KTHV's Joey the Garden Cat Passes Away

KTHV/Channel 11/Little Rock has announced that Joey the Garden Cat has passed away.  The station reports Joey succumbed to recent health issues.  Joey stole the hearts of KTHV staff members and viewers back in 2007.  Read Joey's story HERE.

Little Rock Station Adds Former Hog to Sports Team

KTHV/Channel 11/Little Rock has announced former Razorback Clint Stoerner will be providing the station with analysis for the upcoming football season.  Below is the press release:

President and General Manager Michael Caplan announced today, former Razorback Quarterback Clint Stoerner will team up with THV11 Sports to provide analysis for the upcoming football season. Caplan added, "Clint brings an Arkansas perspective to this year's full roster of football on THV11. He joins us to weigh in on everything from the Hogs and SEC match-ups to NFL games throughout the season."

Stoerner will provide a Thursday NFL breakdown of the match-ups slated for "Thursday Night Football", debuting on CBS and THV11 beginning Sept. 11. He will also be featured on "The Hog Zone" Saturdays early evening and following the late news."

Stoerner played with the Razorbacks from 1996 – 1999, under Coaches Danny Ford and Houston Nutt. He played for the Dallas Cowboys for 3 seasons 2000 – 2004, then 2 years with NFL Europe. After that, he played Arena Football for 3 seasons in Dallas and Nashville. Stoerner also provides analysis for Barry Switzer's coachescabana.com (web streaming) and is very involved with social media. Clint stated, "I'm looking forward to being a part of the conversation discussing the Hogs, the SEC, and the NFL. It's a perfect assignment with THV11 and their "4 Days of Football". This is an exciting season and I'm geared up and ready."

Clint Stoerner will make his first appearance joining THV11 Sports Anchor Mary Dunleavy, this Saturday on THV11's Hog Zone, as Arkansas takes on Auburn in their season opener. You can follow Clint Stoerner on Twitter @ClintStoerner. Follow Mary Dunleavy @Mary_Dunleavy and follow THV11 @THV11.

Former Allbritton Exec Named Group Manager for Sinclair

Sinclair Broadcasting has named a group manager for the Little Rock/Tulsa/Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA markets.  The new owners of KATV/Channel 7/Little Rock has hired James Killen to oversee the operations in these markets and others to be determined.  In a news release Killen had this to say:

 “I am thrilled to join Sinclair as Group Managerfor these markets,” commented Mr. Killen. “It will be an exciting new chapter for me, continuingto work with some of the best run stations in the country, while having the luxury of utilizing all of the new tools that Sinclair offers. It is refreshing to join a company that sees the long term value of our industry and is willing to invest in our stations to make sure we continue to be market leaders.” 

Killen was previously Vice President of Sales for Allbritton Communications.

ArkLaTex Station Still in Retrans Squabble With DirecTV

The retransmission squabble continues between KSLA/Channel 12/Shreveport and DirecTV.  The station continues to try and convince the viewers it's all DirecTV's fault.  With just over a week and half left, KSLA contiues with the facebook posts warning DirecTV viewers they soon could be with out:

NWA Station Hires New Anchor/Reporter

While it looks one anchor/reporter is on the way out at KBHS/KHOG/Channel40/29/Fort Smith a new anchor/reporter has just arrived.  Daniel Armbruster started at the Northwest Arkansas stations this week.  Armbruster comes to Fort Smith from KTBC/Austin, Texas. 

Another One on the Way Out in NWA

This from the tip box:

The news director at 40/29 has run off another one. Kelly Johnson won't be renewing her contract when it expires in September.

Northwest Arkansas Anchor Going to Work for Hutchinson

KNWA/Fayetteville-Fort Smith is looking for a new morning anchor.  TV Spy reports J.R. Davis signed off this morning after two years at the station.  Davis is going to work for the Asa Hutchinson campaign as the communication director.  Davis isn't new to the job of communications director as Davis left the station in 2010 to work for Arkansas Congressman Steve Womack. 

Former ArkLaTex Weather Guesser Now Talking Politics

This from the tip box:

Looks like former KSLA weather-guesser, "Stormtracker Steve Parr" has landed at KEEL 710am in Shreveport, co-hosting conservative talkshow: "America on the Edge".


Parr left KSLA/Channel 12/Shreveport at the end of June.  Parr had been with Channel 12 since 2007.

