newscasts each week (with five hours on weekdays, and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays). As KTRG, the station aired a start-up weeknight 10 p.m. newscast called Nightly News that was broadcast from the station's original studios at Royal Block on Kalakaua Avenue; this program was later retitled as The Big News, anchored by Wayne Collins. In January 1995, prior to joining NBC, KHNL became the last of the major network affiliates in Hawaii to form its own news department. King Broadcasting invested $5 million in an all-digital facility; on April 17, 1995, the station launched a prime time newscast at 9 p.m. that was simulcast on sister station KFVE. News broadcasts expanded that year with the addition of a 10 p.m. newscast on June 19, followed by the debut of a 5 p.m. newscast on July 24, and a 6 p.m. newscast on November 30. Upon joining NBC, the station added a two-hour weekday morning newscast from 5 to 7 a.m. on January 1, 1996. An audio simulcast of its 6 p.m. newscast began airing on KUMU (1500 AM) on January 6, 1997. The KHNL-produced 9 p.m. newscast on KFVE was dropped on August 3 of that year. On August 31, 1997, KHNL debuted a sports magazine and wrap-up show called Sports Sunday Hawaii. On June 1, 1999, the weeknight 6 o'clock show began simulcasting on KCCN-AM (1420). The station debuted "Chopper 8", the only television helicopter in the market, on April 5, 2000. On April 1, 2002, the station's weekday morning program was reduced to 90 minutes, cutting the start time to 5:30 a.m. A news share agreement was established with KKBG (97.9 FM), KLEO (106.1 FM), KHLO-AM, and KKOA (107.7 FM) on October 10. KHNL entered into a partnership with KIKU (channel 20) to broadcast nightly news updates for the station on February 3, 2003. On October 18, 2004, KHNL began producing a half-hour prime time newscast at 9 p.m. for KFVE, restoring news to that station after seven years. On January 7, 2007, the station began producing a weeknight 6:30 p.m. newscast for KFVE. On December 3, 2007, KHNL debuted a midday newscast at noon, this program has since been dropped. On December 22, 2008, KHNL became the first television station in Hawaii to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition; the KFVE newscasts were included in the upgrade. The origins of the three