KATV

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KATV
Little Rock, Arkansas
Branding	KATV 7 (general) Channel 7 News (newscasts)
Slogan	The Spirit Of Arkansas (general) 7 is News (newscasts)
Channels	7 (VHF) analog, 22 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	ABC
Owner	Allbritton Communications Company
Founded	1953
Call letters meaning	Arkansas TeleVision
Former affiliations	None
Website	www.katv.com

KATV is an ABC affiliate based in Little Rock, Arkansas. It signed on the air on December 19, 1953, originally in Pine Bluff, and is now Little Rock's oldest television station, beating KARK-TV by a few months. It broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 7, and its digital signal on UHF channel 22. The station is owned by Allbritton Communications Company.

Contents 1 History 2 KATV's Broadcast Service Area 3 KATV in the Digital Age 4 Newscasts 4.1 Weekdays 4.2 Weekends 5 Personalities 5.1 Current On-Air Talent 6 News/Station Presentation 6.1 Newscast Titles 6.2 Station Slogans 7 External links

[edit] History

Less than a year after it was founded in Pine Bluff, KATV moved to Little Rock and took over the studio of KRTV, a failed UHF station that had been Arkansas' first TV station (itself beating KFSM in Fort Smith by a few months), on North Beech Street near Kavanaugh; however, it burned in 1957. KATV then moved to downtown Little Rock; it moved to its current studio, a former home of Worthen Bank (now Bank of America) on Main Street, in 1970. It continues to maintain a nominal studio in Pine Bluff to satisfy the original FCC conditions for moving the license to Little Rock, even though modern FCC rules would allow it to operate only from Little Rock even if the license returned to Pine Bluff.

KATV has used the Circle 7 logo since the 1960's; though it is traditionally associated with O&O ABC stations, KATV is one of several non-O&Os to have used it. KATV's use of the Circle 7 logo predates even the variant Circle 7 once used by Allbritton's flagship WJLA before it switched to the standard version. However, unlike WJLA and most of the O&Os, KATV only uses the ABC logo with the Circle 7 occasionally, usually in screen-corner bugs where the Circle 7 covers the standard ABC bug. KATV also first placed the Circle 7 inside a square in the 1990's; WJLA now uses that as well, though neither station uses it consistently.

[edit] KATV's Broadcast Service Area

KATV's transmitter is located on the KATV Tower near Redfield, Arkansas. Before that tower was built in 1965, KATV broadcast from a smaller tower near Jefferson (south of Redfield).

KATV's broadcast area comprises mostly central Arkansas. However, many sections of the state are able to receive KATV's signal. Western sections of Bolivar and Coahoma Counties in west central Mississippi have been known to receive KATV's signal. KATV is also carried on cable systems in those areas, including Greenville, Cleveland, Clarksdale, and Drew.

[edit] KATV in the Digital Age

KATV is now broadcasting on the second band of their digital signal (7-2), calling this channel KATV News Now. Like competitor KTHV's THV2 channel, KATV News Now broadcasts 24 hour news and weather, and is also available online.

[edit] Newscasts

[edit] Weekdays

• Channel 7 News Daybreak - Early - 5:00-6:00AM
• Channel 7 News Daybreak - 6:00-7:00AM
• Good Morning Arkansas - 9:00-10:00AM
• Channel 7 News Midday Arkansas - 11:30-12:00PM
• Channel 7 News @ 5:00 - 5:00-5:30PM
• Channel 7 News @ 6:00 - 6:00-6:30PM
• Channel 7 News Nightside - 10:00-10:35PM

[edit] Weekends

Saturdays

• Channel 7 News @ 6:00 Saturday - 6:00-6:30PM
• Channel 7 News @ 10:00 - 10:00-10:35PM

Sundays

• Channel 7 News @ 5:00 Sunday - 5:00-5:30PM
• Channel 7 News Nightside - 10:00-10:35PM
• Sports Week - 10:35-11:00PM

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Current On-Air Talent

CHANNEL 7 NEWS ANCHORS

• Heather Crawford, 5PM Anchor/Reporter
• Jason Harper, Morning and Noon Anchor/Reporter
• Beth Hunt, Morning and Midday Anchor/Reporter
• Scott Inman, 5PM, 6PM and 10PM Anchor/Reporter
• Christina Muñoz, 6PM and 10PM Anchor/Weekday Evening Anchor/Reporter
• Steve Powell, Morning Anchor/Reporter
• Pamela Smith, Weekend Evening Anchor/Reporter
• Renee Shapiro, Saturday Morning Anchor/Entertainment Editor

CHANNEL 7 NEWS REPORTERS

• Joan Early, "Family First" Feature Reporter
• Rusty Jackson, General Assignment Reporter
• Kristin Fisher, General Assignment Reporter
• Michael Knight, Traffic Reporter
• Amanda Manatt, General Assignment Reporter
• "Chopper" Scott Munsell, Air7 Pilot Reporter
• Jason Pederson, Consumer Reporter
• Anne Pressly, General Assignment Reporter
• Michelle Rupp, Special Assignment Reporter/"Your Life Matters" Reporter

CHANNEL 7 METEOROLOGISTS

• Ned Perme (NWA Certified), Weekday 6 and 10PM Chief Meteorologist
• Barry Brandt (AMS Certified), Weekday Morning, Midday and 5PM Meteorologist
• Melinda Mayo, "Daybreak" and "Good Morning Arkansas" Host
• Todd Yakoubian, Weekend Meteorologist

SPORTS ANCHORS/REPORTERS

• Dale Nicholson III, Weekend Sports
• Steve Sullivan, Sports Director/"Sunday Sports Overtime" Co-Host

[edit] News/Station Presentation

[edit] Newscast Titles

• Channel 7 News (1970s-present)

[edit] Station Slogans

• The Spirit Of Arkansas (Early 1980's-present; general slogan)
• 7 is News (2000-present; newscast slogan)

[edit] External links

• KATV Website
• Historical timeline of KATV
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KATV
• KATV News Now