THV SD to Appear on Ellen Today

KTHV News Director Mark Raines tells Arkansas TV News, "Craig O’Neill will appear on the Ellen Degeneres show today at 4:00 p.m. on Today’s THV. Craig was in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago to cover the Arkansas Razorbacks’ game with USC and stopped by to interview Ellen for a segment that will air in November. In typical Craig fashion, he stole the show. Ellen’s people pulled some excerpts to air today and it’s very funny."

HERE's an excerpt from the program.

Where Are They Now

Today we put former KATV anchor/reporter Rachel Oesch in the spotlight.

Rachel is an experienced journalist and has worked at numerous television stations including KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas, WMTV in Madison, Wisconsin, KXXV and KCEN in Waco, Texas and KAUZ in Wichita Falls, Texas.

What's Rachel doing now? She is an anchor/reporter for WDEF-TV News 12 in Chattanooga, TN.

Plagiarized Weather Blog?

Found an interesting topic on Media Line's Open Weather Line. It has to deal with the K8 weather blog and another weather blog on the World Wide Web. Strange how two posts on two different blogs are nearly the same, word for word. Check it out HERE.

Where Are They Now

Today we put former KTHV sports anchor Max Morgan in the spotlight.

Max began his career in his home state of Arkansas as a radio disc jockey. He later switched to television and worked nine years in Little Rock where he was the televsion and radio voice of Arkansas-Little Rock college basketball. In 1991, Max moved from Little Rock to Baltimore and worked for the FOX station there for nearly three years.

What's Max doing now? He is a sports anchor at KDFW/FOX 4 in Dallas, Texas.

Where Are They Now

Today we feature former KATV'er Randi Kaye.

Her television career began at ABC in New York City where she worked at both Nightline and World News Tonight. While at ABC, Kaye covered President Bill Clinton's campaign in Little Rock, Ark. She eventually moved to Arkansas to work at ABC affiliate KATV where she covered the Whitewater investigation, the suicide of White House counsel Vince Foster and the death of Clinton's mother, Virginia Kelley.

Kaye also worked at ABC affiliate WFFA-TV in Dallas where she reported and anchored for Good Morning Texas. At FOX affiliate KMSP-TV in Minneapolis, she hosted the nationally syndicated Everyday Living, and at UPN affiliate WWOR in New York City. Kaye was an anchor/reporter. Kaye also worked at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, MN.

What's Randi doing now? She's an anchor/reporter for CNN, and is based in Atlanta.

Vittert Leaving KATV?

This from the tip box: "I hear KATV new boy Leland Vittert is leaving and going to the same staion Mary Nguyen is working at... WFTV Orlando, FL..."

Nexstar Anchor Blogs Rita Experience

KBTV/Beaumont anchor Rusty Surette blogged his experience covering Hurricane Rita. Resources from the Nexstar stations of Shreveport, Little Rock and Fayetteville were used to cover the storm.

Read his blog HERE.

Most of the KBTV staff was sent to the KTAL studios in Shreveport to wait out the storm.

Where Are They Now

Former KTBS sports anchor Ed Baswell is in the spotlight.

In 1975 Ed started his television career as a news photographer, became a weekend sportscaster and eventually anchored two prime time newscasts. In 1977, he became the sports director at KTBS and was in that position for over than twenty years.

The single most important event in Ed’s life came in April of 1990 when he became a Christian. He has committed the rest of his life to serving the Lord Jesus any way he can. With that commitment, in 1992, came his decision to enter the ministry. Ed is a licensed and ordained minister and serves as an interim pastor from time to time. He finds great joy and fulfillment in that ministry.

What's Ed doing now? Baswell is the spokesperson for the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office and a pastor of a local church.

Seven is....Infomercials?

This observation from an e-mailer on Sunday afternoon: "I was flipping through the channels this afternoon and discovered that KASN UPN 38 was showing Indy Car Racing from ABC. I flipped to KATV, and they were showing a movie. I just looked at this afternoon's schedule and noticed that KATV's afternoon lineup included infomercials, UCA's Clint Conque Show, and U of A's Houston Nutt Show.

What is up with that? This reminds me of the situtation that occurred several years ago when KASN carried ABC's College Football when KATV carried at the same time the Jefferson Pilot presentation of SEC Football.

I think it was in 1999 when a real debacle occurred when KATV failed to show any of ABC's New Years bowl coverage because KATV and ABC could not come to an agreement. Central Arkansas viewers lost one year of several bowl games that were carried by ABC, and I definitely know viewers complained. KATV could not get special permission to carry just the New Years Bowl games because they would not carry ABC's College Football coverage. Fortunately, a settlement was reached to allow KATV to some type of delay taping to present the ABC College Football Game following JP Sports.

This is not a complaint, but it makes me wonder why they chose to show a movie and infomercials than carry ABC's scheduled sports programming."

Today's THV This Morning Host Returns

Robyn Richardson returned to her post this morning as co-host of Today's THV This Morning. Richardson had been on maternity leave following the birth of her son Parker Vail Richardson.

Olmstead Returns, Leaves KNWA Sports

Arkansas Business.com reports, "Mike Olmstead, former sports anchor of KNWA, rejoined his team in Fayetteville as a reporter and anchor for about six weeks before leaving the station again."

AB.com says he was commuting back and forth from Tulsa where his family lived and was in the running for the sports job at KHBS/KHOG, but after not getting the job he decided to quit KNWA. The reason: "Things "just weren't moving fast enough" to justify moving the family back to Northwest Arkansas, he said.

Read the complete article HERE.

Julia Grayson Pops Up on KLRT

Former KATV anchor/reporter Julia Grayson has joined the KLRT FOX 16 news team. A blog reader informed Arkansas TV News Grayson filed a report for the station from Lowes during Saturday night's 9pm newscast. And as we all know, Grayson was let go from KATV to make room for the now defunct all female version of Daybreak.

LIVE or Memorex?

CNN and FNC are carrying the same pictures right now of the Galveston area that KTAL is showing. KTAL has the pictures dubbed LIVE while CNN and FNC have the pics dubbed NEW VIDEO. So are the pics LIVE or on tape?

Shreveport Stations Lose Power

All the TV stations in Shreveport have lost power. The power cut happened at 1:10pm. The station's went black for a second or two until their generators kicked in. KTBS is still having trouble broadcasting a picture. KTBS has sound but no picture. Apparently KTAL has been operating on back-up power for some time now.

UPDATE 1:15pm Power back on...KTBS now broadcasting a picture.

Hog Fan on KATV's Interrupting Hog/Tide Game for Severe Weather

This from a tipster: "KATV just prove at 12:25ish today (Saturday) why they are number 1 in weather. They cut-in during the hog game for a tornado warning, I don't have problem with that, but no audio and they stay with the cut-in for about a minute. They just prove to hog fans across the state how much they do suck in one afternoon."

