NWA media

[Mith242]

Is it just my imagination or is KNWA starting to focus a little outside the NWA area? They occasionally covered some of the bigger events happening in the River Valley. But it seems to me in the past week or two they've started mentioning other things happening even further out and even sending out reporters to those areas. I've also noticed even more info from other parts of the state popping up on their website. I guess I can see where focusing on things outside the immediate area could benefit them be attracting viewers outside NWA. Maybe I'm just spoiled but I liked it when I knew all the news and events they were going to talk about was just NWA. Just curious if anyone else has noticed and what you thought about it.

[zman9810]

Is it just my imagination or is KNWA starting to focus a little outside the NWA area? They occasionally covered some of the bigger events happening in the River Valley. But it seems to me in the past week or two they've started mentioning other things happening even further out and even sending out reporters to those areas. I've also noticed even more info from other parts of the state popping up on their website. I guess I can see where focusing on things outside the immediate area could benefit them be attracting viewers outside NWA. Maybe I'm just spoiled but I liked it when I knew all the news and events they were going to talk about was just NWA. Just curious if anyone else has noticed and what you thought about it.

I hadn't noticed, but that is also the reason I watch KNWA- they focus mostly on NWA. I'll read about other areas in the newspapers or magazines. I thought that was KNWA's best selling point- they are the best source for NWA news. I noticed that in NWA they have been getting great ratings although they did slip a little the last ratings period.

[Mith242]

I hadn't noticed, but that is also the reason I watch KNWA- they focus mostly on NWA. I'll read about other areas in the newspapers or magazines. I thought that was KNWA's best selling point- they are the best source for NWA news. I noticed that in NWA they have been getting great ratings although they did slip a little the last ratings period.

Yeah I'm the same way. If I want news about other areas I'll check other sources. I'm not saying KNWA is having major coverage of events outside NWA but it just seemed like before they'd never mention anything outside this area and now other Arkansas events are getting some mention. Even more so on their website.

[Mith242]

Sounds like Fayetteville could be losing KHOG. They've apparently outgrown their current offices/studio and have been looking for another location for a while. They haven't found anything in Fayetteville and are now looking to Rogers. It sounds like they'll keep some things in Fayetteville but I got the impression most of their offices/studio for NWA will be moved to Rogers. I also got the impression they'd be listed as Ft Smith/Rogers. Just seems weird that KHOG wouldn't be in the university's city anymore. But before KNWA they had been listed as Ft Smith/Rogers so I guess Rogers will be getting a station back. Although back then I'm not sure they did much from Rogers. I do wonder if this will be a growing trend with Benton County getting more media focus since they are outgrowing Washington County.

[masons_dad1]

Sounds like Fayetteville could be losing KHOG. They've apparently outgrown their current offices/studio and have been looking for another location for a while. They haven't found anything in Fayetteville and are now looking to Rogers. It sounds like they'll keep some things in Fayetteville but I got the impression most of their offices/studio for NWA will be moved to Rogers. I also got the impression they'd be listed as Ft Smith/Rogers. Just seems weird that KHOG wouldn't be in the university's city anymore. But before KNWA they had been listed as Ft Smith/Rogers so I guess Rogers will be getting a station back. Although back then I'm not sure they did much from Rogers. I do wonder if this will be a growing trend with Benton County getting more media focus since they are outgrowing Washington County.

Yeah I think Rogers is going to be viewed as uptown while Fayetteville will remain the downtown of the metro. Things like tv stations would more likely be uptown whereas things like arts and museums will more likely be downtown.

[Mith242]

Yeah I think Rogers is going to be viewed as uptown while Fayetteville will remain the downtown of the metro. Things like tv stations would more likely be uptown whereas things like arts and museums will more likely be downtown.

Then again we see how Ft Smith has been able to keep it's share of the tv stations. So another station might not make a move for a long time.

[Mith242]

KNWA uses some of the more well known buildings and locations as a background on the weather. I've noticed the Legacy showing up now. Although I think it's weird because it's not even finished. I thought they'd wait till it was finished, you can still see scaffolding and blue tarps and such in the shot. Don't ask me why I bothered to mention this on here.

[strmchsr77]

KNWA uses some of the more well known buildings and locations as a background on the weather. I've noticed the Legacy showing up now. Although I think it's weird because it's not even finished. I thought they'd wait till it was finished, you can still see scaffolding and blue tarps and such in the shot. Don't ask me why I bothered to mention this on here.

I guess I had not noticed. Maybe next month they will add the Ren Tower or Divinity for the backgbround.

[Mith242]

I guess I had not noticed. Maybe next month they will add the Ren Tower or Divinity for the backgbround.

I don't think they'll get too carried away. The Divinity may never be built and I still have no idea what to think about the Renaissance.

[Russell0931]

That's funny seeing all of the NWA folks compalin about all the "coverage" in the River Valley. Hard as it may be to believe, we here in the River Valley could really care less about the happenings in some rural Benton County town. For years many people here in Ft Smith have been begging for our own news. Maybe they could split the news cast and show NWA news in NWA, Ft Smith news in Ft Smith and then have a combined weather and sports segment (since that's already all NWA anyway)

[masons_dad1]

That's funny seeing all of the NWA folks compalin about all the "coverage" in the River Valley. Hard as it may be to believe, we here in the River Valley could really care less about the happenings in some rural Benton County town. For years many people here in Ft Smith have been begging for our own news. Maybe they could split the news cast and show NWA news in NWA, Ft Smith news in Ft Smith and then have a combined weather and sports segment (since that's already all NWA anyway)

The feeling's mutual.

[Russell0931]

The feeling's mutual.

Ummm, believe me I know. Just by reading over this topic briefly.

[Mith242]

Yeah I can see that people from Ft Smith and the River Valley area aren't happy in the shift to more NWA news. But I don't think that it's going to change. I don't see Ft Smith growing like NWA and as more population heads to NWA it's just going to make the news stations focus where the viewers are. I wonder what it would take for splitting the stations. I'm not sure if that would happen either or not.

[KJW]

That's funny seeing all of the NWA folks compalin about all the "coverage" in the River Valley. Hard as it may be to believe, we here in the River Valley could really care less about the happenings in some rural Benton County town. For years many people here in Ft Smith have been begging for our own news. Maybe they could split the news cast and show NWA news in NWA, Ft Smith news in Ft Smith and then have a combined weather and sports segment (since that's already all NWA anyway)

Russell, I've been out of the TV business for years now, and I don't think the folks at 40/29 (a couple of whom I spoke with, including an anchor, as I took some boxes of files for shredding at the Frisco Station Mall last weekend to a mobile shredding truck which was sponsored by that station) are going to tell me anything that confidential, but:

- To a person, every one of them is expecting the Fayetteville/Fort Smith DMA (which now includes Johnson County, AR, taken from the Little Rock DMA) to be a top 100 market very soon.

Two decades ago, it was barely a top 200 market.

Top 100 will make a difference for national advertisers, who pretty much furnish most of the big $$$ to local TV affiliates.

Splitting this market in two would set back TV stations in both FSM and NWA way back in the "top 101-200" stations category (no matter how much NWA grows)...it ain't gonna happen.

- These folks are also convinced McDonald County, MO will come into the FSM/NWA DMA fairly soon. I don't think McDonald's populous enough to move the DMA up more than 1 ranking (if that) by itself, but nonetheless this would make the DMA a "tri-state" one which is what we should expect from an area that has suburbs in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

[jim9251]

If we crack the Top 100 DMA, maybe...just maybe, we can get professional news broadcasts. 40/29 and KFSM come close, KNWA is an absolute joke and I feel like I'm watching a bad high school journalism class. The only reason to watch Fox 24 is Dana Sergeant is good eye candy.

[KJW]

If we crack the Top 100 DMA, maybe...just maybe, we can get professional news broadcasts. 40/29 and KFSM come close, KNWA is an absolute joke and I feel like I'm watching a bad high school journalism class. The only reason to watch Fox 24 is Dana Sergeant is good eye candy.

You in NWA, keep a watch on Tulsa's Channel 8 and Springfield's Channel 10 to get an idea of the differences (if any) being a 60-100 level DMA might make.

Thing is, if only Benton County could get the five non-DMA counties it BORDERS to assimilate into the DMA, there would be a ton of households right there that probably would push it into 100 territory without NWA having to grow further (which it still is going to).

