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Eyewitness News is a style of television presentation that emphasizes visual elements and action videos, replacing the older "man-on-camera" newscast. [1]
The earliest known use of the Eyewitness News name in American television was on April 6, 1959, when KYW-TV (now WKYC-TV) – at the time, based in Cleveland and owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting – launched the nation's first 90-minute local newscast (under the title Eyewitness), which was combined with the then 15-minute national newscast. [1] The name was then adopted for use by Westinghouse's other television stations – KPIX in San Francisco; WJZ-TV in Baltimore; WBZ-TV in Boston; and KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh – for their local newscasts.
After the KYW-TV call letters, management, and some staffers moved from Cleveland to Philadelphia in 1965 the station's then-news director, Al Primo, created the Eyewitness News format. [1] In this format, a reporter in the field would be the "eyewitness" to a news event to the anchor in the studio and the viewer at home. The anchors became personalities instead of presenters with the introduction of banter, or "happy talk" as it was named by Al Primo. Anchors would often give their own personal comments in between stories. [1]
Primo used the cue 007 from the 1963 film From Russia with Love as the musical theme. The format quickly became a hit in Philadelphia and allowed KYW-TV to surge past longtime leader WCAU-TV for first place, a position it kept on and off until the late 1970s. KYW-TV's success inspired rival station WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV) to develop the Action News format to compete with it (after NBC was ordered to re-assume control of its Cleveland broadcasting properties in 1965, the Eyewitness News name left that city until WEWS adopted it for its newscasts in the 1970s).
KYW-TV used the name and format until 1991, and re-adopted it in 1998; the name was dropped altogether in 2023, [2] with station vice president and general manager saying that "Eyewitness News really was no longer relevant to a modern news and information consumer." [3] All five major stations owned by Westinghouse prior to its 1995 acquisition of CBS have used Eyewitness News as their newscast title at some point in time.
In 1968, Primo moved to WABC-TV in New York City and took the Eyewitness News concept there with him, choosing music from the 1967 Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke – the "Tar Sequence" cue (composed by Lalo Schifrin) – as the theme. However, he added a new twist at WABC-TV – light, informal-sounding conversation among the anchors between the news stories and segments, which came to be known as "happy talk". Among the newscasters in the first wave of happy talk on WABC-TV was young reporter Geraldo Rivera, a comical and entertaining weatherman in Tex Antoine, and Bill Beutel and Roger Grimsby as anchormen of contrasting yet complementing styles. Primo also criticized the then-standard practice of "three white men" "preaching the news" at viewers and included women and persons of color to reflect the diversity of the viewing audience. [4] WABC-TV has kept the name and format since then, and has been the highest-rated station in New York City for much of that time.
The format, as modified by WABC-TV, was copied by many other stations in the United States, with four other stations owned and operated by ABC – KABC-TV in Los Angeles, WLS-TV in Chicago, WXYZ-TV in Detroit and KGO-TV in San Francisco – using both the format and the Cool Hand Luke theme (in the case of KGO, since KPIX was already using the Eyewitness News name, KGO titled its newscasts as Channel 7 NewsScene in 1969 and by 1983 simply Channel 7 News, while WXYZ used the Action News name since rival WJBK-TV was using the Eyewitness News name for its newscasts; KABC and WLS were free to use the Eyewitness News name as did WABC-TV). Ironically, WPVI, which developed the Action News format, is also now an ABC owned-and-operated station.
In addition, U.S. Spanish-language stations also use their own version of Eyewitness News, called Noticias de Primera Plana (Headline News, a concept translation in Spanish of Eyewitness News) on certain owned-and-operated stations of Spanish networks.
A separate, but mostly unrelated, Eyewitness News format was developed by Irv Weinstein in Buffalo, New York, for WKBW-TV. This format was mostly based not on the original Eyewitness News (though it used the same logo; in actuality, a slightly modified version of it) but rather on the Action News format of its sister stations in the Capital Cities Communications stable. While based on Action News's brief and numerous reports, Weinstein built his Eyewitness News newscast around attention-grabbing catchphrases and alliterative headlines, along with occasional wisecracking or sarcastic one-liners about the day's news stories.
This version of Eyewitness News was used on WKBW as well as other Capital Cities stations where the Action News name was in use by another station, such as WTVD in Durham, North Carolina. It was also used on a few stations not owned by Capital Cities, including WOKR (now WHAM-TV) in Rochester, New York. Despite its familiarity as a format on ABC owned-and-operated stations, it is actually CBS that owns the rights to the Eyewitness News name, as it originated from KYW-TV. [5]
WKBW dropped the Eyewitness News brand in 2022, as its owner, The E. W. Scripps Company, was convinced the brand was outdated. [6]
In Mexico and other Latin American countries during the 1970s and 1980s, some local newscasts also used the Eyewitness News format, under the names Noticias de Primera Plana (Headline News) and Noticias de Acción ( Action News ).
The title was used in Canada, on CTV affiliate CFRN-TV in Edmonton.
