G — est ab lished ▁their ▁own ▁or ▁maintained ▁existing ▁news ▁depart ments ▁during ▁their ▁network ▁ten ures — this ▁was ▁even ▁more ▁ir onic ▁considering ▁that ▁W BS G ▁continued ▁to ▁operate ▁a ▁news ▁department ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁W B ▁affili ate ▁prior ▁to ▁joining ▁ABC ); ▁the ▁station ' s ▁final ▁new sc ast ▁and ▁the ▁final ▁edition ▁of ▁Face ▁Off ▁both ▁a ired ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁W J KS - produ ced ▁ 1 0 : 0 0   p . m . ▁new sc ast ▁on ▁W A WS ▁was ▁dis cont in ued ▁as ▁a ▁result ; ▁W A WS ▁established ▁its ▁own ▁in - house ▁news ▁department ▁in ▁response , ▁which ▁deb uted ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 0 , ▁the ▁day ▁after ▁channel ▁ 1 7 ' s ▁news ▁department ▁fol ded . ▁When ▁G ann ett , ▁owner ▁of ▁W TL V , ▁bought ▁W J XX ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁and ▁merged ▁the ▁operations ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁stations , ▁the ▁joint ▁news ▁department ▁that ▁resulted ▁was ▁titled ▁First ▁Coast ▁News . ▁ ▁From ▁that ▁time ▁until ▁W C W J ' s ▁ac quisition ▁by ▁Graham ▁Media , ▁W C W J ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁commercial ▁television ▁station ▁in ▁the ▁Jackson ville ▁market ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁air ▁locally ▁produced ▁new sc asts , ▁either ▁produced ▁by ▁the ▁station ▁itself ▁or ▁through ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁news ▁depart ments ▁operated ▁amongst ▁the ▁five