WBZ-TV Newscasts
Debut: June 09, 1948

WBZ-TV in Boston presently broadcasts 34 hours, 25 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week. When WBZ-TV first signed on the air on June 9, 1948, at 6:15 p.m., Arch MacDonald anchored the station's first news broadcast, and he would remain the news anchor until he departed in 1969. In 1955, the station hired Don Kent, and he became Boston's first TV weatherman, and he would remain until he retired in 1983, then 27 years later, Kent died of natural causes. In the mid 1960s, the station adopted the Eyewitness News format, and WBZ-TV became first television station in the Boston market to have a regularly-scheduled late afternoon news program. Also in the mid 1960s, Terry Carter because the station's first African-American reporter. In 1966, WBZ-TV hired Bob Starr as sports director, which he would remain for five years. In July 1968, the station hired Tom Ellis as its new lead anchor, in which he began solo, and then parterning later with station veterans such as Jack Chase, until Ellis left in 1975. In 1969, Sarah-Ann Shaw joined the station, and became the first African-American female TV reporter in the Boston market, and Shaw would remain at the station for 31 years. In the 1970s, the station began airing First News at 5:30 p.m., which was initially anchored by Jack Williams (who joined the station in 1975) and Pat Mitchell, then by Gail Harris. In 1974, Len Berman joined the station as sports anchor, until he left for New York City in 1979. In 1975, Williams became the station's lead anchor, when he first paired with Tony Pepper. Also in 1975, WBZ-TV began transiting from film to video, by introducing its new video news camera: Instant Eye 4, it revolutionizes news gathering of bringing live news anytime on tape. In the late 1970s, Jack Williams was demoted briefly to anchor the 5:30 p.m. weekday newscast, but quickly regained the top anchor slots. In 1976, the station hired Dan Rea as news reporter, in which he would remain at WBZ-TV until 2007. On March 3, 1978, WBZ-TV hired Barry Burbank as its meteorologist for the weekend evening newscasts. In 1979, Jack White joined WBZ-TV, as part of the station's investigative team, until he left in 1981. On July 21, 1980, a new format premiered in this time slot, Live on 4, a more informal program mixing elements of a daytime talk show with those of a traditional newscast, went on to become a trendsetter in Boston in the 1980s. First anchored by Gail Harris and Chris Marrou, it later had hosting assumed by many other WBZ-TV staff members, including entertainment reporter Joyce Kulhawik (who joined the station in 1978) and news anchor Chris Conangla in the mid 1980s. Live on 4 gave a loose preview of the news to be covered more in depth at 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. with featuring stories on lifestyle, health and entertainment topics, along with live, in-studio guests. Also in July 1980, WBZ-TV hired Bill Shields as reporter. In the early 1980s, WBZ-TV lost its longspot as Boston's highest-rated news station to WCVB-TV, but even then placed a strong second for more than a decade. Its evening news team-consisting of anchors Jack Williams & Liz Walker (who joined WBZ-TV in 1980, became the first African-American woman to co-anchor a newscast in the Boston television market), meteorologist Bruce Schwoegler (who joined WBZ-TV in 1968 until his retirement in the mid 1990s), and sportscaster Bob Lobel (who joined WBZ-TV in 1978 as weekend sports anchor and was promoted to weekday anchor & sports director in 1981, in which he would remain until he left the station on May 16, 2008)-was the longest-running news team in New England from 1981 until Walker moved to the noon newscasts in 2000. Other personalities who came to WBZ-TV during this time were political reporter John Henning (who joined WBZ-TV in January 1982 as the noon news anchor until the stepped down in May 1995, when the station named him their senior correspondent) and Kulhawik (who remained with the station until she left on May 29, 2008). In 1981, the station created its new news segment: Wednesday's Child, a non-profit news segment for special needs children, and it stills featured every Wednesday on the 6:00 p.m. weeknight news cast. In 1991, after a 12-year run, Live on 4 was dropped, and at that time, WBZ-TV launched a 5:00 p.m. weekday newscast. In 1993, WBZ-TV changed its news branding, with a new name: WBZ News 4. During the 1994-95 season, WBZ dropped its late afternoon news altogether. By the summer of 1995, the station began airing two hours of news between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. In the fall of that year, with the end of the news block later being scaled back to 6:30 p.m. in 1997, which would remain until June 