NewsNet

NewsNet is an American news-oriented free-to-air television network and newscast production company owned by NewsNet LLC, a division of Freelancer Television Broadcasting, Inc. The network is structured to broadcast a tightly-formatted 30-minute newswheel 24 hours a day (with a 90-minute break on weekend late mornings), incorporating freshly-updated information that covers various areas of interest (such as national news, sports, entertainment, weather and business). Breaking news stories are updated constantly as they develop and new information becomes available.

NewsNet
TypeTerrestrial television network
Country
United States
AvailabilityNationwide, via terrestrial TV and OTT streaming
(estimated coverage [as of November 8, 2020], 21.65%)[1] and Worldwide
FoundedFebruary 28, 2018 (2018-02-28)
SloganMore news. More often.
HeadquartersCadillac, Michigan
ParentNewsNet LLC
(Freelancer Television Broadcasting, Inc.)
Key people
  • Eric Wotila
  • (President/CEO, NewsNet LLC)
Launch date
January 1, 2019
Picture format
720p (HDTV, widescreen)
AffiliatesSee section
Official website
yournewsnet.com

In addition to being carried on digital subchannels of affiliated television stations, NewsNet also distributes its programming through a livestream that is available on its website (yournewsnet.com), as well as mobile apps in areas where it does not have a terrestrial TV affiliate. NewsNet also provides an optional turnkey local news production service for stations that do not maintain their own local news departments to produce local news capsule segments or full-length newscasts. NewsNet's primary studio facilities, which also houses master control operations of the network's O&O station WMNN-LD (channel 26) and MyNetworkTV affiliate WXII-LP (channel 12), are located on West 13th Street and 3rd Avenue in Cadillac, Michigan.

Background and history

On September 28, 2017, Eric Wotila – who founded low-powered all-news station WMNN-LD in Cadillac, Michigan, and oversaw the studio design and construction for News Channel Nebraska, a Norfolk, Nebraska-based quasi-state network of five low-powered stations that also maintained an all-news programming format – started a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to fund the launch of a 24-hour national news channel – under the working title, the Local News Network (LNN) – intended for broadcast, online and mobile distribution.[2][3][4][5]

Citing favorable opinions from viewers about the "straight-to-the-facts, no-nonsense and commentary-free" coverage provided by WMNN-LD, the Local News Network proposed to offer a news wheel format (similar in structure to the 1982–2005 format of HLN, and the formats of defunct all-news networks such as All News Channel and Satellite News Channel) that would eschew the often-politically focused panel discussion programs that have populated the afternoon, nighttime and weekend schedules of cable news channels (particularly CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel) since the early 2000s. The project called for LNN to be based out of WMNN's Cadillac studio facility, with the hope of eventually opening bureaus elsewhere around the United States. The project failed to reach its funding goal of $100,000 needed to develop LNN – which would have been used to pay for equipment and staffing necessary to handle the national broadcasts – by the closure of the 50-day campaign on November 17, 2017, raising only $8,012 from 78 public backers. Wotila subsequently sought to obtain backing from investors to fund the venture.[2][3][4][5]

On March 15, 2018, Wotila and other partners involved in the Local News Network project announced the launch of NewsNet, which would maintain the concept originally developed prior to the commencement of the Kickstarter campaign.[6][7][8]

NewsNet was officially launched on January 1, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with the Evening Edition serving as the network's inaugural program. On May 8, 2019, ground was broken on new studios. The facility will consist of 3 studios, each with their own control rooms and a new, state-of-the-art master control room overseeing the operations of NewsNet, WMNN-LD and WXII-LP, the new studio went into effect at 4 a.m. on December 9.[9]

Programming

The channel's programming is structured around a rolling news wheel format, providing up-to-date information on the top national and international stories in just 30 minutes. Each half-hour of the wheel format begins with the "A" block, consisting of a short teaser of what's coming up in the next ten minutes (as read on-camera by the news anchor onboard), followed by a nearly two-minute-long look at the top story of the hour (with updated details provided when breaking news develops) and an eight-minute roundup of the latest news stories at 02 and 32 minutes past the hour. The remainder of each half-hour features a national weather forecast summary (at 12 and 42 minutes past the hour), sports news, highlights and scores (at 17 and 47 minutes past the hour), and "Health News", a segment focusing on the latest health updates and information or "Living Well", a segment focusing on news and topics about everyday lifestyle and general well-being (at 24 and 54 minutes past the hour).[10]

