KURM At Rogers, AR says it will go silent next month.

KURM Radio (790-AM, 100.3 FM) in Rogers, AR, announces that it will cease operations on July 1.

The station began operations on November 9, 1979, according to station owner Kermit Womack. The catalyst for this decision, according to a press release, was Womack’s recent health issues.

“It is with great regret that I announce today the end of an era in local broadcasting,” Womack said. “KOURM has been a mainstay in this region for nearly 45 years, dedicated to covering local events in a tri-state region. Our style of radio is difficult to do. This, coupled with unfortunate health circumstances, led to this decision.

Kermit Womack is the father of U.S. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Rogers).

“It’s a sad day, that’s for sure,” Rep. Womack said, according to a report from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “But over time, not only has this industry changed dramatically, but people’s listening habits have changed as well. There are simply too many outlets competing to attract consumers.

“My father is an institution,” the congressman continued. “He is one of the last of a dying breed. He is KURM, and if he is unable to continue, it is only right that the station retires with him. »

The senior Womack says the station’s license is for sale and he will ask the Federal Communications Commission for time to make it happen. But according to the release, the station will go silent after July 1 (with special programming scheduled for that afternoon).

Kermit Womack, according to the release, graduated from Arkansas Tech in 1956 and later worked at radio stations in Russellville, AR (KXRJ); Lexington, Mo. (KLEX); Moberly, MO (KWIX/KRES); and returned to Russellville with KARV before founding KURM in Rogers.