2004. In 1996, the station changed its news branding, that time with a new name: News 4 New England. In 2000, the station again changed its news branding with a new name: WBZ 4 News. In June of that year, the station hired Lisa Hughes as weekday evening anchor. In December 2002, the station hired Paula Ebben as general assignment reporter. Then, on February 1, 2004, WBZ-TV changed its news branding under the new name: CBS 4 News. In June 2004, WBZ-TV launched a 4:00 p.m. newscast for the first time. In 2005, WBZ-TV hired Jon Keller as political analyst and reporter. In January 2006, WBZ-TV reinstated its 5:00 p.m. weekday newscast. In addition, Ed Carroll (who was hired by the station in July 1993) would not renew his contract, and in October 2005, the station hired Ken Barlow, to replace Carroll as the station's chief meteorologist, until he departed in May 2010. And later in 2006, WBZ-TV's 4:00 p.m. newscast was discontinued. In late August of that year, the station hired anchor Chris May, when he was paired with Sara Underwood (who joined the station and its sister station WSBK-TV in 2000 until she left on March 4, 2008) as anchors of the staton's 5:00 p.m. weekday newscast. In January 2007, the station launched its new news segment: Project Mass, a commitment to cover the community's top concerns in government, transit, healthcare, education, finance and the environment. On February 4, 2007, WBZ-TV rebranded its news branding, with a new name: WBZ News, during the station's coveage of the Super Bowl. The logo that was used for the "CBS 4" branding returned to the station in December 2011, but the station still brands with its call letters. In late 2007, the station hired former WFXT-TV anchor David Wade to replace longtime morning anchor Scott Wahle. In January 2008, the station hired Todd Gutner as its morning and midday meteorologist replacing Barry Burbank (who was reassigned to do the weather on the weekend evening newscasts), which he would remain until he left the station in August 2014. On February 29, 2008, the station caused a significant loss in viewers during the late news, and finished with an average of 157,800 total viewers, down from 177,800 viewers in 2007. In late Spring 2008, Steve Burton (who joined the station in 1994 as a sports reporter and weekend sports anchor) became the station's sports director, and still continues today. On June 6, 2008, weekend anchor/weekday report Kate Merrill (who joined the station in March 2004) was appointed as 9:00 p.m. anchor on WSBK-TV, along with general assignment reporting duties for the 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. weekday newscasts. On September 15, 2008, WBZ-TV upgraded its news set for high-definition broadcasts. During that time, all newscasts originiated from the on-air area of the newsroom. The renovations lasted for at least six weeks. Finally, on December 11, 2008, WBZ-TV and sister station WSBK-TV became the fourth and fifth stations in the Boston market to begin broadcasting its newscasts in high-definition. On December 12, 2011, the station debuted a new news set, replacing the one that they had been used for a decade, it featured LED lighting, a dedicated weather area, and 16 high-definition monitors. On August 19, 2013, WBZ-TV hired Eric Fisher as chief meteorologist for the station's 5:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. weeknight newscasts. On August 29, 2014, after 39 years, Jack Williams anchored his final regular WBZ-TV weekday newscast, and going from full-time anchor to going into semi-retirement. On February 26, 2015, WBZ-TV rebranded its weekday morning newscast branding from WBZ News In The Morning to its new name: WBZ This Morning. On June 6, 2015, WBZ-TV hired Liam Martin as reporter. Then, 17 days later, he became Paula Ebben's co-anchor on the 5:30 p.m. weekday newscasts, 5 years before he was promoted as Kate Merrill's co-anchor on the station's weekday morning newscast. Finally, on June 20, 2015, Jack Williams finally retired from WBZ-TV, this time for good, and he became the dean of television news in Boston and all of New England. On August 29, 2016, WBZ-TV debuted their new news set, a few weeks after the station began using the new CBS O&O graphics package. In May 2017, the station hired Jacob Wycoff as meteorologist. On April 26, 2020, after weather forecsting at WBZ-TV for 42 years, Barry Burbank finally retired. On September 23, 2021, Bill Shields retired after more than 4 decades of reporting for WBZ-TV. And then after a brief battle with cancer, Shields died on February 17, 2023, he was 70 years old. On March 31, 2023, WBZ-TV debuted its new look, with a new logo, new CBS O&O graphics, and new music, beginning with the noon weekday newscast.

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