To comply with programming guidelines imposed by the Children's Television Act, NewsNet also carries a 90-minute block of educational children's programming on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Current programs

Rolling news blocks
  • NewsNet Continuing Coverage (December 9, 2019–present)
  • NewsNet Evening Edition (January 1, 2019–present)
  • NewsNet Midday Edition (January 2, 2019–present)
  • NewsNet Mornings (December 9, 2019–present)
  • NewsNet Nightside Edition (January 2, 2019–present)
E/I programming

Former programs

  • NewsNet Morning Edition (January 2–December 8, 2019)

On-air staff

Current on-air staff

News anchors
  • Christina Aguayo – weekday afternoon and early evening anchor; also fill-in weekday primetime, overnight and Saturday morning anchor
  • Benjamin Arie – weekend afternoon, evening, overnight and Sunday morning anchor; also fill-in weekday anchor
  • Alfredo Cuadros – weekday morning anchor
  • Remington Hernandez – weekday primetime, overnight and Saturday morning anchor; also fill-in weekday morning anchor
Weather team
  • Morris Langworthy – chief meteorologist
  • Carl Rippy – meteorologist
  • Kristian Ruggiero – meteorologist
Sports anchors
  • Bejoy Joseph – also sports director
  • Jay Phifer
  • Derek Tate
Segment hosts
  • Andy Hirschfeld – Business Brief segment host
  • Eden Lane – Entertainment with Eden segment host
Correspondents

Aside from those mentioned below, NewsNet also utilizes reporters from the local newsrooms of its affiliate stations and CNN Newsource correspondents.

  • Danielle Radin – West Coast bureau chief
  • Abigail Taylor – national correspondent
  • Ryan Thompson – Europe-based international correspondent

Former on-air staff

  • Vic McCarty
  • Jessica Mojonnier
  • Derek Myers
  • Dylan Rodenbaugh
  • Samana Sheikh
  • Charlie Tinker (now at WJRT-TV in Flint)

Controversies

On January 2, 2019, one day after the station launched, TV news industry blog FTVLive.com published a photo of NewsNet primary anchor Remington Hernandez wearing a Make America Great Again hat that Hernandez had published to his public Facebook profile, casting doubt on the station's claim of being politically unbiased.[11] In October 2019, a user of the TV News industry forum TVNewsTalk.net posted a photo taken off of Hernandez's public Instagram page that featured a smiling Hernandez next to conservative political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos.[12] Currently, the station provides news and information consistent with current Republican Party themes and trends. For example, unlike mainstream media news outlets, NewsNet consistently reports about the volume of lawsuits filed by the Trump Administration and Republican supporters seeking to overturn the 2020 Presidential election without reporting that they have been rejected or dismissed as meritless or without evidence. (See, e.g. NewsNet Broadcast December 16, 2020.)

Affiliates

As of November 2020, NewsNet has current and pending affiliation agreements with 55 television stations in 51 television markets encompassing 27 states, covering 21.65% of the United States.[1] The majority of NewsNet affiliates are low-power stations that are within the geographic boundaries of a particular TV market, but do not cover the entirety of the market. For example, as of March 2020, NewsNet's website lists San Francisco as a city with an affiliate, despite the affiliate station KAAP-LD being a low-power digital station licensed to Santa Cruz whose coverage barely reaches the city of San Jose and San Mateo County.

In addition to allowing affiliates to sell local advertising (offering four minutes of local commercial time per hour to prospective stations), NewsNet provides the option for its broadcast affiliates to pre-empt the "Health News" and "Living Well" segments at the end of each half-hour to allow to carry a five-minute-long local headline "capsule", providing news and weather information focusing on the local viewing area. NewsNet also provides an optional turnkey local news production service for stations that do not maintain their own local news departments to produce local news capsule segments or full-length newscasts.[10][13][6][7][8]

Current affiliates

City of license/market Station Virtual
channel
[1]
Physical
channel
Primary
affiliation
(on main channel)
Owner
(Management Company)
Date of affiliation Notes

Alabama

Cusseta (Columbus, Georgia)WQMK-LD18.318Retro Television NetworkBen Jordan Communications CorporationFebruary 19, 2019Launched on new subchannel
DothanWJJN-LD49.349ReligiousWilson Broadcasting Company, Inc.Fall 2019Launched on new subchannel
Montevallo (Birmingham)WOTM-LD47.119IndependentJoseph EarleyPart-time affiliation

