Rainwater, Barrett Ready for Radio Rumble

“Conference Call,” the Memphis-originated sports talk show formerly carried in Northwest Arkansas by ESPN-affiliate KREB-AM 1190 (“The Fan”) of Bentonville, is no more. The evening radio program recently featured CBS television broadcaster Tim Brando and former Auburn University coach turned ABC/ESPN broadcaster Terry Bowden fielding phone calls from 5-8 p.m. about Southeastern Conference sports.

Stephen Butler, owner and general manager of KREB-parent Butler Broadcasting Inc. of Fayetteville, said “Conference Call” was canceled Dec. 4 by the United Sports Talk Network of Memphis. A national college sports show to replace it was in the works, but that idea has also been nixed.

To help fill the SEC show’s vacated slot, Butler extended the local broadcast of Randy Rainwater’s “Drive Time Sports,” from 3-5 p.m. weekdays to 3-7 p.m. Rainwater’s show, which has a University of Arkansas sports format, originates from KABZ-FM, 103.7 (“The Buzz”) in Little Rock and is carried statewide on 14 stations.

Because of Federal Communications Commission regulations, most AM stations must power down during the winter when daylight hours are fewer. So for now, KREB signs off at 7 p.m. after Rainwater’s program ends.

“We had callers say they were tired of hearing about Alabama and Florida football all the time rather than the Razorbacks,” Butler said. “We feel like our listeners want more Razorbacks programming, and we’re just giving them what they want.”

The change means Rainwater is now going head-to-head during radio prime time — the evening 4-6 p.m. commuter drive time — against market leader Chuck Barrett’s “Sports Rap” show. Barrett’s statewide network is carried from 4-6 p.m. and originates from KFAY-AM 1030 in Fayetteville.