A former production employee at Columbus, Ga. CBS affiliate WRBL is starting her own local television station.
April Ross, the former employee, bought local station WJCN in nearby LaGrange, Ga., and has plans to launch a morning show on the station, while still airing some shows from WJCN. Ross told WRBL in an interview that the station is available in about 600,000 homes and 11 counties.
“We want to bring to this area something that they have never seen before out of this local TV station,” Ross told WRBL. “That’s my vision, is to grow it and to be like any other major affiliate that is around the area.”
Since 2017, Ross has operated a Facebook page called Bee TV, which features live interview segments and shows. She plans to dial back her news posts on Bee TV and direct the page’s more than 15,000 followers to tune in on the air.
“I know that they have been spoiled with getting information right on the fly,” said Ross. “We are going to still continue to do those nice, heartwarming stories to post on Facebook, but the news is going to go on television.”
Ross says WRBL evening anchor Teresa Whitaker encouraged and helped train her in broadcast journalism.
“Between her newscasts from 6 to 11 she would take me, help me write stories, edit stories together, she took her time,” said Ross. “Although she was the anchorwoman on the 6 o’clock news, the 11 o’clock news, she saw something in me. She took that time to say you know what, I’m going to train you behind the scenes, and I appreciate that.”