Your television viewing habits will get a bit of a shakeup next week according to the folks who own and operate WSBT Television in South Bend. The station, which is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, announced today that beginning on Monday, August 1st, the station's SBT-2 Channel will become the local home for FOX programming.
According to the report from the WSBT news desk, FOX Michiana will feature "all the programs you currently watch on a new channel." The report goes on to say, "You can watch it on Digital Channel 22.2, Dish Network 30 and Comcast Cable 16."
The anchors used the surprising announcement to also note that beginning on Monday, they will expand WSBT 22 News at 10 to a full hour-long newscast, and they will carry two more hours of their morning newscast live on FOX Michiana.
Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired WSJV from owner Quincy Broadcasting creating the changing channel line up.
Weather watchers who had been accustomed to tuning to 22.2 for the WSBT First Alert Weather Channel will lose that opportunity when the switch is made, but Sinclair officials hope that concerned fans will download their First Alert Weather App on their smartphone, so they won't miss a beat.
Another "victim" of the programming change will be the South Bend Cubs baseball team. Due to the programming shift, the SB Cubs games will no longer be aired live on 22.2 for the balance of the season, however, Sinclair management reports "we hope to renew our relationship with the South Bend Cubs next year."
Inasmuch as WSBT is the home to Chicago Bears pre-season football games, they assure viewers that all four Bears pre-season games will be aired with their three Thursday night games airing on FOX Michiana 22.2 and the lone Saturday game airing on the regular WSBT Channel 22 line up.
Sinclair's WSBT says they do not typically comment on personnel issues, however, in a FAQ sheet the station provided, they tell us "some staff from FOX 28 WSJV-TV were retained for positions at WSBT 22 and FOX Michiana.
All programming changes take effect next Monday, August 1st according to Sinclair Broadcasting authorities.