In Indonesia, Metro TV branded its newscasts as iWitness, and abbreviated as Eyewitness. It has since become one of the featured segments on the daytime news program Wide Shot.[ needs update ]
In Australia, BTQ-7 in Brisbane adopted the Eyewitness News branding in the early 1970s. The branding was also employed by NWS-9 in Adelaide for its evening newscast. TEN-10 in Sydney and ATV-0/10 in Melbourne, the principal stations of Network Ten, adopted the Eyewitness News branding in the mid-1970s and it was later adopted by other stations in the Network Ten group (SAS-10 in 1976 and TVQ-0/10 in 1978) as BTQ-7 and NWS-9 later relinquished the brand in their respective cities. Regional affiliates for Network Ten also used the Eyewitness News name.
The Australian version of Eyewitness News more closely resembled Weinstein's version than the original format, but it became one of the ratings winners in the 1980s due to its one-hour duration unlike other newscasts. Network Ten dropped the use of the Eyewitness News name in 1988 but later reinstated it in July 1989 for six months, and then again in January 1991 until late 1994. Network Ten reinstated the "Eyewitness News" branding once again on 16 September 2013 until 31 October 2018, when it was retired as part of a network relaunch and replaced with 10 News First. [7] [8]
In South Africa, Eyewitness News is used by Eyewitness News, located in Johannesburg and in Cape Town. [9] It is also used by Talk Radio 702 and 94.7 Highveld Stereo in Gauteng, 567 CapeTalk and 94.5 Kfm in Cape Town.
| Market Name | Station | Affiliation | Currently uses | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, New York | WNYT (formerly WAST) | NBC (formerly CBS and ABC) | No | Used 1969-1975, it was a clone of WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format; has identified as NewsChannel 13 since 1991. |
| WTEN | ABC | Identified as 10 Eyewitness News 1986–1995; known as News 10 since 1995. | ||
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | KOB | NBC | No | Identified itself in 1970 as TV-4 Eyewitness News, in 1984 as Eyewitness News Network, in 1994 as Channel 4 Eyewitness News. and in 1998 as Eyewitness News 4. Now known as KOB 4 News since April 2023. |
| Amarillo, Texas | KFDA-TV | CBS | No | Used 1974–1980; has identified as NewsChannel 10 since 1995. |
| Atlanta | WXIA-TV | NBC | Used from 1969–1972 as WQXI-TV; has identified as 11 Alive News since 1982. | |
| WAGA-TV [10] | Fox (formerly CBS) | Used from 1981–1998; has identified as Fox 5 News since 1998; previously it used the title TV-5 News Scene from 1973–1981, borrowing WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format. | ||
| Augusta, Georgia | WRDW | CBS | Had identified as News 12 since 1998. | |
| Austin, Texas | KXAN-TV (formerly KTVV) | NBC | Used from 1973–1984; has identified as KXAN News since 2012. | |
| KEYE-TV | CBS | Branded itself K-EYEwitness News with its callsign until 1999; has identified as CBS Austin News since 2017. | ||
| Bakersfield, California | KBAK-TV | Yes | Identified itself as 29 Eyewitness News 1992–2009, currently identifies as KBAK Eyewitness News. | |
| KBFX-CD | Fox | Currently airs Eyewitness News on Fox 58 produced by sister station KBAK-TV. | ||
| Baltimore, Maryland | WJZ-TV 1 | CBS (formerly ABC) | No | Had been identified as Eyewitness News since 1965, dropped branding on October 23, 2017, and is now identified as WJZ News. Rival station WBAL-TV cloned WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format for its TV11 News from 1969–1974. |
| Bangor, Maine | WVII-TV | ABC | Currently identifies as Your Bangor News. | |
| Binghamton, New York | WIVT | Identified as 34 Eyewitness News from 1993 to 1998; has identified as NewsChannel 34 since 1998. | ||
| Boise, Idaho | KBOI-TV (formerly KBCI-TV) | CBS | Identified as CBS 2 Eyewitness News from 2007 to 2009; currently identifies as KBOI 2 News. | |
| Boston | WBZ-TV 1 | CBS (formerly NBC) | Used 1966–1993; has identified as WBZ News since 2007. | |
| Buffalo, New York | WKBW-TV | ABC | No | Originally used 1970–2003; identified as 7 News from September 8, 2003, to October 27, 2008, when Eyewitness News was restored. Its version of Eyewitness News was in name only and used elements of the Action News format instead. On December 31, 2021, the 7 News branding was restored. |
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa | KCRG-TV | ABC | Used name from the early 1970s to late 1980s; has identified as KCRG TV-9 News since 1994 | |
| Charleston, South Carolina | WCBD-TV | NBC | Used name from mid-to-late 1980s as an ABC affiliate; has identified as News 2 since 1998 | |
| Charleston / Huntington, W.V. | WOWK-TV | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness News in the early 1970s until it was purchased by Gateway, who re-branded the newscast as Action News. | |
| WCHS-TV | ABC | Yes | Used a lowercase "e" logo 2002–2005 and identified as Eyewitness News 8 since 2002 without using the channel number (8) in their news title. | |
