News Central (American TV program)

*News Central*
News Central
Genre	News program
Directed by	Joe DeFeo
Presented by	Morris Jones; (National anchor); Vytas Reid; (Chief meteorologist);
Theme music composer	Stephen Arnold Music
Country of origin	United States
Production
Production location	Hunt Valley, Maryland
Production company	Sinclair Broadcast Group
Original release
Network	Sinclair Broadcast Group stations
Release	October 28, 2002 –; March 31, 2006
Related
	The National Desk

Last updated August 24, 2024

News Central is an American series of primetime newscast television programs on television stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. The programs mixed locally produced news with nationally produced news and an opinion segment from Sinclair's Hunt Valley, Maryland studios, along with weather segments customized for each market also originating from Hunt Valley.^[2]News Central was broadcast between October 2002 and March 2006.

History

News Central was launched on October 28, 2002, with WSMH's News At Ten.^[1] The format was original announced to be rolled out to Sinclair stations currently not offering news. But after a successful trial run at WSMH, Sinclair announced that three stations with newscasts would be next in converting to the format during the first quarter of 2003.^[3] By April 2003, News Central was planning to launch its own Washington bureau.^[4] By December 2003, 12 Sinclair stations were using the News Central format.^[2]

News Central ended all newscasts effective March 31, 2006;^[5] after that date, its stations either returned to a more traditional in-house newscast format, outsourced their newscast to a larger station in the market, or cancelled their newscasts entirely. Others, like WSMH, teamed up with non-affiliate stations in their market to either simulcast other stations' newscasts or jointly produce a news program.^[6] WYZZ and WUHF went into LMAs with other stations in their markets.

Sinclair later revisited the concept of a centralized news operation with The National Desk , a national news program that features contributions and reports from Sinclair's local stations.^[7]^[8]

Content

The local station news operation provided the first ten minutes of news. Then national News Central operation produced 12 minutes of international and national news of the total newscast, along with customized local weather forecasts produced from the national operation, and with other content such as stories prepared by the publicity departments of that station's network as a video news release (for instance, WVTV would carry a feature on Gilmore Girls or One Tree Hill produced by The WB as a tie-in to that evening's episodes). The national operation also provided nightly The Point commentary by Mark E. Hyman, Sinclair's Vice President of Corporate Relations.^[2]News Central additionally subscribed to AccuWeather and CNN Newsource to provide wire service video and additional context for national stories.^[4]

Carriage

WSMH, Flint, Michigan (October 28, 2002 – March 31, 2006^[1])
KOKH, Oklahoma City (Q1 2003–March 31, 2006^[3])
WLFL, Raleigh, North Carolina (Q1 2003–^[3] March 31, 2006)^[5]
WUHF, Rochester, New York (Q1 2003–^[3] March 31, 2006)^[5]
WPGH, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2003–March 31, 2006^[4])
WVTV, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (August 2003–March 31, 2006)^[5]
WNYO Buffalo, New York (August 16, 2004 – March 31, 2006)^[5]
WTTA, Tampa, Florida (August 25, 2003^[9]–March 31, 2006)^[5]
KFBT, KVWB, Las Vegas, Nevada (2003–March 31, 2006)^[5]
WUPN, WXLV Greensboro, North Carolina (2003–March 31, 2006)^[5]
WBFF, Baltimore, Maryland (February 2003 – March 31, 2006)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWHO</span> CW affiliate in Chillicothe, Ohio

WWHO is a television station licensed to Chillicothe, Ohio, United States, serving the Columbus area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Manhan Media, Inc., which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of ABC/MyNetworkTV/Fox affiliate WSYX, for the provision of certain services. Sinclair also operates TBD station WTTE under a separate LMA with Cunningham Broadcasting; however, Sinclair effectively owns WTTE as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. The three stations share studios on Dublin Road in Grandview Heights ; WWHO's transmitter is located in the Franklinton section of Columbus.

WTTA is a television station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, serving as the Tampa Bay area's local outlet for The CW. It is owned and operated by The CW's majority owner, Nexstar Media Group, alongside Tampa-licensed NBC affiliate WFLA-TV and Sarasota-based low-power MyNetworkTV affiliate WSNN-LD. WTTA and WFLA-TV share studios on South Parker Street in downtown Tampa; through a channel sharing agreement, the two stations transmit using WFLA-TV's spectrum from a transmitter in Riverview, Florida.