Alaska

AnchorageKYUR13.112ABCVision Alaska, LLC
(operated by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC)
April 25, 2020Replaced local newscasts

Arizona

PhoenixKPHE44.312Tu Canal FamiliarLotus Communications

California

Barstow (Los Angeles)K36JH-D36.336NASA TVBrent GaddisFebruary 14, 2019Launched on new subchannel
Cathedral City (Palm Springs)KAKZ-LD4.44Free Speech TVTara Broadcasting LLCJanuary 1, 2019Replaced QVC
Los AngelesKFLA-LD8.18KFLA Television (Roy William Mayhugh)April 8, 2019Replaced Corner Store TV, which moved to 8.3
Reedley (FresnoVisalia)KVBC-LP13.926MeTVCocola Broadcasting
(operated by Ventura Broadcasting Company)
January 7, 2019Replaced My Life TV
Ridgecrest (Bakersfield)KZGN-LD21.242HeartlandWiknich Broadcasting CorporationMay 20, 2019Replaced Classic Shows
Santa Cruz (San FranciscoOaklandSan Jose)KAAP-LD24.711Diya TVMajor Market BroadcastingJanuary 1, 2019Launched on new subchannel


Florida

OrlandoWSWF-LD10.545Rev'nMajor Market BroadcastingJanuary 22, 2019Replaced Lifehacks DRTV
Miami-Fort LauderdaleWDFL-LD18.111IndependentFrançois LeconteJanuary 2020
St. Augustine (Jacksonville)WQXT-CD22.728Retro Television NetworkA1A TV, Inc.January 10, 2019Replaced The Walk TV

Georgia

Cumming (Atlanta)WLVO-LD21.621Diya TVUnited Media Network, LLCMarch 15, 2019Launched on new subchannel
Dalton (Chattanooga, Tennessee)WDNN-CD49.349IndependentNorth Georgia TelevisionJanuary 1, 2019Replaced Retro Television Network
Valdosta (Albany)WSWG44.531CBSMarquee BroadcastingTBALaunches on new subchannel

Illinois

Arlington Heights (Chicago)WRJK-LP22.624Diya TVMajor Market BroadcastingJanuary 1, 2019Replaced Charge!

Indiana

Marion (Indianapolis)WNDY-TV23.39MyNetworkTVCircle City BroadcastingMarch 1, 2020Launched on new subchannel

Kansas

Kansas CityKCKS-LD25.225BuzzrHeartland Broadcasting, LLCJanuary 1, 2019Replaced Justice Network
Sublette (WichitaHutchinson)KDGL-LD23.523Cozi TVHigh Plains Broadcasting, LLCJanuary 1, 2019Replaced Retro Television Network
TopekaWROB-LD25.226BuzzrHeartland Broadcasting, LLCJanuary 1, 2019Replaced Justice Network
WichitaKCTU-LD5.223This TV (primary)/
AMGTV (secondary)
River City Broadcasters, Inc.January 1, 2019Replaced Estrella TV

Kentucky

LouisvilleWBNM-LD50.625BuzzrWord Broadcasting Network, Inc.
(operated by South Central Communications)
January 1, 2019Launched on new subchannel

Louisiana

Baton RougeWLFT-CD30.330MeTVTouch Family BroadcastingJanuary 1, 2019Replaced HSN
LafayetteKXKW-LD32.130NewsnetDelta Media Group/Wilderness CommunicationsAs soon as the station switches to DT 30Replaces Stadium, which will move to KXKW-LD 32.3

Michigan

DetroitWHNE-LD3.93Light TVTait Broadcasting LLCJanuary 1, 2019

Mississippi

Holly Springs (Memphis, Tennessee)WBII-CD20.420Sonlife Broadcasting NetworkMid-South BroadcastingJanuary 11, 2019Replaced Heartland

Missouri

JoplinKJPX-LP35.135Gary and Deborah KennyFebruary 21, 2019Replaced Retro Television Network

