NEARsports.com and NEARsports Radio are sold

NEARsports.com and NEARsports Radio are sold
October 1, 2008

PARAGOULD - NEARsports.com and all of its holdings have been acquired by NEARsports Media Corporation. This includes Arkansas' first and only Internet exclusive sports radio station, NEARsports Radio. NEARsports.com is the second-most viewed Arkansas high school sports website in the state, averaging over 2.5 million hits a year for the last three years.

David and Melissa Grim, former owners and creators of NEARsports.com in 2002, officially sold the site to NEARsports Media Corp. this week. David, a 22 year veteran of sports journalism in both print and radio, intends to make the move to television broadcasting.

"It has been an honor to serve the sports fans of northeast Arkansas these past six years," said Grim. "I hope that they will continue to welcome me into their homes in whatever medium I will end up working in."

"NEARsports Media Corporation is pleased by its acquisition of NEARsports.com and NEARsports Radio," said Mike Akers, an attorney with Akers & Obert of Jackson, Miss., and spokesperson for NEARsports Media Corp. "This is an acquisition we have sought for the better part of four years. With the second highest hits for a high school sports website in Arkansas, we feel fortunate to make this acquisition."

According to Akers, NEARsports Media Corp. plans significant changes to NEARsports.com and NEARsports Radio. "However," said Akers, "we will not disturb the base product that was offered by the Grims."

NEARsports Media will feature a Game of the Week concept on NEARsports Radio, and will provide more overall local sports information than is currently available on NEARsports.com.

In addition, NEARsports Media will open a new local office at 3802 Linwood Drive in the former KHIG-FM building in Paragould. NEARsports Media has added seven staff members to the northeast Arkansas staff, and further interviews are being conducted. "We are currently interviewing broadcast professionals to do play-by-play and game commentary," said Akers. "We will kick off the broadcast season by airing the Joe V. Jones Invitational Basketball Tournament to be held at Buffalo Island Central High School October 20-26."

NEARsports Media Corporation will initially have four divisions in northeast Arkansas; NEARsports.com, NEARsports Radio, NEARsports Media and NEARsports Graphics. "Additional positions in our new graphics department will be the corporation's next priority," said Akers.

"The Grims have done a tremendous job at NEARsports over the last six years," Akers said. "We hope to expand the franchise with an infusion of capital, and we hope that we will be a good corporate citizen in Northeast Arkansas."