After criticism, Little Rock radio station to change name of 'Babe Bracket'

FILE — Morning radio show hosts David Bazzel, Roger Scott and Tommy Smith pose for a photo outside a lingerie shop in Little Rock, Ark., where they hosted their show for KABZ-FM on Feb. 2, 2018. Last year, the shop sponsored the "Babe Bracket" competition, in which listeners cast votes among 16 local female TV personalities. Bazzel said the competition isn't meant to demean women, but to give their work extra exposure. (AP Photo/Kelly P. Kissel)
FILE — Morning radio show hosts David Bazzel, Roger Scott and Tommy Smith pose for a photo outside a lingerie shop in Little Rock, Ark., where they hosted their show for KABZ-FM on Feb. 2, 2018. Last year, the shop sponsored the "Babe Bracket" competition, in which listeners cast votes among 16 local female TV personalities. Bazzel said the competition isn't meant to demean women, but to give their work extra exposure. (AP Photo/Kelly P. Kissel)

A Little Rock radio station says it will change the name of its "Babe Bracket" competition as well as some aspects of the contest after protest spread nationwide.

"The Show With No Name" on 103.7 The Buzz announced in a post on the station's website Wednesday that the contest will be called "The Bracket With No Name."

The name change is "part of a natural evolution and in an attempt to better reflect the nature of the segment," the post says.

The competition, which ranks female TV journalists based on votes from listeners, was called "blatant objectification" in a Feb. 1 blog post by Austin Kellerman, the news director at NBC affiliate KARK-TV and Fox affiliate KLRT-TV.

On Thursday, female journalists in Arkansas and around the country used the Twitter hashtag "#morethanababe" to draw attention to the accomplishments of women in the workplace.

The Buzz also said that the contest's winner will a spa package and a $500 donation to a charity of her choice.

"The goal of this event has always been to let Buzz listeners get to know local TV journalists and celebrities better and allow the contestants to have an open forum to show their personality, share what they are passionate about and talk to members of our great community," the post states.

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