Hot Springs Featured in Network TV Show, ‘True South’; Visit Hot Springs CEO Estimates Publicity Value $3 Million | Hot Springs National Park Arkansas

HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — Hot Springs received a multimillion-dollar publicity boost Tuesday evening when the city and two of its restaurants were featured in the SEC Network/ESPN television show “True South.”

“I was at a watch-party of Hot Springs folks gathered to watch the show, and immediately afterward I received a text message from a person in the Arkansas media who told me, ‘Not sure how you convinced the publicity gods to shine down on y'all, but that was an amazing show, and priceless publicity,’” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said Wednesday. “The guy said, ‘If Hot Springs was about 30 minutes closer, (I would) already be on the road for a piece of Deluca's pizza.’”

Deluca’s Pizzeria and its owner, Anthony Valinotti, were one of two Hot Springs eateries that were featured in the 30-minute show. The other was The Pancake Shop, the legendary breakfast place on upper Central Avenue.

“I had an estimate that the publicity value of a 30-minute network TV show featuring our city and its attractions would be around $3 million,” Arrison said. “I personally think it might be worth even more than that.

“I thought Tony (Valinotti) and (noted actress) Joey Lauren Adams did a wonderful job of guiding the show’s host, John T. Edge, through a love letter to Hot Springs. I mean, the show was spectacular in the way it showed everything great about the city — from the thermal waters to the great attractions like Oaklawn and others.”

A link to the Hot Springs episode is https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/54768562-4a27-4bc8-8342-26444665cdb0 . The link asks that the viewer establish a streaming link with their cable provider.

The show, hosted by Edge, revolves around two food stories told from one place, which “True South” sets in conversation to make larger points about Southern beliefs and identities. Tuesday night’s show on Hot Springs was the premiere episode of the show’s sixth season.

Edge, a four-time James Beard Award winner, is a contributing editor at Garden & Gun magazine. For 22 years he served as a columnist for the Oxford American. For three years he wrote the monthly “United Taste” column for the New York Times.