| WVAH-TV | Catchy Comedy (formerly Fox) | No | Newscasts during Fox affiliation were produced by sister station WCHS. | |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | WSOC-TV | ABC | Yes | Has identified as Channel 9 Eyewitness News since 1996. Rival station WCNC-TV cloned Group W's original format for its newscasts when it was under Group W ownership. |
| Charlottesville, Virginia | WVIR-TV | NBC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1973–1980; has identified as NBC 29 HD News since 2008. |
| Chattanooga, Tennessee | WRCB-TV | Identified as (Channel 3) Eyewitness News from 1984 to 2022; has identified as Local 3 News since 2022. | ||
| Chicago | WLS-TV 2 | ABC | Yes | Identified as Eyewitness News 1969–1996 and since October 26, 2013 (as ABC 7 Eyewitness News); as ABC 7 News 1996–2013. |
| Cincinnati | WLWT | NBC | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 5 1998–2004; has been rebranded as News 5 since 2004. |
| WKRC-TV | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness 12 News 1977–1992; has identified as Local 12 News since 2004. | ||
| Cleveland | WEWS-TV | ABC | Used 1972–1991, originally cloned WABC-TV's format from 1972–1974; has identified as News 5 Cleveland since 2016. | |
| WKYC 1 | NBC | The first station (as KYW-TV) to use the Eyewitness News name, on April 6, 1959, used until 1965; has identified as 3 News since 2019. | ||
| Colorado Springs / Pueblo, CO | KOAA | NBC | Identified as Eyewitness News 1980–2002. Currently identifies as News 5. | |
| Columbia, South Carolina | WOLO | ABC | Has identified as ABC Columbia News since 2005. | |
| Columbus, Georgia | WRBL | CBS | Was identified as 3 Eyewitness News, now identified as News 3 On Your Side. | |
| Columbus, Ohio | WBNS | Known as 10TV Eyewitness News 1977–2007; rebranded as 10TV News (HD) in April 2007. | ||
| Corpus Christi, Texas | KIII-TV | ABC | Identified itself as 3 Eyewitness News (1977–2000); has identified as 3 News since 2000. | |
| Dallas / Fort Worth | KDFW | Fox (formerly CBS) | Identified as Eyewitness News 1975–1978; has identified as Fox 4 News since 1996. | |
| Dayton, Ohio | WKEF | ABC | Used 1972-1974, cloning WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format; has identified as Dayton News Now since 2019. | |
| WDTN | NBC | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1981 to 1984, but uses the "Action News" format of then sister-stations WBAL, WTAE and WISN; has identified as 2 News since 1990. | ||
| Denver, Colorado | KCNC-TV (formerly KOA-TV) | CBS (formerly NBC) | Used 1969-1976, it was a clone of WSIX-TV's Eyewitness News format; has identified as CBS News Colorado since 2023. | |
| KWGN-TV | CW | Identified as TV-2 Eyewitness News 1980–1981; has identified as Channel 2 News since July 2011. | ||
| Des Moines, Iowa | WHO-DT | NBC | Identified as "Eyewitness News" in the mid–1970s; has identified as "Channel 13 News" since 2001. | |
| WOI-TV | ABC | Identified as Channel 5 Eyewitness News 2001–September 2006; has identified as Local 5 News since 2015. | ||
| Detroit | WJBK | Fox (formerly CBS) | Identified as Eyewitness News 1968–1997, has identified as Fox 2 News since 1997. Rival station WXYZ cloned WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format for its newscasts. | |
| WWJ-TV | CBS | Identified as 62 CBS Eyewitness News at 11 in 2002. The newscast was produced by WKBD-TV, which shut down its news department later that year. Newscasts on WWJ-TV resumed in 2023 under the identification of CBS News Detroit | ||
| Duluth, Minnesota | WDIO-TV | ABC | Used from 1988 until January 2019; rebranded as "WDIO News" in January 2019. | |
| Elmira, New York | WENY-TV | Used from the 1970s through the 1990s. Station now brands as WENY-TV News. | ||
| Erie, Pennsylvania | WSEE | CBS | Used 1968–1978; currently identifies as WSEE NewsWatch. Station operated by WICU-TV in a local marketing agreement since 2002, with news departments being consolidated since 2009. | |
| Eugene, Oregon | KEZI | ABC | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1970s to the late 1990s; has identified as KEZI 9 News since 2007. | |
| Eureka, California | KIEM | NBC | Identified as Eyewitness News from around the early 1970s until 1996; currently identifies as Redwood News. | |
| Evansville, Indiana | WEHT | ABC | Yes | Used since December 1, 2011, after the station merged its news operations with WTVW as part of a local marketing agreement. |
| WTVW | The CW (formerly Fox and ABC) | Used from the mid-1970s to 1996; identified as Fox 7 News 1996–2004 and 2005–2011, WTVW NewsChannel 7 2004–2005 and Local 7 News from July 1 to December 1, 2011, when WTVW began identifying as "Eyewitness News" again after the station entered into a local marketing agreement with WEHT. | ||
| Fargo/Grand Forks | KRDK-TV (formerly KXJB-TV) | Cozi TV/NewsNet/BEK Prime/MyNetworkTV (formerly CBS) | No | Identified as KX 4 Eyewitness News from 1980 to 1987 when it was affiliated with CBS. |
