LITTLE ROCK Fort Smith-based CBS affiliate KFSM-TV fired sports reporter Mike Irwin on Monday, ending a 37-year career at the station. Deanna Durante - she was with KARK as weekend anchor in the 2000s. Stations were permitted to carry the press conference live on-air, but were prohibited from any online stream. As a side note, her brother Garrett is the stations chief meteorologist. There are a lot of things in the works and a lot of things that need to be worked out, but the podcast is definitely the next step. He said politics is not an option under consideration. FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- It was 1958 when Jim Kell got the call to be one of the first news anchors at Channel 22, which would later become Channel 5. It was owned by Donald W. Reynolds and his Donrey Media Group alongside Fort Smith's two major newspapers the Southwest American and Times Record (later merged as the Southwest Times Record) and KFSA radio (AM 950). Many of the personnel at channel 22 (Pat Porta, Harry Freeman, John Candler, and wrestling promoter Jimmy Lott) made the transition to channel 5. Roberts has play-by-play experience, and has worked as a network sideline reporter for NBC Sports. Huge CONGRATULATIONS!!!. They look forward to their mornings with 5NEWS before heading to work. "Our plan is to tell better stories about all local sports, including the Arkansas Razorbacks. So naturally, they are curious to know why she is leaving and where she is going next. This is what Ive loved most about the work we do. Despite the change, Irwin said he holds no ill-will toward KFSM, which hired him to cover UA athletics for its Fayetteville bureau in 1975. Thank you so much for making me a part of your morning routine. Days later, the Eads Brothers Furniture Building was destroyed by one of largest fires in Fort Smith's history. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. On June 14, 2019, KFSM moved most of its operations to a newly built studio in Johnson, a suburb of Fayetteville and Springdale. "I have some bittersweet news to share with you this morning," Lewis wrote . We would have to make it possible for people to subscribe to our podcast and hear from us all the time. Were gonna find her. Heather Lewis joined KOLR10 News as an anchor for Daybreak in July 2015. http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1392679.pdf, "Acquisition to make Tribune Co. largest U.S. TV station operator", Company Completes Final Steps of Transaction Announced in July, "Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy Tribune Media for $3.9billion plus debt", "Sinclair Broadcast Group Sets $3.9 Billion Deal to Acquire Tribune Media", "Sinclair and Tribune Fall as FCC Slams TV Station Sale Plan", "FCC chair rejects Sinclair-Tribune merger", "FCC throws Sinclair/Tribune deal in doubt", "FCC Throws Wrench into Sinclair Media Megadeal", "Sinclair Tries to Appease F.C.C., but Its Tribune Bid Is Challenged", "FCC orders hearing even as Sinclair changes plans to sell TV stations to address concerns about Tribune deal", "Tribune Terminates $3.9 Billion Sinclair Merger, Sues Broadcast Rival", "Tribune Kills Sinclair Merger, Files Suit", "Tribune Media pulls out of Sinclair Broadcast merger", "Tribune Ends Deal With Sinclair, Dashing Plan for Conservative TV Behemoth", "Tribune Ends Deal with Sinclair, Files Breach of Contract Suit", "Tribune withdraws from Sinclair merger, saying it will sue for 'breach of contract', "Nexstar Announces Deal to Buy Tribune for $6.4B", "Nexstar Selling 19 TVs In 15 Markets For $1.32B", "Nexstar to Sell Stations to Tegna, Scripps for $1.32 Billion", "In Fort Smith since 1953, KFSM relocates headquarters to NWA", "Garrett Lewis to leave KFSM after 20 years as chief meteorologist", "Local Flavors: Former weatherman Garrett Lewis appreciates lazy Sunday omelets", "KFSM TV Listings | Fort Smith/Fayetteville News | KFSM 5NEWS", "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=KFSM-TV&oldid=1127137480, Television stations in Northwest Arkansas, Television channels and stations established in 1953, Low-power television stations in the United States, Articles with dead external links from February 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles using infobox television station, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2018, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Fort Smith (FSM is also the airport designation for the, This page was last edited on 13 December 2022, at 