In an era when the news business is shrinking rather than growing, this is certainly good, er, news:
Fort Wayne TV viewers will have a fourth choice for local news beginning this spring.
WFFT, Fort Wayne's Fox network affiliate, will debut a weekday local news program in a few months. The 35-minute "Fox Fort Wayne 1st News @ 10" will run Monday through Friday following Fox prime-time programming and include local news, weather and sports coverage.
[. . .]
The news program will have four reporters, including one who will cover sports. The reporters will be responsible for shooting their own video. In all, between nine and 11 new staff members will be hired, increasing station employment by about one-third, Ritchhart said.
I'd say viewers will have a third choice rather than a fourth, since the WPTA-WKJG offering amounts to the same news aired in two places, but why quibble? This will still be an additional choice for viewers and more competition for current news proivders, and that's all in all going to be good for everyone. With only four reporters, who will be expected to shoot their own video, there is a danger that this operation could look so makeshift, shot-on-a-shoestring amateurish that it won't attract viewers, but if the four reporters are any good at all, it will be worth checking out. And on the plus side, 10 p.m. is a much more reasonable hour for news than 11 p.m. for us old farts that need our rest.
