News Operation
While WJCL did enjoy some early success under Lewis' watch, it spent most of its first decade on the air in third place, well behind WTOC and WSAV. This was typical at the time for a UHF competing against two VHF stations in a single market. However, WJCL was very successful in commercial video production and local television advertisement sales. It also frequently beat out WTOC with the weekday afternoon airing of popular syndicated programming such as Dr. Phil, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy!. Those three television series were eventually moved to WSAV.
Unlike most ABC affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone, WJCL does not offer local newscasts during the weekday midday hours as well as weeknights at 5 and/or 5:30. WSAV originally offered news weeknights at 5 and not at 5:30, but its show in the former time slot was cancelled sometime in the early-2000s. It would not be until June 21, 2010 when that station added a new weeknight broadcast at 5:30. Through a news share agreement in place since the late-1990s, WJCL produces an hour-long nightly prime time newscast on its sister station currently known as WTGS News at Ten. This production maintains separate news anchors on weeknights. For awhile, WTGS also simulcasted WJCL's Good Morning Show on weekdays from 5 until 7 but it was dropped at some point.
On March 16, 2009, the station became the first outlet in Savannah to upgrade local newscasts to high definition and the nightly news on WTGS was included. This would be followed by WTOC on October 10, 2010 after adding HD local news. It was not until March 8, 2011 that WSAV finally upgraded to high definition broadcasts. On October 28, 2010, it was announced WJCL and WTGS would combine operations with the Savannah Morning News and be relocated to the newspaper's facility on Chatham Parkway in Savannah. The stations began broadcasting at their new location on October 4, 2011. WJCL and WTGS operate a bureau on Fording Island Road in Hilton Head--the only physical presence that a Savannah station has on the South Carolina side of the market.
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