Web Poll Time: What Channel Has the Best Newsteam

It's been awhile since I've had a poll here so I decided to get the poll thing back to going. The question is who has the best overall news team. It no doubt takes all the anchors, reporters, producers and others behind the scenes people to make a station a success. So who in the Little Rock market has their act together and has the best team? Vote and discuss.

Peters Named Lead Anchor for Razorback Nation

Source: KARK/KNWA News Release KNWA-TV and KARK-TV today announced the appointment of Aaron Peters to lead the charge in the main anchor chair for both market’s Razorback Nation nightly reports and is promoting Jason Carroll to Executive Sports Producer. The announcement was made by Blake Russell, KNWA-TV Vice President and General Manager, and Rick Rogala, Vice President and General Manager of KARK-TV.

“We are very excited to make this announcement today,” said Mr. Russell. “Aaron has spent many years on the hill in Fayetteville and he’s the perfect person to take the Razorback Nation franchise to the next level. Jason’s organization skills and knowledge of Arkansas Athletics is critical to what we do day in and day out.”

Rick Rogala, Vice President and General Manager for KARK-TV commented, “Aaron is a terrific sports journalist with an incredible thirst for the hogs. He’s perfectly suited to lead our Razorback nation coverage, which others may try to copy, but no one can even come close to matching because our commitment to The Arkansas Razorbacks is 365 days a year, not just a week at a time.”

Aaron spent 5 years at KHBS/KHOG in Fayetteville before joining the Razorback Nation team in 2005. He was charged with heading up the sports anchor chair for the New Fox 24 News at 9 in August 2006. “First of all, this is an incredible opportunity for me,” commented Mr. Peters. “With the daily exposure we deliver from the hill throughout the state, this is a dream job come true for me. How much more exciting can something be!” Jason Carroll has been a Sports Producer with The Razorback Nation since 2004. He’s a graduate of Springdale High School and The University of Arkansas. Jason has worked in the Northwest Arkansas Television market since 1999. “In working on the hill for the past 8 years, I know what a Hog fan expects. It’s my job to make sure we deliver,” commented Mr. Carroll.

KLRT Expands Friday Night Sports Coverage

An e-mailer sent ATN this: Friday Night Tailgate on FOX16 News is expanding to a 35 minute show starting at 10:00 on Fridays. It's shaping up to be the biggest high school football show in the state.

July Numbers for NorthWest Arkansas

NWA July Ratings

5:00p
    KFSM     5.8 / 18
    40/29    5.9 / 19
    KNWA     3.7 / 12

6:00pm
    KFSM     7.1 / 19
    40/29    5.4 / 15
    KNWA     3.0 / 8

9:00pm
    KFSM     4.1 / 11
    40/29    2.0 / 5
    Fox 24   1.8 / 5
    KNWA     2.0 / 5

10:00pm
    KFSM     4.8 / 13
    40/29    4.9 / 14
    KNWA     5.6 / 16

Get In the Zone, The THV Hog Zone

KARK has Razorback Nation, KATV has Hog Central and now KTHV has Hog Zone. Channel 11 GM told Arkansas Business.com, "Behind the scenes, [KTHV sports director] Craig O'Neill, [and reporters] Wess Moore and Mark Edwards are constantly talking Hogs, poking fun, and trying to one up each other when it comes to the Razorbacks. "They're going to direct all of that energy from Arkansas' most versatile sportscasters right into the 'Hog Zone.' Each of the THV sportscasters offer daily online analysis and opinion as well as a unique video blog. Even before the evening sportscast, Razorback fans will find the 'Hog Zone' has video updates, daily practice and game reports, and the latest from The Hill."

The article says Arkansas Business' ArkansasSports360.com will soon be sharing content with Today's thv.com.

Hearst-Argyle to go Private

Source: Hollywood Reporter Shares of Hearst-Argyle Television Inc. jumped 23.3% after controlling shareholder and media firm Hearst Corp. said it will take the TV station group private for about $600 million in cash in the latest buyout deal in the media and entertainment industry.

