News about a newscast

Arkansas Business, May 5, 2008 by Mark Hengel

The winner of The Associated Press' "Best Newscast" award in the Little Rock market is newcomer Fox 16 News, which airs on KLRT-TV, Channel 16.

"We've got good viewership and critical acclaim," Chuck Spohn, the station's vice president and general manager, said. "People like how we put the product out there and the fact that we focus on the viewers' needs."

Ed Trauschke has been the station's news director since February 2007.

"It's very exciting," he said about winning. "It's nice to be honored by your peers and an organization like The Associated Press."

KLRT's 9 p.m. newscast also saw a 28 percent jump in year-to-year ratings in February. In only its fourth year, the 9 p.m. newscast scored a 6.4 rating and 11.7 share in the market.

Trauschke said the success is due in part to the anchor team of Donna Terrell, Kevin Kelly, Troy Bridges and David Raath. The success is also a result of segments like Kelly's "Consumer Alerts," Terrell's "Family Healthcast" and "County-by-County," Trauschke said.