News Operation
As a CBS affiliate, WCOV operated its own news department. However, the station was always a very distant second to dominant WSFA. The station dropped all news programming after losing CBS programming. Eventually, a two-hour simulcast of the four-hour long Good Day Alabama was added from fellow Fox affiliate WBRC in Birmingham. This aired weekday mornings from 7 until 9 and originated from studios on Valley View Drive in that city. At some point in September 2010, the simulcast was dropped.
On January 7, 2008, Woods Communications contracted with NBC affiliate WSFA (owned by Raycom Media) to air a prime time broadcast in conjunction with another Fox affiliate and Raycom-owned station in Dothan, WDFX-TV. Originally airing for 35 minutes on weeknights, a weekend half-hour edition began in Summer 2008. On August 3, WSFA upgraded its newscasts to high definition level becoming the first station in Montgomery to do so. The primary news set and graphics were redesigned in the transition.
Initially, the 9 p.m. shows were not included because they originated from an older secondary set at WSFA's studios on East Delano Avenue. However in Spring 2010, those broadcasts began airing in HD with updated graphics separate from programs seen on WSFA. Since WDFX and WCOV both aired Fox News at 9, there was regional coverage of the Montgomery and Dothan areas provided. Reporters based at WDFX's studios (referred to as the Wiregrass Newsroom) were also featured in the show.
After WCOV's outsourcing contract with WSFA expired at the end of 2010, it entered into a new agreement with CBS affiliate WAKA (owned by Bahakel Communications) to produce a nightly 35 minute prime time newscast at 9 covering Montgomery. At that time, the new show, known as WCOV News at 9, reverted back to pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition (since WAKA had yet to make any upgrades to newscasts) and originated from studios on Eastern Boulevard (US 80/US 231). In addition, WAKA operates bureaus in Selma (on Landline Road/SR 22 Truck/SR 219) known as the West Alabama Newsroom and in Troy as well as Greenville (both known as South Alabama Newsrooms). Despite merging with WNCF and WBMM on February 4, 2013, WAKA continues to produce WCOV News at 9 which now airs in high definition from an updated set at the shared WAKA/WNCF studios on Harrsion Road in Montgomery.
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