Channel 2 WSB-TV adding 4 p.m. news program once 'Oprah' leave
By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, published Nov. 23, 2010
Life after "Oprah" next fall, Channel 2 WSB-TV will add a 4 p.m. news program. As a result, the station will hire 20 more news employees, according to general manager Bill Hoffman.
"We're excited about our news expansion," Hoffman said in an interview today. "We've got such a strong news brand, the best thing we can do is expand."
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" has been a dominant ratings force for more than two decades. Even though Oprah will end original episodes in May, repeats will continue through September. Hoffman said he will start taking applications now and will start the hiring process before September.
Channel 2 Action News is the No. 1 news operation in Atlanta and has been for many years.
Hoffman said the station has not decided who will anchor the 4 p.m. news.
Currently, CBS's WGCL-TV is the only local affiliate with a 4 p.m. news program and runs three consecutive hours of news from 4 to 7 p.m., including Katie Couric's CBS evening news program at 6:30 p.m. In the fall of 2011, Channel 2 will air three hours of local news from 4 to 7 p.m. followed by "ABC World News Tonight."
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By Rodney Ho, rho@ajc.com, AJCRadioTV blog
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