Does the GM of Monroe Station Have a Twin

Sometimes we just can't make things up....check this out.  FTV Live points out a Fox News viewer wrote into Bill O'reilly stating he was aggravated with liberals being on the BO show.  The viewers name..Ed Oretelli from Monroe, Louisiana.  The editor of FTV Live searched the name on the internet and low and behold there is an Ed Oretelli from Monroe that is the General Manager of KNOE/Channel 8/Monroe. LA. Could it be?

Sinclair Execs Start Visits to Newly Acquired Stations

FTV Live reports the staff at former Allbritton station NOW Sinclair Broadcasting station WJLA/Channel 7/Washington DC was paid a visit by Sinclair CEO David Smith and other company execs.  Sinclair finalized the deal to purchase the Allbritton broadcast tv stations last week..including KATV/Channel 7/Little Rock.  FTV Live says, "Smith met with the staff and started out trying to downplay the misconceptions many have about Sinclair. He tried to downplay the fact that Sinclair leans hard to the conservative side and tried using the company's station in Seattle as a "liberal" example.

Smith talked about the vast network of stations they own, and how they help one another. Paraphrased example: “Say you want live coverage about the “invasion” – you could call our El Paso or Brownsville station to set one up.” We presuming the "invasion" he was referring to was the stream of people crossing the US's southern border."

I wonder when Smith will show up in Little Rock.

Shreveport Station Becomes Weather Ready Nation Ambassador

KTAL/Channel 6/Shreveport has been designated by the National Weather Service as Weather Ready Nation Ambassador.  The NWS office in Shreveport says KTAL is the first station in Louisiana to become a Weather Ready Nation Ambassador.  The NWS website says the goal of the National Weather Service's Weather-Ready Nation initiative is increasing the nation's weather-readiness so that the country will be better prepared to protect, mitigate, and respond to and recover from weather-related disasters.

The Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador initiative is an effort to formally recognize NOAA partners who are improving the nation's readiness against extreme weather, water, and climate events. As a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, the Bossier Parish Library will work with the National Weather Service to strengthen the area's resilience against extreme weather by taking a leadership role in educating the public on weather hazards and promoting weather awareness activities in the community.

Shreveport Anchor Arrested for Drunk Driving

That wonderful print publication The Inquistor reports KTBS/Channel 3/Shreveport anchor Jody Lowery was arrested last week for DWI.  The publication states she was arrested in Red River Parish July 31st. 

KARK Names New Morning Co-Anchor

KARK/Channel 4/Little Rock has named a new co-anchor for its weekday morning program.  Aaron Nolan will be joining Mallory Brooks and Greg Dee weekday mornings beginning in September. KARK anchor Matt Mosely announced last week he will be leaving the station to focus on ministry full-time.  

Here is the KARK press release:

Aaron Nolan will be starting his work day as little earlier as the new co-anchor of KARK 4 Today. Nolan returned to Little Rock and KARK-TV in 2013 as a co-anchor of the statewide noon broadcast “Arkansas Today” alongside Mallory Brooks. Nolan will now transition his anchoring duties to KARK’s 2-hour morning show and serve as a feature reporter highlighting “local news that matters” for KARK’s evening broadcasts.

“I’m really excited to join such a strong morning team with Mallory and Greg Dee,” said Nolan. “I can’t say enough about how much I enjoy working with them each day at noon. I look forward to spending even more time with them each morning.”

“Aaron has the type of personality and energy that should be a hit with morning viewers,” said KARK-TV News Director Austin Kellerman. “He’s an outside-the-box thinker who will bring new ideas to the table each morning. In addition to making sure you’re caught up on news, weather and traffic, I expect him to leave you with some moments you’ll be talking about later in the day.”

Prior to returning to Central Arkansas, Nolan anchored a one-hour 9 p.m. newscast at Nexstar Broadcasting’s KOLZ in Springfield, Missouri. Earlier in his career, Nolan worked at Nexstar Broadcasting’s KNWA in Fayetteville and spending four years at KARK-TV as a sports anchor and reporter for the popular “Razorback Nation” product. He’s a Maumelle native who graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a degree in Telecommunications.

“This is my home. This is where we want to be,” said Nolan. “I feel blessed to have the opportunity to help my friends and neighbors get their mornings started each day.”

Nolan officially begins his new duties on Monday, September 1. He will replace Matt Mosler who recently announced he’d be transitioning into full-time ministry work with New Life Church.
Nolan is married to KARK-TV weekday evening co-anchor and fellow Arkansas native Ashley Ketz.

KARK-TV is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.