Shreveport Station's Hurricane Rita Coverage

All the Shreveport stations are now providing wall-to-wall coverage as the remnants of Hurricane Rita slam into the Ark-La-Tex.

> KTAL began its wall-to-wall coverage at 6pm Friday evening.

>KTBS and KSLA started their coverage this morning.

>KSLA is once again streaming its on air signal LIVE over the internet.

>KSLA and KTBS and providing signing for the hearing impaired.

> KSLA anchor Carl Pendley just said the station is getting e-mails from viewers wanting to know why the Arkansas/Alabama game is not on. Pendley said the game is being pre-empted for storm coverage BUT KSLA will provide the score throughout the day.

UPDATE: 12:20pm Looks as though the Razorback/Tide fans won the fight and KSLA is now dumping out of Rita coverage for the game. How pathetic and a very bad move. Arkansas is gonna get their butt beat anyway.

Arkansas, Throw Out the Welcome Mat for Rita

According to this graphic, Rita should be in my town on Sunday. That 'D' is right where I live.

Nexstar Sends KARK Met to Shreveport

KTAL Chief Meteorologist Todd Warren is getting some help from KARK Met Dan Skoff. Earlier this evening Skoff appeared on KTAL giving an update on Rita's path BUT it looked as though KTAL could have pulled that off via a feed from Little Rock. BUT Skoff and the meteorologist from KBTV have taken over covering the weather center as KTAL/KBTV simulcast their coverage.

KSLA Mets Get New Toys

Just in time to cover Hurricane Rita storming across the Ark-La-Tex, KSLA's weather department is using the Viper Radar technology to track the storm. KSLA Chief Meteorologist Patrick Dennis reiterated several times during the weather segment at 10 Friday night, "You'll find this only on KSLA."

More Coverage Notes
Even though KTBS and KSLA have done good jobs covering the storm during its newscast time, KTAL is ahead of the pack with its non-stop coverage since 6pm Friday evening. The biggest advantage for KTAL is having the staff of KBTV and using that stations resources. And on anther note, while all the other stations, both Little Rock and Shreveport, covered Friday night High School Football, KTAL just kept on chugging along with Rita coverage.

UPDATE: 11:36pm KTAL just broke away from hurricane coverage for its high school football show.

KLRT Announces Hurricane Rita Coverage Plans

KLRT News Director Michael Fabac sent Arkansas TV News this info:

Fox 16's "Tracking Rita" coverage plan is evolving as necessary -- in addition to our local coverage:

- Reporter David Goins & Photojournalist Patrick Megehee have been reporting from Houston since Thursday 9/22
- KLRT is sharing unique content with sister Clear Channel stations based out of San Antonio, Tulsa, Memphis & Mobile
- Beginning Saturday 9/24, Fox 16 meteorologists Troy Bridges & Nate Higgins will provide brief hourly updates as Rita hits land & moves toward Arkansas
- In the event of imminent danger, Fox 16 is prepared to simulcast on UPN 38, KSSN 96, Mix 94.9, 100.3 The Edge, Magic 105, and Classic Country 106.7

KTAL Kicks off Continuous Hurricane Rita Coverage

KTAL, News Channel 6 in Shreveport has apparently kicked off its LIVE continous coverage of Hurricane Rita. KTAL has its reporters scattered around the area ready for the storm to move through the area. KTAL is using some resources from KBTV out of Beaumont, TX. KBTV has relocated its staff to the KTAL studios. KTAL is also utilizing resources from KARK, Little Rock. As I type this KARK met Dan Skoff is on KTAL providing details on the track, the amount of rain expected, etc. I wonder if we, KTAL viewers, will see more of the KARK mets since KTAL is somewhat short handed with quality weather folk.

UPDATE: At 6:30pm KTAL anchor Lane Stone was joined on air by a KBTV anchor. Lane Stone just announced KBTV is carrying KTAL's coverage of Hurricane Rita. Also want to add, KTAL is the only Shreveport station offering LIVE continuous coverage at this time.

KTBS Rita Coverage Plans

I found this at KTBS.com: "KTBS 3 News is live on the coast as Hurricane Rita heads toward the ArkLaTex. Continuing coverage is available on KTBS 3, KTBS 24 Hour News, UPN21, and ktbs.com. You can access continuous updates in your living room, in your car, and on your desktop. KTBS 3 News and Mega 3 are keeping you ahead of the storm."

UPDATE: 10:35pm Just announced, KTBS will begin its wall-to-wall coverage Saturday at noon.

KTHV's Hurricane Rita Coverage Plans

KTHV News Director Mark Raines tells Arkansas TV News "Today’s THV will carry extended CBS News coverage beginning Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. when Hurricane Rita is expected to make landfall and stay with it through most of the morning. Our meteorologists, Ed Buckner and Becky Ditchfield, will be on duty to track the system as it moves into Arkansas and interrupt regular programming with severe weather information when appropriate. News crews will be on stand-by to cover flooding or other damage that may occur in the state."

KSLA Offering LIVE Stream of Hurricane Rita Coverage

KSLA/Shreveport has stepped up to the plate and is offering a first among the Shreveport stations, LIVE Streaming of its on air signal as it covers Hurricane Rita. The link to the coverage is on its homepage.

Who will offer LIVE streaming among the Little Rock stations?

Rita to Ride I-30

Look at the path of Hurricane Rita as it enters Arkansas. Looks as though it will turn and affect Texarkana and who knows take a ride up I-30. Buckle up!!

Where Are They Now

Today we feature Beth Ward.

Bob Brown, former owner and general manager of Today's THV, was manager of KARK back in 1968 when Beth first came to Little Rock from Virginia. She eventually became Tom Bonner's partner for the noon program 'Dailing for Dollars'.

Beth left KARK in 1986 and headed to Today's THV to host her own talk show. Her first shows featured many local radio and TV celebrities she had admired through her early years in television.

Then, when satellite technology arrived, it gave her the chance to expand her interviews to nationally and internationally known celebrities. As news became even more of a focus for KTHV, B.J. Sams was added to the mix, with Beth doing weather.

Earlier this year Beth retired after some 37 years on Arkansas tv.

What's she doing now? According to an article on Todaysthv.com Beth is waiting tables at her daughter’s new restaurant in Conway.

Beaumont NBC Affiliate Makes KTAL Home as Rita Storms Through Area

KBTV in Beaumont has moved operations to KTAL in Shreveport to wait out Hurricane Rita. Here's the message found on the station's website:

"As of 7pm Thursday, September 22, 2005 we are completely evacuating the Beaumont and Port Arthur facilities. Once we are allowed back in the Southeast Texas area we will assess the damage and provide information on returning to work on this website and the hotline. In the meantime we will be broadcasting the signal from our sister station KTAL in Shreveport, Louisiana. Several of the station’s news and production staff are relocating to KTAL Thursday evening. Depending on the damage in Southeast Texas, KBTV personnel may be working out of KTAL in Shreveport for the short-term."

