Little Rock Radio: 'Babe Bracket' Creates A Buzz

An effort is underway to stop a Little Rock radio station's annual "Babe Bracket," which allows listeners to vote on 16 local female television anchors in a beauty and popularity contest sponsored by a lingerie shop, reports The Associated Press.

KARK-TV's news director, Austin Kellerman, who once supported the contest, wrote in a blog post Thursday that it was time to end the competition, which is modeled after the NCAA men's basketball tournament known as "March Madness."

He and some listeners to the morning call-in radio show say the contest, which started in 1997, doesn't acknowledge the women's professional accomplishments and wrongly concentrates on their attractiveness and personality. Others say there's nothing wrong with it.

The contest begins each March with 16 women in eight pairs. Listeners to Sports Talk KABZ 103.7 FM show titled "The Show With No Name" vote on which women they like best. Eventually, 15 are eliminated. Past winners have received a crown and flowers.

Stephanie Sharp, an anchor at KARK television, said that amid an international backlash against sexual harassment, the contest is outdated.

"I know it's all in good fun and no one is hurt, but it's 2018. It's not how we're supposed to be comparing professional women," she said. "And it's sponsored by a lingerie shop. It kind of tells you what they're going for."

A former winner of the contest says she doesn't have a problem with it.

"If the Babe Bracket helps me promote things that are important to me, I would say, 'Sign me up every year,'" said Donna Terrell, a KLRT anchor who has used her appearances to tout a charity she set up to fight colon cancer, which took her daughter's life.