KLRT Hires New ND

A tipster tells Arkansas TV News Ed Trauschke has been hired as News Director at KLRT. Trauschke comes to Little Rock after leaving WESH-TV in Orlando, Florida in August 2006. Trauschke replaces Michael Fabac who left KLRT in December.

Q and A With Former KTHV Anchor/Reporter NOW CNN Anchor

Arkansas TV News would like to thank former KTHV anchor/reporter NOW CNN weekend anchor/reporter TJ Holmes for taking the time to respond to a handful of questions sent to him about his new career at CNN:

> Tell me a little about your background in broadcasting.

I have a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Arkansas . My first job out of college was at the NBC affiliate station (KSN) in

Joplin, Missouri. I was there for 9 months. I was a producer, reporter, and weekend anchor. From there, I went to the CBS affiliate (KTHV) in Little Rock , Arkansas . I was there for three years. I served as weekend anchor/reporter there. From Little Rock , I was hired to be the 5 p.m., M-F anchor at the NBC O&O (KNTV) in San Francisco . I spent three years there before being hired as the weekend morning anchor at CNN.

> How does working at CNN compare to working at the local news level?

One major difference is resources. CNN can do just about anything, anywhere, at any time. A major news network like CNN has more money, people and resources that a local affiliate simply can’t compete with. So, you have the ability to do a lot more. Also, the news is different. Of course, local news has a much smaller area to cover. CNN, on the other hand, covers the world. You cover everything at CNN. So, you have to be well read and knowledgeable about a whole lot more.

Of course, there’s not as much structure to a newscast at CNN as you would find on a local level. In local news, you often have a half hour show that is scripted and for the most part, doesn’t have as great of a potential to change as a newscast at CNN. At CNN, everything changes during the course of a newscast. News breaks all over the world and you have to be ready to handle it. It keeps you on your toes, and it is one of the best parts of the job. Also, you have a lot of live interviews during a CNN newscast which also adds to that unscripted nature of a CNN newscast.
There are tons of other differences, but these are a few that stand out.

> What challenges have you faced so far at CNN?

One of my first challenges was simply getting over the hump, so to speak. Coming from local news, it can be a bit intimidating to make the move to a network-level job. So, the first challenge was simply getting that first newscast at CNN under my belt.

> Some tend to think that since you’re an anchor, that’s all you do … sit there and read the teleprompter for hours. What does the job of a CNN anchor entail?

I know people think of anchors as “reading the prompter”, but at CNN, a lot of our time on the news set is spent not reading, but ad-libbing. A lot of a CNN newscast is unscripted because breaking news happens or interviews are added, etc. Every CNN anchor also reports. We go out in the field. Of course, it’s not on a daily basis, like the field correspondents, but anchors do plenty of reporting.

Also, there are so many challenges and demands on CNN anchors that take you outside of the newsroom. We have responsibilities to the community.

Community groups and organizations often call on us to lend a hand in some way. We often serve as guest speakers, panelist or emcee events.

Many anchors serve on community boards as well.

> For those still working their way to the big time, what advice would you give them to help them along the way?

I always tell people to make up their mind that broadcast news is what they want to do, and make up your mind early. It could be tough and frustrating when you first start out in this business. There are a lot of people out there competing for limited jobs in this business. So, you might not land that great job immediately. Or, your career in broadcast news might not progress as quickly as you thought it might. I have seen so many friends and former classmates drop out of the business because their careers didn’t progress like they thought they might, and they quit. So, these people have spent 4 or 5 years in college and then a few years in broadcast news, only to quit. I recommend people commit to it, realize that it may be tough, and hopefully, it will work out.

Be yourself. People often try to emulate others they see on TV. It’s perfectly fine to study others in the industry, but people often lose some of their own individuality. A news director can find plenty of potential employees who are just like everybody else. But if you can simply be yourself, you stand out because there is nobody out there who is just like you.

KTHV's Newest Backpack Journalist Files Reports For CNN

KTHV's newest Backpack Journalist Charles Crowson filed reports for CNN Saturday night as part of the cable news channel's coverage of the tornadoes in Dumas. Crowson was LIVE on CNN during the channel's late evening newscast with Rick Sanchez. CNN seems to have dual affiliate coverage in the Little Rock market as it's using video from KATV also.

KLRT Teasing Upcoming Early Evening News

This from a tipster: "Just wanted to let you know that Fox 16 has started hyping their Fox 16 news at 5:00 and Fox 16 News at 5:30 reports."

Sweeping Stories

Viewers of local news sure can tell when it's sweeps time. All the "investigations", "in depth stories", extra's....whatever the name a channel gives them they all have the same goal, get your eyeball's attention.

