ArkLaTex Chief Met Signing Off
This from the tip jar:
Today will be Stephen Parr's last weathercast at KSLA, Shreveport. He
is starting a political talk radio show with someone else and doing
marketing in LA-TEX marketing.
KSLA named Parr's replacement a couple of weeks ago. Jeff Castle comes to the ArkLaTex from Huntsville, Alabama where he was the morning met at Raycom's WAFF.
Little Rock Station hires New Reporter
KTHV/Channel 11/Little Rock has hired a new reporter. TV Spy reports Astrid Solorzano has been hired by the Little Rock station.
Soloraznao begins work Monday. She comes to Little Rock from the Annenberg TV News where she was an anchor/reporter/producer.
Shreveport Station Hires New Chief Met
TV Spy reports KSLA/Channel 12 Shreveport has hired a new chief meteorologist. Jeff Castle comes to the ArkLaTex from Huntsville, Alabama where he was the morning met at Raycom's WAFF.
As reported here first in January Steve Parr is leaving the station. Parr has been with KSLA since 2012.
Severe Weather Coverage MIA Sunday as Storms Blow Through...
I guess regular programming was just to more important to covere severe weather Sunday night. Tornado warnings were in effect during the early evening for the Texarkana area..and yet not one station covered the warnings. An emailer says KMSS/Shreveport did cover it..... Channel 12/KSLA/Shreveport did in the last minutes of the storm as it was moving out of the Texarkana area. Channel 6/KTAL and KTBS/Channel were both MIA..even on the internet. I was surprised as KTAL in the past had done a great job covering storms on the internet.
And should we talk about the Little Rock stations? Everyone except KTHV/Channel 11 missed the boat. Tornado warnings were issued for the metro area around 9 or so...Channel 11 broke in with coverage and stayed with it until their newscast time. I had to wonder where Channel 4's "Arkansas' Weather Team" was...they surely weren't on the air. I will say I can't speak about what KLRT did as I don't receive KLRT. I guess a pageant and a basketball game I think it was, was more important than giving out tornado warnings...
I stand corrected that some of the above mentioned stations did break in for a mention or two. Was just spotty coverage.
Nexstar Unloads Shreveport Station
Nexstar Broadcasting announced today it is selling its Shreveport Fox station KMSS/Channel 33. TV Spy reports Marshall Broadcasting Group will buy KMSS along with 2 other Nexstar stations in Odessa-Midland, Texas and Quad Cities, Iowa for $58.5 million.
Marshall Broadcasting Group, Inc. is a newly formed minority owned media entity owned 100% by Pluria Marshall Jr. Marshall
is currently the president and chief executive officer of Equal Access
Media Inc., which owns several newspapers serving African-American and
minority communities, including The Texas Freeman and Houston Informer
Newspapers, The Los Angeles Wave Newspaper Group, and the Los Angeles
Independent Publications Group. In 2011, Mr. Marshall founded Integrated
Multicultural Media Solutions, a media rep firm that assists
advertisers and agencies in marketing products and services to
multicultural audiences by providing marketing services, including
promotions, grassroots marketing, advertising placement and custom
content creation.
Nexstar purchased KMSS from CCA Stations in April 2013
Shreveport Reporter Moving to Memphis
This from the tip jar:
Sasha Jones is leaving KSLA TV Shreveport to join WMC TV Memphis (also a Raycom station).
Sinclair/Allbritton Deal Nearly Complete
The sale of Allbritton stations to Sinclair Broadcasting could be final by the end June. TV Spy reports with the recent deal for Sinclair to surrender the licenses of ABC affiliates in Charleston, SC, and Birmingham, AL, because of the FCC’s recent restrictions on joint sales agreements will make the purchase of the Allbritton properties complete by either the end of June or July.
It has been nearly a year since the potential sale of the Allbritton properties were first announced on July 29, 2013. The deal will include KATV/Channel 7/Little Rock.
