Philly TV: ABC6 To Add Mid-Morning Newscast

Action News members (from left) Karen Rogers, Alicia Vitarelli,
Nydia Han and Alyana Gomez

6abc and two other ABC-owned television stations will be launching 10 a.m. newscasts this fall, with Tamron Hall’s talk show moving from mornings to the 2 p.m. time slot previously occupied by the "Rachael Ray Show."

The Philly Business Journal reports the changes, which will also be implemented in New York City and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, will take effect in Philadelphia on Sept. 11. ABC officials said Hall’s show achieved “record-breaking” Season 4 ratings at 10 a.m. and the move to 2 p.m. aligns with when the program airs on other ABC-owned stations.

Tamron Hall

For 6abc (WPVI-TV), the “Action News at 10 a.m.” newscast will be anchored by Alicia Vitarelli, Alyana Gomez and Nydia Han, with meteorologist Karen Rogers expanding her duties.

The 10 a.m. newscast joins Action News weekday newscasts at 4 a.m. (to 7 a.m.), 12 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The future of the 10 p.m. newscast is unknown with The CW moving from Channel 57 to Channel 17 in Philly, where 6abc airs at 10 p.m.

Chad Matthews, president of ABC Owned Television Stations, said in a statement that Hall had an “exceptional year” and the addition of the 10 a.m. local newscasts will allow the stations to “dig even deeper into the topics and events that showcase our local communities and the issues most impacting them,” as well as extend and expand upon breaking news and topics being discussed on "Good Morning America" and "Live with Kelly and Mark." The View airs at 11 a.m.

There are eight owned ABC stations: WABC-TV New York, KABC-TV Los Angeles, WLS-TV Chicago, WPVI-TV Philadelphia, KGO-TV San Francisco, KTRK-TV Houston, WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and KFSN-TV Fresno.

6abc has been the top-rated newscast in Philadelphia for the past 45 years. It remains so despite the December retirement of longtime news anchor Jim Gardner. He was replaced by Brian Tadd at 6pm and Rick Williams at 11pm.

6ABC is owned and operated by ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co.