North Carolina

Lumberton (Myrtle BeachFlorence, South Carolina)WTNG-CD33.1114The Family ChannelMercy's Bridge Media, LLCMay 20, 2019Replaced HSN
Manteo (NorfolkPortsmouthNewport NewsVirginia Beach, Virginia)W22EN-D22.522Classic ShowsLawrence F. LoeschJanuary 31, 2019Launched on new subchannel
Tarboro (RaleighDurhamFayetteville)WNCR-LD41.221Youtoo AmericaWNCR Media Group, Inc.April 28, 2019

New Jersey

Middletown Township (New York, New York)WJLP33.83MeTVPMCM TVMay 20, 2019Launched on new subchannel

New York

BuffaloWBXZ-LP56.1117Cozi TVSteven D. RitchieJanuary 1, 2019Launched on new subchannel
Cobleskill (AlbanySchenectadyTroy)WYBN-LD14.814BuzzrCable Ad Net New YorkJanuary 9, 2019Replaced The Action Channel
UticaWVVC-LD40.633Antenna TVNortheast Gospel Broadcasting, Inc.February 1, 2019Launched on new subchannel

Ohio

ColumbusWCSN-LD32.826Movies!Columbus TV, LLCMarch 7, 2019Replaced Youtoo America

Oregon

Cottage Grove (Eugene)K18LR-D36.118South Lane Television, Inc.Fall 2019

Pennsylvania

PittsburghWPTG-CD69.430This TVLocal media tvSeptember 30, 2019Launched on new subchannel
State College (JohnstownAltoona)WHVL-LD29.127MyNetworkTVChannel CommunicationsJanuary 1, 2019Nightside Edition only

South Carolina

Beaufort (Savannah)WSCG-LD14.1114Court TVWinemiller Television, LLCFall 2019Launched on new subchannel

Tennessee

NashvilleWJDE-LD31.431Heroes & IconsWord Broadcasting NetworkJanuary 1, 2019Replaced HSN

Texas

BeaumontKUMY-LD22.122SETX Public Television CorporationMay 20, 2019Replaced Mexicanal
DallasKLEG-CD44.128DV Broadcasting, LLCApril 10, 2020Replaced Swagat TV (moved to 44.4)
HoustonKBPX-LD46.1227NuestraVisiónWord Broadcasting NetworkJanuary 1, 2019Launched on new subchannel
San AntonioKGMM-CD24.136CNZ CommunicationsAugust 26, 2019

Utah

Logan (Salt Lake City)K08QL-D8.38Youtoo AmericaAirwaves, Inc.March 4, 2019Replaced local programming
Ogden (Salt Lake City)KCSG-LD8.231Youtoo AmericaAirwaves, Inc.March 4, 2019Replaced Biz TV

Washington

SeattleKYMU-LD6.36Cozi TVSeattle 6 Broadcasting LLC2019Launched on new subchannel
YakimaKGFZ-LD31.331Ron BevinsFall 2019Launched on new subchannel

Wyoming

CasperKTWO-DT217ABCVision Alaska, LLCAugust 1, 2020Replaced some local content

References

  1. "Stations for Network – NewsNet". RabbitEars. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  2. "LNN - A News Channel without Pundits, Panels or Shout Shows". Kickstarter. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  3. "Entrepreneur turns to Kickstarter to launch no-nonsense news channel". TVNewsInsider. September 29, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  4. Phil Kurz (October 6, 2017). "Broadcast Entrepreneur Turns To Crowdfunding For New Effort". TVTechnology. Future plc. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  5. "MI News 26 looks to launch Northern Michigan based national news station". Boyne City Gazette. Paine Press. September 29, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  6. Phil Kurz (March 15, 2018). "New 24/7 News Channel To Make National Launch By Year-End". TVTechnology. Future plc. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  7. Adam Jacobson (March 22, 2018). "Now Available For Local TV: A 24/7 News Channel". Radio-Television Business Report. Streamline-RBR, Inc. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  8. "Headline-Driven NewsNet Readies For Launch". Radio-Television Business Report. Streamline-RBR, Inc. October 5, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  9. Staff, B&C. "NewsNet Breaks Ground on New Studios, Expanding Production Capabilities of America's Newest 24/7 News Channel". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  10. Eric Wotila (October 2, 2018). "Learn More About Our Format". NewsNet. NewsNet, LLC. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  11. "Another National News Service Has Launched". FTVLive.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  12. "MI News 26 Founder Starting National News Network". TVNewsTalk.net. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  13. "New 24/7 NewsNet Designed For TV Stations". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. March 20, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
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