Today marks the 70th anniversary of when KWYN AM 1400 went on the air for the very first time.
KWYN began broadcasting on Sept. 28, 1956, at 6:33 p.m., in time for that evening’s Wynne Yellowjackets football game at Marianna. The game was called by Bud Raley, a Paragould native who established the radio station with his wife, Hannah Raley.
Raley served as president of the Wynne (now Cross County) Chamber of Commerce in 1959 and coined the phrase “The City With a Smile,” which remains the official slogan for the city to this day.
Raley is also the namesake of the Bud Raley Award, presented by KWYN to the top Wynne senior football player each year.
Along with Wynne football games, KWYN broadcasts Yellowjacket basketball, baseball and softball games and is the oldest network affiliate for the Arkansas State Media Network, airing Red Wolves football and basketball. Sister station Country 92.5 is home to Arkansas Razorbacks athletics, while 107.3 BOB FM broadcasts football and basketball for the Cross County School District.
KWYN is home to the longest-running talk show in the Mid-South — “Yawn Patrol.” The show was led by sales manager Ken Bock for more than 40 years and has included a number of other hosts, including longtime engineer/news director Art Rogers and more.
Over the years, “Yawn Patrol” has featured a variety of guests — both local and famous — including former President Bill Clinton when he was serving as Arkansas governor.
Today, the show is hosted by Lindell Staggs, who joined KWYN in 1982, and a rotating group of co-hosts that includes Bill Dugan, Lora Brawner and Chase Dimino. Dugan and Brawner both have their own long history with the station. Brawner began working at KWYN in 1973 and returned to the station in 2021 after a career in banking. Dugan first joined KWYN during the summer of 1974 before returning in 2014.
The local staff is rounded out by sales manager Sonja Martin and David Owens, who is also editor for The Wynne Progress.
KWYN’s first employee was Onalee Brawner, who was the traffic director/office manager prior to the station going on the air.
After Bud Raley died in a car accident in 1966, his vision, commitment and dedication to Wynne and Cross County was continued by his wife, Hannah, and the ownership remains in the same family with Bobby Caldwell, the third-generation owner and CEO.
Many longtime listeners shared their memories of listening to KWYN and “Yawn Patrol” over the years.
“Every morning growing up, we woke up to Yawn Patrol playing over the intercom system of our house,” recalled Courtney Hirons. “We knew if we weren’t ready by the time the birthday calendar came on that we were about to be late!”
Added Kimberly Crabtree, “Mr. Ken Bock used to play ‘Do Lord’ for me on my birthday every year when I was very young just after doing the birthday announcements. You don’t hear that song much these days, but as a kid I loved it. Such a great memory!”
Others recalled shows such as Platter Party and the Old Timers Show that once aired on KWYN.
“Back in the mid- to late-70s, we thought we were big time calling in to the radio station at night and doing requests and then hearing our name mentioned for the request on the radio,” said John Williams.
Added Glenda Vance, “I listened to it every morning growing up, every morning before work and still do! I listened to it at night during junior high and high school when we could call in requests and dedications! And, I listened to the Old Timers Show on Saturday mornings with my parents!”
Noted Sherry Phillians, “I loved hearing Mr. Ken play jazz music (during the Old Timers Show), Yellowjacket football on Friday nights and hearing all the neat things about our community on Yawn Patrol.”
Staggs was also the “Voice of the Yellowjackets” for 40 years, broadcasting 471 total football games (including 449 Jackets games), nearly 1,000 basketball games and 19 overall state championship games. Will Oswalt now handles those duties for KWYN.
Wardell Maney recalled Staggs calling Wynne’s 1986 first-round playoff win over Sheridan, led by former Wynne coach “The General” Don Campbell, on their way to the state championship.
“Ira Jeffrey’s 81-yard touchdown run preserved Wynne’s 13-8 victory and propelled them to go on and win the Class 3A state championship and an undefeated 13-0 season,” he said.
Wes Hooper, who calls Cross County games as part of his role with the district, said being part of those broadcasts helped take him back to when he was a kid.
“I remember going to my great-grandmother’s house when I was little. She had macular degeneration, so the radio was a big part of her life, and KWYN was always playing,” Hooper recalled. “As a kid, I never thought much about it. It was just one of those little pieces of childhood that eventually faded into the background. Years later, I walked into the station for the first T-Bird Tuesday and heard that familiar voice again. Almost instantly, I was taken back to my great-grandmother’s house. It brought back memories I didn’t even realize I still had. It’s funny how something as simple as a voice on the radio can take you back to a place and time you thought you had forgotten.”
KWYN has been an official reporting station for the National Weather Service since 1956 and remains the primary source for local news, weather and sports information for the community. The station was credited for helping to save lives during the March 31, 2023, tornado that killed four and injured about 30 others.
KWYN AM 1400 went on the air with 250 watts and has grown to 1,000 watts full-time. It was joined by KWYN-FM 92.7 on May 15, 1969, which has expanded from its initial 3,000 watts to 50,000 watts and reaches not only eastern Arkansas but also west Tennessee and north Mississippi.
East Arkansas Broadcasters, which owns and operates KWYN, includes 30 radio stations, 20 translators and three regional broadcast networks.
The original station for KWYN was located on Falls Boulevard near what is now the entrance to the temporary Wynne High School campus. KWYN moved to its current home at 2758 Highway 64 in early 1978.
KWYN has now been a part of listeners’ lives for 70 years. We would like to thank them for their support over the decades and for many years to come.
