CBS is building a newsroom from scratch in Atlanta as it gets ready to turn WUPA-TV into a CBS affiliate next month.
There are 23 jobs currently listed on the Paramount job site out of Atlanta, such as vice president of sales, social media producer, reporter, meteorologist and anchor.
A CBS spokesperson said the company was not ready to release details about the initial size of its new local news operation beyond the fact that the newsroom won’t be ready when WUPA takes over CBS affiliation from WANF.
This means WUPA will take over airing programming such as “CBS Mornings,” “The Price is Right,” soap operas such as “The Young and the Restless” and “Beyond the Gates,” prime-time offerings like “60 Minutes” and “NCIS” and, for now, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which has been canceled and will air its final episode in May.
“We’re excited for CBS programming to officially launch on CBS Atlanta starting Aug. 16 and even more thrilled about the launch of our news operations this September,” a CBS spokesperson said Wednesday evening. “The job postings reflect our commitment to building a strong, community-focused newsroom.”
New York-based CBS has owned WUPA since 1994, when it became a UPN affiliate. In 2006, it turned into a CW affiliate after UPN merged with the WB. In 2023, WUPA went independent, dropping its CW affiliation.
WUPA will be the 15th station CBS owns and operates that will run CBS programming. Most CBS affiliates are owned by other companies.
CBS will be building out the fifth English-language TV newsroom in town since WANF, a CBS affiliate for the past 31 years, plans to maintain its current news operation after it goes independent. Atlanta-based Gray Media, which purchased what was then WGCL-TV from Meredith in 2021, greatly expanded the size of its newsroom and changed its moniker from CBS46 to Atlanta News First in October 2022.
WANF plans to fill its 24/7 airwaves with at least 90 hours a week of news-oriented programming once the switch happens and will add more sports to its lineup, according to the station.
CBS itself is going through major changes as its parent company, Paramount, recently sold to Santa Monica, California-based Skydance.
Credit: 11ALIVE SCREENSHOT
Credit: 11ALIVE SCREENSHOT
New 11Alive digital programming
11Alive has added a new digital-only local news program from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. as it seeks fresh eyeballs to counter the drop in traditional TV viewing.
“We are not locked in by network programming” on the digital side, said Carol Fowler, vice president of regional content for TEGNA, owner of 11Alive (WXIA-TV), in a Zoom interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Streaming provides a wide-open space for us.”
The digital version of 11Alive features Jonathan Martin or Aisha Howard reading headlines, Chesley McNeil providing weather and Rachel Cox-Rosen and Doug Turnbull tag-teaming traffic. “It’s hardcore news,” Fowler said. (McNeil also has his own 9 a.m. digital show as a news anchor and interviewer.)
On the broadcast network, 11Alive will continue to provide local cut-ins during the national “Today” show for a few minutes between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.
Adrienne Roark, chief content officer for TEGNA, said they have created similar digital shows in 50-plus markets nationwide.
“It’s been positive,” Roark said. “We’ve seen growth in pretty much every market that has done this. Viewers want more local news, especially in this time period.”
And creating the show is not a heavy lift because it largely uses existing staff. 11Alive hired an additional producer and Turnbull to supplement traffic duties.
Credit: RODNEY HO/AJC
Credit: RODNEY HO/AJC
New show for Erick Erickson
WSB early afternoon radio host Erick Erickson has begun posting an afternoon news update on YouTube after his radio show concludes each day.
“I was getting frustrated because there would be all this breaking news as I’m getting off the air,” Erickson told the AJC.
So after he concludes his three-hour syndicated show at 3 p.m., he scans the headlines and writes a quick summary of what’s happening, then tapes it at 3:30 p.m. The video is up on YouTube by 4 p.m.
Dubbing it “Four Things to Know This Afternoon,” Erickson does a quick rundown of hot headlines for six to 10 minutes.
“I can do something for people on the way home who don’t have time for a three-hour podcast,” he said. “They may have just a few minutes. And it’s working. In the TikTok world, we now have an attention span for four headlines.”
On July 23, he covered the Department of Education investigating scholarships giving preferences to undocumented students, former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper entering the Senate race, the man who murdered four Idaho students getting a life sentence without parole and home prices hitting a record high.
This is not an anchor dryly reading the news. Erickson still gives the news his conservative spin.
Currently, each YouTube video is drawing about 2,000 to 3,000 viewers. It’s also available on Spotify and other podcast platforms.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
