became the station's final decision. Initially slow out of the gate, the change ended up being successful as WPLG ranked No. 1 in the 5 p.m. time slot, beating out its competitors' 5 p.m. newscasts, and was able to lure viewers into its 6 p.m. newscast. This change was so successful that other local stations in the Miami and West Palm Beach markets started airing syndicated programming in place of local newscasts, such as WPTV, WTVJ, and WPBF. But by 2011, Dr. Phils ratings had slipped and WPLG announced that the show would move back to WFOR, replacing Oprah which had just ended its 25-year run. Sports programming WPLG airs contests involving the NBA's Miami Heat via the network's contract with the league. The station has aired the Heat's 2006, 2011–14, and 2020 NBA Finals appearances, including the team's 2006, 2012 and 2013 championship victories. The station also airs select Miami Hurricanes football games as part of ABC's rights to college football telecasts. This included the team's national championship in 2001 by winning the 2002 Rose Bowl. WPLG also broadcasts select Florida Panthers contests beginning in 2021 through ABC's contract with the NHL. Since 2022, the station has also aired the Miami Grand Prix using a simulcast of Sky Sports F1. News operation WPLG presently broadcasts 54½ hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 8½ hours each weekday and six hours each on Saturdays and Sundays) – the highest of any ABC affiliate in the nation – and produces an additional 16 hours of local newscasts for Scripps-owned CW affiliate WSFL-TV each week (with three hours each weekday and 30 minutes each on Saturdays and Sundays). In regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, as of June 2021, it is the highest local newscast output of any station in the Miami market (with a combined 70½ hours each week) after surpassing Fox affiliate WSVN (which runs 63½ hours of newscasts each week). In addition, the station produces the hour-long political discussion program This Week in South Florida, which debuted in 1990 and airs Sunday mornings at 11:30 a.m.. From the show's inception until his retirement on December 18, 2022, the program was hosted by senior political reporter Michael Putney. Glenna Milberg, who has co-moderated the show since 2014, became the sole leader of the program upon Putney's retirement. In 1979, WPLG deployed the first helicopter in