The station first signed on the air on June 26, 1983, as the first independent as well as the first new commercial television station to sign on in Little Rock in 28 years (since KTHV (channel 11) debuted in November 1955). KLRT was originally locally owned by Little Rock Communications Associates and operated by Scollard Communications. During KLRT's early independent years, the station's slogan was "Prime All The Time" and the mascot was a TV with the logo on the screen with arms and legs named Primetime who spoke in a robot voice. Channel 16's original offices and studios were located on West Markham Street at the southeast corner of Bowman Road in Western Little Rock; it was the first of the city's television stations to maintain studio facilities outside of downtown Little Rock.