Stations Planning Hurricane Coverage Over Weekend

Arkansas TV News has dropped the TV stations in Arkansas and Shreveport an e-mail asking about their Hurricane Rita coverage as the storm will be affecting the state over the course of the weekend. So far a handful have replied to ATN's e-mail:

> KFSM 5 News Director Dale Cox says,"KFSM is gearing up to provide coverage as necessary. We will be expanding our normal weekend staff by 300% beginning with our morning news at 6 a.m. on Saturday. All news managers, including our chief meteorologist, will be on duty through the weekend.

At this point, there are too many potential tracks and variables to know exactly where the storm will go, but if our coverage area begins to experience severe weather, we will interrupt programming as necessary and should conditions warrant have a plan in place to go into "wall-to-wall" coverage. We also anticipate streaming live weather coverage on the internet at www.5NEWSonline.com.

In addition, we have opted to join CBS News for a special report from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Saturday morning from the strike zone on the Gulf Coast.

We are prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best."

> KARK Assignment Manager Greg Yarbrough says the station is still putting its plan together.

> KSLA/Shreveport Managing Editor Robb Hays says his station plans extensive coverage.

We will be adding to this post as more stations respond.

If KARK is Yanked from Little Rock Cable, Will it be Missed?

Will KARK fall victim to Nexstar's demand it gets paid by cable systems for carriage? Talk on The Bull Whiz Newsletter KARK will and most won't notice:

"When KARK goes off on cable January 1st, I bet no one will notice they have disappeared from the screen!

Honestly, with as many channel choices as people have these days, and considering how lazy much of the public is, how many people do you really think are going to make the effort to watch KARK once it is off cable? Maybe for a few prime-time shows, but I doubt much else."

DCG comments: I really hope Nextstar doesn't demand a per-cable subscriber fee from all cable companies across the country because both of my NBC affiliates are Nexstar owned stations. I live too far away from Little Rock and Shreveport for a pair of rabbit ears to pick either up.

Where Are They Now

Former KSLA anchor Myron Patton is in the Where Are They Now spotlight.

He is a 1984 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. He worked at KSLA as the anchor of the 6pm newscast. Before KSLA, Myron spent 15 years at ABC and FOX stations in Oklahoma City, where he was a morning and weekend sports anchor and reporter. He also did sideline reporting on college football for the ABC network, and hosted a talk show on an all-sports radio station in Oklahoma City.

What's Myron doing now? He has his own radio show on sports station KREF in Norman, OK.

UPDATED: KTHV Gets New On Air Talent

This from the Bull Whiz Newsletter: "KTHV has hired Sherryl Lackey as a new on-air talent to work with B. J. Sams. Watch for her to be on the air in October."

Could the BullWhiz tipster have made a typo and meant Sheryl Lackey from WB 42 in Little Rock?

Update: 9:15pm KTHV GM Larry Audas confirms the hire to ATN: "Indeed Today’s THV has hired Sheryl Lackey, formerly with WB 42 in Little Rock. BJ Sams will continue to anchor the news at noon while Tom Brannon and Becky Ditchfield bring us up to date with the latest weather. Sheryl will follow with community events, happenings and matters of interest to noon hour viewers."

Where Are They Now

Today we feature former KTAL meteorologist Kelly Cox.

Kelly attended MTSU on a presidential scholarship and graduated with a degree in electronic journalism. While there, she was active in her sorority, anchored the weather for the student news station and completed an internship at WKRN News 2 in Nashville.

At Mississippi State University, she received a degree in broadcast meteorology with an academic award of distinction.

Her career began at Fox 24 News in Macon, Georgia, where she was a weather anchor and environmental reporter. Most recently, she spent two years as the morning show meteorologist for KTAL in Shreveport, Louisiana. While there, she covered some of the nation's strongest severe weather, including four major hurricanes!

Kelly is a member of both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, and is a storm spotter for the National Weather Service.

What's Kelly doing now? She is the weekend meteorologist at WVLT in Knoxville, TN and highlights the interesting people and places of East Tennessee in feature reports during the week.

Where Are They Now

Chuck Carney is in the spotlight today.

Chuck has worked as Assistant News Director at WUFT-TV, the PBS affiliate in Gainesville, Florida. Chuck jumped into public broadcasting after spending much of his career as a commercial television reporter and anchor. Chuck served as a sports anchor for KFSM-TV (CBS) in Fort Smith, Arkansas and KHOG-TV (ABC) in Fayetteville, Arkansas.


What's Chuck doing now? He is the news director at WTIU Indiana University on Bloomington, Indiana campus.

Former KARK'er Named Press Secretary for Huckabee

A blog reader left this in the comments section of the Alice Stewart post:

Gov. Mike Huckabee announced Monday that Alice Stewart, formerly of KARK-TV in Little Rock, has joined the governor's staff as press secretary. Stewart has been a weekend anchor and reporter for KARK-TV. She will join Jim Harris, Huckabee's director of press operations, as a spokesman for the governor.

Stewart, an Atlanta native, graduated in 1988 from the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia in Athens. She worked as a reporter and producer for a television station in Dothan, Ala., before returning to Atlanta as an associate producer for two television stations. Stewart later was a producer and anchor for a television station in Savannah, Ga.

Stewart moved to Little Rock in 1998 to work for KARK-TV. She has an extensive background in government and political coverage. Stewart covered the 1988 Democratic National Convention, the Georgia Legislature, the Arkansas Legislature and Wesley Clark's 2004 presidential campaign. She has won a number of journalism awards.

Stewart is an avid runner who has completed 11 marathons. She helped train the governor for this year's Little Rock Marathon and helped train the members of the Arthritis Foundation's Joints In Motion marathon team.

Stewart is a member of St. James United Methodist Church in Little Rock and a volunteer for the Museum of Discovery.

"Arkansans are familiar with Alice and respect her work," Huckabee said. "I'm delighted to have her as part of our team."

Then There Were Three Hosts for Daybreak

Well it took just over 5 months for KATV execs to wise up that the all female format of Daybreak wasn't cutting it. Effective today Shareese Kondo and Nicole Capri are gone from the once top morning program in Arkansas. Left are Melinda Mayo, Beth Hunt and Jason Harper. And another sign the great experiment is over, the Daybreak intro has been changed.

The new version of Daybreak originally debuted as gma Daybreak on April 18,2005. Steve Powell and Julia Grayson were booted from the program at that time. Powell still hosts Good Morning Arkansas at 9am weekdays while Grayson is no longer at the station.

A look back:

April 8, 2005: KATV ND: New AM Program Won't be Local "The View"

May 16, 2005: Koon: gma/Daybreak "Tends to Grow on You"

June 21, 2005 Ratings Not Good for New Daybreak

Additional: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette picked up on the change as well and has this little tid-bit in its Paper Trails column:

"Looks like KATV-Channel 7’s morning show, Daybreak, may be getting revamped yet again.

The last makeover was in April, when current KATV employees Beth Hunt and Melinda Mayo were joined by TV newbies Nicole Capri and Shareese Kondo to create a chick clique similar to ABC’s national show, The View.

Then-current Daybreak hosts Julia Grayson, Steve Powell and Jason Harper were bumped to make way for the new quartet.

But last Friday was Kondo’s last day on the air. She was told "it wasn’t working out."

No word yet on the fate of Capri or KATV vets Mayo and Hunt; news director Randy Dixon hadn’t returned calls from Paper Trails by press time."

Where Are They Now

Former KARK reporter Kim Miller is today's 'Where are they now' spotlight.

Kim graduated Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude as an English major at the University of Arkansas. During her senior year of college, she studied abroad as an undergraduate Fulbright Scholar at the University of Exeter in England.

After studying law at Exeter for a year, Kim came home to study law at Pepperdine Law School in Malibu, California. One year was enough to tell that law school wasn't nearly as interesting to Kim as liberal arts, so she went back to school and got a master's degree in English at Georgetown University.

While in D.C., Kim interned in the White House Press Office. Between Pepperdine and Georgetown, Kim got her first job in television at the NBC affiliate in Little Rock, Arkansas. There Kim covered the legislature and courts at a time when Whitewater and other Clinton legal battles played out almost daily at the federal courthouse in Little Rock.

Kim continued to work at KARK after graduate school then moved to Salt Lake City in 2001, just in time for the Winter Olympics. After reporting for KTVX, the ABC affiliate in Utah, Kim moved to Dallas to report for the Fox affiliate, KDFW.

Home is Springdale, Arkansas, in the Ozark Mountains, where Kim's parents and most of her family still live. Aunt Kim also has four nephews and a niece in Odessa and goes to see them as often as she can.

What she doing now? Kim is a morning anchor at KEYE CBS 42 in Austin, Texas.

Stewart Says Goodbye

Tonight was KARK weekend anchor Alice Stewart's last night on the air. A special video montage was shown highlighting Stewart's eight years at KARK. At the end of the broadcast Stewart said a special goodbye to the viewers and staff at KARK.

KARK Gets New Weekend Sports Anchor

A tipster tells Arkansas TV News KARK has a new weekend sports anchor. The tipster says it is Keli Fulton. I am assuming that Keli made her debut this weekend so I will have to watch KARK tonight at 10pm.

According to info I can gather from the internet, Keli comes to KARK from WBBJ in Jackson, TN. According to Keli's bio at WBBJ.com she had been with the station since February 2004 and before that worked for a high school sports show in San Francisco.

UPDATE: Keli appeared on the Razorback Nation Pig Trail Sunday Night.

Fulton replaces Joe Pequeno who left at the end of July for a job in Phoenix.

Douglass's Bio Finally Up at KARK.com

Why is not keeping the info current not a priority of tv station websites? KARK here in the last couple of days added Tracy Douglass's bio to the site. She has been back for awhile now. Below is the bio:

"Tracy’s television career has spanned more than 25 years. During this time she has been a weather anchor in both Florida and Arkansas, served as a co-host for local and regional talk and news shows and has appeared in thousands of commercials in dozens of regions across the nation. Her career actually started when a friend of the family happened to be the News Director at a local station in Sarasota Florida and decided to give her a try at weather and the rest, as they say is history.
When not on the job at KARK, Tracy manages to keep very busy. She continues to do research for her father, who is a retired Medical Doctor who now lives in Central America. Finding facts and information on various health topics has always been an interest of hers. She is also going to school full-time at the University of Phoenix. Tracy is an artist, working exclusively with Acrylic and Ink, and has sold many of her original paintings to famous politicians and athletes. And as if this were not enough, she continues working for Ron Sherman Advertising as a commercial actress and voice talent for several home improvement companies with television ads airing in places like Atlanta and Dallas.

Tracy loves being back at KARK, and comments that “It’s a good thing I’m a morning person, since I usually start getting ready for work by 2am.”

Her current responsibilities include Knock-Knock Makeover, and all the live cut-ins during the morning show from 5-7am. She also does the Saturday morning weather and fills in for the other weather anchors as needed.

Her favorite leisure activities include, dinning out, movies, laughing, puttering around the house, and hanging out with her friends and especially her cat Garfield.

In spite of all the other things that fill her life, Tracy proudly and quickly admits her greatest joy is raising her 17-year-old son Britt who is a senior at Pulaski Academy."

Hogs in Hollywood Coverage

The following was sent a few days ago and got lost in the tip box:

KNWA and KARK sends Bo Mattingly, Matt Turner and Rick Katzfey to Hollywood to cover the Hogs in Hollywood. They have a full crew down there.

KHOG sends new sports director and Tiffany Stewart.

KFSM sends NO ONE!

Woman Bequeaths $240,620 to AETN

Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette A Clarksville woman who supported public television for more than 20 years has bequeathed $240,620 to the Arkansas Educational Television Network Foundation.

Alline May Montgomery was born in Clarksville and died early last year, according to an AETN statement issued Wednesday. She was 85.

AETN said the bequest would be added to the AETN Foundation Endowment, which supports the purchase and creation of the network’s programming.

What Happened to KATV Saturday Night

I was flipping through the channels trying to decide what channel to watch for the news at 10pm Saturday night and low and behold on KATV the picture was frozen then it went to black for a couple of minutes. THEN at the very beginning of the weather segment the on-air camera shook like there was an earthquake in The Rock.

LR Stations Cover The Hurricane Katrina Story

Pretty good article at Arkansas Business.com about how the Little Rock TV stations covered Hurricane Katrina. Below are a few quotes from staff members and managers of the stations:

> Two of the four big television stations in central Arkansas — KARK-TV, Channel 4, and KLRT-TV, Channel 16 — had crews on the ground in the Gulf Coast vicinity before Katrina made landfall Aug. 29. The arrival of a Category 5 storm in the inner Gulf of Mexico was the signal to get cracking.

“When the storm was classified as a Category 5 hurricane, we sent our satellite truck and meteorologist Dan Skoff,” said Jeff Whatley, assistant news director at KARK. “He began his live reports from New Orleans the day before it made landfall and continued broadcasting live as it slammed ashore.”

> KTHV-TV, Channel 11, on Aug. 29 sent a three-person crew and a satellite truck to Monticello, where the Arkansas National Guard was being held until receiving clearance into affected areas.

“Monticello was also the place where many evacuees ended up,” said Mark Raines, news director at KTHV. “There was not a motel room to be found.”

> Randy Dixon, news director at KATV-TV, Channel 7, said his station’s crew made it to Baton Rouge, La., and was able to begin reporting Aug. 30.

KATV opted to focus more on Katrina’s aftermath in Arkansas.

“The majority of our coverage has taken place in Arkansas,” Dixon said. “That is where we considered the most important local stories to be.”

> By 6 p.m. the day prior to Katrina’s landfall, KLRT had dispatched both a news vehicle and a satellite truck, along with meteorologist Nate Higgins and two cameramen, Patrick McGehee and Voja Radosavljevic, to Jackson, Miss.

“We intended to get as close as possible to the storm without threatening the safety of our crew,” said Chuck Spohn, general manager at KLRT.

Read the full article HERE. Registration required

Party Woos KNWA Anchor as Boozman rival

Source: NW Arkansas Times Democrats say they’re hoping to interest Don Elkins, the news anchorman for Fayetteville’s KNWA-TV, in a possible challenge of U.S. Rep. John Boozman in the 2006 election.

Elkins said Thursday that he has "no plans to run for Congress" but he wouldn’t rule it out.

He said he is an independent, not a Democrat, but didn’t turn down the Democratic Party of Arkansas when approached by Chairman Jason Willett. "I’m flattered, and I’ve had more people than I can count on one hand ask me" to run for various offices, Elkins said in a telephone interview. "It’s one of those things I get asked once in a while."

Asked if he’s considering it, Elkins at first wouldn’t say yes or no and would only say that he’s "pretty focused on my work right now." "I don’t know what to say about it. It’s one of those things that can get dicey," he said.

Later, Elkins called back and said, "I have no plans to run for office.... I really am focused on television."

Bart Haynie, a spokesman for the Democratic Party, said Willett had asked Elkins if he’d consider running.

Elkins is one of several people in Northwest Arkansas who’ve been approached about running for different positions, he said. "He obviously wouldn’t be the sole person," Haynie said of potential candidates Willett has spoken with. "We’re considering several other candidates."

Vittert's Bio Now Up at KATV.com

Well the KATV webmaster has finally added the station's newest reporter's bio to the website. Below is Leland Vittert's bio from KATV.com.

"Leland grew up just north of Arkansas in Missouri, but after spending a summer in Fayetteville, he fell in love with the Hogs and all else Arkansan. Leland started in journalism when he was 17, interning at KMOX radio in St. Louis. After a summer spinning tunes on the radio, he switched to TV and interned at Fox 2 in St. Louis.

His first on-air job was as an intern-reporter at NBC 15 in Madison, Wisconsin. Last summer, he covered everything from the Hogs to murder investigations for a station in Fayetteville. Leland graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern in Chicago with a double major in Journalism and Economics. He also spent a year studying at the London School of Economics.

Leland spends his free time enjoying the Natural State, reading and working out. However, he loves nothing more than a good story, so if you have one, give him a call or send him an e-mail at lvittert@katv.com."

Daybreak Split?

This from the tip box: "I hear Daybreak is back to 3 people on Monday. Jason, Beth, and Melinda."

New Set on the Way for Razorback Nation

This from the tip jar: "The Razorback Nation on KNWA and KARK is about to launch a new, large and in charge set that is devoted to the Razorback Nation.

A new Sunday night sports show will bedut this Sunday at 10:20 on KNWA and KARK."

Where Are They Now

Kelly Frey is in the 'Where are they now' spotlight.

Kelly is a native of West Chester, Pa., and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. She began her career as a reporter with "Hometown News," a cable television program in Monroe, La. Frey went on to anchor the morning shows at KTBS in Shreveport, La., and KTVE in El Dorado, Ark.

What's Kelly doing now? Frey is a co-anchor of Channel 4 Action News on weekday mornings and a general assignment reporter at WTAE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Where Are They Now

Former KSLA Meterologist Aaron Williams is in today's spotlight.

Aaron received his undergraduate degree in journalism from Ithaca College, and has a Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University. He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Communications from Georgia State University, and is a member of the National Weather Association.

Aaron has worked on the air at KNOE-TV in Monroe, Louisiana, WETM-TV in Elmira, New York, and KSLA-TV in Shreveport, Louisiana.

What's Williams doing now? He is Radio Broadcast Meteorologist for The Weather Channel.

Rob's Final Words to KNWA staff

This from a tipster:

This is a man that cares about his staff and that will do GREAT things at KARK!

"It has been an honor and privilege to work with you all. I liked coming to work here everyday (and I can't say that about all the places where I have worked). And I have learned a lot from working with you all. I know I am a better person for associating with you.

I am certain I will be back here at different times over the coming months. I will be talking with people at KNWA on an almost daily basis. By the way, my new cell phone number is --- --- ----. Call me anytime. If I were to offer any parting thoughts I would say this:

As a group of people working for KNWA; lift up your eyes and fix them on a place beyond the horizon. Don't limit your goals to ratings growth. Journey in trust, assured that the work you are performing is valuable for the community that you live in. Support each other. Respect each other. Laugh a lot. And while you must all be united in your efforts to grow KNWA's value, make sure you are also nurturing your own growth.

-Rob "

Elkins Out as ND at KTBS

This from Newsblues: "Shreveport insiders tell us Jan Elkins is out after six years as news director at crappy little KTBS-3-ABC, but she will remain with the family-owned station as Community Services Director.

Assignment Manager Randy Bain has been named interim ND.

Staffers claim bonehead decisions may have led to her removal. As Katrina roared ashore two weeks ago, it was Elkins's call to cut away from ABC live coverage and air syndicated Regis. She also kept the station's two live trucks parked."

Networks Scramble Line-up To Accommodate President Thursday

Source: Cynthia Turner President Bush will address the nation on Thursday at 9pm from Louisiana. For the networks, that requires a little shifting of programs, including a season premiere. CBS will air the Survivor premiere on Thursday at 8p as scheduled, but will need to bump the two hour Quentin Tarantino directed CSI finale repeat from 9-11p. That will now air next Wednesday, from 9-11p. And that schedule change means the season premiere of CSI: NY will also be pushed back a week, now set for 9/28. ABC has scheduled a special edition of Primetime on Thursday night at 8pm, an hour-by-hour account of the government's reaction or inaction to the hurricane disaster. After the President at 9p, ABC returns with another edition of Primetime exploring the issue of our preparedness in the face of other catastrophic events. Fox's second outing of Reunion will be preempted, pushed back into unfriendly territory airing opposite the premieres of CSI and The Apprentice the following Thursday.

Where Are They Now

Former KTHV reporter Amy Fox is in today's spotlight.

Amy Fox’s dream of becoming a broadcast journalist started as an elementary school student, growing up in St. Louis, Missouri. She combined her interest in drama with her love of current events, in order to pursue a career as a television reporter.

Amy studied Communication at Valparaiso University in Indiana. She remained in the Hoosier state for her first two television jobs, at WYIN in Merrillville, and WLFI in Lafayette. Along with anchoring, she enjoyed covering stories ranging from crime to agriculture.