02:43. Heres what the anchor said about her departure from KFSM-TVs 5NEWS. where she graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi. Still Missing Morgan will air exclusively on Channel 5 and can be watched live on Paramount+. Fort Smith residents have always loved the banter between Laura Simon and Ruben Diaz. KFSA-TV signed off permanently from channel 22 on August 16, 1958. Kevin Steele - weekend anchor 1996-1999.. Claudia Coffey - weeknight evening co-anchor 1998-1999. Furthermore, Simon is thrilled to live and work in the area where she grew up and be closer to family. However, by 2019, the planned Johnson studio had become the main studio, with its longtime home in Fort Smith serving as a River Valley bureau. Former 5NEWS anchor Bridget Schultz talks about what the Morgan Nick case meant to her. Simon told viewers shes leaving the station to work in her hometown of St. Louis, where she said shell anchor weekend mornings and reporting weekdays at KTVI-KPLR. In an e-mail, KFSM news director Rick Bagley said that while he cannot comment on personnel issues, the station is "reorganizing its sports department to focus on better storytelling of local athletes and all local sports. This was the first (and currently the only) 4 p.m. newscast in the Fort SmithFayetteville market. This was due to the network searching for stronger affiliates in the Fort Smith market. Laura Simon announced the bittersweet news on her live broadcast on August 26, 2022. The sale was completed on September 19, 2019.[25]. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], Following the Sinclair deal's collapse, Nexstar Media Group announced its purchase of Tribune Media on December 3, 2018, for $6.4billion in cash and debt. Mike Irwin was fired by KFSM on Monday after 37 years at the station. Get a free, personalized salary estimate based on today's job market. CBS affiliate KFSM. I honestly dont know. Some personal news: After an incredible eight years at @5NEWS, Ive accepted a weekend morning anchor/reporter position in my hometown of St. Louis. Roberts was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, grew up in Dallas, and graduated from Texas State University. Is Tech Making buffalo grove news Better or Worse? It did not help that viewers in Fort Smith could receive stations from Tulsa and Little Rock by using large masts and rotary antennas. Until January 2012, KFSM-DT2 simulcast the weekday morning show and then re-aired it in a rotating cycle. Until 1964, the station operated without a dedicated news department, instead relying on reports from its sister newspapers. Syndicated programming on KFSM includes Rachael Ray, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and Dr. Phil, all of which are distributed by the corporate cousin of KFSM's affiliated network, CBS Media Ventures. CBS affiliate. FORT SMITH (KFSM) - 5NEWS Anchor Heather Lewis is enjoying some time at home with her husband, Curt, and their new baby, Benjamin. Aside from KNAC's brief time on-the-air, KFSA/KFSM was the only station in Fort Smith for 18 years. She replaces Katelynn Zoellner who left earlier this year to be closer to family in California. Jobin Panicker Jobin Panicker is a reporter at WFAA in Dallas, TX, specializing in stories from. All became icons in Fort Smith's broadcasting history. [6] The sale was completed on December 27. Be sure to research other states around Fort Smith, AR to find the names of more professionals. The TV news business has taken me all over the country to cities like Chicago, Joplin, Kirksville/Ottumwa and Northwest Arkansas/the River Valley. KFSM signed on for the first time on July 9, 1953 as KFSA-TV on channel 22. Originally from Jacksonville, Illinois, Daren graduated from the College of Broadcast Journalism at Lewis and Clark College in Godfrey,. She will start at KFSM in early June and will co-anchor the station's 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts with Daren Bobb. Lewis said there are career options he is considering, but nothing thats certain. Most markets received two commercial VHF licenses plus a noncommercial VHF license. UHF stations do not get good reception over large areas or in rugged terrain. Eventually, new newscasts and sports call-in shows will be added. Here is a complete list of nearly every professional News Anchors in your town. Those are also good things in that he and other KFSM meteorologists are able to keep the public better informed, but the time required is exhausting.. Charlie's