The privately held owner of newspaper, magazine and TV assets cited the changing media landscape as a key reason behind the move.

"The competitive demands of the TV broadcasting industry and changes in the broader media industry, when balanced against the pressures on a public company to deliver short-term results, have convinced us that private ownership of Hearst-Argyle is desirable and will assist Hearst-Argyle in attaining its strategic and business objectives," Hearst Corp. president and CEO Victor Ganzi said in a letter to the Hearst-Argyle board.

Hearst-Argyle owns 29 TV stations, which reach a combined 18% of U.S. viewers.

New Nielsen Market Rankings Released

Nielsen has released its newest set of market rankings. Little Rock didn't change, it's still the number 57 market with 552,400 TV homes; Jonesboro fell 2 spots to 180 with 80,000 TV homes; Shreveport is down one to market 82 with 383,610 TV homes; Ft. Smith- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers remains the same as market 102 with 289,080 TV homes.

KARK News Reporter Moving to Sports

Arkansas Business.com reports KARK news reporter Tom Yazwinski will be making a move in reporting for the Sports department at the station. AB.com says Yazwinski will be contributing to Arkansas Nation from Fayetteville.

Former KARK'er Found Dead at Home in Memphis

Source WPTY Former ABC24--KARK, Little Rock-- Anchor Wendell Stacy was found dead in his home Wednesday, August 22, 2007.

Officers responded to a call at Stacy's home in the 200 block of North Avalon in Memphis after a friend of Stacy's had gone to the house to check on him. Officers found him dead in the living room.

The cause of death has not been determined at this time.

July Ratings for Little Rock TV

Morning
Channel 4 3/16
7 5/25
11 5/26

5P
Channel 4 7/17
7 10/25
11 6/13

6P
Channel 4 6/12
7 14/29
11 6/13

10P
Channel 4 6/13
7 11/23
11 9/20

Country Music Rules the Roost in The Spa City

Some blog readers have expressed an interest in a Radio blog. Let's just say I'm testing the waters here.

The first Arbitron book results were released for the Hot Springs radio market a couple of weeks ago. The findings show Country Music rules in the Spa City. US Stations' County format station KQUS. US-97 came in with a rating of 15.7. That number is nearly double of AC powerhouse KLAZ, 105.9 which is owned by Noalmark. Of course with Little Rock not being far away, a number of Little Rock are stations were also on the list.

UPDATE: Was actually in the Spa City the last several days . Now here's the complete list:

KQUS-FM 15.7
KLAZ-FM 8.8
KVER-FM 8.8
KKPT-FM 4.9
KLXQ-FM 4.9
KABZ-FM 3.9
KIPR-FM 3.9
KLEZ-FM 3.9
KDJE-FM, KHKN-FM and KLAL-FM, 2.9
KSSN-FM, KURB-FM and KYDL-FM 2.0
KARN-FM/AM, KMJX-FM and KTTG-FM 1.0

UPDATE: For about a month I've been trying to get my Southwest Arkansas Radio blog up and off the ground. Still thinking about including and changing the name to include all of Arkansas.

KARK, Colleges and Money

Now this sounds like a real soap opera. KARK General Manager Rick Rogala denies to The Arkansas Times that the station will be selling news during a fall tour of Arkansas colleges. According to the article the controversy started after what is apparently copyrighted material was leaked to a local blogger on how colleges could partner up with KARK for $5,000 to be featured on KARK's morning program. Rogala explained it to The Arkansas Times this way:

KARK news director Rick Rogala (after complaining that the Times' source had swiped the station's “copyrighted content”) said that the campuses that would be visited by the morning show were picked solely by the news staff. After the stops on the tour were chosen, he said, the KARK advertising department came up with the idea of giving those colleges “added benefit” through a paid advertising partnership.

“It could be misinterpreted, but there is no content for sale,” Rogala said. “Somebody in marketing said, as long as we're going there, let's offer these universities the chance to push themselves further.”

Rogala said that one thing that might make the partnership offer look suspicious is that the version posted online bears a Hendrix College logo at the top, even though Hendrix is not one of the campuses on the KARK 4 Today campus tour. He said he will be looking into whether Hendrix was indeed offered a tour partnership by the KARK marketing department.

