March 31, 2020

Dakota News Now plans to add a 9 p.m. newscast beginning April 6.

The 30-minute broadcast will air on The CW.

While it originally was planned to start this fall, the news landscape surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak and more viewers tuning in to local news made it a logical time for the expansion, president and general manager Jim Berman said.

“When we say news when you want it, we mean it,” he said.

Dakota News Now was formed earlier this year when KSFY-TV’s parent company acquired KDLT-TV’s parent company. The new 9 p.m. show brings the news operation to more than 32 hours of programming each week.

“News is changing by the minute these days,” news director Kevin King said. “If we can provide another place and time to inform viewers about the latest news here locally and around the world, we should do that.”

The half-hour newscast will be available to viewers wherever they can find The CW: over-the-air, cable, DirecTV or Dish.

Combined KSFY-KDLT news operation ready to recast local broadcast market