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” lead into “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin.
“You can literally go from the devil to heaven. We cross all genres of music,” he said. “We don’t sit any one lane. We’re in all the lanes because sometimes, that’s the one we want to be in.”
The formula is a tried and tested style that listeners respond well to, said Runyon.
The variety doesn’t end with the music. Listeners also get a heavy dose of sports, including high school, college and professional broadcasts. JACK 92.7 FM is the home for St. Louis Cardinals games, and also boasts a weekly football game in the fall that features local teams like Conway, Conway Christian, Greenbrier, Vilonia and Quitman. During basketball season, listeners can hear games from Guy-Perkins, Mt. Vernon-Enola, St. Joseph, and collegiate games from the University of Central Arkansas.
“We feel like providing a local connection to what makes a community tick is what a radio station is supposed to do,” Runyon said.
It’s a model centered around what Runyon calls super serving the local community.
“It’s about what happens between the songs,” he said. “We want to play great music, have community involvement and give visibility to nonprofits and sports. Those are things important to families, business owners, and the backbone of what makes a community strong.”
JACK Gives Back
JACK 92.7 FM’s dedication to community is shown through a partnership with First Community Bank to provide $500 a month to a local nonprofit. Since its inception, JACK Gives Back has benefitted Toys for Tots, Deliver Hope, Conway Regional Health Foundation, Compass Academy, Bethlehem House and more.
JACK FM has also teamed up with Centennial Bank to hold weekly community breakfast club shows at Julie’s Sweet Shoppe & Bakery that allows local organizations and nonprofits to come on-air to discuss upcoming events and community activities.
“Conway is such a family community and we want to give a voice to all the different programs and organizations that make Conway what it is,” Runyon said.
The Making of JACK 92.7 FM, KCON
East Arkansas Broadcasters has 52 signals across Arkansas that spread into surrounding states as well. Conway is a market the company has long wanted to add to its offerings. Several years ago, owner Bobby Caldwell purchased the call letters KCON with the hopes of bring that to fruition.
92.7 FM was previously owned by Mike Harrison, a legendary sports broadcaster who brought more than 6,000 games — ranging from high school to college and professional — to the local airways as owner of the Creative Sports Network. Following his passing in 2021, East Arkansas Broadcasters bought the station from Harrison’s family and JACK 92.7 FM was born.
Looking Toward the Future
JACK FM recently added a second station to its repertoire at 98.9 FM. Runyon said the second station gives JACK FM more opportunities to broadcast local events and sports and make a deeper connection to the Conway community.
“It doubles our impact, doubles our exposure with regards to the type of events we can do, and it doubles the exposure for our advertisers, as well,” Runyon said.
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