Darnell Hired as News Director

It’s official. As reported in the Dec. 27 “Whispers” column, Gary Darnell is now news director for KPOM/KFAA, Channels 24/51, which currently has offices in Fort Smith and Rogers. Darnell came on board Jan. 17.

KPOM/KFAA plans to move into part of the Campbell-Bell building on the downtown Fayetteville square and start airing news broadcasts from that location.

David Needham, vice president and general manager for the television station, says the building could be ready for occupation by summer, but it may take until the end of the year to renovate the interior. KPOM/KFAA will lease about 8,000 SF of space in the century-old building.

Needham says Darnell is building a news team “from scratch.” KPOM/KFAA stopped airing local newscasts in 1992. All of the station’s newscasts will originate from Fayetteville and go through the Fort Smith office before being aired.

Darnell was known to Northwest Arkansas television viewers as Gary James. That was the name he used as a reporter for KHOG-TV, Channel 29, a decade ago. Darnell rose through the ranks at KHOG to become assistant news director.

For the past three years, he has been news director for KCEN, Channel 6, an NBC affiliate in Waco, Texas.