| Flint / Saginaw / Bay City | WEYI-TV | NBC | Used Eyewitness News name in parts of the 1970s and 1980s; Used variant WEYI-witness News in the early 1990s; currently known as NewsCenter 25. | |
| Florence / Myrtle Beach, S.C. | WBTW | CBS | Used from the early 1980s to 1995; currently identifies as News 13. | |
| Fort Myers, Florida | WBBH | NBC | Identified as TV-20 Eyewitness News from the late 1970s to 1996; has identified as NBC 2 News since 1996. but currently WZVN-DT 7.1 likes the "Eyewitness News" brand. | |
| Fort Wayne, Indiana | WPTA | ABC | Identified as Eyewitness News from the early 1970s to 1978; was previously identified as "21Alive News" since 2012 switch of newscasts to high-definition; on November 7, 2016, rebranded as ABC 21 News. | |
| Fresno, California | KGPE | CBS | Yes | Identified as 47 Eyewitness News from 1985 to 1992; has identified as CBS 47 On Your Side News since 2004. On October 9, 2013, rebranded as CBS 47 Eyewitness News. |
| Grand Rapids / Kalamazoo, Michigan | WZZM-TV | ABC | No | Identified as Area 13 Eyewitness News 1975–1984 & 1995–1997, and Eyewitness News 13 1984–1995. Currently identifies as WZZM 13 News. |
| Green Bay, Wisconsin | WFRV-TV | CBS | Used from the mid-1970s to 2001; has identified as Channel 5 News since 2007. | |
| Greensboro / High Point / Winston-Salem, N.C. | WGHP | Fox (formerly ABC) | Identified as TV-8 Eyewitness News from June 17, 1974, to 1986; has identified as Fox 8 News since 1995. | |
| Greenville / New Bern / Washington, N.C. | WITN | NBC | Used variant EyeWITNess News for several years; has identified as WITN News since 2007. | |
| WNCT | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness News 9 from 1998 to 2012, now identifies as 9 On Your Side. | ||
| Greenville / Spartanburg / Asheville | WSPA | Identified as Eyewitness 7 News from 1974 to 1979, and as 7 Eyewitness News from 1979 to 1994; has identified as 7 On Your Side since 2011. | ||
| Harlingen / Brownsville / McAllen, TX | KRGV-TV | ABC | Used in the mid-1970s; has identified as NewsChannel 5 since 2000 and as of September 2009, it is now known as Channel 5 News. | |
| KGBT | Antenna TV/MyNetworkTV (formerly CBS) | Identified as Eyewitness News from 1967 to 1977 when it was affiliated with CBS; has identified as CBS 4 News (via simulcast with KVEO-DT2) since 2021. | ||
| Harrisburg / Lancaster / York / Lebanon, PA | WHP-TV | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness News 21 from the mid-1990s until 2002; has identified as WHP CBS 21 News since 2004. | |
| WLYH-TV | CW | Identified as Eyewitness News at 10 from 1995 to 1999 and as 15 Eyewitness News from 2001 to September 2003, when the newscast was dropped; current newscast is identified as CBS 21 News at 10; sister station to WHP-TV. | ||
| Hartford / New Haven, CT | WFSB | CBS | Yes | Has identified as (Channel 3) Eyewitness News since 1974. |
| Honolulu, Hawaii | KHON-TV | Fox (formerly NBC) | No | Used from the early-to-late 1970s; has identified as KHON 2 News since 2003. |
| Houston | KTRK-TV 2 [11] | ABC | Yes | Has identified as 13 Eyewitness News since 1973, a clone of WKBW-TV's Eyewitness News format. From 2015 to present, it is also identified as ABC 13 Eyewitness News although both identities (with or without ABC), are used interchangeably. |
| Huntsville, Alabama | WAAY-TV | No | Used from 1977 until the late 1990s; has identified as WAAY 31 News since 2000. | |
| Idaho Falls / Pocatello | KPVI | NBC | Identified as Channel 6 Eyewitness News during the 1990s; currently known as KPVI News 6; was a clone of WKBW-TV's Eyewitness News format. | |
| KIDK | Dabl (formerly CBS) | No | Identified as Channel 3 Eyewitness News from 2007 to 2023 (now airing on KIFI-DT2). KIDK-DT2, a simulcast of Fox affiliate KXPI-LD, now known as Local News 8. | |
| Indianapolis | WTHR | NBC | No | Identified since 1971 as Eyewitness News (as WLWI), was a clone of WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format, and in 1976 as Eyewitness NewsCenter 13; later identified as Channel 13 Eyewitness News (1995-2020); then as 13 News since then. |
| Jackson, Mississippi | WAPT | ABC | No | Used Eyewitness News 16 during the early 1990s; has identified its newscasts as 16 WAPT News since the late 1990s. |
| WJTV | CBS | Used Eyewitness News during the 1970s and 1980s; has identified its newscasts as WJTV 12 News. | ||
| Jackson, Tennessee | WBBJ | ABC | Yes | Identified as just Eyewitness News from 1994 to 1999, then as 7 Eyewitness News from 1999 to 2007; has identified as ABC 7 Eyewitness News since 2007. |
| Jacksonville, Florida | WJXT | Independent(formerly CBS) | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1970s to 2005, similar to WTOP-TV's format; has identified as News 4 Jax since 2014. |
| Johnson City, Tennessee | WJHL-TV | CBS | No | Identified itself in 1985 as TV-11 Eyewitness News, and in 1989 as Eyewitness News 11; has identified as News Channel 11 Connects since 2009. |
| Kansas City, Missouri | KCTV | Used Eyewitness News branding 1966–1984; has identified as KCTV 5 News since 1999. | ||
