NBC 5 to launch 4 p.m. newscast this summer

NBC Tower

NBC Tower

A new one-hour newscast at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday will debut in August on WMAQ-Channel 5, the NBC-owned station announced Tuesday.

The syndicated entertainment show “Extra,” which has been airing at 4 p.m. weekdays on NBC 5, is expected to move to Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 in a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It's expected to air there at either 6 or 6:30 p.m.

With the additional half-hour of news, NBC 5 will be increasing its output to 41 hours of local news each week.

“We are committed to delivering local news, weather and information that is important to our viewers,” David Doebler, president and general manager of NBC 5, said in a statement. “Our new 4 p.m. newscast will expand our local news commitment and offer our viewers even more of what they’re looking for.”

No decision has been made on anchors for the new newscast. Marion Brooks currently anchors at 4:30 p.m. with a variety of co-anchors.

The move will put NBC 5 on equal footing with ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7, which long has started its afternoon news block at 4 p.m., and Tribune Media WGN-Channel 9, which added a 4 p.m. newscast in September 2014.

Last November FTVLive.com was the first to report plans among NBC-owned stations to launch newscasts at 4 p.m. in part to capitalize on additional political advertising revenue during the election year.

Stefan Holt, former weekday morning news anchor at NBC 5, was hired by NBC-owned flagship WNBC in New York to anchor its new 4 p.m. newscast, starting this month.