KAIT

For the telescope known as KAIT, see Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope.

KAIT

Jonesboro, Arkansas
Branding	KAIT 8 (general) Region 8 News (news)
Slogan	Always Tracking. Always Watching. Always On.
Channels	Digital: 8 (VHF)
Subchannels	8.1 ABC 8.2 24-7 Weather
Affiliations	American Broadcasting Company
Owner	Raycom Media, Inc. (KAIT License Subsidiary, LLC)
First air date	July 15, 1963
Call letters' meaning	Arkansas Independent Television (AIT also sounds like eight)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 8 (VHF, 1963-2009) Digital: 9 (VHF, 2003-2009)
Former affiliations	independent (1963-1965)
Transmitter power	28.2 kW
Height	531 m
Facility ID	13988
Transmitter coordinates	35°53′22″N 90°56′7.5″W
Website	KAIT8.com

KAIT in Jonesboro, Arkansas is the ABC affiliated television station for Northeastern Arkansas and Southeastern Missouri, offering a mix of news and syndicated programming and local broadcasts. Its transmitter is located in Egypt, Arkansas.

Digital programming

Channel	Aspect	Video	Programming
8.1	16:9	720p	main KAIT programming / ABC
8.2	4:3	480i	Region 8 24/7 Weather Source

History

KAIT first signed on July 15, 1963 as an independent station, a venture of Fort Smith businessman George Hernreich. It has been affiliated with ABC since 1965. The Hernreich family sold the station to Channel Communications in 1984. That company, in turn, sold KAIT to Cosmos Broadcasting, the broadcasting arm of South Carolina-based insurer The Liberty Corporation, in 1986. Liberty exited the insurance business in 2000, bringing the Cosmos stations directly under the Liberty banner. Current owner Raycom Media obtained the station in 2005 through its purchase of Liberty.

KATV (channel 7) in Little Rock and the signals of other Little Rock area VHF stations adequately covered parts of the KAIT viewing area before the digital transition. For many years, KAIT also operated a low-powered translator station K11JW operating on Channel 11 in nearby Blytheville, Arkansas.

Several cable systems in the KAIT viewing area including Jonesboro and Blytheville carry KATV. Some of these cable systems will block the KATV signal when both channels are carrying the same program usually during the daytime and primetime hours except for news bulletins, weather bulletins, and newscasts. Other cable systems in other parts of the KAIT viewing area that also carry KATV such as Searcy and Heber Springs that are actually in the Little Rock television market, both channels appear with no blocked signals. COBRIDGE Communications formerly Charter Communications in Thayer, Missouri airs both KAIT and KSPR.

News operation

In addition to reporting on local news stories, members of KAIT's reporting staff are also employed as photojournalists for the station. On October 15, 2007 beginning with the 5 p.m. newscast, KAIT's local newscasts were rebranded, replacing the former K8 News branding with Region 8 News, a branding the station had used during much of the 1980s. The station's longtime slogan "Good Neighbors You Can Turn To" (also "Your Good Neighbor Station") was also replaced with a new slogan ("Always Tracking. Always Watching. Always On.")

On September 16, 2011, KAIT announced that upgrade its newscasts to high definition, and broadcast from a new set; the following night, fellow ABC affiliate KATV in Little Rock started broadcasting its local newscasts in HD. On October 17, 2011 beginning with its 11 a.m. newscast, KAIT became the fourth station in Arkansas (the first in Jonesboro) to broadcast its local newscast in high definition.

Although not owned by the same company, KAIT frequently forms a partnership with the Jonesboro Radio Group of Jonesboro, Arkansas, for community projects and promotions. The three of the five radio stations owned by the Jonesboro Radio Group are KEGI 100.5 FM, KDXY 104.9 FM and KJBX 106.3 FM. An audio simulcast of KAIT's 6 p.m. newscast airs Monday-Friday evenings on KJBX.

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

• Region 8 News (1980s–1993 and 2007–present)
• KAIT 8 News (1993–1995)
• K8 News (1995–2007)
• Good Morning Region 8 (morning newscast; 1995–present)

Station slogans

• "Good Neighbors You Can Turn To" (1993–1998)
• "Your Good Neighbor Station" (1998–2007)
• "Always Tracking. Always Watching. Always On." (2007–present)

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

On-air staff

Current on-air staff

Anchors

• Diana Davis - weekday mornings at 11 a.m., and weeknights at 5 and 6 p.m.
• Kristina Hamilton - weekday mornings Good Morning Region 8
• Amanda Hanson - weeknights at 10 p.m.; also reporter
• Craig Rickert - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.

Region 8 Storm Team

• Ryan Vaughan (NWA Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
• Bryan McCormick (member, AMS; member, NWA) - meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.
• Sarah Tipton - meteorologist; weekday mornings Good Morning Region 8 and Region 8 Midday at 11:00 a.m.

Sports team

• Chris Hudgison - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
• Blake Guinn - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.

Reporters

• Keith Boles - general assignment reporter
• Will DuPree - video journalist
• Josh Harvison - general assignment reporter
• Brandi Hunter - general assignment reporter

Former on-air staff

• Rodger Bumpass - announcer, film processor, cameraman, audio technician, and technical director (best known for providing the voice of Squidward Tentacles on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants)

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

External links

• Official website
• 40th anniversary
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KAIT
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KAIT-TV
• Program Information for KAIT at TitanTV.com