| Knoxville, Tennessee | WATE-TV | ABC | Used various versions of the Eyewitness News moniker 1969–2001, currently known as WATE 6 News. | |
| Lafayette, Louisiana | KLFY | CBS | Eyewitness News was used to identify the 6 & 10 p.m. newscasts; was first used in the mid-1980s through 2011. Now known as News 10. | |
| Laredo, Texas | KLDO | Univision | Identified as Laredo Eyewitness News in the 1980s as an ABC affiliate; now identifies as Spanish-language Noticias Univision 27. | |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | KLAS | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness News 8 from 1982 to 1989 and as Channel 8 Eyewitness News from 1989 to 2009; currently identifies as 8 News Now. | |
| Lexington, Kentucky | WTVQ | ABC | Used variant TVQ Eyewitness News for several years; has identified as ABC 36 News since 2009. | |
| Lincoln, Nebraska | KLKN | ABC | No | Identified as Channel 8 Eyewitness News until 2021, currently known as Channel 8 News. |
| Little Rock, Arkansas | KARK-TV | NBC | No | Identified as Channel 4 Eyewitness News from the 1970s to the mid-1980s and again from the late 1980s–1994; has identified as KARK 4 News since 2005. |
| Los Angeles, California | KABC-TV 2 [12] | ABC | Yes | Identified as (Channel 7) Eyewitness News 1969–1997, then ABC7 Eyewitness News since then. |
| Louisville, Kentucky | WLKY | CBS (formerly ABC) | No | Identified as 32 Eyewitness News from 1969 to 1977 when it was an ABC affiliate; has identified as WLKY News since 2008. |
| Lubbock, Texas | KCBD-TV | NBC | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1970s to the early 1980s, has identified as Newschannel 11 since 1997. | |
| Madison, Wisconsin | WISC-TV | CBS | Identified as TV-3 Eyewitness News from September 13, 1971, to April 24, 1982, has identified as News 3 since 1989. | |
| WKOW | ABC | Used Eyewitness News from the mid-1980s to 1995, currently identifies as WKOW 27 News. | ||
| Macon, Georgia | WMAZ | CBS | Identified itself as Eyewitness NewsCenter from 1977 to 1979, as Eyewitness News from 1979 to 1992 and as 13 WMAZ Eyewitness News from 1992 to April 18, 2018, when the "Eyewitness" name was dropped from the title; now identified as 13 WMAZ News | |
| Medford / Klamath Falls, Oregon | KOBI/KOTI | NBC | Currently identifies as NBC 5 News(KOBI)/NBC 2 News(KOTI) | |
| Memphis, Tennessee | WHBQ-TV | Fox (formerly ABC) | Identified as Eyewitness News from the early 1970s to 1995 and Fox 13 Eyewitness News from 1995 to 1997; has identified as Fox 13 News since 1997 | |
| WATN-TV (formerly WPTY) | ABC | No | Has identified as ABC 24 News Right Now since 2021, news department shared with WLMT | |
| Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota | KSTP-TV | ABC (formerly NBC) | Yes | Has identified as 5 Eyewitness News since 1973 |
| KMSP-TV | Fox (formerly ABC, Independent, UPN) | No | Used 1969–1973 as an ABC affiliate; has identified as Fox 9 News since 2002 | |
| Miami | WPLG | ABC | Cloned WTOP-TV's format in the 1970s. Used 1983–2001; has identified as Local 10 News since 2004. | |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | WISN-TV | Used the title when it was a CBS affiliate from 1973 to 1976, it was a clone of WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format. Has identified as 12 News since 2003. | ||
| WITI | Fox (formerly CBS) | Identified as TV-6 Eyewitness News in 1970s; currently known as Fox 6 News. | ||
| Nashville, Tennessee | WKRN-TV | ABC | Used 1969–1972 as WSIX-TV; has identified as News 2 since 1994. | |
| WTVF | CBS | Used the early 1970s–1989; has identified as NewsChannel 5 since 1989. | ||
| New Orleans, Louisiana | WWL-TV | Identified itself as Eyewitness News from 1968 to 2023. Now identifies as WWL Louisiana News. | ||
| New York City | WABC-TV 2 | ABC | Yes | Originally identified as just Eyewitness News, then as Channel 7 Eyewitness News beginning 1984–1998; was identified as ABC 7 Eyewitness News 1999–2003 before reverting to Channel 7 Eyewitness News in 2004. |
| Norfolk / Portsmouth / Newport News | WTKR | CBS | No | Identified as Channel 3 Eyewitness News 1992–1994, has identified as NewsChannel 3 since 1995 |
| WAVY-TV | NBC | Identified as Area 10 or Channel 10 Eyewitness News 1969–1982, has identified as WAVY News 10 since 1989. | ||
| Oklahoma City | KOCO-TV | ABC | Identified as Channel 5 Eyewitness News 1974–1977, then as Eyewitness News 5 1998–2013; now identifies as KOCO 5 News | |
| KWTV | CBS | Used Eyewitness News title 1966–1971, has identified as News 9 since 1997. | ||
| Orlando / Daytona Beach | WFTV | ABC | Yes | Has identified as Eyewitness News since 1976. |
| WRDQ | Independent | WFTV produces newscasts identified as Eyewitness News This Morning and Eyewitness News at 10 PM. | ||
| Philadelphia | KYW-TV 1 | CBS (formerly NBC) | No | The Eyewitness News format was originally introduced at this station in 1965; dropped name from 1991 to use different names for different dayparts; rebranded as News 3 in 1994 and reverted to Eyewitness News in 1998. The name was dropped again in 2023, now identifies as CBS News Philadelphia |
