Radio gets a new representative in Congress

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Rick Crawford picked up a degree in agriculture and along the way worked as a rodeo announcer – the two things converged logically with a career in agricultural radio (with a little television work thrown in as well.) Now Crawford has a new gig – US Representative to Congress from the Second District of Arkansas. Like most incoming freshmen this cycle, Crawford is a Republican.


Crawford is owner and operator of AgWatch Network – according to his campaign bio, it is “…a farm news network heard on 39 radio stations in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as TV stations in Little Rock and Jonesboro.”

Here is how his campaign described his ag/media background: “He has been a news anchor and agri-reporter on KAIT-TV in Jonesboro, Farm Director on KFIN-FM in Jonesboro and producer/anchor of the syndicated Delta Farm Roundup TV show airing in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Greenville, Mississippi.  For five years he served as marketing manager for the second largest John Deere dealer group in North America.  Rick has also been a featured agri-columnist in the Northeast Arkansas Business Today publication.”

Crawford is on the council of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, and has twice been an NAFB award recipient.

RBR-TVBR observation: Although Crawford would most likely be a very useful ally to the broadcasting industry on the highly influential Energy and Commerce Committee, it appears his first interest is Agriculture.

Nevertheless, it is always good to have a member of Congress who can provide fresh insider testimony on the challenges currently facing the industry.