New Newscasts Compete for Early Risers

By Andrew Gauthier 

The New York Times

Last season, the big battle in television was fought over late night. This season, the battleground is shaping up to be the early morning. Very early.

The television business, it seems, is learning what the predawn buyers at the fish market already know: starting the day earlier can be a competitive advantage.

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Stations in Boston, New York, Washington and other cities are adding 4:30 a.m. newscasts this month, joining a backward march that started in earnest a few years ago. And those are not even the earliest. One station in New York, WPIX, will move up its start time to 4 a.m. on Sept. 20. More…

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