| Phoenix | KTVK | Independent | Used 1981–1986 (at that time an ABC affiliate); currently identifies as 3TV News. | |
| KPHO-TV | CBS | Used in the 1970s (at that time independent); has identified as CBS 5 News since 2004. | ||
| Pittsburgh | KDKA-TV 1 | Used from 1965 to 1996; has identified as KDKA-TV News since 1996. | ||
| Panama City, Florida | WMBB | ABC | Identified as 13 Eyewitness News from 1987 to 1996; has identified as News 13 since 2003. | |
| Portland, Maine | WMTW | Has identified as News 8 WMTW since 2000. | ||
| WCSH | NBC | Identified as WCSH Eyewitness News in the 1970s; has identified as News Center 6 since 1986. | ||
| Portland, Oregon | KATU | ABC | Used 1967–1973; has identified as KATU News since 2003. | |
| Providence, Rhode Island | WPRI | CBS | Identified as Channel 12 Eyewitness News 1989–1996, was identified as Eyewitness News from 2002 to August 31, 2020, when it re-branded as 12 News; produces 12 News Now at 6:30 & 10 on Fox Providence for WNAC. | |
| Quad Cities – Davenport, Iowa / Moline, Illinois / Rock Island, Illinois / Bettendorf, Iowa / East Moline, Illinois | WHBF-TV | Used the same imaging/graphics as sister station WOI-TV, identified as Channel 4 Eyewitness News 2002–2007, has identified as Local 4 News since 2015. | ||
| WQAD-TV | ABC | Identified as Eyewitness News 1975–1978, has branded as Quad Cities' News 8 since 2009. | ||
| Raleigh/ Durham | WTVD 2 | Yes | Used Eyewitness News until dropping for WTVD 11 News in 1985; this was a clone of WKBW's Eyewitness News format. Brought back the title in 2000 as ABC 11 Eyewitness News. Also produces Eyewitness News at 10 on CW22 for WLFL-TV. | |
| Reno, Nevada | KOLO-TV | No | Identified as Eyewitness News from the mid-'70s to early 1990s; has identified as KOLO 8 News Now since 2007. | |
| Richmond, Virginia | WRIC-TV | Used from the late 1980s to 1992; has identified as 8 News since 1992. | ||
| Roanoke, Virginia | WSLS | NBC | Used during the 1960s and 1980s, has identified as 10 News since 2017. | |
| Rochester, New York | WHEC | Used from the early-to-late 1970s; has identified as News 10 NBC since 2000. | ||
| Rockford, Illinois | WREX | Used when it was an ABC affiliate; has identified as 13 News since 1996. | ||
| Sacramento | KXTV | ABC | Used 1978–1985; has identified as News 10 since 1985. | |
| St. Louis, Missouri | KSDK | NBC | Identified itself in 1969 as just Eyewitness News, then in 1976 as Channel 5 Eyewitness News Central, and in 1979 as Channel 5 Eyewitness News. Now identifies as NewsChannel 5. | |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | KSL-TV | NBC (formerly CBS) | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1970s to 2002, and as KSL 5 Eyewitness News from 2002 to 2009; currently identifies as KSL 5 News. | |
| San Antonio, Texas | KENS-TV | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness News 1970–1998, and as KENS 5 Eyewitness News from 1998 to 2022; currently identifies as KENS 5 News. | |
| San Diego, California | KNSD | NBC | Used 1973–1977 when it was affiliated with ABC, it was a clone of WABC-TV's format; has identified as NBC 7 News since 2011. | |
| San Francisco | KPIX 1 | CBS | Identified as Channel 5 Eyewitness News from 1965 to 2005 (aside from a brief period in the mid-1990s when it identified as KPIX 5 News), has identified as CBS 5 Eyewitness News from 2005 until 2013. The station adopted KPIX 5 News branding again in early 2013. Rival station KGO-TV borrowed WABC-TV's Eyewitness News format. As of December 2022 KPIX San Francisco has renamed their newscasts CBS News Bay Area as part of a move to name their news operations after their feed on the CBS News app. | |
| KGO-TV 2 | ABC | Has identified as ABC7 News since 1998, which follows the Eyewitness News format though not in branding. | ||
| Scranton / Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | WBRE | NBC | Yes | Identified as 28 Eyewitness News from the 1980s to 2001 and WBRE Eyewitness News since 2008. |
| Seattle | KIRO-TV | CBS | No | Previously used 1981–1987 and 1997–2015, currently identified as KIRO 7 News. |
| Shreveport | KSLA | Used from the 1980s to the 1990s; currently identifies as KSLA News 12. | ||
| KTBS | ABC | Used from the 1970s; currently identifies as KTBS 3 News. | ||
| Sioux City, Iowa | KCAU-TV | Uses similar imaging/graphics as sister stations WOI-TV, WHBF-TV, and KLKN; identified as Channel 9 Eyewitness News from 2001 to 2013; has identified as ABC 9 News since 2013. | ||
| South Bend, Indiana | WSBT | CBS | Identified in 1978 as 22 Eyewitness News and in 1983 as WSBT Eyewitness News; has identified as WSBT News since 2007. | |
| Spokane, Washington | KHQ | NBC | Identified as Q-6 Eyewitness News in the 1970s, currently identifies as KHQ-6 Local News. | |
| Springfield, Missouri | KSPR | ABC | Identified as 33 Eyewitness News 1986–1989, has identified as KSPR News since 2007. | |
