Gov. Asa Hutchinson called it a good week for Arkansas, with an announcement of a big reduction in the number of people on the state’s Medicaid rolls and revenue coming in above forecast. The positive economic indicators could help him see passage of priorities during the fiscal session of the state legislature which begins next month. Also, an announcement by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions regarding the enforcement of federal marijuana laws has some scratching their heads as Arkansas works to implement a voter-approved medical marijuana amendment. I was a panelist on this episode of Arkansas Week, alongside political science professor Hal Bass of Ouachita Baptist University and reporter Lance Turner with Arkansas Business. The program airs on AETN, which is the local PBS outlet.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
Topping the discussion on the latest Arkansas Week was violence in state prisons with recent incidents sending inmates and guards to the hospital. Gov. Asa Hutchinson has called for a plan to address the problem and I discussed testimony that week by the director of the Department of Correction to a legislative committee. Also on the panel was political scientist Heather Yates with the University of Central Arkansas as we talked about the status of healthcare, an executive order on environmental regulations, and President Trump’s level of support from the right.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
As Republicans in the U.S. Senate struggle to pass a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, I filled in hosting AETN’s Arkansas Week on July 21, 2017. It came as the two senators from Arkansas, who had mostly been quiet on the issue, finally weighed in with their thoughts. We also discussed former Circuit Judge Michael Maggio reporting to begin a prison sentence and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency visiting Arkansas touting changes in federal regulations.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
I was able to talk about my book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas on the program Barnes and… on the Arkansas Educational Television network, which is the local PBS outlet. The program, which was aired July 17, 2017 at 6:30 p.m., also features many of the photographs included in the book. You can find a list of upcoming public events and a link to buy the book here.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
I filled in hosting this week’s edition of Arkansas Week on AETN, focusing largely on the escalation of violence in Little Rock. The city has seen a 24 percent increase in violent crime from a year ago, but what finally prompted action from Gov. Asa Hutchinson was an outbreak of gunfire at a Little Rock nightclub early Saturday, July 1, with 25 people being shot. Amazingly no one died. Hutchinson announced the creation of a multiagency partnership that includes the FBI, Arkansas State Police and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office working to get a handle on the situation. I opened the program interviewing Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, then talked with our panel made up of political science professor Heather Yates from the University of Central Arkansas, Wes Brown of Talk Business & Politics, and Independent journalist Steve Brawner. The program will be aired tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m., or you can watch the program below.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
Joining i24NEWS anchor David Shuster (left) Friday, April 14 for a live interview during his program Stateside.
Arkansas’s plan to execute eight death row inmates over an 11-day period has generated a lot of attention from around the world. While courts removed two of the men slated to die, international media outlets continue following the story carefully.
Shortly after Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen issued a stay for the executions, I reported live on Israeli television network i24NEWS to discuss the latest. You can find a link to watch the broadcast here. I mentioned in the interview that we were still waiting for a ruling from a federal judge, and that ended up coming down the next morning, also staying the executions. The state is now appealing those decisions.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
On the web since 2002, this is the online home and archive of broadcasting news veteran Michael Hibblen. Starting in 1989, I've worked for newspapers, radio and TV stations around the country. Today I'm Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS. This website tells the story of my career, including audio, photos and videos. Also featured are various interests I've researched, primarily about broadcasting and railroad history.
My Book
Released by Arcadia Publishing in 2017, Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas delves into the history of the railroad which once had a huge footprint in Arkansas, as well as other states in the middle of the U.S. The book features historic photos and tells the story of the Rock Island, which was shut down in March 1980. READ MORE
For 13 years, from May 2009 to December 2022, I worked for NPR station KUAR-FM 89.1 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. That included 10 years as News Director while continuing to anchor and report. You can read and hear reports from that time on Little Rock Public Radio's website.
