Inquiring Minds Wanna Know...

I have been getting several emails daily for a week or so about a couple of Northwest Arkansas news personalities.  The first one is Ashely Beck..at KFSM who according to emailers hasn't been on the air for 4 weeks now....and the other isKNWA weekend Met Gina Devecchio. Both according to emailers are MIA on the air...

Former Jonesboro Assistant ND on the Way Back as ND

Jonesboro's KAIT/Channel 8 has a new News Director.  TV Spy reports former assistant ND Josh White will return to the station in late February.  White had been assistant news director from 2008 - 2013 at which time he left for a job in Indiana.

New ND Named in Fort Smith

KFSM/Channel 5/Fort Smith has hired a new News Director.  FTV Live reports Bill Cummings is the News Director for the Northwest Arkansas station.  Cummings comes to The Natural State from Erie, PA.  FTV Live says Cummings quit WICU, in Erie late last year.

KTHV Hires MMJ/Anchor

KTHV/Channel 11/Little Rock has a new reporter/anchor coming on board.  TV Spy reports Laura Monteverdi from KDLT/Sioux Falls, South Dakota will be joing the Little Rock station in March.  Monteverdi is currently the morning anchor at KDLT.  She begins at Channel 11 March 2.

Fake Tweet From Little Rock Station Get's a Tweet Back

Seems KARK was trying to have a little fun with the fact that Met Greg Dee is headed to Cleveland, Ohio. TV Spy reports KARK sent out a satire tweet that was supposedly from Drew Carey..whose hometown is Cleveland.  Well Carey shot back in a tweet of his own.  TV Spy has all the info for ya.

Little Rock Met Moving On

KARK/KLRT Meteorologist Greg Dee has announced he will be leaving Little Rock.  Dee made the announcement this morning on KARK. Dee says he is leaving Little Rock forWKYC, the NBC affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio.  Dee's last broadcast will be Super Bowl Sunday. Dee joined KARK in May 2008 as weekend meteorologist.

Northwest Arkansas Reporter Leaving for Wisconsin

KFSM/Channel 5/Fort Smith is losing a reporter.  Jocelyne Pruna has announced she is leaving the station at the end of the month.  She has been with KFSM since October 2011.  Here's her announcement on her facebook page:

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

I have received several emails inquiring about a couple Little Rock TV personalities MIA:

An emailer informs me Michelle Rupp from KLRT/KARK hasn't been seen on the air lately.  Rupp was hired on at KLRT as a weekend meteorologist..and her bio has been taken down from the KLRT website.

ALSO, I have recieved emails inquiring on the whereabouts of Ed Buckner, chief meteorologist at KTHV/Channel 11.  Emails poured in when it was discovered Channel 11 was advertising for a meteorologist in their jobs area on the station's website....

Former KATV'er, Governor Spokesman Sets Up PR Firm

Former Governor Spokesman and former KATV report Matt DeCample is starting up a public relations firm.  Arkansas Business reports DeCample, who worked for Governor Beebe from 2003 til last week and worked at KATV/Channel 7/Little Rock before that, will be doing business as Capital C Consulting which will be based in Little Rock.  

"Media relations has its own mechanics that may appear odd from the outside," DeCample said in a news release. "For example, I’m writing my own press release in the third person, except for this quote, where I’ve shifted to the first person. All industries have their own vocabularies and construction. If you have the right communications strategy and representatives, you can craft an external message in language that clients, investors and the media will understand."

Raycom Eliminating Local Traffic Control

Raycom Media will soon be consolidating its traffic operations for all its TV properties.  FTV Live reports Raycom will move all traffic operations to its new centralized traffic operations center located in Charlotte, NC.  “Raycom television stations have benefitted from some of the best and most loyal traffic professionals in the industry, and we are deeply grateful for their service” said Paul McTear, Raycom president-CEO.

Raycom Media is the parent company of KAIT/Channel 8/Jonesboro, AR and KSLA/Channel 12/Shreveport, LA.  

KATV Sports Director Honored With Award

KATV/Channel 7/Little Rock Sports Director Steve Sullivan has been named National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, Arkansas Sports Broadcaster of the Year.  
(picture from facebook) 

Little Rock Reporter Heading to the Big D

From the tip box:

Fox 16 reporter David Goins is leaving for WFAA in Dallas. 

Goins joined KLRT/Channel 16/Little Rock in February 2005.  Goins is a native of Houston, Texas.

Little Rock Reporter Leaves for Ohio

KTHV/Channel 11/Little Rock has lost a member of its team.  Alyssa Raymond has left the station.  Here's her announcement on her Facebook page:

Alyssa joined KTHV February 2014.