Little Rock Public Radio will Highlight Renovated Studio and Enhanced Tech at Open House

As the University of Arkansas at Little Rock celebrates its 100th anniversary, Little Rock Public Radio is returning to its roots with a new home in the heart of campus.

The station began in 1972, after the Little Rock School Board approved plans for a radio station at the new Metropolitan Vocational Education Center. The station gave high school students real-world experience to prepare for broadcasting careers, and 14 years later, the Little Rock School District and UA Little Rock teamed up to create KUAR, the university’s radio station. In 1987, the station’s studios moved into Stabler Hall at UA Little Rock.

Now, nearly 40 years later, Little Rock Public Radio is moving from University Plaza to a new home in Stabler Hall, bringing the station back to the heart of campus with a fully renovated studio and state-of-the-art broadcast technology.

The relocation project represents a major investment in the station’s future. After nearly two decades operating with aging equipment, Little Rock Public Radio will now broadcast from a modern space equipped with advanced technology and extensive backup systems. These upgrades ensure greater reliability and security, promising a higher-quality, more consistent listening experience for the community.

While the new equipment and studio provide Little Rock Public Radio with a more reliable foundation for broadcasting, the return to Stabler Hall also brings the station back to its roots as an educational resource.

For General Manager Jonathan Seaborn, being back on campus creates an opportunity to build on the station’s longstanding connection to student education and become more involved in campus life.

“It’s nice to actually be on campus and accessible to students from an educational standpoint,” Seaborn said. “We want to work more with departments on campus to help support them, and we want to have that student interaction and work-study, independent study through the studio. We want to be a resource.”

The return to campus gives Little Rock Public Radio an opportunity to reconnect students with hands-on broadcasting experiences, work more closely with university departments, and become a more active part of campus life.

To celebrate its return to campus, the station is hosting the Little Rock Public Radio Open House at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, on Trojan Way. The event will begin with opening remarks from UA Little Rock Chancellor Dr. Christina Drale, Friends Board Vice President Kimberly Lee, and Seaborn, followed by a performance by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and tours of the station’s new state-of-the-art facilities. Guests can enjoy snacks and refreshments while exploring the space and learning more about the station’s return. The event is free and open to the public, and guests are encouraged to RSVP. For those unable to attend in person, a livestream link will be provided on the day of the event.