Orlando's WRDQ has expanded it's 10PM newscast to an hour.

The newscast is produced by sister station WFTV.

"We've been on an upward trend with the 10 p.m.," said Shawn Bartelt, general manager of WFTV and WRDQ.

In August ratings for 10 p.m., WRDQ and Fox-owned WOFL-Channel 35 were locked in a tight ratings race for the 25-to-54 demo.

WOFL has been the longtime leader in the time slot. But the WRDQ news was reaching more households last month, a major shift in the market.

Bartelt cited other reasons for enlarging the telecast anchored by Nancy Alvarez and Jorge Estevez. "Nancy and Jorge are a strong team that can carry an hour," Bartelt said.

In January, Alvarez and Estevez became the first Hispanic anchor team on a weeknight English-language newscast in Orlando.

H/T Orlando Sentinel