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WMAQ Expanding To 4AM


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Beginning Monday, NBC 5 will expand their morning newscast by 30 minutes, beginning at 4am. Zoraida Sambolin a and Andy Avalos will be on at 4, joined by Stefan Holt and Kye Martin at 4:30.

 

"Channel 7 announces an additional half hour in 3, 2,..." -Facebook comment

 

http://www.robertfeder.com/2015/08/19/nbc-5-news-today-gets-4-a-m-wake-up-call/

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Channel 7 will definitely copy this, probably the day after labor day. It's not like the morning anchors are doing a mid-day newscast so it's definitely do-able for them.

 

I wonder if this will kick-start a trend across the country. Maybe WNBC?

 

If 7 does, that seems like a sound launch date, as that's the season premiere day for their talk show, and a likely formal launch of their new set.

 

I have my doubts about east coast expansion...at least not yet. Unlike the central time zone (and points west), they're still limited by the early network newscasts. Until those move, the locals, especially the O&Os, are locked in at 4:30.

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Channel 7 will definitely copy this, probably the day after labor day. It's not like the morning anchors are doing a mid-day newscast so it's definitely do-able for them.

 

I wonder if this will kick-start a trend across the country. Maybe WNBC?

 

Indy already has 3 stations up at 4am (WISH, WTHR and WXIN) and the same in Nashville (WKRN, WSMV and WTVF), plus stations in Houston (KRIV), San Fran Bay Area (KTVU and KRON), LA (KTLA), Chicago (WGN and soon WMAQ), Philadelphia (WTXF), Birmingham (WVTM), Boston (WFXT) and St. Louis (KTVI, KSDK and soon KMOV), among many others.

 

So yeah, its a slow trend, but a trend worth noticing because its happening.

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If 7 does, that seems like a sound launch date, as that's the season premiere day for their talk show, and a likely formal launch of their new set.

 

I have my doubts about east coast expansion...at least not yet. Unlike the central time zone (and points west), they're still limited by the early network newscasts. Until those move, the locals, especially the O&Os, are locked in at 4:30.

 

So will Early Today air at 3:30am in Chicago?
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Channel 7 will definitely copy this, probably the day after labor day. It's not like the morning anchors are doing a mid-day newscast so it's definitely do-able for them.

 

I wonder if this will kick-start a trend across the country. Maybe WNBC?

 

WCAU started it actually. They've been on at 4AM for two years now.

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I'm not sure. I've seen one of three reports saying this early half hour is "replacing" Early Today, but that came from the guy that publishes everything second-hand.

He gets his stuff from releases... So it's a safe bet that'll be what happens.
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Hasn't WGN been on at 4 a.m. for 4 years now? How come its taken so long for other stations to follow suit? Is it because there just is not a lot of viewers to go around? Do you think that there can be 3 viable newscasts at 4 a.m.?

WGN could do the early start since they have no early morning newscasts that they have to carry.

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If 7 does, that seems like a sound launch date, as that's the season premiere day for their talk show, and a likely formal launch of their new set.

 

Very doubtful the new set will be done by Sept. 7. They haven't finished completely gutting the place. Ideally, the longer it takes to put a set together, the better the odds it will be something cool and interesting. I can't imagine them finishing a top notch state-of-the-art set in less than 3 weeks.

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Very doubtful the new set will be done by Sept. 7. They haven't finished completely gutting the place. Ideally, the longer it takes to put a set together, the better the odds it will be something cool and interesting. I can't imagine them finishing a top notch state-of-the-art set in less than 3 weeks.

 

I was under the impression it'd be closer to Sept. 21st or 28th. I can't see the 7th either even if that SSS is a bit of a shoebox in size.
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I shouldn't say I'm surprised.

 

With the many stations jumping the curve and starting 4:30am newscasts years ago, it was clear: It was for the race for ratings.

It's been that way since the 5:00am newscasts came in decades ago, and it'll probably be that way when many more O&Os start doing 4:00am newscasts (possibly soon). I wasn't surprised when WCAU also started theirs, and I won't be shocked with WPVI and KYW doing theirs when they announce them sometime in the future.

 

What WMAQ and probably WLS are doing are not to be jumpy about. (At least after a minute.)

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I was under the impression it'd be closer to Sept. 21st or 28th. I can't see the 7th either even if that SSS is a bit of a shoebox in size.

Takes some time to install but then they have to do rehearsal and then update all the promos.

 

I shouldn't say I'm surprised.

 

With the many stations jumping the curve and starting 4:30am newscasts years ago, it was clear: It was for the race for ratings.

It's been that way since the 5:00am newscasts came in decades ago, and it'll probably be that way when many more O&Os start doing 4:00am newscasts (possibly soon). I wasn't surprised when WCAU also started theirs, and I won't be shocked with WPVI and KYW doing theirs when they announce them sometime in the future.

 

What WMAQ and probably WLS are doing are not to be jumpy about. (At least after a minute.)

At first I see the working class blue collar cities jumping ship for 4:00 AM local news given that people need to be up earlier.

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4:00 AM now and before the decade is over we'll be hearing about 3:30 AM, 2:00 AM etc. then eventually local news will just be round the clock. Now yes that's being way too hyperbolic but honestly I don't see a need for 4:00 AM news or even 4:30 AM. Yeah some people have to wake up at that time but are those people really watching the news at that time?

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4:00 AM now and before the decade is over we'll be hearing about 3:30 AM, 2:00 AM etc. then eventually local news will just be round the clock. Now yes that's being way too hyperbolic but honestly I don't see a need for 4:00 AM news or even 4:30 AM. Yeah some people have to wake up at that time but are those people really watching the news at that time?

Ratings are fairly low but it's all about seeking more revenue in a dying industry...
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Quick note: NBC 5 is airing Early Today, joined (presumably) in-progress at like 3:35, when the Steve Harvey rebroadcast concludes.

 

How clean is the JIP to Early Today? They could easily put the broadcast on a five minute delay given that they offer a way for stations to start their broadcast 24 minutes into the program. The breakaway cue is when the anchor says "This is Early Today we hope it's your first stop of the day on your NBC station." They could clear the national commercial and start at 4AM.

 

I forget are ABC's World News Now and CBS' Up To The Minute are designed to JIP?

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm surprised it has taken this long for NBC 5 to expand to 4am. The Big 3 stations in Nashville, Tennessee have had 4am start times for a few years now with the network early morning newscasts at 3:30am CT. Since Chicago is Central Time as well, I figured the stations would've done the same by now. LA still hasn't expanded to 4am either though.

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