We learned in June that CBS 11 KTVT Dallas—Fort Worth, AKA CBS News Texas, would debut a new newscast on July 8, 2024. Now, we have some new information before the big debut.
As I blogged before, chief meteorologist Scott Padgett will now work mornings, joining anchor Madison Sawyer and new hire Carmen Blackwell from WKYC 3 Cleveland, Ohio.
CBS told me today about a new initiative called "The Desk," led by newly hired assignment editor Ashley Moss. Moss will be on camera live, covering breaking stories and sharing them with viewers as they arrive in the newsroom. She joins CBS News Texas from KFOR 4 Oklahoma City, where she worked as a reporter/fill-in anchor.
"We are thrilled to show viewers the innovative breaking news concept, The Desk, and the revamped morning show and talent lineup which aligns perfectly with the fresh, dynamic approach our audience has asked for," said Raquel Amparo president and general manager of CBS Texas.
I previously blogged about the KTVT morning news survey. On Monday, the results will be on your television and mobile screens.
"As part of CBS Texas’ commitment to evolving with our community’s needs, we combined a formalized research study with a fun viewer survey to gather insights for our upcoming reimagined morning newscast. We loved the idea of including them in our process," added Amparo. "We genuinely and authentically want to serve our audience with information they find useful. To do that, we needed to actively listen. Launching this community survey and involving the community accomplished that mission."
During the premiere of the new morning newscast, CBS Texas will unveil segments and elements inspired by viewers' suggestions. Additionally, several survey participants will attend the morning show as part of a special one-time-only live in-studio audience, a first for CBS Texas.
The survey covered a wide range of topics, including the desired length of the morning news, the tone of the newscast, the most important topics to cover, and even anchor wardrobe preferences.
Examples of the incorporated results include a demand for more "good news," investigative stories, and education-related reports. As a result, investigative reporting will remain a central part of the morning newscasts, making CBS Texas the only station in Dallas-Fort Worth to feature weekly appearances by investigative journalists. CBS Texas has launched a dedicated "Good News Unit" to report positive community stories and an education beat focusing on school board decisions, student interviews, and perspectives.
"If you look at your everyday life, everything is customizable," added Meagan Harris, vice president of news and creative content at CBS Texas. "Why shouldn’t the news be built in the way you want to view it? We will continue to listen to our audiences and leave room for the show to evolve."
