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Broadcasting pioneer
Harvey Couch founded WOK, the first broadcast radio station in Arkansas. Meant to service the Pine Bluff area, its signal reached large parts of the country.

In 1921, Couch visited Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and radio station KDKA, a pioneer of modern broadcasting. He also met Lee de Forest, inventor of the wireless radiotelephone and the vacuum tube. Couch bought equipment and decided to set up a radio station in his home state, “to advertise Arkansas and, incidentally, AP&L.” He saw great potential benefits for his company and Arkansas. AP&L had already been planning to set up a radio system so that the plants around the state would easy communication. Couch demonstrated the radio in November 1921 to the Pine Bluff Rotary Club.

In February 1922, two 100-foot wooden poles were erected at the company’s office at Fifth and Main streets in Pine Bluff to hold the radio antenna. A week later, the U.S. Department of Commerce gave AP&L permission to operate with 500 watts of power. WOK, “Workers of Kilowatts,” went live the night of 18 February, 1922. Listeners were encouraged to call and remark on the quality of their reception. The signal was heard across the United States—a man in Wisconsin sent a letter saying he had received a “clear and distinct” signal.

Immediately, AP&L started promoting WOK, and acquired more broadcasting equipment. There were no commercials on the station; it was fully supported by the utility company. In coming months, the station had many firsts in Arkansas: first broadcast sermon, first broadcast sports event, first broadcast music concert, first remote church broadcast.

Couch extolled WOK (and radio in general) for “bringing all parts of the country in close touch.” He promoted WOK all over Arkansas, including in many hotels (which were installing radios in lobbies), the Arkansas State Fair and even in prisons. Listeners enjoyed the lack of commercials, but WOK became a financial drain on the utility company and it required much employee time. In June 1923, broadcasting was ceased, with the expectation it would resume in the fall. The station’s license was renewed in September 1923 for another three months, but WOK remained silent. Couch later donated the radio equipment to Henderson-Brown College in Arkadelphia. Student broadcasting began in in February 1924. But in June 1924, WOK, the first Mid-South's first broadcast station, shut down permanently.

Deane, Ernie. “Pine Bluff Radio Station WOK, First in State.” Jefferson County Historical Quarterly 10.4 (1982): 10–14.

Poindexter, Ray. Arkansas Airwaves. North Little Rock, AR: 1974.

--- July 23, 2013 Pine Bluff Commercial "Walks Through History Tour" coming to downtown PB The state’s first radio station — WOK — was put on the air here by Arkansas Power and Light Company (now Entergy) founder Harvey Couch in 1922. The station operated in a Main Street building across the street from the present Simmons First National Bank. - See more at: http://pbcommercial.com/sections/news/local/%E2%80%98walks-through-history%E2%80%99-tour-coming-downtown-pine-bluff.html#sthash.dScWdE88.dpuf