Then Amy headed south to work at WMAZ in Macon, Georgia and then KTHV in Little Rock, Arkansas. She broadened her horizons with some more anchoring, and by covering politics, education, and health.

What's Amy doing now? She left KTHV in April 2005 and is now a reporter at WZZM in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Where Are They Now

Former KTBS newsman Doug Fernandez is in the spotlight.

Doug has worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. Prior to this, he worked at stations in Shreveport, La.; Dallas; Fresno, Calif.; Anniston, Ala.; and Jackson, Tenn.

Doug graduated in 1983 with a degree in business from the University of San Diego.

What's Doug doing now? He is an anchor at KOAT in Albuquerque, NM.

Stewart Speaks About Future and Her Time at KARK

ATN e-mailed KARK anchor Alice Stewart a handful of questions:

> Where are you headed? In what position will you be working in? As far as my next job- I have a few things in the works- but nothing I can really talk about yet.

> What will you remember most about your time at KARK? What will I remember about KARK- The great people I had the opportunity to work with over the years- and the way the newsroom really pulled together when the going got tough. I'll remember 'defrosting' the satellite dish with my hair dryer in an ice storm, when it rained sideways at the Clinton Library Opening, and playing the "Remember that time when we were at that place" game with those in the know. I'll miss the 'joke of the day' from the engineers.

ATN Exclusive: Stewart Leaving KARK

Arkansas TV News can confirm KARK's weekend anchor Alice Stewart is leaving the station. Stewart has been with Channel 4 since January 1998. Her last day at KARK will be Sunday, September 18th.

Who's Flying the Coop at KARK?

According to KARK.com, Channel 4 is looking for a Weekend Anchor/Reporter. Who's leaving? The position was just listed today.

ALSO KARK is advertising for a Sports Reporter/Anchor/Photographer.

No KNWA for Dish Subscribers

This from the tip box: "This was on the right side on KNWA web page under the Dish Network banner....DISH Network is experiencing a technical problem transmitting KNWA programming to its customers. DISH Network engineers are working to restore KNWA's signal.

This is not a problem at KNWA. This is a problem at DISH Network. DISH Network will fix the problem as soon as possible."

KFSM Leads DMA In July Nielsens

Arkansas Business.com has the numbers for Northwest Arkansas, minus KNWA since it doesn't subscribe to Nielson anymore:

"KFSM, Channel 5, led the 11-county dominant market area during all three weekday evening newscasts in the July household ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

KFSM, the CBS affiliate, had a 12 share at 5 p.m., compared to 8 for KHBS/KHOG, Channels 40/29, the ABC affiliate. KFSM also led KHBS+ 12-to-8 during the 6 p.m. newscast and 10-to-7 at 10 p.m.

KFSM usually leads the rating in the DMA, which includes Northwest Arkansas, Fort Smith and two counties in Oklahoma. KHBS+ usually wins the ratings war when Northwest Arkansas is split out from the entire 11-county area. But Nielsen doesn't split the Northwest Arkansas submarket out for the July book."

Read the full article HERE.

Where Are They Now

We feature former KATV anchor/reporter Suzette Chaires today.

Suzette began her career at KRGV in Rio Grande Valley in 1984. She worked at KATV from February 1986 to January 1988. She left KATV for KTVT in Dallas, TX. She has also worked at Law Enforcement Television Network, Automotive Satelitte Television Network, Fire and Emergency Television Network and the Health and Science Television Network in Dallas between June 1989 to March 1994.

What's she doing now? She is co-host of the Radio Xavier Live program on KSKY radio in Dallas, Texas.

KATV Daybreaker MIA

From The Bullwhiz newsletter: "What happened to Melinda Mayo on KATV's Daybreak? She was one of the more genuine people on local TV news and I thought was good at what she did."


Where is Mayo? Her bio is still up on KATV.com.

Interesting....

This from the tip box: "Patrick J. Rhode, the Chief of Staff of FEMA director Mike Brown (I think it's Mike?) is a former television reporter with 40/29 in NWA. Use to work in the olf 40/29 Rogers bureau. He married Leslie Cook, reporter and anchor also at 40/29. They moved to Austin where she was an anchor at the NBC affiliate, that's where Rhode got hooked up with Bush and GOP politics. He moved with Bush to D.C. Last I knew, Leslie had also moved to D.C. and was either reporting or anchoring for one of the stations in D.C. - maybe WJLA?"

16 Looking for an ND

The list of job vacancies continues to grow at KLRT. Now KLRT is looking for an Assistant News Director. That's in addition to a: Meteorologist, Assignment Editor, Master Control Operator, News Photojournalist, and a Technical Director.

Where Are They Now

Former Ark-La-Tex sportscaster Ted Madden is featured today.

Ted is originally from Aurora, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Ted has been recognized for his work as a sports reporter, winning a Texas Katie award and a Louisiana Associated Press Award, both under the category of Best Sports Story. Before coming to Dallas, Ted worked in Shreveport, Louisiana, as a reporter and weekend sports anchor. His career began in Kalispell, Montana.

What's Ted doing now? He works in the sports department at WFAA in Dallas/Fort Worth. He spends his time primarily as a photographer, shooting all the major sports around the DFW area, but you'll also find him in front of the camera covering anything from a high school football game to the Cowboys draft.

Katrina Aftermath Coverage Boosts Broadcast News #'s

Source: Cynthia Turner Broadcast evening news coverage was up considerably last week, as you would imagine, as all three covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Leading the pack for the week (Aug 29-Sept 2) was NBC Nightly News with an average of 10.6 million viewers (up 31% compared to the previous week), ABC's World News Tonight 9.5 million (up 21%) and CBS Evening News 7.7 million (up 20%). Among A25-54, NBC delivered a 3.2 rating for the week, ABC a 3.0 and CBS a 2.0. (Note: numbers reflect only the standard 30m news broadcast and does not include any expanded coverage or broadcasts.)

Where Are They Now

Former KARK'er Shannon Ogden is in the spotlight.

He is an award-winning journalist who has covered some of the country's biggest stories over the last 12 years. Shannon's journalism awards include an Emmy for anchoring coverage of the deadly crash of American Airlines flight 1420 in Little Rock and a Gracie, from the American Women in Radio and Television.

Shannon is a native of Arkansas and a graduate of John Brown University.

What's Ogden doing now? He co-anchors Good Morning Live at New England Cable News.

KAIT Offers Podcast

Is this a first for Arkansas TV? The KAIT-8 weather department offers a daily weather forecast podcast. They dub it the "K8 WeatherTALK Podcast". The podcast can be found HERE.

Where Are They Now

Former Ark-La-Tex anchor Stacy Bell is in the spotlight.