Famous Cheesecakes - West Fork, Ark Owner since Aug 2007 New York Times/KFSM TV - Fayetteville, Arkansas Area Multi Media, News Anchor, Reporter, Producer/Writer/Talent for 5News Sunday Morning 2009 - 2010 Full Profile Ashley Ketz Fayetteville, AR Professions & Specialties News Anchor Reporter Commercial Announcer Presenter What was it like reporting on this story? No, it hasnt always been easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. Donrey owned one other newspaper/broadcasting cluster, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and KORK-AM-FM-TV. 23, 2015 - 5:24 PM. Naturally, viewers want to know where he is going next and if . All rights reserved. KFSM-TV covered the tornado and produced a documentary of the event shortly after called "Sunday's Fury". We have a lot of ideas we are working towards and we are working on our podcast as well. I think we might be able to have a small podcast, one with just a couple of episodes, or a podcast that we produce ourselves and it would be more similar to our show. A familiar face to viewers in the Fayetteville-Fort Smith television market, Roberts worked as a News Anchor/Reporter for KFSM-TV, but most of Roberts career has been spent as a Sports Director. The estimated additional pay is $29,810 per year. . The Eye Center . In 1956, KFSA-TV gained a competitor when KNAC-TV signed on channel 5 from studios in Van Buren as a primary CBS affiliate and secondary ABC affiliate. Genesis Care Cancer Care. Sam Nelson Jacksonville, FL. It carried programming from all four networks of the time NBC, CBS, ABC and DuMont but it was a primary NBC affiliate. After eight years at KFSM, she has accepted an anchor/reporter position in her hometown of St. Louis. The area's original affiliate, KPBI-CA which was repeated on full-power KPBI, went silent after its owner Equity Media Holdings went bankrupt. KFSM is routinely rated the top news station in the Fort Smith-Fayetteville market. Also Read: Michaela Pereira Leaving Fox 11: Where Is the L.A. Anchor Going? [8][9] The deal received significant scrutiny over Sinclair's forthrightness in its applications to sell certain conflict properties, prompting the FCC to designate it for hearing and leading Tribune to terminate the deal and sue Sinclair for breach of contract. There have been so many vacations weve had to cancel because of weather events., Part of the job pressure has been a change in expectations during the past 20 years. 2023, Arkansas Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KHBS-TV. She also served as the host and producer of a weekly live newscast for Columbia College that aired on a cable network in Chicago. Sports Anchor/Reporter. "The story just developed, and more and more people talked as it went along," she said. The estimated total pay for a TV News Anchor at KFSM-TV is $60,126 per year. I think the decision to let the show go to the dogs caused a lot of the negative reaction we received when we first started to air. Michelle Muscatello Leaving WPRI: Where Is the Rhode Island Meteorologist Going? Content WriterThe Brandon AgencyMyrtle Beach, South Carolina, An error has occurred, please try again later. KFSM/Channel 5/Fort Smith anchor Heather Lewis is leaving the station. Lean Manufacturing, Manufacturing, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Product Development, Process Marketing Intern at University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, P.R.and Volunteer Coordinator at The Salvation Army, P.R. Roberts has worked in St. Louis, Nashville, and Las Vegas, Nevada, winning an Emmy for Best Sportscaster in St. Louis. Formerly the station's sports director, Irwin said he and Engleman had nothing to do with the decision to carry the press conference online. Its signal reaches 15 counties in Arkansas, and also expands north into Missouri and west into Oklahoma. It's one of the most important programs we've aired in recent years, and you can see it Saturday (April 17) at 12:00 p.m. In fall 2017, KFSM began airing a 30-minute newscast at 4 p.m., titled 5 News First at Four. However, under the terms of an agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the merged station used the KNAC call letters until the sale formally closed. We have no intention of being a podcast of the kind its been used to talk about over the years. I also host a radio show called 'The Stump', which is a podcast about the biggest topics in the world of sports.

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