CBS affiliates may get option on hour-long news

There's been a lot of talk about expanding evening television news to a full hour, but industry sources say CBS is now actually considering a plan that would give local affiliates the option of retaining the 30-minute format or going hour-long.

The plan has been presented to a meeting of CBS affiliates, and a decision is expected before the session ends today (Nov. 19). CBS's evening news staff would produce two separate programs, one 60 minutes long, the other 30 minutes.

NBC affiliates recently rejected NBC's bid to go to an hour, perhaps because no option was offered.