Atlanta Station to Expand News to Midnight
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WAGA in Atlanta says they are going to expand their late newscast to one hour.
That means the station's 11 p.m. newscast will run till midnight starting September 14. The station claims that “Fox 5 News Edge,” will become the first one-hour 11 p.m. news program in the top 50 markets.
With WXIA having the Tonight Show, WGLC is getting a new Late Show with Stephen Colbert and WSB has NightLine, it is not likely that the competition will follow WAGA's lead.
It's an easy call for the station, since it is replacing a repeat of “Access Hollywood” at 11:30 p.m.
News Director Mike McClain said this is a way to give people more choices in local news, as fewer and fewer people work traditional 9 to 5 jobs. He noted that in recent years, local news has begun airing as early as 4:30 a.m. as well.
According to the press release:
This expansion will utilize the station’s interactive news stage to present Atlanta’s trending stories. Social Media Producer, Natalie Tejada, will share stories that are “Trending Live.” A new opinion segment, “Like It or Not,” will provide a fresh take on the traditional news editorial, allowing viewers to engage directly with topics that are important to the Atlanta and North Georgia regions.
The “Like it or Not” sounds a bit like WGCL's recently instituted “Just a Minute,” where a rotating crew of former TV reporters offer their take on the news. In this case, McClain said he will cull from a broader array of Atlanta experts to do editorials.
