#05: DFW Metroplex over the past year.

The only changes that were made came from one station, and one was pretty controversial if you ask me.

KTVT 11 / Fort Worth - Dallas (“CBS Texas”)

KTXA 21 / Fort Worth - Dallas (“TXA 21”)

Not much change here as we enter the DFW Metroplex except in one duopoly.

First, at some point over the past year, KTVT moved its half-hour 6:00 p.m. news on Saturdays over to 5:00 p.m. which puts them up against WFAA (ABC) for local news at that time on Saturdays.

Also, KTVT cut their weekday morning news at 4:30 a.m. The station now airs a repeat of last night’s 10:00 p.m. newscast instead, which leads prior to its live weekday morning newscast which now airs from 5:00-7:00 and 9:00-9:30 a.m. Its so far the first and ONLY station to cut that half-hour of news in the morning (KDFW - FOX is an hour starting at 4:00 a.m.)

But a much bigger move happened and it was controversial, by some observers. First, before that, KTVT became one of those CBS O&Os who’ve changed their general and newscast brandings over to CBS Texas and CBS News Texas, which makes no complete sense considering the other CBS affiliates that serve the state. Nonetheless, I digress.

But the much bigger move that got people talking was KTVT cutting its half-hour weeknight news at 6:00 p.m. to allow for a new episode of Jeopardy! to air there and create a J!/WOF hour from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Also, they moved sister station KTXA’s hour-long nightly newscast at 9:00 p.m., ended the News NOW format and the weekend editions, changed it to a traditional format, and moved it to true primetime at 7:00 p.m. Now, its CBS News Texas at 7:00 on TXA 21, the ONLY newscast at that time in the market.

Claims were made to say that ending the 6:00 and adding the 7:00 (which really wasn’t an add if you ask me) would provide more local news from KTVT. In reality, a half-hour’s worth of news was actually cut entirely from KTVT’s lineup as the 9:00 on KTXA was simply moved up to 7:00. Don’t buy the claims that you're getting more when in reality, you’re getting somewhat less.

Also, this was supposed to debut on Tuesday, September 12th, but they moved up a day and ended up debuting on Monday, September 11th, the same day the 6:00 p.m. news was cut.

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