Atlanta, GA
Atlanta News First set to expand news footprint, end its affiliation with CBS Network
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Atlanta News First will end its 31-year-affiliation with the CBS Network.
Gray Media announced Monday that WANF will begin its new chapter as an independent television station, leveraging its successful news operation with more resources to better serve the community with on-air and online content.
“As residents of Atlanta along with our families, this company’s leadership and our corporate colleagues have been keenly focused on improving what we watch every day on WANF and its sister station, WPCH PeachtreeTV,” said Gray’s Executive Chairman Hilton Howell. “We are excited to now take WANF in a new direction that puts full control of the station’s offerings in local hands and that allows us to expand our investment in local news, weather and sports by, for and about the people who, like us, live in Greater Atlanta.”
Gray Media plans to make additional financial and other resource investments in WANF to enable it to transition successfully to a strong independent local television station, they said.
“Since acquiring WANF and WPCH in December 2021, Gray has invested tens of millions of dollars to reinvigorate the stations and expand their capabilities. Three years ago, WANF adopted its current call sign to emphasize its new commitment to delivering Atlanta News First. This is not just a slogan, it’s the philosophy for the entire organization,” Gray’s Co-CEO Pat LaPlatney said. “The next chapter as an independent station allows WANF to deliver on that commitment more fully, and our experience and our research make us optimistic that viewers and advertisers will increasingly turn to WANF as a result.”
Gray Media acquired WANF and WPCH three and a half years ago. Since then, the station has gone from 40 to 60 hours of newscasts each week.
“WANF Atlanta News First is an established, local brand that epitomizes Gray’s mission of delivering the trusted local news and information that matters most to our local viewers,” said Erik Schrader, general manager of WANF and WPCH. “Journalism is the heart of what we do across 113 markets. Today’s announcement allows us to expand on what we already do best, namely deliver high quality local news, sports, weather and other programming that our viewers deserve.”
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