Small minor newscast changes… #221.

WNCN 17 / Goldsboro – Raleigh – Durham – Fayetteville (“CBS 17”)

KOVR 13 / Stockton – Sacramento – Modesto (“CBS 13”)

KMAX-TV 31 / Sacramento – Stockton – Modesto (“CW 31”)

FIRST ON THE BLOG: We have some small changes to report on but they actually sound they are bigger changes than you may have first thought. Its two expansions in two different markets.

First in North Carolina’s Research Triangle where WNCN 17 has expanded its half-hour noon newscast to a full hour. WNCN has added CBS 17 News at 12:30, another half-hour of local news and weather. The station becomes the last in the market to do so as WRAL 5 (NBC) and WTVD 11 (ABC) have both broadcast local news at noon for a full hour for years.

This could be done as a result of airing The Young and The Restless at 4:00 p.m., a tradition kept in the Triangle since 1993 when WRAL 5 (then with CBS) first aired it at 4:00 p.m. Also, WNCN has added Justice with Judge Mablean into the 1:00 p.m. timeslot to lead into The Bold and The Beautiful at 1:30 p.m.

Now to another market, Sacramento. KOVR 13 has made history within the BIG Three owned-and-operated stations. KOVR has become the first (and ONLY) CBS O&O to air 90 consecutive minutes of local news and weather by moving its half-hour weeknight 11:00 p.m. newscast from its sister station KMAX 31 (CW) to KOVR itself. Not only that, it has also added a weekend edition as well. CBS 13 News at 11:00 now follows the hour-long CBS 13 News at 10:00, in which KOVR will keep.

This is done because KOVR is unique by airing CBS Primetime, one hour earlier than other affiliates in the west coast. KOVR airs primetime from 7:00-10:00 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 6:00-10:00 p.m. on Sundays. Despite adding 11:00 p.m. news, KOVR will continue to broadcast this way.

The 11:00 p.m. newscast has been broadcast on KMAX for six years since 2012 and with this move, KOVR now airs CBS’ late-night programming in pattern for the first time in the station’s history and the first time airing late-night network programming in pattern since 1995 (the year yours’ truly was born). It also marks the first time that KOVR has broadcast a weeknight 11:00 p.m. newscast since its affiliation switch from ABC to CBS in 1995. Reminder… the move to 11:00 p.m. on KOVR is seven nights a week, not just on weeknights.

So there you have it. Lots of information to unpack on but its pretty cool and kinda exciting if you think about it. There is another addition to talk about and that will be detailed on my next report so stay tuned.