KLRT-TV
kW | |
HAAT | 449 m (1,473 ft) |
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Transmitter coordinates | 34°47′57″N 92°29′30″W / 34.79917°N 92.49167°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | www |
KLRT-TV (channel 16) is a television station in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting alongside Pine Bluff–licensed CW affiliate KASN (channel 38); Mission maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of NBC affiliate KARK-TV (channel 4) and MyNetworkTV affiliate KARZ-TV (channel 42), for the provision of certain services. The four stations share studios at the Victory Building on West Capitol Avenue and South Victory Street, near the Arkansas State Capitol, in downtown Little Rock; KLRT-TV's transmitter is located at the Shinall Mountain antenna farm, near the city's Chenal Valley neighborhood.
KLRT-TV began broadcasting in June 1983 as the first
In 2012, Nexstar purchased some of the stations of Newport; it then assigned the purchase of KLRT-TV and KASN to Mission Broadcasting, which then contracted with Nexstar for services. As a result, most of KLRT-TV's management and news staffers were dismissed as functions were consolidated with KARK-TV. The combined newsroom airs weekday morning, early evening, and late evening newscasts on channel 16.
History
The first proposal for a channel 16 station in Little Rock reached the
As an independent station
Interest in building channel 16 was rekindled in the late 1970s by groups seeking different uses. One, Arkansas Christian Television, sought to build a Christian television station; others proposed
At the end of 1981, the seven remaining applicants announced a settlement agreement to combine in a limited partnership dominated by MMT.[10] The lopsided nature of the shareholdings prompted the FCC administrative law judge assigned to the comparative hearing case to initially reject the settlement,[11][12] only to be overruled by the FCC's review board that June, an action that cleared the way for the construction permit to be granted.[13]
Little Rock Communications Associates (LRCA), the consortium of owners produced by the settlement agreement, proceeded to draft plans to construct the station on Shinall Mountain[14] and purchase a building off Markham Street.[15] The call letters KLRT-TV, for Little Rock Television, were assigned over the objections of Little Rock radio station KLRA.[16]
KLRT-TV first signed on the air on June 26, 1983.[17][18] It was the first independent station in Arkansas; the first commercial television station to sign on in the region since CBS affiliate KTHV (channel 11) debuted 28 years earlier on November 27, 1955; and the first UHF station to operate in Little Rock since pioneering KRTV on channel 17 sold its facilities to KATV in 1954.[19] It aired syndicated classic sitcoms, prime time movies, sports, and children's cartoons.[20]
Two more independents would launch in
As a Fox affiliate
TVX sold KJTM in 1988 to MMC Television, which changed the station's call sign to KASN.[25] In September 1989, KLRT-TV management announced that Fox programming would be moving to channel 16, which caught KASN management off guard. The two had been in discussions about channel 16 acquiring channel 38's Fox affiliation and most of its programming inventory, with KASN likely to fill its broadcast day with home shopping or other content, though nothing had been finalized.[26] On September 27, however, KLRT management decided to pull out of the deal; Scollard reportedly notified MMC that the asset sale would not be moving forward in a letter faxed to station management.[27][28][29] Fox shifted back to KASN after 42 days under a separate contract that MMC and Fox struck during the asset negotiations, which reverted the affiliation rights to KASN if the proposed asset merger was not completed by October 21, 1989.[29]
Fox changed hands again on April 28, 1990, when the network moved its programming to KLRT on a full-time basis. Little Rock became one of several markets in the
KLRT and KASN were included in the sale of Clear Channel's television station portfolio to
Mission ownership and Nexstar management
As part of a liquidation of Newport Television's assets,
The transfer for KLRT and KASN to Mission was consummated on January 1, 2013.[54] The creation of a four-station cluster in the same market resulted in substantial downsizing on January 3, 2013, with 20 employees from KLRT–KASN dismissed along with eight KARK–KARZ staffers;[55][56] this included KLRT–KASN general manager Chuck Spohn, who was replaced with KARK–KARZ management.[57] KLRT–KASN concurrently moved from the Clear Channel Metroplex to KARK–KARZ's studios at the Victory Building in Little Rock's downtown.[55][58]
News operation
For most of its early history, KLRT-TV only provided news in the form of brief news and weather updates, originally known as Newscap 16. The original anchor was Bill Powell, formerly of KTHV.[59] By 1988, news updates were presented by staff from Arkansas Radio Network flagship KARN (920 AM),[60][61] while weather segments were presented by local radio personality Craig O'Neill, who often introduced segments as his radio character "Sherman Bonner, the Human Thermometer".[62] On September 4, 2000, KLRT premiered Fox First Weather, a five-minute local weather segment aired at 10 p.m. and produced by AccuWeather.[63]
KLRT started building out a full-scale news department in September 2003 with the hiring of Michael Fabac from
Ratings slowly inched up for the newscast, bringing KLRT just behind KARK-TV for third place in the overall market by May 2005.[71] Weeknight newscasts at 5 and 5:30 p.m. were added on March 19, 2007,[72][73] followed by a nightly 10 p.m. newscast on January 18, 2010.[74]
After Mission acquired KLRT in 2013, much of the station's news staff was laid off as the news department was to be consolidated with KARK, including news director Ed Trauschke (who replaced Fabac in 2007[75]) and sports anchor David Raath. Weeknight anchors Terrell and Kelly and chief meteorologist Jeff Baskin were among those who remained with the station as Mission employees, while weekend anchor Kelly Dudzik left for an anchor/reporter role at WGRZ in Buffalo, New York.[55][57] In early February, the news departments were consolidated. KLRT's 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts were discontinued, while the 5:30 and 9 p.m. newscasts were retained and a new morning show, Good Day Arkansas, was launched to supplant the existing 7 a.m. newscast on KARZ.[55][76][77] As KLRT-TV moved in with KARK-TV at the latter's facility, the surplus KLRT-TV set was shipped by Nexstar to WATN-TV in Memphis, Tennessee, which moved into new studios and relaunched its news product that year.[78]
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
16.1 | 720p | 16:9 |
KLRT-TV | Fox |
16.2 | 480i | Escape | Ion Mystery | |
42.1 | 720p | 16:9 | KARZ-DT | MyNetworkTV (KARZ-TV) |
42.2 | 480i | Bounce | Bounce TV (KARZ-TV) |
Since 2016, KLRT has carried
Analog-to-digital conversion
KLRT-TV signed on its digital signal on UHF channel 30 on May 1, 2002.[83] The station shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 16, on the digital transition deadline date of June 12, 2009.[84] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 30, using virtual channel 16.[85]
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KLRT-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "UHF TV Station Approved For LR". Arkansas Gazette. March 23, 1966. p. 11A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Fletcher, John L. (January 2, 1966). "4th TV Station Has Eye on UHF And Color in '66". Arkansas Gazette. p. 1C. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "Backers Seek Higher Power On Channel 16". Arkansas Gazette. December 29, 1966. p. 16C. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "State Native Buys KMYO For $500,000". Arkansas Gazette. January 5, 1974. p. 5A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ McCord, Robert (October 17, 1979). "New TV channel: UFH [sic] outlet may be operating before cable issue settled". Arkansas Democrat. p. 7A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Workman, John S. (March 2, 1980). "Joyland Christian Center Pastor Channeling Interests Into TV". Arkansas Gazette. pp. 1F, 3F. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "Eight Companies File Applications to Start Little Rock UHF Station". Arkansas Gazette. May 20, 1980. p. 5A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "Withdrawal of Application For TV Channel Approved". Arkansas Gazette. July 20, 1981. p. 4A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "7 Applicants for UHF Station Reach Agreement". Arkansas Gazette. December 15, 1981. p. 5A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Hamburger, Tom (March 31, 1982). "Plan to Run UHF Station Hits Setback". Arkansas Gazette. p. 1B, 2B. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "Partnership For Channel 16 Is Rejected". Arkansas Gazette. April 10, 1982. p. 5A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "Application For UHF Station Is Approved". Arkansas Gazette. June 22, 1982. p. 5A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Law, Margie (September 23, 1982). "UHF station: Channel 16 to make debut July 1". Arkansas Gazette. p. 1B. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Douglas, Martha (November 21, 1982). "LR Independent Station Purchases Building". Arkansas Gazette. p. 12C. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Douglas, Martha (January 23, 1983). "SPN Back in Riverside Cable Package; KARN Announces Changes in Staff". Arkansas Gazette. p. 6C. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ProQuest 1014707271. Archived(PDF) from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Jones, Chuck (June 27, 1983). "Channel 16 debuts; officials pledge responsiveness". Arkansas Democrat. p. 1B. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Poindexter, Ray. "Scratchy 1953 UHF Station Was State's TV Pioneer". Arkansas Gazette. p. 4B. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "KLRT to make history as first independent station". Arkansas Democrat. April 24, 1983. p. 20-I. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- The Sentinel-Record. February 7, 1986. p. 10. Archivedfrom the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Gregory, Mark (March 30, 1988). "Company plans tower construction, transmitter boost: Station KRZB to shut down operations, lay off employees". The Sentinel-Record. pp. 1-A, 7-A. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Dean, Jerry (January 25, 1988). "UHF battle lines being drawn". Arkansas Gazette. pp. 1B, 2B. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Snyder, Adam (January 1, 1989). "Mutual Aid Society" (PDF). Channels: The Business of Communications. C. C. Publishing Inc. pp. 28–29. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "KJTM to change letters to KASN". Arkansas Democrat. October 7, 1988. p. 2D. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Moore, Becki (September 6, 1989). "LR station hunting Fox: KLRT seeks programming, assets of KASN". Arkansas Democrat. pp. 1D, 8D. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Gale A8943621. Archived from the originalon November 5, 2012.
- ^ Gale A10812583. Archived from the originalon November 5, 2012.
- ^ a b Moore, Becki (October 17, 1989). "KASN-TV regains Fox affiliation lost to rival". Arkansas Democrat. pp. 1D, 8D. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Paul (April 12, 1990). "Fox makes it official: Programming moving from KASN to KLRT". Arkansas Gazette. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- Electronic Media. pp. 1, 134.
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- ^ "Assignment of License". Federal Communications Commission. August 16, 1991. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Kuykendall, Steve (July 26, 1991). "Texas firm to buy assets of KASN". Arkansas Democrat. pp. 1D, 3D. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
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