KXAS-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth is using a newly available afternoon time period to add local journalism instead of acquiring another syndicated entertainment program.
The NBC-owned station will launch NBC 5 NOW at 3 on Monday, September 7, with education reporter Wayne Carter as anchor. The hour replaces the time period previously occupied by The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Station management describes the program as an in-depth, conversational newscast influenced by the style and pacing of a podcast. KXAS will also expand NBC 5 News at 6pm to a full hour, bringing the station’s weekday local-news output to approximately seven hours.
The expansion matters because local television stations have spent years balancing syndicated programming costs, declining linear viewing and the expense of producing original news. KXAS is betting that an additional hour of local content can provide more value than another nationally distributed talk or lifestyle program.
The “podcast-inspired” description deserves close examination after the program begins.
Podcast pacing can permit longer conversations, more context and a stronger host viewpoint. It can also become a vague branding term if the program simply repackages the same daily stories with a casual set and looser presentation.
The useful measurements will be editorial rather than cosmetic: how many stories originate with KXAS reporters, how much time is given to important local issues, whether interviews produce information beyond prepared talking points and how often material is repeated across the station’s other newscasts.
The staffing model also matters. An extra hour represents a genuine investment only if reporters, photographers, producers, editors and digital teams receive the time and resources to create additional work. Stretching an existing newsroom across more airtime could increase repetition rather than depth.
The concept nevertheless represents a constructive experiment. Local stations possess access, community relationships and live-reporting capabilities that national streaming platforms cannot easily reproduce. A conversational hour could give viewers a clearer understanding of North Texas if it uses those local advantages.
Radio News Now will review the program after its first week, measuring original reporting, interview length, local relevance, repetition and opportunities for audience participation.