Chicago Sun-Times
WGN-Channel 9 on Wednesday announced a major expansion of its newscasts, starting Oct.5. The “WGN Midday News” will add 30 minutes and air from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with Allison Payne and Steve Sanders fronting the expanded newscast. The new assignment reunites Payne and Sanders, who previously anchored together on WGN’s 9 p.m. newscast.
For the last several months, Payne had co-anchored WGN’s early-evening news with Mark Suppelsa. WGN’s early-evening news also will expand from 30 minutes to an hour and air from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Suppelsa and Lourdes Duarte will co-anchor the early-evening newscast. WGN’s flagship hourlong “News at Nine” will continue as is, with Micah Materre and Suppelsa as co-anchors.
WGN‘s new anchor lineups put to rest lingering speculation about whether Payne would return to the “News at Nine” after her medical leave of absence last fall and winter. More…