Little Rock Station Adds New Meteorologist

Sarah Fortner (Courtesy: Twitter)

Former Zanesville, Ohio meteorologist Sarah Fortner has been hired as the new morning met for KTHV in Little Rock.

Fortner’s Twitter account confirms she started at the Arkansas CBS affiliate May 17.

Source: Little Rock Reporter Leaves For Connecticut Job

Stephanie Simoni (Courtesy: Twitter)

KATV reporter Stephanie Simoni will be leaving the Little Rock, Ark., station very soon to take a job in New England.

Arkansas TV News reports Simoni has been hired at WTNH, the ABC affiliate in New Haven, Conn., according to a tipster for the blog.

Shreveport Forecaster Sues Former Employer For Discrimination; ND Leaves Abruptly

Michael Fabac (Courtesy: TVSpy)

An Austin news director with Little Rock ties has left NBC affiliate KXAN after the station found itself in legal trouble earlier this month.

But it’s unclear whether or not Michael Fabac, who had also been ND at Little Rock’s KLRT, left voluntarily.

Two lawsuits filed against the station — one from a former weekend morning meteorologist — have sent shockwaves through the building.

Nexstar Posts First Quarter Gains Of Almost 20 Percent

Nexstar Broadcasting, which operates or owns 55 television stations across the U.S., has announced a 19.6 percent increase in net revenue for the first quarter of 2012 versus last year.

Two of those stations Nexstar owns are in the South TV News viewing area: KARK in Little Rock, Ark., and KTAL in Shreveport, La.

New Assistant ND Picked For Little Rock Station

Ernie Paulson (Courtesy: Rick Gevers)

KARK-TV in Little Rock has hired Ernie Paulson as the station’s assistant news director.

There’s no word on when he officially starts.

New Reporter for KARK Hired

Josh Berry (Courtesy: KARK-TV)

Josh Berry joins the KARK-TV team this month as the Little Rock, Ark., NBC affiliate’s newest reporter.

According to an article on ArkansasMatters.com, Berry previously worked at KTAB, the CBS affiliate in Abilene, Texas.

Arkansas Native Returns Home As New Meteorologist For Fort Smith

Laura Huckabee (Courtesy: KHBS/KHOG-TV)

She’s a graduate of Arkansas State University and a Jonesboro native. And next week, Laura Huckabee will officially join the on-air staff of 40/29 News Sunrise next week, on May 14.

Huckabee will be the morning meteorologist for KHBS/KHOG-TV, the Fort Smith-Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers market ABC affiliate.

KARK Gets New Reporter Across State Lines

Jocelyn Tovar (Courtesy: KARK-TV)

Time for new smiling faces at one Little Rock, Ark., station. Well, okay, at least one.

Popular blog Arkansas TV News reports Jocelyn Tovar, former crime and courts reporter for KTXS in Abilene, Texas, will be a new general assignment reporter for KARK, the NBC affiliate for the Little Rock-Pine Bluff market.

Statewide Newscast Planned for Arkansas Stations

Four Arkansas stations owned by Nexstar Broadcasting will soon be pooling their resources together to provide content for a statewide newscast that will also air on the four stations.

TVNewser reports KARK in the Little Rock market, KNWA in the Fort Smith-Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers market, KTVE in the Monroe, La.-El Dorado market and KTAL in Texarkana will air the newscast at noon, titled “Arkansas Today.”

Little Rock Morning Anchor Signs Off After 21 Years

Pamela Smith (Courtesy: KATV)

Longtime morning anchor Pamela Smith has ended her career at Little Rock-Pine Bluff ABC affiliate KATV after 21 years at the station.

In a farewell article on the station’s website, Smith said she felt “tremendously blessed to have been in a field that I have enjoyed [for that long].”