Stacey was a news anchor for KSLA-TV in Shreveport, Louisiana, for two years. Bell also served as a news reporter for KTBS-TV in Shreveport from 1994-96. She was a news anchor for KTAL-TV in Texarkana, Texas, from 1992-94.

Bell received a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with a minor in English from the University of Central Arkansas in 1992. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

What's she doing now? She is anchor of the 5pm and 10pm newscasts at WJW, Fox 8 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Where Are They Now

Today former KATV reporter Norris Deajon is in the spotlight.

Norris grew up in the Houston, Texas area and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Norris' broadcast career began in 1990 at KBMT TV in Beaumont, Texas. He was a producer and reporter, covering mainly police and courts. He was the first person to win the Best Spot or General News Story award from the Press Club of Southeast Texas. In 1994, Norris became reporter for KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas. While there, he specialized in politics, covering the State Capitol and various presidential scandals. Norris was awarded Best Spot News Story twice from the Arkansas Associated Press Broadcasters, and was nominated for an Emmy award for his coverage of a swamp rescue.

In 1998, Norris accepted a job with WPEC TV in West Palm Beach, Florida. He covered news in the northern part of the market where WPEC continued to be rated number one.

What's he doing now? Norris can be seen reporting for KDAF, WB33 in Dallas, Texas on both weeknights and weekends.

KNWA-TV Comes To Pinnacle Hills!

KNWA Vice President and General Manager Blake Russell sent ATN this press release:
Rogers, Arkansas (September 2, 2005) – KNWA-TV today announced at Rogers “Celebration of Growth” the opening of new studios and sales offices located in the growing area of Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, AR. In making the announcement, KNWA-TV Vice President and General Manager, Blake Russell stated, “This is a unique marketing alliance with the Pinnacle Group allowing us to expand our resources to the heart of Benton County. KNWA-TV is the only television station with news and sales offices in Benton County, bringing us closer to our viewers and advertisers in that area.” John George, Marketing Director with the Pinnacle Group commented, “KNWA has demonstrated a true commitment to Northwest Arkansas news coverage over the past year. With the addition of a presence in Benton County, they solidify that commitment with a move to Pinnacle Hills giving them the additional ability to cover the entire region from a central location. Pinnacle Hills is at the epicenter of a tremendous growth story in our country and the team at KNWA is poised to tell Northwest Arkansas story first hand. We’re very proud that Nexstar has chosen to make this business commitment to our region which affirms the importance of Northwest Arkansas to the entire state.”

KNWA-TV re-launched with a focus on Northwest Arkansas on August 13, 2004.

KNWA-TV unveiled two new signs showcasing the NBC Peacock with station call letters below placed on top of the JB Hunt Parkway Tower. KNWA-TV will also have a new tower camera showing areas of growth in Pinnacle Hills along with a clear view of any traffic issues north or south on Interstate 540. Russell stated, “The acquisition of this office and studio space further illustrates our solid commitment and focus to Northwest Arkansas allowing us to respond faster to breaking news events.” The Pinnacle Hills studio and sales office will house 4 News personnel and 3 Sales Account Executives.

KNWA-TV’s main studios are located on the historic square in Downtown Fayetteville.

KNWA-TV is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. of Irving, Texas.

Former LR Met Covers Hurricane Katrina

Former KTHV Met Marc Weinberg covered Hurricane Katrina for WDRB. Weinberg is chief meteorologist at WDRB in Louisville, Kentucky and him and a crew traveled down to Biloxi, Mississippi and covered the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. In an article in Louisville KY's The Courier-Journal Weinberg describes the experience:

"We watched roofs being peeled off buildings like sardine cans," Weinberg said. "Every car had its windows blown out. There was debris blowing into the garage, and we were picking shards of glass out of our hair and off our clothes. There were funnels of stuff spinning around in the air … huge pieces of debris probably weighing 100 pounds twisting in the air."

He admitted they were nervous and afraid, "but you almost can't look away," he recalled. They knew the storm surge was out there somewhere headed for them.

"There was so much rain and wind we couldn't even see it … but the wave had to be 20 feet high. We never saw it up close … if we had we would have been gone with it."

Read the full article HERE.

Where Are They Now

Former KARK'er Michelle Leigh is featured today.

Michelle Leigh has been in the business of weather for 11 years.

Michelle started her career in the deep South, and wound her way from the nation's heartland to the East Coast.

What's Leigh doing now? She is the morning weather anchor at WFLD in Chicago.

KARK One of Only a Handfull of NBC Affiliates to Pre-empt Hurricane Katrina Special

This from the Arkansas Times Blog: "We forgot to mention that NY Times reported yesterday that only 11 NBC stations nationwide pre-empted a news special Thursday on Hurricane Katrina in favor of pre-season pro football. One of the proud 11 was Little Rock's Channel 4."

KARK Goes After Insurance Carrier Over Defamation Suit

Arkansas Business.com reports has filed a suit against its National Casualty Company for breach of contract for not paying its part in a February 2003 settlement with Johnny Brock, who was allegedly caught on tape choking his 10-year-old son at a Cabot pizza parlor. AB.com says Brock filed a 2.5 million dollar lawsuit against KARK after being found innocent of the crime.

AB.com reports," As a result of this breach, according to the suit, KARK and former owner Morris Multimedia Inc. have suffered damages in the amount of $102,767 and some change. "

Read the full article HERE.

KATV Barely Wins the 10pm News Slot for July

Oh how we love see the numbers come in. Arkansas Business.com has the July numbers for the Little Rock station's evening newscasts:

Winning the 10 p.m. weeknights news in the July book was KATV-TV, Channel 7, which nudged out KTHV-TV, Channel 11, by the smallest of margins.

KATV pulled a 21 share, while KTHV remained on its tail with a 20.4. Both stations were within 0.3 of a share of last July's numbers. KARK-TV, Channel 4, fell from a 14.3 rating in July 2004 to an 11.3 this summer.

At the 6 p.m. news slot, KATV dominated with a 25.9 share, slightly higher than last year. KARK and KTHV duked it out for second place with a 13.5 and a 14.8 share, respectively.

A New Reporter At KTHV?

Does KTHV have a new reporter or have I just not been watching Channel 11 enough to know he's been there awhile? Anyway, Jerod Clark filed a report for 11 on its 10pm newscast Saturday night. From what I can gather from searching the internet, Clark last worked at KOAM in Joplin, Missouri.

How long has he been on the air? Who did he replace?

UPDATE: 08/04 Thanks to a tip in the comments section, ATN has investigated and found that Clark replaced Amy Fox who left KTHV several months ago. Fox is now a reporter at WZZM in Grand Rapids, MI.

Benton County Bureau Announced for KNWA

The announcement has been made and an e-mailer says,"Friday night KNWA unveiled their Benton County bureau..."

Anybody have more details? Use the anonymous tip link OR e-mail ATN .