So what has been your favorite or the craziest so far? Maybe it's KSLA's behind the scenes of liposuction where its morning weather anchor had his breasts reduced? Maybe it's KATV's special report on blogging,(I saw that one and was surprised to see Arkansas TV News pop-up on screen. Was watching with family and just let out a big ol laugh.) One that really spurred alot of emails to me was the earthquake hype story KATV done Tuesday night.

In the comments section leave what your fav has been so far.

KTHV to Compete With KATV at 9am Later This Year with News?

Arkansas Business.com is reporting KWBF-TV Channel 42 has picked up Live With Regis & Kelly. AB.com says 42 will beging airing the program at 9am beginning in September. Live currently airs on KTHV at 9am but 11 GM Larry Audas did not come out and say the station is dropping the syndicated program or not BUT says,"Most of all, Today’s THV is about more and better local news, as well as fresh programming,” said Audas. “We have an opportunity to achieve both of these goals in our daytime line-up and will share details as they develop.”

KATV currently airs Good Morning Arkansas at 9am, while KARK airs Today.

Nexstar Updates KTAL's Website

Nexstar has turned KTAL's website into a nearly identical version of KARK's Arkansas Matters' site. KTAL's site is dubbed ArkLaTex Homepage.com. It has nearly the same layout as Arkansas Matters.com.

Scott and New Son to be Featured in Video Clips

Dawn Scott maybe on maternity leave during the February book BUT according to her blog at KTHV.com the station will be airing snippets of of video shot recently on Friday nights at 10 starting this week. You can get a preview of the video HERE.

Krile Leaves Equity

Arkansas Business.com reports longtime Little Rock newsman Doug Krile is leaving his post at Equity Broadcasting for a non media job. Here's a excerpt from the article:

"Krile said Tuesday that with the sale of Equity last April to Coconut Palm Acquisition Corp., a "blank check" public company based in Boca Raton, Fla., and his short lived "5:30 Report" news program on KWBF-TV, Channel 42, no longer in production, his role was diminishing.

"Frankly a lot of the public relations duties were sort of phased out and a lot of the news duties were also headed in that direction," Krile said. "A new opportunity came around at the right time and I'm excited about the career change."

Is the Weather Radar Clear at 4, 6 and 11?

This from a tipster: "Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Southwest Arkansas, KATV Channel 7 is the only one that has a map up (as of 3:30 PM), 4 and 11 lagging?"

Hmm...I live in Southwest Arkansas and KARK (4), KTHV (11) and KTAL (6, Shreveport) are the only channels with no watch map up. KSLA Channel 12 (Shreveport) is running Family Feud with the map moved up to the upper left.

Former KARK Reporter Pens Autobiography

An Anchor in the Prairie, the autobiography of former KARK-TV reporter Bill Forbes, has been published by PublishAmerica of Frederick, MD. Forbes worked at Channel 4 from January 1979 until April 1988. He was the first full time helicopter TV reporter in Arkansas when KARK regularly flew Sky 4. That was back in the day when Carolyn Long and Roy Mitchell anchored the 6 and 10 news; Tom Bonner was the weatherman and Dave Woodman did sports. Those were the earlier days for Tracy Douglass and Steve Sullivan at Channel 4. The book devotes much of one chapter to Forbes' days at Channel 4, with references to a number of KARK employees of the day. Forbes left TV in 1988 to go to work for the Navy in Washington, D.C. He's now retired and lives near San Diego.

Former KSLA Anchor Gone from Shreveport and Gets Out of Broadcasting

Looks as though former KSLA morning anchor Candice Jones has skipped town and moved to Austin, TX and is now a real estate agent. Jones spent more than 10 years in radio and television broadcasting.

Morkert Leaving KATV

This from a tipster: "Jessica Morkert is leaving Channel 7 and going to Portland." According to her bio at KATV.com, Morkert joined KATV in September 2004.

KATV Being Sued

Looks like KATV's Seven on Your Side has ruffled the feathers of a Hot Springs Man. This from Arkansas Business.com:

Hot Springs man on the receiving end of an investigative report is suing KATV-TV, Channel 7, consumer affairs reporter Jason Pederson and the Arkansas Department of Labor for defamation and invasion of privacy.

According to a civil lawsuit filed Jan. 16 in Pulaski County Circuit Court, a “Seven on Your Side” investigative report claimed Marshall Hancock, owner of an Hot Springs business that rents large inflatable toys and rock climbing walls, hadn’t met proper inspection laws before renting out his equipment.

The lawsuit says Mike Watson of the Department of Labor was quoted in the taped segment saying, “Mr. Han-cock has not notified our office of his intent to operate in this year or since May of last year” and that “we haven’t inspected him at all in over a year.”

But Hancock claims he has proof he was inspected three times during those two years and that the news report tarnished his name and caused severe loss of profits.

Hancock is seeking an unspecified amount of damages.