WOTV - News Operation

News Operation

Early in the station's history, it established a news operation that was the breeding ground for some of the area's most famous television personalities. However, the channel had no luck whatsoever competing against WOOD-TV and WWMT, since its viewer base was limited to the southern portion of the market. Even with Kalamazoo (the market's second largest city), channel 41's coverage area simply wasn't large enough for the station to make any headway in the ratings. In addition, WWMT has traditionally had a focus in the southern areas of the market including the operation of a news bureau in Battle Creek.

Finally, WUHQ shut down its separate news department in 1990. When WOOD-TV took over the station's operations a year later, it began simulcasting some of its newscasts on WOTV as well as airing specially produced newscasts covering Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. Essentially, the station was functioning as WOOD-TV's southern news bureau.

On February 9, 1991, news anchor Diane Newton King was murdered in her home near Marshall. Her husband, Bradford King, was convicted of first-degree murder and is currently serving a life sentence. The case received national attention in 2004 when it was aired on Court TV's Forensic Files. The case was also profiled on A&E's City Confidential in an episode titled "Bad News in Battle Creek". In 1992, WOTV brought back a full news department for a second time branded as 41 News. However, like the previous attempt, it could not gain enough viewers or make a dent in the ratings despite having the resources of WOOD-TV's well-established news department behind it.

The LIN TV Corporation finally decided to shut down WOTV's news operation for good in August 2003. Since then, the station has simulcasted some of WOOD-TV's newscasts but this time without any separate opens or segments. Currently, only the second hour of WOOD-TV's weekday morning show and nightly newscast at 6 (first half-hour only on weekends) can be seen on WOTV. There are also brief prime time weather updates that air on weeknights featuring WOOD-TV Chief Meteorologist Bill Steffen. In instances of severe weather, WOTV simulcasts coverage from WOOD-TV.

After the news department was shut down, its current on-air slogan was adopted to promote ABC programming paired with WOOD-TV's market leading newscasts. There is also encouragement for people to watch ABC on WOTV instead of WZZM. The "Phrase That Pays" is a regularly scheduled contest built around the slogan. On October 5, 2009, WOOD-TV became the second station in Southwestern Michigan to begin offering local newscasts in 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen. Although not truly high definition, the broadcast match the ratio of HD television screens. The simulcasts on WOTV were included in the upgrade. Then on October 22, 2011, WOOD-TV became the third television station in southwestern Michigan to broadcast local newscasts in high definition. The simulcasts on WOTV were included in the upgrade as well.