“The reality is that we're not going to Hendrix,” he said. “And if your question is, if Hendrix paid $5,000 would we come there, the answer is no."

Former Miss Arkansas Making On Air Debut Tonight on KNWA

This from a tipster: Former Miss Arkansas Kelly George is in the building! She's good lookin' too! She's been shadowing for a while now - and gets ready for mornings staring on Monday Aug 20. Should be interesting!! She's doing on=air introductions tonight on the knwa shows.

THV Loses Morning Co-Host; Temp Co-host Named

Source: KTHV Long-time Today’s THV anchor Robyn Richardson says she will leave television in order to better tend to her young family. Richardson describes her decision to say goodbye to her broadcast friends and many faithful viewers as extremely difficult, one she debated for several months.

“As a mother, I know it’s important to find out what kind of world you and your children will face each day once you walk out that door, and I thank you for watching ‘Today’s THV This Morning’ and letting B.J., Tom and myself prepare you for that. But, also as a mom, I know I am missing out on sharing a morning routine with my own family. Olivia, Lowery, Parker, and Kamille have been very patient in sharing their mother with the people of Arkansas, and now it is time that I share more of my time and myself with them,” says Richardson.

The THV morning family will grow too, as popular mainstays B.J. Sams and Tom Brannon welcome a familiar face. Alyson Courtney will step in for Richardson while long-term plans for “Today’s THV This Morning” are developed. “Alyson is a most accomplished journalist and talent, no stranger to our morning viewers,” said Audas. “When we learned of Robyn’s need to stay with her family, I asked B.J. and Tom about a new partner. ‘Alyson Courtney,’ each said without hesitation. I believe we all agree, but we’ll use this as an opportunity to make sure we continue to deliver Arkansas’ number one morning newscast to viewers.”

New Hire at Channel 11

This from a tipster: Kathleen Berger (former FOX 16 anchor/reporter) starts Monday at Today's THV as a freelance reporter. She'll work Mon, Wed, and Fridays.

Changes on the Way Weekday Mornings on KARK

With the expansion of NBC's Today Show, comes expanded news offerings from KARK. Arkansas Business.com reports KARK will move Arkansas Showcase, which currently airs at 10am Friday's, to 11:30am and the program will air weekly following 4's 11am newscast. ALSO KARK will partner with KNWA to make its noon newscast a "most statewide" newscast.

NBC's Today starts airing until 11am on September 10....Arkansas Showcase begins its Monday thought Friday run on September 24th.

New Met for KHBS/KHOG

This from a tipster:

The replacement for former morning meteorologist Justin Povick at 40/29 in Fayetteville is a done deal.

His name is Patrick Crawford, and he starts August 20th...though thereare rumors he will start by filling in for Chief Meteorologist DrewMichaels before going to mornings.

Most recently Crawford was Chief Meteorologist at KSWT (CBS) in Yuma, AZ.

Former KATV Razorback Central Reporter on the Mission Trail

Some have been wonderin' what former KATV Razorback Central reporter Rusty Jackson has been up to since his departure from Channel 7. Seems Jackson hit the Mission trail. From his blog bio, here's how Jackson sums up the decision to get into mission work:

Back in the day I was a sports anchor for the largest TV station in the state of Arkansas. I was in television for five years. I loved it, however in January God started moving in my life. I realized being on TV wasn't doing it for me, and it would never bring me true happiness. I wanted more, and I knew that "more" was God. I Googled missions, found Adventures in Missions and from there I found the World Race. (Basically its a year long mission trip in which young people go to 11 different countries spreading the Word of God) I thought, wow!, look at these folks acting as the hands and feet of Jesus. I was blown away by their passion, their faith and their love for Christ. So, I started reading their blogs and that's where I got myself in trouble. I ran across one in particular where the author asked the question, "are you praying scary prayers like God take my life?" Heck no I wasn't, but I soon found myself asking God to take over my life. A month later I was fired from my job! Ha, be careful what you pray for! That was back in April, since then I've been to Peru and Swaziland working with the World Racers and getting to know them. I tell ya, what a body of Christ! I truly love these guys and gals. So thanks to Seth Barnes and the World Race leadership I've been adopted as a part of the team. I'll be hooking up with them in Thailand come August 1st!

