Channel 11 gained back the morning viewers even after losing morning anchor Alyson Courtney to KATV. May 2011 ratings numbers show KTHV had a 4 rating in the 5am hour and a 6 rating in the 6am hour. KTHV News Director Charles Mauldin commented to Arkansas Business.com about the win:
Chuck Maulden, news director at KTHV, seemed pleased with what his station was able to accomplish in the morning. "We made some gains from a year ago," he said. "It was good for us to win back the morning. That's a big battleground now and always has been." KTHV's morning win may seem especially sweet as it comes after losing morning show anchor Alyson Courtney to KATV.
The real test will come in August when the newly hired beauty queen comes full time to the KTHV morning show. This will determine if people migrate away from Channel 11 mornings...
and.. as of late it seems KATV has been tinkering with its morning staffing. There really hasn't been any consistency in the last month or so to who is hosting the program. Something tells me they are gonna build the program around Alyson Courtney....and could this mean Beth Hunt is forever working the daytime anchor shift? Beth is better anchoring news than a fluffy ol' morning show!