WCSH - News Operation

News Operation

CBS affiliate WGAN-TV/WGME-TV was dominant in local Nielsen ratings for many years. However, in the late 1980s, WCSH-TV surged to the top of the ratings, a position it has retained for the most part ever since. This is in part due to continuity in the station's key on-air staff, much of which have been with the station for over ten years. In addition, its resources include sister station WLBZ in Bangor, allowing statewide coverage not offered by any source in Maine.

Originally, WLBZ operated its own news department and produced local newscasts from its Bangor studios. In 1989, when that station began consolidation with WCSH, channel 6 began simulcasting some of its newscasts on WLBZ prepared with a statewide view. This has progressed to the current arrangement where that station only produces two weeknight newscasts, at 5 and 6. All other newscasts on both stations originate from Portland. As mentioned, these statewide programs tend to take on a regional feel with coverage from Portland, Bangor, or wherever news occurs around the state. WLBZ still produces its own weather segment from Bangor weeknights at 5:30 and 11 with meteorologist Steve McKay who is based in Bangor. On August 9, 2010, there was an expansion of the statewide weekday morning show to 4:30 with the new segment being called News Center Early Morning Report.

WCSH and WLBZ have branded their news operations as News Center since the 1970s, even before consolidating. Additionally, both stations featured Frank Gari's "Good News" music package from 1986 until October 22, 2008, when it was dropped (except during winter weather "Storm Center" coverage, as well as some station promos) in favor of standardized music (composed by Rampage Music New York, Inc.) and graphics seen on other Gannett stations.

After then-WB affiliate WPXT shut down its news department in fall 2002, WCSH and WLBZ entered into a news share agreement with that station, resulting in a nightly prime time newscast. Originally called News Center at 10 on Maine's WB 51, it was seen every night for thirty minutes. On weeknights, news and sports segments originated from WCSH's facilities while WLBZ produced the weather segment from its studios. Weekend broadcasts were aired entirely from Portland. News Center at 10 was formatted in a similar manner to the statewide newscasts, albeit with more of a Portland focus (as WPXT serves Portland but not Bangor). In September 2006, the production became known as News Center at 10 on The CW Portland after WPXT switched to The CW. WLBZ's role in the newscast was eliminated on November 6, 2008 when WCSH moved the prime time broadcast to its "News Center Weather Plus" feed and entirely reoriented the newscast to the Portland market (with WLBZ no longer doing the weather forecast). The "News Center Weather Plus" feed on WLBZ-DT2 and the live video on their websites was replaced with the national NBC Weather Plus service. News Center at 10 was eventually canceled by WCSH after a six year run. The partnership with WPXT will resume on October 31, 2011, with the addition of a 7 a.m. hour of WCSH's morning newscast branded as News Center Morning Report Xtra.

An outdoors and human-interest program called Bill Green's Maine airs Saturday nights at 7 on WCSH and WLBZ. In 2003, the station launched 207 (a local lifestyle/entertainment magazine-type show which airs weeknights at 7.) The "207" name comes from Maine's telephone area code. Although the program was initially replayed at 4:30 in the morning Tuesday through Saturdays on WLBZ, the program is no longer seen on that station.

On February 2, 2009, WLVP (870 AM) and WLAM (1470 AM) began simulcasting WCSH's weekday morning and early evening weeknights newscasts. This was done in order to continue availability of the broadcasts on radio even after WCSH's 87.7 MHz audio was discontinued following the shutdown of analog television signals.

In October 2005, WCSH and WLBZ began offering NBC Weather Plus on new second digital subchannels. Known as "News Center Weather Plus", the service could also be seen on the websites of both stations through live streaming video and digital cable. In late-December 2008 as a result of Weather Plus closing on a national level, WCSH-DT2 and WLBZ-DT2 shifted to a format featuring a loop of local news headlines and weather forecasts. The service retained the "News Center Weather Plus" branding and digital cable carriage but the online live video was dropped. WLBZ weeknight meteorologist Steve McKay can sometimes be seen on "News Center Weather Plus" providing statewide weather forecasts.

In addition to the main studios in Portland and Bangor, WCSH and WLBZ share two bureaus in the state. This includes the Midcoast Bureau (on Camden Street/US 1) in Rockport and the Lewiston/Auburn Bureau (on Main Street/ME 11/ME 100/US 202, across the street from WGME's bureau).

On August 26, 2011 WCSH began airing a promotional announcement (also published to its official YouTube channel) that the studio portion of its newscasts would soon be in high definition. The morning newscast on WPXT will be included in this upgrade, but will initially debut in standard definition. High definition newscasts commenced on October 23, 2011.