Arkansas Business has a very detailed account of what led to the ouster of Grant Merrill as general manager and owner of KEWI-AM 690 in Benton, which is now off the air. At least one of his former business partners, Curtis Arnold, who provided some money for Merrill to buy the station, had very harsh comments and said he is considering litigation against Merrill. The article says that Merrill's partners began hearing of late bills, bounced checks and unpaid employees (sounds like when I worked there in 1989 when it was still known as KBBA). Arnold and silent partner Jeremy Hutchinson (a state senator) came in to look at the books and didn't like what they found, deciding Merrill wasn't who they wanted running the station. No details about a potential buyout of his part of the ownership were listed. Merrill told the paper he will be vindicated of accusations made against him. He acknowledged making rookie mistakes as a station owner, but said there was no criminal activity or any outright dishonesty. The low-power AM station has been working for years to get on the FM band, and those efforts will continue under new management, though this suggested it may just be a translator. The AM meanwhile is expected to be back on the air within a few weeks, the story says.
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/art...e-countys-only-radio-station-kewi-am?page=all
I'm not trying to sling dirt at Grant. I've met him a handful of times over the years and he always seemed like a decent, ambitious person. And I'm sure it's hard as hell to make a small AM station profitable, though KEWI's previous owner Jim Landers was quoted saying he was in the black all 17 years he ran it and as for Merrill's departure, told the newspaper "good riddance."
The station has a long history in Benton, going back to the 1950s I believe, known as KBBA, with call letters that originally stood for Keep Building Benton Arkansas and was run by Winston Riddle, until his death. His son John was running it by the time I got my first radio job there in 1989, but as I said earlier, I had bounced paychecks and was glad to quickly move on to another station.
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/art...e-countys-only-radio-station-kewi-am?page=all
I'm not trying to sling dirt at Grant. I've met him a handful of times over the years and he always seemed like a decent, ambitious person. And I'm sure it's hard as hell to make a small AM station profitable, though KEWI's previous owner Jim Landers was quoted saying he was in the black all 17 years he ran it and as for Merrill's departure, told the newspaper "good riddance."
The station has a long history in Benton, going back to the 1950s I believe, known as KBBA, with call letters that originally stood for Keep Building Benton Arkansas and was run by Winston Riddle, until his death. His son John was running it by the time I got my first radio job there in 1989, but as I said earlier, I had bounced paychecks and was glad to quickly move on to another station.
Last edited: