News operation
Historically, WBTW has been one of the most dominant stations in the country. This is in part because it was the only station in the market for a quarter-century; until WPDE signed on in 1980, viewers had to rely on cable to get programming from the other networks.
The ratings have tightened with more competition, but WBTW continues to lead. It is the only station that covers the entire market equally; WPDE and NBC affiliate WMBF-TV have largely focused on the Grand Strand in recent years.[4]
Another factor in the station's dominance is talent continuity. Channel 13 has a number of staffers with remarkably long tenures for what has always been a small market. Bob Juback joined the station in 1984 as a sportscaster, moving to the weekend anchor desk in 1987. Juback took over as main anchorman in 1992 until his retirement in 2024, longer than anyone in the market's history. For the first 28 years of his tenure, Juback was teamed with Nicole Boone, who had been the station's top female anchor since 1989. Boone went into semi-retirement in 2020, but returns to cover special events in the market.
In 2004, WBTW established a news share agreement with Fox affiliate WFXB. It then began producing a weeknight 10 o'clock newscast for that station known as Fox 43 News at 10. In 2006, the title switched to Fox News at 10.
During August 2007, WBTW became the second station in the market to move most of its operations to new studios in Myrtle Beach. A smaller facility at that same site had been serving as the station's Grand Strand bureau since 1989; it was demolished in 2007 to make way for the larger facility. The station maintained some operations its old facilities in Florence for a time. However, by 2008 the station had moved all of its operations to Myrtle Beach. A physical Lumberton bureau closed in 2007. Like the other two stations in the market, it has kept a small team of reporters in Florence to cover the inland portion of the market.
In March 2008, WBTW converted its news operation to all-digital. The revamp included new graphics, new news set, and robotic studio cameras. In 2013, WBTW became the second station in the market (after NBC affiliate WMBF, which signed on in HD) to broadcast its newscasts in high definition. This left ABC affiliate WPDE as the last local news station to still broadcast in enhanced digital widescreen (until 2015).
On December 1, 2011, WBTW began producing an hour-long weekday morning show on WFXB. Known as Fox Morning News, the broadcast is seen from 7 until 8 offering a local alternative to the big three network morning shows.[5] On May 19, 2012, WBTW launched an hour-long newscast on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 to 9 am.[5]
On April 20, 2015, WBTW began producing a half-hour extension to its morning newscast at 4:30 am, as well as an hour-long 9 a.m. newscast titled News 13 NOW. The newscasts are the only ones on at that time in the Florence–Myrtle Beach market, and as a result, WBTW 13 produces five and a half hours of weekday morning news, with two of those hours produced for WFXB.[6]
On September 10, 2018, WBTW debuted a 5:30 p.m. newscast, with Inside Edition moving to WMBF-TV in the same timeslot, which moved its 5:30 p.m. newscast to 7:30 pm.[7]
- Darby Mullany Dunn – anchor (1993–1997)
- Rick Pizzo – sports anchor/reporter (1998–2001)
- Stephanie Sy – fill-in anchor/reporter (1999–2001)