WICD is a television station licensed to Champaign, Illinois, United States, affiliated with ABC. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station has studios on South Country Fair Drive in Champaign, and its transmitter is located northeast of Homer, along the Vermilion–Champaign county line.

WUTV is a television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WNYO-TV. The two stations share studios on Hertel Avenue near Military Road in Buffalo; WUTV's transmitter is located on Whitehaven Road in Grand Island, New York, behind its former main studio building.

WNYO-TV is a television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Fox affiliate WUTV. The two stations share studios on Hertel Avenue near Military Road in Buffalo; WNYO-TV's transmitter is located on Whitehaven Road in Grand Island, New York.

WUHF is a television station in Rochester, New York, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which provides certain services to dual ABC/CW affiliate WHAM-TV under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Deerfield Media. The two stations share studios on West Henrietta Road in Henrietta ; WUHF's transmitter is located on Pinnacle Hill on the border between Rochester and Brighton.

WPNT is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with The CW and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Fox affiliate WPGH-TV. The two stations share studios on Ivory Avenue in the city's Summer Hill section, where WPNT's transmitter is also located.

KWGN-TV is a television station in Denver, Colorado, United States, serving as the local CW outlet. It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside Fox affiliate KDVR, channel 31. The two stations share studios on East Speer Boulevard in Denver's Speer neighborhood; KWGN-TV's transmitter is located atop Lookout Mountain, near Golden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPGH-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Pittsburgh

WPGH-TV is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside dual CW and MyNetworkTV affiliate WPNT. The two stations share studios on Ivory Avenue in the city's Summer Hill neighborhood, where WPGH-TV's transmitter is also located.

WVTV is a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with The CW and owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on Calumet Road in the Park Place office park near the I-41/US 45 interchange on Milwaukee's northwest side; its transmitter is located on North Humboldt Boulevard in Milwaukee's Estabrook Park neighborhood as part of the Milwaukee PBS tower.

WCGV-TV was a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, which operated from 1980 to 2018. In its latter years, it was owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV; it had common ownership with CW affiliate WVTV. WCGV-TV's operations were last housed at WVTV's studio facilities on Milwaukee's northwest side; the station's transmitter was located on the Milwaukee PBS tower on North Humboldt Boulevard in Milwaukee's Estabrook Park neighborhood.

KIAH is a television station in Houston, Texas, United States, serving as the local outlet for The CW Television Network. Owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios adjacent to the Westpark Tollway on the southwest side of Houston, and its transmitter is located near Missouri City, in unincorporated Fort Bend County.

WEYI-TV is a television station licensed to Saginaw, Michigan, United States, serving the Great Lakes Bay Region of Central Michigan as an affiliate of NBC. Owned by Howard Stirk Holdings, WEYI-TV is operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group via a shared services agreement (SSA) alongside Flint–licensed Fox affiliate WSMH, owned by Sinclair, and Bay City–licensed CW affiliate WBSF, owned by Cunningham Broadcasting and operated by Sinclair under a separate SSA. The three stations share studios on West Pierson Road in Mount Morris Township ; WEYI-TV's transmitter is located in Vienna Township along the Genesee–Saginaw county line.

KMAX-TV is an independent television station in Sacramento, California, United States. It is owned by the CBS News and Stations group alongside Stockton-licensed KOVR, the market's CBS owned-and-operated station. The two stations share studios on KOVR Drive in West Sacramento; KMAX-TV's transmitter is located in Walnut Grove, California.

WPFO is a television station licensed to Waterville, Maine, United States, serving the Portland area as an affiliate of the Fox network. It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of CBS affiliate WGME-TV, for the provision of certain services. However, Sinclair effectively owns WPFO as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. The two stations share studios on Northport Drive in the North Deering section of Portland; WPFO's transmitter is located on Brown Hill west of Raymond.

WBSF, branded CW 46, is a television station licensed to Bay City, Michigan, United States, serving northeastern Michigan as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Flint-licensed Fox affiliate WSMH, for the provision of certain services. Sinclair also operates Saginaw-licensed NBC affiliate WEYI-TV under a separate SSA with owner Howard Stirk Holdings.

