THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 31, 1994 TAG: 9410290415
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
NBC affiliate WAVY begins a 5:30 p.m. newscast tonight that will give Channel 10 viewers 90 minutes of local news in one block. That's a first for Hampton Roads, the country's 38th largest TV market.
Toss the ``NBC Nightly News'' into that mix and you have nothing but news on WAVY between 5 and 7 p.m. weekdays.
News director Gary Stokes said the ``WAVY News 10 at Six'' anchor team - co-anchors Les Smith and Alveta Ewell, weather reporter Don Slater and sports director Bruce Rader - will be featured in the 5:30 newscast. It also will include a ``Contact 10'' segment in which viewers can phone in questions and comments.
WVEC gave up its 5:30 newscast last year when the ABC affiliate decided to butt heads with WAVY and WTKR at 5 p.m. That created a news hole at 5:30, said Stokes, who recently joined WAVY after working as the No. 2 man at KTRK in Houston. ``Now we're here to fill it.''
He aims to make the 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m local newscasts different in style and presentation.
``At 5, we'll give viewers their first shot at the news of the day, At 5:30, we'll do an expansion on the story of the day, be it local, national or international. The 6 o'clock newscast will continue to be our newscast of record,'' said Stokes.
``We are aware of the diverse hours of the workers in Hampton Roads and also realize that there is a need for a 5:30 newscast that hasn't been filled of late.''
Stokes didn't have to be brought up to speed on the lifestyles of the people in Hampton Roads. Stokes worked in WAVY's news department in the 1980s. by CNB