KATV ND: New AM Program Won't be Local "The View"

Source: Arkansas Business Online As reported earlier in the week KATV's Daybreak program will be revamped come Monday, April 18. The lineup includes current KATV meteorologist Melinda Mayo alongside Shareese Kondo, a former newspaper reporter and currently a public relations coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Nicole Capri, a former stage actor and director who is the educational programs coordinator for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. KATV News Director Randy Dixon said KATV general assignment reporter Beth Hunt is the front-runner for the fourth spot, though interviews are still being conducted.

The show’s obvious likeness to ABC’s “The View” wasn’t intentional, according Dixon, who said his affiliate’s new show won’t be a local version of the network staple.

“The program will still deliver what people watch the morning show for, which is news, weather and traffic. There’ll just be a little more to it,” he said. “The main point is that it’s not going to be ‘The View,’ aside from having four female personalities.”

Along with news and weather in every segment, Dixon said a live “talk-back” segment will air daily featuring CNN’s Jane King reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, where Arkansas stocks and business news will likely be featured.

“By having two traditional news people on there alongside two who we feel like can contribute some valuable insight and banter, we’ll hopefully be offering more of an appeal to our viewers,” said Dixon.

The new show will air from 5-7 a.m. Monday through Friday.