Little Rock Radio: The Spring 2007 Numbers

Someone requested a look at the radio numbers for Little Rock. Below are some highlights:

From the look of the latest numbers from Arbitron, long time Little Rock Country powerhouse KSSN just might be about at the end of its streak. According to the Spring 2007 numbers KSSN garnished a 9.7 rating. That's the same rating it got in the Winter book. Citadel's KLAL is in second place with a 7.3. KURB got a 6.5 rating. It could be Country music listeners are getting hungry for something new as Country stations out of Greenbrier, Hot Springs and Batesville popped up this go around on the Little Rock book. In the Spring 2006 book KSSN had a 10.5 rating; in Summer 2006 an 11.9 rating; Fall 2006 a 10.4 and in Winter 2007 a 9.7.

Company wise, Clear Channel stations hold the first, sixth, seventh,eleventh and fifteenth places. Citadel holds second, third, fifth, twelfth, and fourteenth places.

"Today’s THV at Noon" Set to Return September 10 With Major Changes

KTHV, Channel 11 has announced the return and changes to its noon newscast, Today's THV at Noon. The station says the newscast will return September 10 with Stefanie Bryant joining Tom Brannon at the anchor desk. The newscast will be a full half hour as Positively Arkansas is moving to 9:30 a.m.

THV GM Larry Audas says additional changes will also be seen as the noon time newscasts returns to the airwaves, “We will simulcast ‘Today’s THV at Noon’ in its entirety live on the World Wide Web with the newscast taking a featured position on todaysthv.com.” “We want to not only deliver news to folks at home, but to the many people on the job or at the office who will want to take a few minutes at noon to watch a live newscast on their computers.”

KAIT Losing Two Reporters

This from a tipster: "KAIT is losing Marsha Mays and Brett Garrett. Mays is going into media sales while Garrett is taking a job anchoring sports in Tupelo at WTVA. Tough break for a station already down a reporter and a sports anchor."

Nexstar Not for Sale

Nexstar, the parent company of KARK-Little Rock, KNWA-Fayetteville and KTAL- Shreveport, says it has suspended talks with potential buyers. An article on Arkansas Business.com says, " On Friday, the company said that it would suspend discussions with prospective acquirers "in light of the difficult conditions in the financing markets.""

KATV Gets New Hog Central Reporter

Not sure when he started but KATV has hired KHBS/KHOG sports anchor reporter Beau McCastlain as its Hog Central correspondent in Northwest Arkansas. McCastlain replaces Rusty Jackson, who was fired, on The Hill. According to his KHBS/KHOG bio, McCastlain has worked at KTHV, KARK and KLRT in Little Rock.

Nexstar Files Lawsuit Against Former KNWA Sports Anchor

Arkansas Business.com is reporting Nexstar, parent company of KNWA and KARK, has filed a lawsuit to keep former sports anchor Bo Mattingly off the radio airwaves. Below is an excerpt from the article:

"Mattingly and Cumulus Broadcasting LLC were named Friday in a lawsuit filed by Nexstar claiming that the broadcaster was violating a noncompete agreement. The lawsuit also said Mattingly and was in breach of his contract with the company by launching a sports talk show this week less, than one month after he resigned from his television post. Nexstar also filed a preliminary injunction to keep the show off the air.

"I'm going to do my job and let my attorneys do theirs," Mattingly said. "For me it's going to be business as usual."

KATV to Bring Radio to TV

Arkansas Business.com reports KATV's morning show Daybreak will be featuring segments with the morning crew of KABZ, 103.7, The Buzz. KATV News Director Randy Dixon tells Arkansas Business.com, "I don't know of anyone else who's ever tried this in this market. "We've been working it out for several weeks and I think it's going to be a new way to entertain viewers of both shows."