| Syracuse, New York | WTVH | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness News 5 1999–2002, has identified as CBS 5 News since 2005. | |
| WSYR (formerly WNYS and WIXT) | ABC | Identified as Eyewitness News 1974–1989, currently identifies as Newschannel 9. | ||
| WSYT | Fox | Identified as Fox 68 Eyewitness News 2000–2006; produced by WTVH. No longer carries a newscast. | ||
| Tallahassee, Florida | WCTV | CBS | Yes | Identified as Eyewitness News from the 1980s until 2001, now known as WCTV Eyewitness News. |
| Tampa / St. Petersburg, Florida | WTVT | Fox (formerly CBS) | No | Branded as Channel 13 Eyewitness News 1989–1996 and briefly as Fox 13 Eyewitness News 1996–1997; has identified as Fox 13 News since 1997. |
| WTSP | CBS (formerly ABC) | Used 1970–1977 when the station was WLCY-TV; currently identifies as 10 Tampa Bay News since 2020. | ||
| WTOG | Independent (formerly the CW) | Used from 1982 to 1985. Viacom shut down the station's news department in 1998. | ||
| Terre Haute, Indiana | WTWO-TV | NBC | Identified as (TV-2) Eyewitness News 1973–1994, has identified as simply WTWO since 2006. | |
| Toledo, Ohio | WTOL | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness News from 1966 to 1974; has identified as WTOL 11 News since 2010. | |
| Topeka, Kansas | KTKA | ABC | Identified as 49 Eyewitness News before local news was dropped in 2002, bought by new owners and brought back news in 2006 and currently identifies as 49 News. | |
| Traverse City, Michigan | WGTU | Name used in the 1970s; local news now limited on the station. | ||
| Tucson, Arizona | KVOA-TV | NBC | Was Eyewitness News at least since the early 1970s, identified as Eyewitness News 4 from 1999 to February 2006, identified as News 4 since February 2006. | |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma | KOTV | CBS | Identified as Eyewitness News 1978–1986, has identified as The News On 6 since 1986. | |
| Tyler, Texas | KYTX | Identified as CBS 19 Eyewitness News 2004–2008; currently identifies as KYTX CBS 19 News. | ||
| Utica, New York | WUTR | ABC | Yes | Identified as Eyewitness News in the 1980s and early-to-mid-1990s. Stopped newscasts in 2003; revived newscasts under the Eyewitness News name in 2011. |
| Waco, TX | KXXV | No | Previously identified as Eyewitness News 25 from 1985 to mid-1990s; currently identified as NewsChannel 25. | |
| Washington, D.C. | WUSA | CBS | Identified as Channel 9 Eyewitness News from 1971–2002 (as WTOP-TV from 1971–1978, later WDVM from 1978–1986 and WUSA since 1986); has identified as WUSA 9 News from 2002–2006 and again since 2013; was previously identified as 9 News Now from 2006–2013. | |
| West Palm Beach, Florida | WPBF | ABC | Identified as Eyewitness News 25 1998–2004; has identified as WPBF 25 News since 2009. | |
| WPEC | CBS | Used from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s, has identified as CBS 12 News since February 1, 2008. | ||
| Wichita, Kansas | KWCH | No | Identified as Eyewitness News 1969–1977 and again 1983–1995 and then Channel 12 Eyewitness News 1995–2001. Has identified as KWCH 12 Eyewitness News from 2001 to 2022. Now identifies as 12 News since 2022. | |
| Wichita Falls, Texas / Lawton, Oklahoma | KAUZ-TV | No | Used title Channel 6 Eyewitness News 1974–1988; currently identifies as Newschannel 6. | |
| Wilmington, North Carolina | WWAY | ABC | Identified as Eyewitness News 3 1983–1995; has identified as NewsChannel 3 since 1995. | |
| Youngstown, Ohio | WYTV | Identified as 33 Eyewitness News from the late 1970s to 1999; has identified as 33 News since 2004. Both the news department and the station as a whole have been operated by WKBN-TV in a shared services agreement since 2007. | ||
| Yuma, Arizona/El Centro, California | KYMA-DT (1988–2020) | Station now defunct | Used from 1988–1990 (at that time an NBC affiliate), station later used News 11 for newscasts until license for station was surrendered in 2020. |
WABC-TV is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters; its transmitter is located at the Empire State Building.
Television news in the United States has evolved over many years. It has gone from a simple 10- to 15-minute format in the evenings, to a variety of programs and channels. Today, viewers can watch local, regional and national news programming, in many different ways, any time of the day.
WTVD is a television station licensed to Durham, North Carolina, United States, serving as the ABC outlet for the Research Triangle area. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, it maintains business offices and master control facilities on Liberty Street in downtown Durham, with newscasts originating from studios on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, as well as news bureaus in Chapel Hill and Fayetteville. The station's transmitter is located in Auburn, North Carolina. On-air branding uses ABC 11 as a station identifier, with the call letters taking a secondary role.
