Newscasts
Through a news share agreement, CBS affiliate WCTV (owned by Gray Television) currently produces three local newscasts for WTLH. This includes an hour-long weekday show known as Fox 49 Morning News seen from 7 until 8 that offers a local alternative to the national broadcasts airing on the big three networks. There is also a nightly prime time newscast known as Fox 49 News at 10 which can be seen for thirty minutes. All WTLH shows feature a separate graphics package and music theme from WCTV.
The broadcasts originate from the CBS affiliate's primary set at its studios on Halstead Boulevard (along I-10) with unique duratans indicating the Fox-branded news. In addition to the main facilities, WCTV operates two Southwestern Georgia newsrooms covering Thomasville (on North Broad Street) and Valdosta (on East Central Avenue). The CBS outlet also contracts with the Capitol News Service to provide coverage of the Florida State Capitol from two reporters based at a nearby bureau.
Although Fox 49 News at 10 is the only prime time newscast seen in the market, it is the second attempt in the time slot. From January 15, 2000 until September 2003, ABC affiliate WTXL-TV produced a half-hour weeknight show on cable-only WB affiliate "WBXT" (station is now defunct). WTLH's Fox 49 Morning News is the only local broadcast seen at 7. The sixty minute program had previously aired since January 7, 2008 as a third hour of WCTV's The Good Morning Show on its second digital subchannel affiliated with MyNetworkTV and This TV.
Its prime time newscast originally aired solely on weeknights until June 4, 2012 when it was expanded to weekends. That date was also when WCTV began producing this Fox outlet's weekday morning show. Even though WCTV became the market's second outlet to upgrade newscasts to high definition level back on August 3, 2009, the format on WTLH remained in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition until June 4, 2012. Until this point in time, the station lacked an HD-capable master control at its separate studios in order to offer local and syndicated programming in high definition.
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