After 34 years in radio, now at Arkansas PBS

I’m nearing six months into a new job at Arkansas PBS, greatly enjoying working in a new environment with a different set of challenges and the opportunity to try new things. This is my first time working exclusively in television and video-related digital media, but I’m still using the journalism basics that are instilled after decades of being a radio reporter, anchor, editor and manager. I started on Jan. 3 as Senior Producer/Director of Public Affairs.

After accepting the job and giving five weeks notice to longtime employer KUAR-FM 89.1, I posted on social media about my career change.

I won’t change my profile photo just yet, but after 34 years in radio, the last 13 at @kuarpublicradio, today I submitted my resignation letter. On Jan. 3, I’ll begin at @ArkansasPBS as Senior Producer/ Director of Public Affairs. Looking forward to new adventures! pic.twitter.com/xX89UMJZXq

— Michael Hibblen (@hibblen) November 22, 2022

My last day at KUAR was Dec. 30, 2022, capping more than three decades in radio. I had been with the NPR station at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock since 2009, serving as news director for the last 10 years. While I have a deep love for the medium of radio and podcasts, this was an exciting chance to work in a new realm and help expand news coverage on Arkansas PBS. 

For much of my time at KUAR, I had also appeared regularly on the television network’s flagship public affairs program Arkansas Week, taking part in journalist roundtable discussions on the state’s top political stories. I also occasionally filled in hosting the show and was involved in special coverage, including asking questions of political candidates at debates hosted by Arkansas PBS and its predecessor AETN.

Already knowing several people working at the television network helped in the transition to the new job. I’m working mostly in a managerial, behind the scenes role. Our coverage is seen on 10 television channels throughout Arkansas, covering 96% of the state.  I’ve always enjoyed editing video, but never had an opportunity to do it in a professional setting other than a few videos I produced for KUAR’s website, like one of the 2014 dedication of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home or a 2022 interview with cartoonist Stephan Pastis.

Arkansas Business reporter Kyle Massey, who covers media-related issues and has written extensively about KUAR and Arkansas PBS over the years, had a column about my career change in the Dec. 12 issue.

One clarification from what Kyle wrote, I wasn’t planning on taking the reel-to-reel recorder with – that belonged to the station – but yes on moving the extensive collection of personal items from my office, including vintage microphones, hundreds of cassettes, and other items I’d kept there over the years. 

One of my new responsibilities is overseeing production of Arkansas Week, which marked its 40th anniversary in February. Having been involved in the program in the past, it was a joy helping to produce a segment looking at its history. I interviewed several former regulars on the program, as well as longtime host Steve Barnes. The six-minute segment, which was masterfully edited by producer Jennifer Gibson, aired on the Feb. 17 episode.

The full interviews ended up being so good that we also posted many of those online. You can watch Steve Barnes share not only details of his experiences on Arkansas Week, but his background on how he came to work in television. Also available are the interviews with Ernie Dumas of the Arkansas Gazette, Gwen Moritz of Arkansas Business, and Rex Nelson of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

While my job duties are primarily behind the scenes, I’m comfortable appearing on camera as needed — whatever it takes to land an interview, facilitate live coverage or help on the air during pledge drives. Four days before Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education reform legislation was filed in the Arkansas General Assembly, I interviewed state Education Secretary Jacob Oliva about the proposal in the rotunda of the state Capitol.

The first 10 minutes of my interview was featured in the opening segment of Arkansas Week. We posted an additional six minutes of the interview as an online-only feature with Oliva providing more details on how he was envisioning the proposal, which Sanders had said was her top priority when coming into office.

As part of our state political and government coverage, I also oversee the streaming of live events on the Arkansas Citizens Action Network (AR-CAN), which is included on the Arkansas PBS website. That can involve lining up a crew to shoot events like government meetings or using Zoom and similar services to stream meetings. Some events are of major political interest, while others are offered as a public service to allow viewers to see the inner workings of government.

Reporting live on Sanders’ education proposal for AR-CAN

After Sanders came into office advocating for an overhaul of the state’s education system, we covered several rallies and events on the topic. Some of the coverage included me reporting live, along with the full speeches and interviews with lawmakers.

In the weeks before the education bill was filed, Sanders provided a few details of what would be included during several rallies. The first was on Jan. 19, with Sanders speaking in the state Capitol rotunda at an event organized by the Arkansas chapter of Americans for Prosperity. She noted for the first time that the changes would be incorporated into one large omnibus bill, and as expected, would include a voucher program allowing parents to use state funds for private, parochial or home schooling.

On Feb. 8, Sanders held a press conference in front of the steps leading to the Arkansas House of Representatives chamber to unveil details of her education proposal called the LEARNS Act. Exact language of the bill would not be released for another couple of weeks.

The 145-page bill was filed at the end of the day on Feb. 20. It was apparent just from the number of sponsors that there was more than enough support for the legislation to pass, with Republicans holding supermajorities in both chambers.

On the day after the bill was introduced, Sanders spoke during a Feb. 21 rally at the Capitol, this time as part of Home School Day.

In the span of just over two weeks, the bill sailed through the legislature. Many Democrats, educators and parents argued there wasn’t sufficient debate for such sweeping changes. The bill was the topic of several episodes of Arkansas Week, with lawmakers from both major parities debating for and against it. Sanders signed the bill into law on March. 8, which we also streamed live.

Another key issue during the legislative session, which was discussed heavily on Arkansas Week, was criminal justice reform. With it and education taking up so much time, it was reported that this year’s session saw the fewest number of bills passed since 1971. Lawmakers formally adjourned on May 1.

Beyond my Public Affairs department, it has been fascinating to learn about how Arkansas PBS operates and the many things it is involved in. The original productions, ranging from educational kids programming to more serious topics, have been especially interesting to see being produced. We have a podcast studio equipped with three cameras that was most recently used for a grant-funded series called The Growing Season. Even the annual Arkansas Governor’s Quiz Bowl championship for high school students was fun. My role in the April 22 broadcast, which featured seven rounds each lasting about an hour, was controlling the buzzer as participants competed.

During two nights of our spring pledge drive I appeared on-camera pitching for viewer support. One evening was during PBS NewsHour and Nature. The other was while airing three documentaries produced in the 1990s by the late Arkansas television journalist Jack Hill. In between each one, Casey Sanders and I interviewed the authors of a book about Hill and his former wife.

Moving forward, I hope to continue expanding digital offerings by Arkansas PBS, especially for news-related events. It’s a pleasure working with an impressive team of professionals. It’s also an honor being part of a television network that I grew up watching with a deep history in the state.