I’m excited to share audio of a newly digitized recording of legendary Little Rock R&B station KOKY-AM 1440 on Aug. 8, 1975. The 90-minute cassette, recorded off the air, captures a strong presentation by midday disc jockey Harrell Torrence. He was clearly very busy, talking between nearly every song and bringing together the many elements of the broadcast.
A recording of Little Rock’s KOKY-AM 1440 on Aug. 8, 1975.
The station was heavily promoting its summer “Stash the Cash” contest, which involved $250 being hidden somewhere in Little Rock. That’s the equivalent of about $1,500 today. Twelve clues hinting at where the money was located were being broadcast and printed on KOKY’s Soul Express Music Survey, which could be picked up at businesses throughout central Arkansas.
There are lots of great jingles between current and classic R&B hits. KOKY aired national newscasts from Mutual Black Network News, which was created in 1972 specifically for stations targeting Black audiences. The lead story in this recording was the death that day of jazz musician Julian “Cannonball” Adderley at age 46.
There’s also part of a local newscast, but the recording doesn’t include the anchor’s name. Side A of the cassette ran out midway through the newscast, and perhaps he gave his name at the end. I’ve prepared a full index of what’s in the recording, including quotes from the DJ patter, which you can read here.
AUDIO: Little Rock radio station KOKY-AM 1440 on Aug. 8, 1975, from 10:10 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. with DJ Harrell Torrence. The music has been edited to include only the beginnings and ends of songs to avoid potential copyright violations.
KOKY went on the air Oct. 8, 1956, initially calling itself “Greater Little Rock’s Ebony Station,” with studios at 1604 West 14th Street. The FCC had awarded a license that year to John M. McLendon, who also owned three radio stations in Mississippi. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas has a detailed history of the station, which was the first in the state to have a Black staff and programming aimed at a Black audience. Among KOKY’s early DJs was Central High School student Al Bell, who would later become co-owner of Stax Records in Memphis.
Nineteen years later, at the time of this recording, KOKY was calling itself “Soul Express Radio” and had moved eight blocks to 723 West 14th Street. After initially broadcasting with a 1,000-watt daytime-only signal, the station was approved within a few years for a power increase to 5,000 watts, which more effectively covered central Arkansas.
KOKY was sold several times over the years while retaining its format until 1979, when a new owner, Forus Communications of Arkansas, changed the programming to gospel and the call letters to KITA. The studios remained in the building on 14th Street for decades.
The skinny building that housed the studios of KOKY-AM 1440 in 1975 at 723 West 14th Street in Little Rock. The photo was taken June 7, 2025. The building now houses a music production studio. Photo: Michael Hibblen
The building is now home to Braceface Music Studio, according to its website, with a banner outside that says BFM Studio. A tall radio microwave tower secured with guy wires still stands behind the building. I assume it is used to relay programming for KLAL-FM, Alice 107.7, from Cumulus Media’s building in west Little Rock to the station’s broadcast tower at Wrightsville. The FM station, which went on the air in March 1992 and also had studios in the building, was originally known as Heaven 107-7.
An FCC database shows the AM 1440 signal in Little Rock is, as of this writing, off the air. With the decline of AM radio, many companies are abandoning their licensed frequencies.
The KOKY call letters later resurfaced for a time on AM 1250 before disappearing from the Little Rock radio dial again. They were revived in the late 1990s by corporate radio chain Citadel Broadcasting when it was planning to put an urban adult contemporary station on the air at FM 102.1.
The company’s director of programming, “Broadway” Joe Booker, told the Arkansas Times in a 2019 story that he felt the call letters “would be perfect” for the format. KOKY-FM 102.1 has consistently ranked near the top of Little Rock radio ratings. The station was launched on New Year’s Day 1998.
KOKY’s heritage and history were celebrated at a 2019 event organized by the Central Arkansas Library System’s John Miller, which included a panel discussion with many people who had been associated with the station.
Bob Gay died last December at age 87. Thank you to his son, Russell Gay, for giving these tapes to me.
Revised Sept. 15, 2026 to correct the spelling of disc jockey Harrell Torrence.
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
