LEX 18, WTVQ to combine morning news shows to create ‘LEXNews at Sunrise’
Beginning Tuesday, two Lexington television stations will combine their early morning newscasts.
LEX 18 and ABC 36 will launch “LEXNews at Sunrise,” which will air on weekdays from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m.
Sean Franklin, general manager for both stations, said Saturday that viewers will “start seeing the on-air talent share that space,” beginning May 26, though he said he didn’t want to “spoil the surprise” by naming the anchors.
E.W. Scripps, which owns WLEX, announced in March that it is buying WTVQ from Morris Multimedia.
The $15.8 million deal is expected to close in the third quarter and is subject to regulatory approval. In the meantime, Scripps is operating the ABC affiliate under a local marketing agreement.
While there have been no layoffs among on-air talent, Franklin said both WLEX and WTVQ had some layoffs last week. He did not say how many staffers were let go.
He said the current plan is for each station to continue to have its own weekday newscasts with separate talent later in the day, but the shows would be produced from a joint newsroom.
“We’re trying to build something that hasn’t been done before by combining these two stations,” Franklin said Saturday.
He said LEX 18, Lexington’s NBC affiliate, began simulcasting its weekend newscasts on ABC 36 about three weeks ago.
