Fox 17/62 at Ten to grow, add half-hour, 2nd anchor

THE VINDICATOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- Beginning Jan. 23, the 10 p.m. newscast on WYFX-TV (Fox 17/62) will be expanded to one hour.
"Lifestyles are changing -- it's early to bed and early to rise," said Gary Coursen, news director at WKBN and WYFX. "We see an opportunity to provide a complete wrap-up of local, state, national and international news, along with expanded weather and a huge, new commitment to local and national sports."
Coursen says the one-hour newscast will offer a distinctive, cutting-edge style never before seen in the Youngstown market.
"We will still do a complete newscast in the first half-hour," he said. "In the second half-hour, we will treat stories with more depth and detail and expand weather with information no one else offers at that hour."
Lifestyle segments with viewer interaction will provide advice in areas such as retirement planning, legal matters and home decorating.
"One of the things I am most excited about is our new commitment to sports, especially local sports," Coursen said. "The extra time available will allow coverage beyond the major sports stories."
Two anchors
The expanded Fox 17/62 News at Ten -- the only local news show at that hour -- will debut with a dual anchor format, with Robb Schmidt being joined by Whitney Ward at the anchor desk.
Schmidt is a longtime WKBN veteran who assumed main news anchor duties in April after serving more than 10 years as sports director. Ward came to the station in October from Bismarck, N.D.
Coursen said the fast-paced, high story-count format of the new Fox 17/62 News at Ten will work better with two anchors.
"We plan to keep them very busy," he said. "They will be out from behind the anchor desk, interviewing guests and interacting with reporters in the field."
Sports changes
The First News sports department is also seeing change, with Joe Aulisio becoming the assistant sports director. Aulisio will be the face and the voice of the Fox 17/62 News at Ten expanded sports, said Coursen.
Aulisio has been the weekend sports anchor at First News since early last year.