In early 1996 , shortly after WGBA picked up the NBC affiliation , then-owner Aries Telecommunications announced plans to start a full-fledged news department for the station . On July 19 , 1996 , during the start of NBC 's coverage of the 1996 Summer Olympics , WGBA debuted its local newscasts , with a half-hour early-evening newscast at 6:00 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays ( the initial broadcast of that program on July 19 ran a special one-hour broadcast , leading into NBC 's coverage of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Atlanta ) and a late evening newscast at 10:00 p.m. seven nights a week . Ted O'Connell was WGBA 's first news director ; he was succeeded by Ashley Webster ( now a journalist with Fox Business Network ) , who also served as weeknight co-anchor alongside Heather Hays ( presently a main anchor at Fox owned-and-operated station KDFW in Dallas-Fort Worth ) . Eventually as the operation grew , the station added newscasts on weekday mornings , weekdays at noon and at 5:00 p.m
Olympic Opening Ceremonies
1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
WGBA-TV