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Monday, January 27, 2020

WTXF Philly Rebrands The 6PM Newscast


WTXF Fox 29 Philadelphia has scrapped its 6 p.m. weekday newscast in favor of "The 6," described as an unconventional spin on the local news format. News Director Jim Driscoll tells The Philly Business Journal the station wants to take some elements from its successful morning show, "Good Day Philadelphia," and apply them at to its new program.

The Six is portrayed as a “30-minute 'foot on the accelerator’ tour through the day’s news," led by anchors Jason Martinez and Shaina Humphries, sportscaster Kristen Rodgers and meteorologist Kathy Orr. It will include the following regular features:
  • The Lead: The day’s top story
  • The Local: Four reporters providing condensed one-minute versions of the day’s big stories.
  • Fast Forecast: A 30-second forecast reported by Orr from outside its studios at 4th and Market streets in Old City.
  • Whaddya Think: Discussion of the biggest sports story of the day, led by anchor Martinez and Rodgers and some guests, with a daily sports poll.
  • Click This: Humphries looks at some of the best digital content on the station’s website, with Fox 29 web producers making cameos.
  • Viewer Sound Off: Feedback from viewers via submitted videos, phone calls, emails and social media posts.
  • Stump the Anchor: Martinez, Humphries, Rodgers and Orr come up with trivia to stump each other.
Unlike "Good Day Philadelphia," which is regularly the number one or two morning newscast in the ratings, Fox 29's 6 p.m. news has traditionally trailed 6ABC, NBC10 and often CBS3. Driscoll says ratings were not a key motivation for the decision.



He said the station is trying to target a community-based audience and provide a complementary lead in to The ClassH-Room, a 30-minute weekday game show that debuted in the 6:30 p.m. time slot in March 2019. That show pits local teachers against their students in a test of knowledge and skill, with questions and challenges related to pop culture, math, world history, science and current events.

“The pie [of viewers] is shrinking,” Driscoll said. “So we have to stand out. The 6 is not conventional. So it can stand out.”

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