UPDATE: A tipster adds this: "The Bureau is in the Pinnacle Building in Rogers. That's the high rise office complext near the Embassy Suites.

The Bureau has a large KNWA/peacock logo at the top of both sides of the building. The logo is very visible from I-540. It reminds me of how KARK's logo really sticks out in downtown Little Rock.

Tom Yazwinski and Sydney Hart are the reporters staffing the bureau. They now live in Rogers. There will be two photographers, but I can't say if they are living in Benton County or not."

The Countdown is on at Today's THV This Morning

It seems Today's THV This Morning hosts B.J. Sams and Tom Brannon are looking forward to the return of Robyn Richardson from maternity leave. A countdown clock to her return has been placed on the program's page at Today's THV.com.

Richardson gave birth to a baby boy in July. Since that time Alison Moore has filled in for Richardson. Moore recently had a baby also SO Melissa Dunbar has been filling in on the morning program.

There's a Move to Talk About at Channel 11

Ok the headline is misleading but I had to pull you in somehow. Anyway THV's Everyone Has a Story segment has a new day and time. Andy Pearson announced during tonight's 10pm newscast the segment hosted by Liz Massey is moving to Thursdays beginning on September 8th.

TodaysTHV.com to Live Stream Senate Confirmation Hearing for Supreme Court Nominee Judge John Roberts

From Today'sTHV.com: "Today's THV will provide live coverage of the Senate confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Nominee Judge John Roberts on Tuesday, September 6 starting at 12:30 p.m.

You can watch the coverage via streaming video at THVideo at todaysthv.com or you can watch KTHV-DT (11-2).

Somebody Leaving KLRT?

Is someone flying the coop at KLRT? KLRT is advertising for a meteorologist. Make that a full-time meteorologist. Is this a new position? Is someone leaving? Inquiring minds wanna know.

KNWA Back on Air

This from an e-mailer: "According to the Spook's blog, KNWA just resumed broadcasting over the air on Wed Aug 31 - whew! Three weeks?!"

KNWA was knocked off the air August 10th by a power surge that caused a catastrophic failure at one of KNWA’s transmitters. Cable and satellite dish viewers were able to recieve the station's signal.

40/29 Raises More than $322,000 During Telethon

Source: The Hometown Channel.com 40/29 Your Hometown News and the American Red Cross would like to thank everyone that helped us raise more than $322,000 for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"Once again the people in this area have opened up to help victims of a major disaster," said general manager Jim Prestwood. "We want to thank everyone that helped out in this effort."

The telethon started Thursday at 5:30 a.m. during "40/29 Your Hometown News Sunrise" and the $100,000 mark was passed by early in the afternoon. The phones didn't stop ringing until after 11 p.m.

"We are thrilled with the response from our viewers. Our phones were ringing all day long with people eager to give," said news director Mike Courington.

"$322,000 translates into nearly 50 truckloads of food and water for our fellow Americans along the coast who have lost everything," said Jody Dilday, with the American Red Cross. "This is what happens when neighbors come together to help neighbors."

All of the money raised will be used by the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Where Are They Now

Joe Terrell is in the spotlight today.

Joe was born and raised in the Dallas area and is an alumnus of the University of North Texas in Denton .He spent almost 4 years reporting and anchoring for KTAL-TV in Shreveport and Texarkana before his career moved him to the Midwest.

Joe enjoyed a four-year stay along the banks of the Ohio River in Evansville, Indiana. At WFIE-TV, Joe anchored and covered many award-winning special reports including "Best News Series" and "Best Spot News Coverage" recognition from the Radio and Television News Directors Association. Joe has also been recognized with a national Oscar in Agriculture Award for "Best Series Reporting".

What's Joe doing now? He currently co-anchors the 5pm and 10pm newscasts at KLTV in Tyler, Texas.

Local Stations Solicit Donations for Hurricane Victims

Almost all the stations in Little Rock, Shreveport, and Northwest Arkansas are doing their part in helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Below is a brief list of how each is doing its part.

> KNWA teamed up with Cumulus Broadcasting and the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross. To raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. KNWA had a booth set up in NWA Mall the last couple of days in which donations could have been dropped off.

> KATV Partnering with the Red Cross, to Help Our "Neighbors in Need". KATV.com says, "In past times of need, KATV viewers have generously helped us raise over $300,000 for the Red Cross following the terrorist attacks on September 11th. Prior to that, KATV viewers helped raise over $400,000 with the United Way for tornado victims in Arkansas.Now, our neighbors in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have suffered a great loss and KATV is again appealing to our viewers for help." You'll find several ways to contribute to the Red Cross at KATV.com.

> KTHV Joins Local Church in Collecting Food Items For Refugees- Today's THV has implemented the 11 Alert Disaster Relief Program to help those here in Arkansas who are seeking shelter from the aftermath of the storm and those still stranded in Louisiana and Mississippi who lack even the most basic necessities.Today's THV and Fellowship Bible Church have joined together to help Arkansas Foodbank Network (non-perishable foods and toiletries) collect food for Arkansas shelters taking care of the Hurricane Refugees. You'll find more info HERE.

> KAIT and Triple FM kicked off a campaign Thursday to collect bottled water and monetary donations to send to hurricane victims on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

KAIT.com says, "The money will be turned over the American Red Cross to use as needed in the disaster relief efforts, while the water will be shipped to the studios of WLOX-TV, KAIT's sister station in Biloxi, Mississippi, where it will then be distributed. The water will be taken to Biloxi by Gary Beard Trucking, a local transport company."

> KLRT/Clear Channel's "Storm Aid" Donation Drive- From KLRT.com: "The “Storm Aid” donation drive at the Clear Channel Metroplex has become a big success. But more help is needed as relief efforts continue through the weekend. The donation drive will continue Friday on through the weekend. The goal is to fill up as many semi-trucks as possible with donations to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. But because of all the work that needs to be done in packing the trucks, volunteers are needed. "

> Lend A Hand: KSLA Hurricane Relief Mission- KSLA has kicked off an effort to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. According to its website, "KSLA is encouraging you to drop off clothing, especially school uniforms, at any Porter's Cleaners location.At any Shreveport-Bossier Kroger grocery store, you can donate bottled water, non-perishable food items, school supplies, diapers, even money.You can also add a donation to the amount of your next grocery bill.And to help push things along, Kroger has announced it will match all donations contributed, up to $300,000."

KHBS/KHOG Hosting Telethon for Hurricane Victims Today

This from an e-mailer: "40/29 is hosting a telethon today with the Red Cross.. last time they came on the air, people had donated almost $110,000. It's not over until late tonight, so I can only imagine once people get off work, much more will be donated."

Someone keep me up to date and let me know what the final talley is.

UPDATE: 10:50pm This from an e-mailer: "10:30 tally for the telethon is $314,000...phones are still ringing."