Politics pump up KARN.(Brief article)

From winter 2008 to winter 2009, KARN, 102.9-FM, saw its ratings steadily increase. The election cycle provided a boost during 2008, but the conservative talk radio station saw numbers bump skywards after the administration of President Barack Obama began planning its move into the White House. In the winter 2008 Arbitron Inc. ratings, KARN-FM scored a 3.5 rating. In winter 2009, the rating reached 6.6.

"Since the election, we have a president who got beat by a large margin in Arkansas," Dave Elswick, KARN's program director, said. "Because of that, it's pretty obvious that Arkansans" are not fans of Obama.

"We are a conservative talk station, so it only makes sense that people come here to talk about it," said Elswick, who broadcasts daily from 2 to 6 p.m.

The station broadcasts popular right-wing pundits such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Scan Hannity. Along with "The Dave Elswick Show," the station airs local programming such as "First News With Bob Steel" and the "Delta Farm Show & Farm Focus."

Aside from the presidential change, Elswick said, the station also conducts more community outreach now and engages in more on-site broadcasting from locations such as Washington, D.C. "The Dave Elswick Show" broadcast from the 2009 National Rifle Association meetings held in Phoenix in mid-May.

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