Gannett to Split

KTHV/Channel 11/Little Rock parent company Gannett is splitting up.  The company announced today it will be splitting up it's newspaper and broadcast television stations/digital properties into two separate entities. 

"The bold actions we are announcing today are significant next steps in our ongoing initiatives to increase shareholder value by building scale, increasing cash flow, sharpening management focus and strengthening all of our businesses to compete effectively in today's increasingly digital landscape," said Gannett president and chief executive Gracia Martore.

 Gannett's has 46 broadcast tv stations and owns cars.com and careerbuilder.com and owns USA Today and 200 weeklies and magazines and community news service Newsquest.

Shreveport Station in Retrans Squabble With DirecTV

KSLA/Channel 12/Shreveport is in a squabble with Direct TV.  Ah, that's right it's that time to renegotiate the retransmission fees.  In a video message on the station's website, KSLA and DirecTV have until August 31st to come to an agreement.  And then if an agreement isn't reached..that's right KSLA will pull the plug on the feed to DirecTV.

At KSLA, nothing is more important to us than providing the ArkLaTex with the very best in local news and weather, along with your favorite CBS programming.
In order to serve our viewers, KSLA has in place agreements with the cable and satellite companies that bring our station to your home. In fact, KSLA has such agreements in place with every TV provider in our area.
Raycom Media our parent company is currently negotiating in good faith with DirecTV. We will keep you updated here, on air and on the KSLA News 12 Facebook page as to our progress.

KARK Morning Anchor Leaving

KARK/Channel 4/Little Rock morning anchor Matt Mosler has announced he will be leaving the station at the end of August to go into the ministry full-time.  Here's his post to facebook followers:

Big news from Matt Mosler this morning:
 
Dear Friends,
 
It is with a great deal of excitement that I announce after a wonderfully fulfilling and rewarding 28-year career in radio and television I’ll be leaving KARK on Friday, August 29th and joining the pastoral staff of New Life Church’s Greater Little Rock campus on Monday, September 1st.
 
Camille and I are incredibly grateful to Pastor Rick Bezet and the entire staff of NLC for this opportunity to continue my ministry full-time with this great fellowship. Among my new duties at NLC I will be encouraging and motivating others to fulfill their own ministries through the church’s Connect classes as well as helping lead the men’s ministry at the Greater Little Rock campus. Just thinking about the possibilities of ministering at a church with the resources and the passion of New Life makes me dizzy!
 
With Pastor Rick’s encouragement I will continue to accept the opportunities, as time allows, to share in other churches as well as maintain my leadership of the CrossHeirs Retreat Center in Humphrey, AR. This year we will host retreats and events for more than 110 churches, ministries and families. It’s amazing to see what God has done at this “little log cabin.” It is so encouraging to see the impact teaching, training and retreating has on the lives of our guests.
This is a decision I have wrestled with for a couple of years now after I was first approached by NLC. While ministry has always been my passion I really enjoy working at KARK and the time never felt right to close the door on a profession that has been so good to me and my family. However, my youngest daughter will be heading off to college later this month, our CrossHeirs Retreat Center is really doing well and, frankly, at my steadily advancing age it was getting tougher and tougher to answer that 2:50am wake-up call! So after much prayer and counsel I had a real peace that now was the time to step away from the early hours of morning TV and begin this next step in life’s journey.
 
I am so thankful the management of KARK gave me the opportunity to return to Little Rock television in 2006. They have always been very supportive and encouraging of my ministry endeavors. I can’t thank them enough for their commitment and generosity and hope to continue to pop up on the airwaves now and then if they ever need me.
 
Now, the hard part- Boy, am I going to miss the daily interaction with Mallory Brooks, Greg Dee and the staff of KARK 4 Today. When you come to work in the middle of the night there are no managers or sales staff or…anyone for that matter so you and your crew quickly become like family. You see each other at their best and worst and love them through it all. Greg Dee is one of the best meteorologists I’ve ever worked with. His knowledge and work ethic is inspiring. And Mallory…well…I have worked with some incredible co-hosts over the years but no one longer and none better than this young lady. It’s been such a pleasure to see her grow personally and professionally in the 5 years we have sat together at that desk. She is a real pro and probably one of the nicest people I have ever been around. What a treat it has been to work with such a great team.
 
So, thank you again for all of your support over the years. I’m so blessed God called us to this state in 1996 and proud to call her home. I look forward to this new challenge and opportunity to continue serving the great people of Arkansas. You really are the best! God bless you, and if you get a chance I would love to see you sometime at NLC!