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/ 08.24.2010 4:00PM
Five More Stations Push Newscasts to 4:30 a.m.
MULTIPLE CITIES: At least five
stations decided this month to launch newscasts before dawn. WTOL-TV and
WTVG-TV in Toledo, Ohio; WABC-TV in New York; WFLA-TV in Tampa, Fla.; and
WGN-TV of Chicago are rolling news start times back to 4:30 a.m., according to
several reports.
WABC, the ABC O&O in the No. 1 market, said this week it would add 30
minutes its “Eyewitness News” franchise, starting it at 4:30 a.m. rather than 5
a.m. CW affiliate WPIX-TV started doing 4:30 a.m. news in 2008, according to
The
New York Times. WNBC-TV, the NBC O&O, and WNYW, the Fox O&O,
soon followed. WPIX recently announced moving its newscast to 4 a.m.
WGN, the Tribune-owned CW in Chicago, went to 4:30 this month, according to
Phil Rosenthal at the
Chicago
Tribune. WFLD-TV, the Fox O&O there did so along with WLS-TV, the
ABC O&O. Rosenthal said Chitown’s NBC O&O WMAQ-TV has had local news
at 4:30 a.m. since January 2008.
WLS is also adding an hour of morning news on Saturday starting at 8 a.m. Sept.
4. WGN is launching a one-hour, 6 a.m. weekend newscast Oct. 2.
WFLA, an NBC owned by Media General, is extending its weekday morning newscast
by a half-hour to 4:30 a.m. starting Sept. 20,
Tampa
Bay Online said.
“This is a reflection of changing lifestyles as people are going to bed earlier
and getting up earlier,” WFLA’s Don North told
TBO. “A few years ago no one would have thought there was an
audience at 5:30 a.m. but now there is.”
Toledo’s WTOL, a Raycom-owned CBS affiliate, and WTVG, an ABC O&O, will
both expand local weekday news by a half-hour. WTOL went to 4:30 a.m.
yesterday; WTVG will do so Aug. 30, according to the
Toledo
Blade.
-- Deborah D. McAdams
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