KARK to be Full HD by March 1

According to an article on Arkansas Business.com, KARK launched its HD signal the Monday before the Winter Olympics started. As of right now the HD signal is at low power. According to KARK GM Rick Rogala the full blown HD signal will be full power by March 1. Read the article HERE.

Breaking News?

An e-mailer sends ATN this:

"Interesting to see that 7,11, and 16 carried the implosion of the UAMS dorm live this morning. However, channel 16 will never learn.... they, of course, over-hyped the coverage calling it breaking news... they also are still calling YESTERDAY's ice storm breaking news. Two hints for them 1)a planned event is not breaking news 2)an ice storm that happened Friday night/Saturday morning is not breaking news on Sunday morning. Now if you'd have done your show Saturday morning when it was going on like channel 4... then it would have been breaking news."

4 Covers All Corners of the State With Winter Weather Coverage

I have to say I only saw a few minutes of weather coverage this morning on KARK BUT they did have it happening. 4 was my only choice as for some reason KATV was black and KTHV's signal was non-existant on my cable system. BUT 4 really was covering all the bases. An e-mail had this to say:

"Good to see Arkansas channels making weekend weather important. i woke up around 6:30 and was impressed to see channel 4 all over the state. 7 had a LR reporter and i didn't check 11, but I didn't go to Fort Smith after watching the morning coverage...way to go."

Valentine's Day Surprise! Viewers Treated To On-Air Proposal at KHBS/KHOG

Source: The Hometown Channel.com It started out as an interview on the 40/29 Morning Show, but it ended up as the ultimate Valentine's Day present.

Cheryl Wasson, owner of Creative Events by Cheryl, was giving a live interview in Fort Smith, but was lovingly interrupted by Dave Healy, a Hometown News photojournalist and Cheryl's longtime love.

After Dave informed Meteorologist Drew Michaels that the roses he was carrying were not for Drew, Dave assumed the classic proposal position -- bended knee -- and popped the question. Cheryl gave the classic answer, a tearful yes, before an audience of thousands of Hometown News viewers.

The newscast, anchored by Jennifer Haile and Michaels, airs Monday through Friday at 5:30 to 7:00 a.m. on 40/29 Your Hometown News, Fort Smith/Fayetteville.

KNWA Looking for Yet Another News Director

This from the tip box: "KNWA (Nexstar) in Fayetteville is advertising for a news director again. Alan Little, who just arrived in the fall (October I believe) is already moving on. The word on the street is Tampa is the destination, but don't know details."

Introducing THV2

THV has rolled out THV2, a 24 hour news and weather channel. According to the 'about' page at THV2.com, "All viewers with digital receivers (through the use of an antenna) on Channel 11-2 can view THV2.Digital Cable Subscribers on Comcast, and Conway Corp within February, Charter Subscribers (scheduled for air within 60 days) Anyone with Internet Access: at THV2.com or todaysthv.com."

KATV One of the Top ABC Affiliates

Arkansas Business reports KATV ranks at the top of the nation's affiliates in the news department. Below is a portion of the article:

"Broken down solely by household rating from the November book, KATV ranks No. 1 among ABC affiliates in 5 p.m. newscasts, No. 2 at 6 p.m. and No. 6 at 10 p.m.

“Not bad for a little old station from Little Rock,” Dale Nicholson, general manager at KATV, said by e-mail. “We are working hard to get all three in the top five of all of ABC’s top 100 markets.”

The research was compiled by Continental Television Sales of New York, which is an independent marketing and research firm that represents the national sales needs of medium and smaller market stations.

At 10 p.m., KATV finished sixth with an 11 rating behind ABC affiliates in the San Antonio, Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Mo., and Shreveport markets."

Check out the full article HERE.

Shreveport TV News Tidbits; Patrick Leaving KTAL, KSLA GM 'Retires'

A tipster has sent some good tidbits of news from the Shreveport Market.

> Shawn Patrick will be leaving ktal shortly after the february book. his hiring at denver's kusa was all over the web last week after it was announced internally there."

> The "retirement" last week of KSLA GM Ed Bradley, who is now the leading candidate in an announced mayoral field that also includes a senile, retired christmas tree salesman, may have an impact on the newsroom there over time. Main anchor Michelle White, who felt a strong loyalty to Bradley, has been exploring other possible opportunities and may be inclined to leave should an attractive one come up (maybe even in a new bradley administration, however far-fetched that proposition may seem). and Jayne Ruben, who bradley installed as news director after bob cashen left, could start to feel some pressure from new management should the numbers start to drop."

KARK Gets New Graphics and Intros

A tipster says KARK debuted new graphics and new intros today. I will have to check them out myself tonight at 10pm. ALSO KARK.com has a new look also. I also have noticed that KARK's sister station, KTAL in Shreveport has slightly different openings and intros, graphics and music.

KATV to Spotlight Reporter's Recent Heart Surgery

Looks as though KATV will be putting reporter Michelle Rupp's recent heart surgery in the spotlight. A promo is currently airing on Channel 7 promo-ing an inside look at the years of mis-diagnosing of a rare heart condition in which Rupp had surgery to correct last month. The piece is set to air during KATV's 10pm newscast Monday night.

KFSM-TV 5 in the Right Place at Right Time Over the Weekend.

This from an e-mailer: " KFSM-TV 5 was on the scene of the car chase with the Massachusetts gay bar suspect in Norfork, Arkansas, and has some amazing exclusive video on their web site. The two men who shot the video, Fred McClure and Robert Houston, were on assignment in the area for the show 5 Outdoors and happened to be at the right place at the right time."

On the Run in Fort Smith

An e-mailer sent in a tip to us that a foot chase Thursday night ended just right outside the studios of KFSM in Fort Smith. The e-mailer says, "Police foot chase just before their reporter went live out the front door, and continued to the back of the studio building during the newscast." Check out the video HERE.

Nexstar Predicts $48 million in Retrans Payments

Source: Broadcasting and Cable In a release outlining the effects of its quest to force DBS and cable operators to pay to carry their stations, Broadcaster Nexstar has offered a little information about how much money it expects to make. But the details are too skimpy to truly assess how much it’s really won, or whether its deals will set the pace for the rest of the TV industry.

Nexstar says that it expects to collect $48 million over the life of current three-to-five year agreements with cable, DBS operators and wireless cable in the 27 markets in which its operates. The annual revenue would account for a “low-double-digit” percentage of the company’s 2006 operating cash flow, which Bear, Stearns & Co. analysts estimate will total $78 million this year.

Interesting for Nexstar, but the company didn’t disclose enough information to see how significant it would be for the rest of the cable industry. For example, it’s not clear how much of that money is coming from DBS providers – who freely pay cash – and how much is coming from cable systems, who have fiercely resisted paying cash.