New TV Newscast

[richyb83]

The Baton Rouge market is more crowded than ever!

There is yet another new nightly newscast to keep up with on the local airwaves. On March 12th WGMB FOX 44 made it's debut. The 30 minute newscast airs at 9 p.m., a popular timeslot for other FOX affliates around the country. The show clearly targets a young audience and moves fast.

The FOX 44 newscast comes just two months after it's sister station WVLA NBC 33 began airing local news at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. Though the FOX 44 newscast has a different feel than those on NBC 33 the same on-air talent meteorologist Nelson Robinson. It is also produced from the same newsroom and shot in the same studio as FOX, but at a different anchor desk on a opposite wall.

WAFB's (Channel 9) sister station WBXH Cable Channel 16- My Network TV started their new 9 p.m. newscast back in January. WAFB "Street Beat" news reporter Greg Merriweather is the anchor.

*For as long as I can remember for many years the newscast have been only on BR's "Two" oldest TV Stations. WBRZ Channel 2 (ABC) and WAFB Channel 9 (CBS)

WBRZ Channel 2 (Cable 5) does the morning show 5?or6?-7 a.m., an hour-long newscast at 12noon; and 30 minute newscast at 4, 5, 6, and 10 p.m.

WAFB Channel 9 (Cable 7) does the morning show 5-7 ; a 30 minute show at Noon, 5, 6, and 10 p.m.

Since January, Baton Rouge has seen the addition "four" nightly newscast. How much is too much?? Is there a market for so much local news? Some say they are "filling a niche that isn't currently being filled". Others say the jury is still out.

What do yall think?

[dan326]

I like to watch channel 5 and 7 news. I'll watch channel 5 first and then watch the rerun of channel 7 on channel 9.

[byrde]

I think it is long over due. Cities Smaller than BR have had more sources for TV news than BR for a long time. I'm a WAFB News fan First, but now that we have more options, I will tune into the other stations at different times of the day to see the stories they are covering as well.

I have an HDTV and I can even tune in Fox 8 News, WWL out of New Orleans. I watch them a couple of times a week as well for news.

[NCB]

^I agree, and while I was in Baton Rouge for 3 weeks after Katrina, I was actually suprised to only see two (or where there three) nightly newscasts in Baton Rouge. I've been to cities quite a bit smaller than Baton Rouge that had three or four newscasts, so I think this is a good move.

I have an HDTV and I can even tune in Fox 8 News, WWL out of New Orleans. I watch them a couple of times a week as well for news.

[hagetaka]

It's about time, just 2 & 9 was all we had for years. Back in the 80's NBC had local news. More choices for BR, now if we can only get another newspaper.

[byrde]

It's about time, just 2 & 9 was all we had for years. Back in the 80's NBC had local news. More choices for BR, now if we can only get another newspaper.

[hagetaka]

Don't see that happening anytime soon. Cities all over the country have lost the luxury of having two papers. Sheverport, Houston, Dallas and countless others used to have two daily papers but are now down to one. Remember we used to also have a morning and evening paper.