LAST WEEK, KATV-TV, CHANNEL 7, saw and felt the difference.

Advance ratings from Nielsen Media Research's February survey gave KTHV-TV, Channel 11, a victory in the 10 o'clock news wars, waged among Little Rock's KTHV, KATV and KARK-TV Channel 4.

It marked the first time in eight years that perennial powerhouse KATV was not No. 1 in household rating and share numbers.

And KTHV, whose "see and feel the difference" tagline has been the cornerstone of the station's late '90s renaissance, performed well in other

time slots as well. The Gannett Co.-owned CBS affiliate was the only station to show household rating/share and demographic growth in four programs: its 6 a.m. morning show and its 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.

Meanwhile, KARK, which held No. 2 through much of the '90s, sunk deeper into third place. The first victim of KTHV's re-emergence, KARK saw its 10 p.m. broadcast fall 2 household rating and 4 share points from February 2000.

Not even stout NBC dramas like "E.R." could resuscitate KARK. On one night during the February ratings "sweeps," "E.R." posted a robust 17 and 26 just before KARK's 10 p.m. newscast, for which the audience shrank to a 10 and 18.

The ratings number is the percentage of the market watching the station. The share is the percentage of all sets turned on that are watching the station. (See the accompanying chart for more ratings in other time slots.)

Most industry-watchers agree that the February ratings book is key because it shows KATV's dominance might have come to an end.

"I don't think they've sensed a serious challenge in the last few years up until, now," said Doug Krile, who was an anchor for KARK in the early '90s and is now corporate director of news and public affairs for Equity Broadcasting Corp. of Little Rock. "And I think they have to be feeling it as a serious challenge now."

KATV general manager Dale Nicholson offers testimony that Krile's suspicion was right. He said he remembers staffers chuckling at "that silly thing". KTHV was doing to promote its newscasts in a given week. That attitude, Nicholson said, is no longer welcome at KATV.

"In the meantime, I think the best thing to do is to just admit that, you know, nothing is forever unless you work really, really hard and never get lackadaisical or anything else," Nicholson said. "And we have allowed them to catch up with us at 10 o'clock, and I'm not happy about it."

By the Numbers

Elsewhere in the February survey, KATV continued to show a decisive lead over its new rival, KTHV.

KATV remained No. 1 at 5 and 6 p.m. At 6 p.m. it garnered a 17 and 28 to KTHV's 11 and 18 and KARK's 8 and 13. At 5 p.m., KATV drew a commanding 15 and 29 to the 8 and 16 its competitors each logged.

But KTHV showed strength in those slots. At 6 p.m., KTHV grew in each key demographics,...