WSLS, the NBC affiliate in Roanoke, will replace their 7 p.m. social-media driven newscast with a more traditional broadcast this fall. Meagan Farley (pictured), who joined the station to anchor the broadcast when it was launched in 2009, will be replaced as the anchor and has left the station, according to The Roanoke Times.
“We listened to what the viewers really want,” news director Melissa Preas told The Roanoke Times. “And traditional news is what they want.”
The 7 p.m. newscast was launched two years ago as a way to engage viewers with the WSLS news via Twitter, Facebook and live-chat discussions. WSLS described the broadcast as “a new way to see news.”
Local stations are still figuring out how and where to fit social media into their reporting and broadcasting techniques. Phoenix’s KTVK recently launched a similar social-media driven newscast, while other stations — like WESH in Orlando and WDSU in New Orleans — have developed apps for viewers to use on their smartphones.