WGNO - News Operation

News Operation

WGNO presently broadcasts a total of 22½ hours of local newscasts each week (with 4 hours on weekdays, and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays, plus a half-hour public affairs show known as "The 411"); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the lowest newscast output out of the New Orleans market's television stations. Unlike most ABC affiliates in large or mid-sized markets, WGNO does not carry a morning newscast on weekends. WGNO is one of three New Orleans area stations that broadcasts its local news programs in widescreen standard definition, alongside NBC affiliate WDSU and CBS affiliate WWL-TV. During hurricane coverage, WGNO often partners with other Tribune-owned stations as well as stations owned by Local TV (operated under a broadcast management agreement by Tribune Broadcasting) to supplement WGNO's storm coverage; audio of the station's hurricane coverage is also simulcast on WTIX-FM (94.3), as was the case during Hurricane Gustav in September 2008 (in which WGNO hurricane coverage resulted in the station cancelling local segments of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, which aired as scheduled on WNOL-TV). and Hurricane Isaac in August 2012.

Prior to affiliating with ABC, WGNO's news programming consisted solely of daily news updates featured during the station's syndicated programming between 1971 and the mid-1980s. WGNO began developing a full-scale news department shortly after taking the ABC affiliation; the station debuted its local newscasts on March 18, 1996, with half-hour early evening newscasts at 5 and 6 p.m. on weeknights and a late evening newscast at 10 p.m. nightly. On May 1, 2006, WGNO began producing a half-hour newscast at 9 p.m. weeknights for WNOL.; the program ended on June 4, 2010, due to declining ratings against an hour-long in-house newscast on Fox affiliate WVUE in that timeslot; the program was replaced by The CW's primetime programming, which was shifted one hour later on June 7 to 8-10 p.m. (instead of the recommended 7-9 p.m. slot for the network's Central Time Zone affiliates).

WGNO had the distinction of being one of the largest major network affiliates by market size that did not produces weekday newscasts during morning or midday hours; this changed on September 8, 2008, when the station debuted a half-hour midday newscast at 11 a.m., followed on September 29, 2008 by a two-hour morning newscast (currently titled Good Morning New Orleans). During the mid-to-late 2000s, the station was known for its "Wheel of Justice" series, which featured a bounty hunter named Tat-2, capturing local criminals with arrest warrants. On April 20, 2009, WGNO moved its half-hour 6 p.m. newscast to 6:30, in order to reach a viewers whose work commutes prevent them from arriving home in time to watch a 6 p.m. newscast; the program did not attract significant viewership, and fell to last place in the evening news ratings within a year of its launch. One year later, the station reinstated its 6 p.m. newscast, creating the New Orleans market's only hour-long news block during the 6 p.m. hour.

On January 31, 2011, WGNO adopted a new format for its 6 p.m. newscast called News with a Twist, which focuses on lighter stories and commentary utilizing a mostly-unscripted format. On December 12, 2011, the News with a Twist format was extended to the 5 p.m. newscast, while the 6:30 p.m newscast was cancelled, the station's Saturday evening newscasts were replaced on December 17 with a recap of features stories seen during that week's 5 and 6 p.m. editions of News with a Twist. WGNO continues to produce traditional newscasts from 5-7 a.m., and at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays, and Sunday evenings at 5 and 10 p.m.