broadcast of the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan. For a number of years, WTVO carried selected Chicago Cubs telecasts originating from WGN-TV. However, in 1988, those telecasts moved to WIFR. During its days as an NBC affiliate, WTVO preempted a good number of network shows, particularly in weekday and Saturday daytime. It also preempted the Saturday edition of the NBC Nightly News in the 1980s. A significant figure in its history was news anchor Bruce Richardson. He spent over 35 years at the station from 1956 until his retirement in June 1992, longer than any anchorman in the history of Rockford television. Harold Froelich, one of WTVO's founders, served as general manager for 37 years from sign-on until his retirement in 1990. In 1953, Froelich was one of the youngest general managers in television. In November 2016, WTVO's ratings rose to first place in its 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts according to comScore, its success featured in the online television trade publication TVNewsCheck in an article entitled, "From 3rd to 1st, How WTVO Became News Leader". Programming Syndicated programming Syndicated programming on WTVO includes Entertainment Tonight, Judge Judy, The People's Court and The Rachael Ray Show among others. Newscasts In March 2006, WTVO began producing the market's second prime time newscast on WQRF known as Fox 39 News at 9. The broadcast only aired on weeknights unlike the area's original prime time show that was seen every night on cable-only WB affiliate "WBR" (produced by WREX). This distinction made WQRF's news Rockford's first over-the-air newscast at 9. Competition between "WBR" and WQRF was short-lived because, in late 2007, the former had its news canceled by WREX for an unknown reason. The time slot is currently used to replay the NBC outlet's weeknight 6 o'clock show on what is now CW affiliate WREX-DT2. Another addition to local newscasts on WQRF occurred January 14, 2008, when WTVO launched Fox 39 Evening News at 6:30. Eventually, WQRF expanded Fox 39 News at 9 to a seven-night operation and lengthened the weeknight version to a full hour. That station would eventually drop the 6:30 show for an unknown reason. WQRF's weeknight prime time newscast maintains a separate news anchor but features the same meteorologist and sports anchor as seen WTVO. On March 5, 2012, WTVO launched a two-hour-long extension of its weekday morning show on WQRF. Known as Fox 39 More