WLAX - Newscasts

Newscasts

On August 28, 2006, WLAX/WEUX entered into a news share agreement with WEAU (owned by Gray Television). This arrangement resulted in a weeknight prime time newscast produced by the big three outlet to debut on this station. Known as Fox News at 9, the thirty minute broadcast would eventually expand to weekends starting on January 20, 2007. For a time, MyNetworkTV affiliate WKBT-DT2 also aired a prime time newscast at 9 but it was only a weeknight scheduling that competed with WLAX/WEUX. That show was dropped in 2009, and now, there is currently a repeat of its parent station's weeknight 6 o'clock broadcast in the 9 p.m. slot.

This station uses the majority of WEAU's on-air team except for maintaining a separate meteorologist and sports anchor on weeknights (although the two can contribute to and/or fill-in on the NBC outlet when needed. Fox News at 9 originates from a secondary set at WEAU's facility on South Hastings Way/US 53 Business in Altoona (with an Eau Claire postal address) and is fed to the WLAX/WEUX studios through a fiber-optic link. It features the news music and graphics package licensed from News Corporation Digital Media that is modified from original use on Fox owned-and-operated stations.

The broadcast is simulcasted on WEAU-DT2 (a 24-local weather channel) which can also be seen on Charter digital channel 247. This additional carriage allows the newscast to still air even if Fox programming delays or prevents the show from airing on WLAX/WEUX at its regularly scheduled time. During weather forecast segments, WLAX/WEUX features WEAU's Doppler weather radar (known on-air as "SkyWarn 13") that is based at the big three outlet's facility in Altoona. On August 5, 2011, WEAU upgraded its newscasts to high definition level. However, Fox News at 9 was not included in the change because the show is produced from a secondary set that currently lacks HD cameras.

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