WICS - News Operation

News Operation

Even though WICS and WICD operate separate news departments, there is a considerable sharing of resources between the two such as video footage and personnel. This can be the case particularly when covering Decatur which is located between each of the station's facilities. Since WICD focuses more the eastern side of the market, that station is more likely to provide coverage from the Illinois portion of the Terre Haute DMA. Likewise, WICS provides that station with coverage from the Illinois State Capitol.

WICS has a slightly larger news department that WICD because it has more personalities. Several on-air personnel at the latter perform "one-man-band" journalism duties such as shooting, editing, and producing. On Saturday nights at 10:35, the two stations co-produce and simulcast a lifestyle/entertainment show called Illinois Central. Airing in a magazine-type format, the thirty minute program features more in depth feature stories from the entire area.

Lately, WICS/WICD have been very competitive in the local news race after years of being a distant second behind longtime dominant WCIA. Beginning with the November/December 2006 Nielsen ratings, the two actually briefly led with viewership in East Central Illinois. This is because the station's ratings are combined by Nielsen Media Research and considers WICS and WICD to be a single station for counting purposes. The latter is identified as "WICS+" in ratings books and has continued battling WCIA for the top spot splitting the position over various time slots. Basically, WICD's existence benefits WICS even though the former is technically combined with the latter.

The stations did not participate in the wider implementation of Sinclair's now-defunct, controversial News Central format for their newscasts but did air "The Point" (a one-minute conservative political commentary) that was also controversial and a requirement of all Sinclair-owned stations with newscasts until the series was discontinued in December 2006. The segment's host, Mark Hyman, can now be seen in another on-air commentary.

On September 11, 2006, a news share agreement was established with the area's Fox affiliates, WRSP-TV/WCCU (locally-owned by GOCOM Media of Illinois, LLC). As a result, a nightly prime time newscast began airing on those stations co-produced by WICS/WICD. Known as NewsChannel at 9 on Fox Illinois, it airs for a half-hour from WICS's Springfield studios but provides market-wide coverage. There is a separate weather forecast featuring both station's meteorologists. From the start, NewsChannel at 9 competed with a newscast seen on then-UPN affiliate WCFN produced by WCIA. Unlike the WRSP/WCCU show, WCFN's broadcast originated from Champaign and was targeted specifically at a Springfield audience. On September 28, 2009, WCIA cancelled the show and launched an hour-long weeknight newscast at 7 on WCFN. On June 26, 2010, rival WAND became the first station in East Central Illinois to upgrade local newscasts to high definition level. Broadcasts on WICS/WICD and WRSP-TV/WCCU remain in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition and it is unknown if and/or when there will be an upgrade to 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen or full high definition.

WICS' meteorologists provide CW affiliate WBUI (sister station of WRSP-TV/WCCU) with on-air and online weather forecasts. The segments are appropriately titled "C-More Weather". WICD dropped its weekend newscasts and simulcast those seen on WICS starting March 26, 2011. However, Champaign-based reporters still provide coverage. This arrangement also affects the WRSP/WCCU weekend show because a single weather segment is offered instead of two. The change represents the second attempt at a joint market-wide product by WICS/WICD. At one point in time, there had been a simulcasted newscast weeknights at 5 originating from Springfield.