• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WTNH trims 1/2 hour off Morning News

MarcB

MarcB

WTNH has gone back to being the only TV station in the market to start their morning news at 5AM. It wasn't even that long ago when they made the switch to 4:30AM. "ABC World News Now" is now airing 2:35AM-4:30AM and ABC's "America This Morning" is now airing 4:30AM-5AM.

I only became aware of the change while flipping channels last night and caught the scroll at the bottom of the screen while "Jimmy Kimmle Live" was on.

"Program Alert. "Good Morning Connecticut" now begins at 5:00AM."


This is on top of the cuts they made earlier this year when they replaced the 7AM-8AM Newscast on sister station WCTX MY TV 9 with a simulcast of the 6AM-7AM Newscast.

Morning News Times For those reading this from outside the market:

3 WFSB Merideth CBS 4:30AM-7:00AM
30 WVIT NBC O&O 4:30AM-7:00AM
61 WTIC-TV Tribune FOX 4:00AM-10:00AM (including the 5:00AM-6:00AM being simulcast on sister station WCCT-TV 20).

I would've thought if any station were to go back to a 5:00AM start time it would been WTIC-TV because their sister station in NYC WPIX/11 dropped the 4AM-5AM portion of their Morning News.
 
Finally, a station that saw the dark. Local morning newscasts that start before 5 AM don't accomplish anything more than tweaking the lead-in ratings. I suspect any gain in ratings by starting a half-hour earlier was greeted by yawns from advertisers that weren't interested in slots before 5 AM.
 
WTNH is the lowest rating in the state, I don't think they are getting the ratings the other 3 are. It seems they starting pushing their newscasts earlier after the snow storms a few years ago. They all wanted to beat the other guy to air to report that it was snowing. They must have seen ratings in doing that so they all went early. the 4:30 block seems to be lighter news and I don't think it is costing them that much more to produce since the staff is already there.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom