TOLEDO, Ohio — Coming soon our WTOL 11 team will be offering another way to stay connected to the big stories, breaking news and weather forecasts throughout the week – now an hour earlier each day.
We’re proud to announce WTOL 11 will soon be adding a new 4 p.m. newscast Monday through Friday beginning Sept. 11.
The Dr. Phil show is ending after more than 20 years of afternoon television, and that’s where WTOL 11 News at 4 p.m. is planning to step in.
We are committed to bringing viewers fresh, local news. The show is designed to inspire and highlight the ways the northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan community comes together to help one another.
"For six decades, WTOL 11 has delivered news to northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan and we're excited to bring something new to our audience once again," President and General Manager of WTOL 11 Brian Lorenzen said. "This expansion reflects our unwavering commitment to our viewers and to the communities we serve. We remain dedicated to providing a fresh perspective on the stories that matter most."
Longtime WTOL 11 anchor Dan Cummins, along with weekend anchors TaTiana Cash and Caylee Kirby, will lead the WTOL 11 News at Four team.
Cummins said he’s looking forward to bringing the community something new.
“I love the challenge of starting something from scratch,” Cummins said. “That was the feeling 30 years ago when we started Big Board Friday, the first in the market to expand doing a 20-25-minute-high school sports show.
“Now, as was the case then, there were enormous resources at our disposal and some creative minds that made it come together. Not just in starting the show from scratch but making it Different. Watchable. Informative. Fun. Personality driven.”
Cummins has been on-air at WTOL 11 for 43 years. He began in the sports department and has been anchoring and reporting news for the last six years.
Cummins said he’s seen the industry change greatly, especially when it comes to when audiences tune in for local newscasts.
“I’m so excited to see what the future brings!” he said. “Years ago, there was only noon, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on WTOL. That was a total of two hours of news per day. Now we produce 10 hours of news from 4:30 a.m. through the 11:30 p.m. show. Our viewers’ needs have changed and so we adjust to satisfy the need.”
Cummins and other team members have been brainstorming new show ideas along with the show’s producer Alexis McMichael.
As she prepares for the new show, McMichael said she understands viewers may be asking, “More news, but why?”
“We hope to spotlight not just what’s going on in our community, but also highlight the people in our great city that go above and beyond to make sure their family, neighbors, and friends are cared for,” she said.
McMichael, a Toledo native, has been behind the scenes of WTOL 11 producing shows for the last 13 years. She said she is excited to kick off a new show.
“I am excited for the opportunity to connect even more with the community I’ve lived in my whole life,” McMichael said. “Toledo is home and I’m proud to show it off.”
Outside of the day-to-day news and weather viewers can expect live guests, moments of viewer interaction and a sneak peek behind the scenes of WTOL 11.
Also in the show's lineup is anchor and reporter Caylee Kirby. Caylee has been busy preparing some of these unique stories and segments to share with viewers. She said the news at 4 p.m. is different than anything we have now.
“It’s not hard news and crime, but it’s not a talk show either,” she said. “It’s something right in the middle. We spent time asking viewers what they wanted in a show, and this is it.”
Anchor TaTiana Cash is looking forward to joining Cummins and Kirby to bring the fun, “we are looking forward to having fun but still bringing you relevant and necessary news.” She went on to add “There will be pop culture, social media and day-to-day references.”
Cummins said he encourages everyone to check out the new WTOL 11 News at Four when it debuts Sept. 11.
“Why watch? We’re a 4 p.m. news that isn’t stuffy! “ he said. “We aim to be anything but boring.”
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