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Arkansas State University

Charles Rasberry

Charles Rasberry - Founder of the Indian Sports Network

Charles Rasberry

Charles L. Rasberry of Jonesboro was a faculty member in the Department of Radio-Television when he founded the Indian Sports Network in 1961 and oversaw radio broadcasts of A-State Athletics for 27 Years.

He joined the faculty of the A-State Journalism Department in 1961 and was assigned to teach radio courses and manage KASU by L.W. “Tex” Plunkett, the legendary department chairman. He immediately faced the task of getting radio station KASU back on the air after its old transmitter failed. He also successfully partnered with commercial radio stations to carry the football broadcasts around the state.

As enrollment and interest grew, Rasberry and Plunkett proposed separating the radio program from journalism. They along with President Carl Reng created the Department of Radio, Journalism and Printing, and Rasberry succeeded Plunkett as chairman. When the College of Communications was created, Rasberry became chairman of the Department of Radio-Television and Dr. Joel Gambill led the Department of Journalism and Printing.

Rasberry oversaw the network and served as chair of the Department of Radio-Television until his retirement in 1987. He is emeritus professor and chairman of the department and emeritus director of broadcasting for KASU, ASU-TV and the Indian Sports Network.

He wrote the successful grant application for $85,000 that allowed KASU to increase its power from 3,600 watts to 100,000 watts in what he called “a true game changer” for the station in 1973. That same year, KASU was the first local broadcast station in the Jonesboro area to pre-empt regular programs during the frequent periods of severe Mid-South weather to broadcast watches, warnings and safety tips to the public. Rasberry would personally take the microphone live during times of inclement weather.

He was born in Brookland, grew up in Paragould and received the Wilson Award – A-State’s highest student honor – in 1956 as a journalism graduate. He was elected president of the Faculty Association and chairman of the Faculty Senate in 1976-1977.

He also served on the Kays Foundation Board of Directors for 20 years from 1996 to 2015, including president from 2013-2015. He served on the A-State Mascot Review Committee and the Mascot Selection Screening Committee in 2007-2008, which resulted in the transition from Indians to Red Wolves as the university mascot.

Rasberry was honored as an A-State Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni recipient in 2004. He received the Broadcast Pioneer Award from the Arkansas Broadcasters Association, the Distinguished Educator Award from the Arkansas Advertising Federation and the Lifetime Member Award for Significant Contributions to the Broadcasting Industry from the Arkansas Broadcasters Association. He is a 1924 Sustaining Life Member of the A-State Alumni Association.

Three Press Box Wall of Honor honorees – Charlie Cromwell, Collin Pillow and Bill Keedy – were students of Rasberry, and he hired Keith Merritt to be the play-by-play announcer on the former Indian Sports Network.

He and his wife, Rebecca (Becky), have one daughter, Dr. Catherine Rasberry, who is married to Frank Hendrix, and a grandson, Charlie.

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