Acceptance Video

The information below is the actual nomination language used by the person who submitted the nomination. All submissions had to answer three questions: one about the nominee's career, one about their contribution to the communist they served, and finally, about their contribution to the broadcasting industry in Arkansas.

Career and accomplishments as an Arkansas Broadcaster

Past President – Arkansas Broadcasters Association 1996
Silver Mic Award Winner – Arkansas Broadcasters Association 1999
Arkansas Broadcasters Political Action Committee Chairman 1997-2020
Bob was 23 when he started working at KTLO-AM in Mountain Home in 1968. He and his wife Sue were part of a group who bought the station in 1973. Bob’s wry sense of humor brightened up the day. For over four decades, people in the KTLO listening area started their day with his morning show program’s signature opening: “It’s time to rise and shine”. KTLO-AM was the heritage station in Mountain Home having signed on the air in May 1953. Under Bob’s leadership, the Mountain Lakes Broadcasting Corporation eventually added KTLO-FM, Classic Hits 101.7 KCTT, and 99.7 The Boot KBOD, as well as one of the top websites in radio at www.ktlo.com . Bob was the Voice of Mountain Home Bombers sports teams for a number of years. Bob placed a very strong emphasis on local news. While other radio stations were gutting their news departments, Bob maintained an experienced, well-trained news department staff that was the envy of other Arkansas broadcasters. Bob made numerous trips on his own time and dime to capitols in Little Rock and in Washington, D.C. to lobby on behalf of broadcasters’ interests.

Contributions to their community during their time as an Arkansas Broadcaster

Bob, a 1963 graduate of Mountain Home High School, served as President of the Mountain Home Education Foundation, Mountain Home Lions Club, Baxter County Razorback Club, Mountain Home Industrial Park Board, and Mountain Home Planning Commission. Bob served as a board member with the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce, Baxter Regional Hospital Foundation, and the Arkansas State University-Mountain Home Advisory Board. Bob earned accolades for his devoted and tireless service to organizations both local and statewide. He was appointed by Governor Mike Huckabee, and later reappointed by Governor Mike Beebe, to six-year terms on the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation, and Travel Commission. He served a year as chairman of that commission. Perhaps the crowning moment of his extraordinary community service work came in May 2021 when a day was set aside and declared Bob Knight Day in Mountain Home by city and county officials in order to celebrate Bob and his efforts to serve his hometown. These volunteer jobs Bob held had one general aim – to make the Twin Lakes Area and the State of Arkansas better places to live, work, and play.

Contributions to our industry

After graduating from the Wichita School of Broadcasting and serving his country aboard the Battleship New Jersey in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam for four years, Bob worked daily at KTLO in Mountain Home from 1968 until his death in October 2021. That’s 53 years of service contributed to the broadcast industry and to his community. Most of those years were spent working alongside his wife Sue. They were a team in every sense of the word. Now, their daughter, Heather Knight Loftis, has followed in their footsteps and works as an owner and a manager at Mountain Lakes Broadcasting Corporation.