KFVS to begin newscast on KBSI this fall

Beginning in October, KFVS12, a CBS affiliate in Cape Girardeau, will begin airing an hourlong newscast seven nights a week on local Fox affiliate KBSI.

"There was a time when we wouldn't have thought of this, but this is a new way of thinking," said Paul Keener, director of marketing at KFVS12. "If people are going to watch, it doesn't matter if it's on a competing station."

The new 9 p.m. Heartland News program on KBSI, owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, is in addition to KFVS12's existing 10 p.m. program. KFVS12 also will continue to rebroadcast its 10 p.m. news program at 10:30 on WQWQ, a CW network affiliate. Both KFVS12 and KBSI are owned by Raycom Media.

Currently, KBSI airs a half-hour newscast at 9 p.m. produced by NBC affiliate WPSD of Paducah, Ky. WPSD's agreement with the Sinclair Broadcast Group to provide news on KBSI ends Sept. 30.

Raycom Media has similar news-sharing agreements in other television markets where both Raycom and Sinclair own stations.

Prime-time newscasts are more common in the Eastern time zone, where the late local news traditionally doesn't air until 11 p.m., Keener said. It's a concept that is relatively new to this viewing area, he said.

"This will be the full-fledged newscast people are used to seeing from Heartland News. There will be no drop in quality," Keener said. "We're not going to hold any news stories out of the 9 p.m. news just to wait for 10 p.m."

KFVS12 news director Mark Little said he's working on new features to incorporate into the hourlong news program, which will start airing Oct. 1 on KBSI. KFVS12 is in the process of hiring new video journalists and producers for its expanding news programs. Starting Monday, KFVS12 also is lengthening its morning news program by half an hour, beginning at 4:30 a.m. daily.

Raycom Media owns 47 television stations in 36 markets, and Sinclair owns 58 television stations in 35 markets.

mmiller@semissourian.com

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