WJAC-TV - News Operation

News Operation

In the late 1960s and 1970s, WJAC-TV had a fifteen-minute-long news and weather show weekday afternoons at 1 known as The News Today. Its 6 o'clock newscast was known as The News Tonight and the 11 p.m. broadcast was entitled 11th Hour News. The weather segment aired first and was titled "Weather in Motion" with its own sounder and graphics. The sports had a separate theme and was called "Sports Wrap Up." WJAC-TV's weekday morning newscast began as a half-hour broadcast at 6:30 in 1985. In 1987, TCI Cable (now Comcast) in Centre County began producing a WJAC-TV newscast, known as the Centre County Report, specifically targeted to that area.

On November 28, 2007, The Tribune Democrat reported that the shared news department of Fox affiliate WWCP-TV and ABC affiliate WATM-TV was going to shut down. Under that operation, WWCP had produced an hour-long 10 p.m. news starting in 1992. However, according to a written statement, WWCP and WATM had been operating at a loss for years and the move was needed. The closure resulted in all personalities being released from their contracts. WJAC-TV had on-air positions open but no personnel from those two stations were hired.

Effective January 14, 2008, WJAC-TV assumed production responsibility of the 10 o'clock broadcast on WWCP (still known as Fox 8 News at 10) which was reduced to 35 minutes on weeknights and thirty minutes on weekends. The WJAC-produced news uses the same music package and some voice-overs seen during segment opens as the former operation had. A new graphics package slightly different from WJAC-TV and new logos similar to the WWCP promo logo introduced in 2007 were created specifically for the primetime broadcast.

Because WJAC-TV has prior commitments with news and weather cut-ins during Today, WATM still produces its own Good Morning America news and weather cut-ins that are seen Tuesday through Saturday. Former WWCP co-anchor Sherry Stalley, who was still under contract when the news department shut down, hosts the updates. The cut-ins use news video from the previous day's WJAC-produced WWCP broadcast and the same graphics package. On Mondays, the cut-ins are filled by WATM promos. In addition, WJAC-TV's nightly 11 o'clock newscast was simulcasted on that station branded as ABC 23 News until March 2011, when it was replaced by syndicated episodes of Seinfeld.

On August 8, 2008, WJAC-TV unveiled a new set designed by FX Group in Orlando, Florida. The station also unveiled a new graphics package and changed its on-air branding from its long standing "Channel 6" to "WJAC-TV" as different cable companies now carry the station on different channels. In addition to its main studios, the station operates bureaus in State College, Altoona, and DuBois.

WJAC-TV was the first station in the market to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition 16:9 widescreen in March 2012. It was also first to broadcast its local newscasts in 16:9 widescreen enhanced definition in September 2009.

WJAC-TV officially changed the station's news branding from WJAC-TV News to 6 News on October 25, 2011. This change comes only three years after the change from Channel 6 News. In addition to the new branding, WJAC-TV updated their on-air graphics and theme music to those of sister station WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh. Then in July 2012, WJAC-TV became the first station in the market to broadcast local news in full high definition.