West Alabama TV Shakeup Coming Soon

Late last week, we broke some news about a big shakeup in local television.

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Last week's news is making some people nervous about the future of CBS Sports in Tuscaloosa and West Alabama. The CBS affiliate, WIAT-TV Channel 42, is flipping to a new network, and the CBS programming will only be available on a digital subchannel. CBS still has a few college football games and a ton of college basketball games. Not to mention the fact that CBS carries the AFC package from the National Football League.

So, here is the latest update on the shakeup. WTTO-TV Channel 21 will become an independent television station. It will go back to the way it was when it signed on back in 1982. In the original news item on this shakeup, I reported that these changes would come on August 1. That is not 100% accurate. On September 1, Alabama's 42 will be the new home of Central Alabama's CW Network.

Management at Channel 42 is saying that when this big change happens, it will include multiple hours of expanded local news coverage. They say it will be the most local news coverage they have ever offered in their programming lineup. Channel 42 management is also saying that this new local coverage will focus on Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Anniston, and surrounding areas.