11 a.m. for an hour, as well as being streamed live on the station's website. Also on that date, WOOD-TV became the second station in southwestern Michigan to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in 16:9 widescreen enhanced definition. Although not truly high definition, the broadcast matches the ratio of HD television screens. The simulcasts on WOTV were included in the upgrade. On October 22, 2011, WOOD-TV became the third television station in southwestern Michigan (behind Fox affiliate WXMI and CBS affiliate WWMT) to broadcast local newscasts in high definition. On September 20, 2016, WOOD-TV began a half-hour newscast at 7:00 p.m., becoming the first station in Grand Rapids to do so; as a result, Access Hollywood moved from WOOD-TV to sister station WOTV. Downtown studio Starting in September 2011, WOOD-TV began broadcasting all of its newscasts during ArtPrize from a temporary studio built inside the Grand Rapids Art Museum. During the live broadcasts, people were encouraged to come downtown and get a behind-the-scenes look at WOOD-TV's news operation. People standing outside the museum made up the backdrop behind the anchor desk. In 2017, the station made it a year-round studio when it partnered with the Grand Rapids Art Museum to launch the Media Arts Center. The noon newscast is anchored daily from the streetside studio. Also in 2017, WOOD-TV opened a streetside studio in downtown Kalamazoo overlooking Bronson Park. The station invites school groups to both studios during the school year for the "Storm Team 8 Weather Experience," an educational multi-media show hosted by Storm Team 8 meteorologists who teach kids about weather and science. Notable former on-air staff Carol Duvall (former host of The Carol Duvall Show) Alan Gionet (now at KCNC-TV in Denver) Steve Kmetko (former E! host) Steve Osunsami (now with ABC News) Janet Shamlian (now at CBS News) John Stehr (now at WTHR in Indianapolis) Matt Winer (now at Turner Sports, formerly at ESPN) Ginger Zee (now with ABC News as weekday meteorologist for Good Morning America) Technical information Subchannels The station's digital signal is multiplexed: Translator Analog-to-digital conversion WOOD-TV became the first station in the market to broadcast a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 on August 14, 1999. The station shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 8, at 10 a.m. on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal