A long-running cash giveaway in Little Rock television news will be going on a three-week hiatus as the station embarks on a studio redesign and segment reformat.
Dialing for Dollars, which has been on the air at NBC affiliate KARK-TV since the 1960s, will temporarily be off the air until a new “state-of-the-art studio” is complete, according to a statement posted to the station’s website.
Once work is completed, the segment will also be “revamped into a game show style contest,” the statement reads in part. The new format will be unveiled July 31.
In an emailed statement, KARK News Director Austin Kellerman said this year marks the 50th anniversary of Dialing for Dollars.
"We're relaunching it with a new feel that celebrates its rich history in central Arkansas," Kellerman said.
Other details regarding the change were not released Friday.
On Friday’s noontime show, KARK 4 Today anchor Aaron Nolan and meteorologist Hayden Nix addressed the hiatus.
The desk used for the cash giveaway, featuring NBC’s signature colors and a built-in wheel, was rolled out in a live video on Facebook at the end of the broadcast.
Among the familiar faces previously seen on the Dialing for Dollars segment at noon were the late Beth Ward as well as Tom Bonner and Lonnie Gibbons.