Cummins Comes Back Today

Former KARK Met Bret Cummins shows back on air today. Funny thing, his bio has put back up on KARK.com and Cummins' bio reads like he never was gone.....hmmmm..

Former Shreveport Met Finds New Home

This from a tipster: Mark Rowlett, formerly with KTBS shreveport is now in Abilene Texas doing the weather. KTBS lost a good man. Tipster..they fired a good man. There's a difference..

Fort Smith Met Fired

This from a tipster: KFSM morning Met Brad Flickinger was fired on Thursday. He had been with the station for four years.

Welcome Back Brett.....

Brett Cummings is on his way back to KARK.... Here's what some tipsters sent in...


We heard that Bret Cummins won a lawsuit against KARK (NBC in Little Rock) and is returning to the station next week (9/8/09). Mike Francis is moving back to the mornings.

Press Release from KARK:
KARK 4 News is proudly putting Chief Meteorologist Mike Francis back on in the morning, on KARK 4 Today. Francis was promoted to the Chief position in May of 2008 and will remain in that role. He is currently the meteorologist at 5, 6, 7, and 10pm.

Former KARK 4 Meteorologist Brett Cummins will return to KARK. When Chief Mike Francis takes over weather duties on the morning news, Cummins will handle the weather forecasts during KARK 4 News at 5, 6, 7, and 10pm. The switch will be effective on September 14th.

“Mike’s still the Chief and his dynamic personality is simply a perfect fit for the mornings. Viewers loved him there, and we listen to our viewers,” said KARK 4 News Director Rob Heverling.

“Having our Chief in the mornings will allow him to be on top of any severe weather situation as it develops throughout the entire day, and he will take over whenever threatening weather is happening,” Heverling went on to say.

Chief Meteorologist Mike Francis says he's thrilled to be a part of KARK 4 Today again.

"This gives me the ability to really spend time studying the day's forecast plus, like with any morning show, I can loosen up a bit and have some fun. I think viewers can appreciate that,” Francis said.

Heverling also said, “With Mike moving to the mornings we knew that we had to find a meteorologist for our evening newscasts that people know and trust, Brett certainly brings that to the table.”

Chief Meteorologist Mike Francis said, “I can’t wait to work with Brett again, we've tracked plenty of storms together over the years and we have great chemistry. I know he's going to really hit the ground running on the 14th.”

Mike Francis can be seen on KARK 4 Today and Arkansas at Noon, Monday through Friday, starting on September 14th.

Meteorologist Brett Cummins can be seen on KARK 4 News at 5, 6, 7, and 10pm also on September 14th following the launch of The Jay Leno Show.

More Blood Flows in Shreveport

This from a tipster: KMSS Fox 33 in Shreveport fires at least 5 staffers including all of local news staff, resulting in immediate cancellation of KMSS 9PM Daily Newscast.

Sources close to station say the KMSS 9pm News was winning in the ratings against KPXJ 9pm News ( which is a re-hash of KTBS 3 News with a different anchor ). Despite the decent ratings, KMSS sales dept. couldn't sell the 9pm and so it got the axe.

KMSS now offers a 5 minute newsbreak of a talking head from ComCorp of Texas' affiliate in Tyler, TX.

Longtime KTHV Anchor Announces Retirement

Longtime KTHV anchor B J Sams has announced his retirement. According to his bio, Sams has been in broadcasting some 55 years. He has been with KTHV since 1982. Sams' last day is July 31st.

Bloodbath at KTBS/Shreveport

This from a tipster: KTBS: Friday May 1st. . . one of the bloodiest in the station's history as more than 15 employees were let go as a "reduction in force" layoff to save costs at the station. Some rumors are that the station will eventually phase out a formal production dept.

All this happens coming on the recent hiring of former KSLA veteran sportscaster, Bob Griffin who is supposedly doing part-time travel features once a week for KTBS. And the possible return of former weathercaster Jennifer Gray who left station to work in Miami.

KTBS Cuts Met loose

KTBS/ Shreveport recently cut loose long time Met Mark Rowlett. I wonder if it was done to bring back once a former Channel 3 met who just left her Florida job to come back to Shreveport....

New Reporter at KTAL

This from a tipster: KTAL has a new reporter. The only black male on-air. Kerry Charles came from Columbus, Ohio. He was a producer at the ABC station. He said he has also worked in Cincinnati.