WHAM-TV is a television station in Rochester, New York, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW. It is owned by Deerfield Media, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Fox affiliate WUHF, for the provision of certain services. The two stations share studios on West Henrietta Road in Henrietta ; WHAM-TV's transmitter is located on Pinnacle Hill on the border between Rochester and Brighton.

KOKH-TV is a television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside independent station KOCB. The two stations share studios and transmitter facilities on East Wilshire Boulevard and 78th Street on the city's northeast side.

WTXL-TV is a television station in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios are located on Commerce Boulevard in Midway, Florida, and its transmitter is located near unincorporated Fincher, along the Georgia state line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGFL</span> CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate in High Springs, Florida

WGFL is a television station licensed to High Springs, Florida, United States, serving the Gainesville area as an affiliate of CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by New Age Media alongside low-power, Class A Antenna TV affiliate WYME-CD ; New Age also provides certain services to NBC affiliate WNBW-DT under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with MPS Media. All three stations, in turn, are operated under a master service agreement by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. The stations share studios on Northwest 80th Boulevard in Gainesville; WGFL's transmitter is located on Southwest 30th Avenue near Newberry.

References

1 2 3 "Sinclair to increase news output". Digital Spy. National Magazine Company Ltd. October 7, 2002. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
1 2 3 4 "Central Casting in Local News Broadcasts". PBS NewsHour . PBS. December 11, 2003. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
1 2 3 4 Trigoboff, Dan (January 5, 2003). "Sinclair Speeds Centralcasting". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information . Retrieved October 20, 2015.
1 2 3 Owen, Rob (April 23, 2003). "Tuned In: WPGH's layoffs, 'News Central' risky". Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Plug may be pulled on Channel 18 newscast". Milwaukee Business Journal. American City Business Journals. March 8, 2006. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
↑ Dodson, Andrew (March 26, 2015). "WNEM TV 5 newscast on Fox 66 being replaced by WEYI 25 starting battle for 10 p.m." The Flint Journal . MLive Media Group. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
↑ Pergament, Alan (January 11, 2023). "WUTV's 10 p.m. newscast ending Jan. 27, eliminating four jobs in Buffalo". The Buffalo News . Retrieved January 11, 2023.
↑ Barron, Alicia (September 2, 2021). "All news may be local — but more and more of it is going national". Cronkite News Lab. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
↑ Belcher, Walt (August 25, 2003). "WB Affiliate Makes Own News Tonight". The Tampa Tribune. p. BayLife 1, 6 . Retrieved April 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[ds-1] 1 2 3 "Sinclair to increase news output". Digital Spy. National Magazine Company Ltd. October 7, 2002. Retrieved July 9, 2014.

[nh-2] 1 2 3 4 "Central Casting in Local News Broadcasts". PBS NewsHour . PBS. December 11, 2003. Retrieved October 20, 2015.

[bc-3] 1 2 3 4 Trigoboff, Dan (January 5, 2003). "Sinclair Speeds Centralcasting". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information . Retrieved October 20, 2015.

[pg-4] 1 2 3 Owen, Rob (April 23, 2003). "Tuned In: WPGH's layoffs, 'News Central' risky". Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved October 20, 2015.

[nbj-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Plug may be pulled on Channel 18 newscast". Milwaukee Business Journal. American City Business Journals. March 8, 2006. Retrieved December 28, 2015.

[6] Dodson, Andrew (March 26, 2015). "WNEM TV 5 newscast on Fox 66 being replaced by WEYI 25 starting battle for 10 p.m." The Flint Journal . MLive Media Group. Retrieved October 20, 2015.

[nomorenews-7] Pergament, Alan (January 11, 2023). "WUTV's 10 p.m. newscast ending Jan. 27, eliminating four jobs in Buffalo". The Buffalo News . Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[:0-8] Barron, Alicia (September 2, 2021). "All news may be local — but more and more of it is going national". Cronkite News Lab. Retrieved January 14, 2023.

[Tamp030825-9] Belcher, Walt (August 25, 2003). "WB Affiliate Makes Own News Tonight". The Tampa Tribune. p. BayLife 1, 6 . Retrieved April 21, 2023– via Newspapers.com.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]