Barry County, MO is a stretch (it's Springfield, and most of that county's population is in the north closer to Springfield) but McDonald's a definite and Adair, OK; Carroll, AR; and Delaware, OK are all becoming very much commuter areas for NWA.

[cowbreath]

That's weird though how they can expect news coverage of two different regions any better by combining them. It's hard for me to understand how places like Chicago have large broadcast new coverage, aside from the fact that the coverage signal extends easily over the entire city. However, I don't really know if they only have one coverage for Chicagoland per network. I've just seen WGN news and have the offshoot thought of "how can they possibly cover all of Chicago's news?"

[KJW]

That's weird though how they can expect news coverage of two different regions any better by combining them. It's hard for me to understand how places like Chicago have large broadcast new coverage, aside from the fact that the coverage signal extends easily over the entire city. However, I don't really know if they only have one coverage for Chicagoland per network. I've just seen WGN news and have the offshoot thought of "how can they possibly cover all of Chicago's news?"

Such markets aren't uncommon, Cowbreath.

One TV DMA in particular that reminds me of Fort Smith/NWA (on steroids) is Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson...I could understand the three South Carolina cities, but adding Asheville (and the big chunk of Western North Carolina) seems at first strange. Drive the interstate from Asheville down the big mountain to Spartanburg/Greenville and it seems like going from NWA to FSM, except perhaps farther. But the G-S-A-A market is #36 in the nation...I assure you, the affiliate stations within do not want to split "by (directional) Carolina" into two markets.

[jim9251]

Read that Miss Arkansas USA, Kelly George has been hired by KNWA to host their morning show. George not only holds the title of Miss Arkansas USA, she is also a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base. Now if they will just move TEAM NELIE out.

[nwa_479]

I like Neile Jones and Matt Turner and all of them. They're pretty good. I like KNWA better than the other news stations. Just my opinion though.

[Mith242]

I mentioned this in the Razorback topic as well, but it probably fits better here. I was surprised to find out this morning that Bo Mattingly has left KNWA. KNWA claims to be surprised as well. Seems really odd for him to just up and leave. If he was going to another station I don't think he'd leave like this.

[Mith242]

Nice article from one of our posters, Andrew Jensen, about the local media.

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.as...ID=e&page=1

He mentions that KHOG will be expanding to their new studios at the Peaks in Rogers this September. And they won't be closing their studio in Fayetteville like I had thought. I also didn't know Nexstar was looking to possibly sell KNWA. Hopefully some new owners will put a little more money and effort into KNWA. I'm a bit disappointed that KNWA's newscast seems to lag behind in the ratings. Didn't see anything about Bo Mattingly leaving. maybe that story hadn't broke when this was written.

[andrewjensen]

Nice article from one of our posters, Andrew Jensen, about the local media.

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.as...ID=e&page=1

He mentions that KHOG will be expanding to their new studios at the Peaks in Rogers this September. And they won't be closing their studio in Fayetteville like I had thought. I also didn't know Nexstar was looking to possibly sell KNWA. Hopefully some new owners will put a little more money and effort into KNWA. I'm a bit disappointed that KNWA's newscast seems to lag behind in the ratings. Didn't see anything about Bo Mattingly leaving. maybe that story hadn't broke when this was written.

we go to press on Thursdays. I believe it came out later that day.

With the way media ownership is nowdays, 3-5 years is about when some companies start looking to turn a profit, and Nexstar bought KNWA in 2004.

[strmchsr77]

we go to press on Thursdays. I believe it came out later that day.

With the way media ownership is nowdays, 3-5 years is about when some companies start looking to turn a profit, and Nexstar bought KNWA in 2004.

Hey, great article Andrew. Is it great to have someone from the Business Journal contributing to U.P.

[Mith242]

Looks like Cox and 40/29 still haven't worked out a deal. If something isn't worked out then I believe 40/29 will be pulled from Cox next month. Although you'd think someone will finally blink and make some concessions. But this has been going on for nearly a year. I thought I also saw something about KNWA actually having a noon newscast as well. Granted I'm always at work so I'm never around to see, but I wasn't aware of KNWA having a newscast at noon.