Some ABC stations in major markets are making changes to their early morning line-ups, which are affecting the network’s “America This Morning” and “World News Now” broadcasts.
Today Boston’s WCVB announced it will move its morning show back a half hour to 4:30am. Earlier this week, WABC in New York announced it too would start the news day at 4:30am.
The affiliate changes are creating some technical hurdles at ABC HQ in New York including a control room shift for “America This Morning.” The show will also now have its first national airing at 4amET. But it appears the earlier start time at the local level was delayed at the national level.
The Boston Globe reports that WCVB’s been wanting to add to its local early morning newscast “for more than a year but network contractual agreements with ABC prevented him from doing so.” The deal now is that the stations will slide both “America This Morning” and the preceding “World News Now” back 30 minutes. WCVB is the third Boston station to slide back a half hour.
It’s an idea that’s spread nationwide as stations feel they can build viewership in the earlier hour. The ABC O&O in Chicago, WLS, and affiliate in Atlanta, WSB, both made the change earlier this summer. All four major stations in Atlanta added a 4:30am newscast this year. And the Los Angeles Times reports there’s an exciting race going on at 4:30 in that city.