WBZ-TV is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, serving as the market's CBS outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent WSBK-TV. Both stations share studios on Soldiers Field Road in the Allston–Brighton section of Boston. WBZ-TV's transmitter is located on Cedar Street in Needham, Massachusetts, on a tower site that was formerly owned by CBS and is now owned by American Tower Corporation.
WLS-TV is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States, serving as the market's ABC network outlet. It has been owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division since the station's inception. WLS-TV's studios are located on North State Street in the Chicago Loop, and its transmitter is located atop the Willis Tower.
KDKA-TV, also known as CBS Pittsburgh, is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, serving as the market's CBS outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Jeannette-licensed WPKD-TV, an independent station. The two stations share studios at the Gateway Center in downtown Pittsburgh; KDKA-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Perry North neighborhood. KDKA-TV, along with sister station KYW-TV in Philadelphia, are the only CBS-affiliated television stations east of the Mississippi River with "K" call signs.
KYW is a commercial AM radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest continuously operating radio stations in the United States, originating in Chicago before moving to Philadelphia in 1934. KYW's unusual history includes its call sign of only three letters, beginning with a K, rare for a station in the Eastern United States. It broadcasts an all-news radio format and is branded as "KYW Newsradio". KYW serves as the flagship station of Audacy, Inc. KYW's studios are co-located within Audacy's corporate headquarters in Center City Philadelphia and its transmitter and two-tower directional antenna array are located in Lafayette Hill.
KYW-TV, branded CBS Philadelphia, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, serving as the market's CBS outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent station WPSG. The two stations share studios on Hamilton Street north of Center City, Philadelphia; KYW-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Roxborough section.
WCAU is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, serving as the market's NBC outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Mount Laurel, New Jersey–licensed Telemundo outlet WWSI ; it is also sister to regional sports network NBC Sports Philadelphia.
WPVI-TV, branded 6 ABC, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, serving as the market's ABC outlet. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios on City Avenue in the Wynnefield Heights section of Philadelphia, and a transmitter in the city's Roxborough neighborhood.
KGO-TV is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving as the San Francisco Bay Area's ABC network outlet. It has been owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division since the station's inception. KGO-TV's studios are located at the ABC Broadcast Center immediately west of The Embarcadero north of the city's Financial District, and its transmitter is located atop Sutro Tower. In addition, KGO-TV leases part of its building to CW outlet KRON-TV, but with completely separate operations.
WKBW-TV is a television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, affiliated with ABC. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains studios at 7 Broadcast Plaza in downtown Buffalo and a transmitter on Center Street in Colden.
WJZ-TV is a television station in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, serving as the market's CBS outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division, and maintains studios and offices on Television Hill in the Woodberry section of Baltimore, adjacent to the transmission tower it shares with several other Baltimore broadcast outlets.
Action News is a local television newscast format originating in the United States. First conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is characterized by a tight format with strict time limits on set packages, a focus on surrounding suburbs, and a focus on young talent. It was a competitor to the Eyewitness News format.
WKYC is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. Its studios are located on Tom Beres Way, and its transmitter is located in suburban Parma, Ohio.
KPIX-TV, also known as CBS Bay Area, is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving as the San Francisco Bay Area's CBS network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent station KPYX, also licensed to San Francisco. The two stations share studios at Broadway and Battery Street, just north of San Francisco's Financial District; KPIX's transmitter is located atop Sutro Tower. In addition to KPYX, KPIX shares its building with formerly co-owned radio stations KCBS, KFRC-FM, KITS, KLLC, KRBQ and KZDG, although they use a different address number for Battery Street.
Larry Kane is an American journalist, news anchor and author known for his over 6 decade career. Kane spent 36 years as a news anchor in Philadelphia, and is the only person to have anchored at all three Philadelphia owned and operated television stations. Early in his career, he was the only broadcast journalist to travel to every stop on the Beatles' 1964 and 1965 American tours. He has authored three books about the Beatles, as well as a memoir and a novel. After retiring from television journalism in 2002, he is a special contributor for KYW Newsradio.
William Charles Beutel was an American television reporter, journalist, and anchor. He was best known for working over four decades with the American Broadcasting Company, spending much of that time anchoring Eyewitness News for WABC-TV in New York City. He also was an ABC radio network newscaster before ABC Radio split into four networks in January 1968. After the split he reported on the American Contemporary Network and occasionally substituted for Paul Harvey, while his Eyewitness News partner Roger Grimsby presented a daily afternoon radio newscast on the American Entertainment Network.
Albert Thomas Primo was an American television news executive who was credited with creating the Eyewitness News format. More than a hundred markets have taken the Eyewitness News name to label their own featured local newscasts and others are using Primo's concept under different names for their own formats. "Eyewitness News was the first newscast to put [news] reporters on the set", Primo states in his autobiographical book, Eyewitness Newsman. The New York Daily News described Primo as the man "who almost single-handedly changed the face of broadcast journalism." Station newscasts were only 15 minutes long and he supervised the transition to thirty minute programs.
KFSN-TV is a television station in Fresno, California, United States, serving as the market's ABC network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, and maintains studios on G Street in downtown Fresno; its transmitter is located on Bear Mountain, near Meadow Lakes, California.
