News operation
When the station became a CBS affiliate in 2002, there were plans to start a local news operation as early as the fall of that year.[17] In 2003, WGFL reached an agreement to simulcast the noon, 6 p.m., and 11 p.m. newscasts from fellow CBS affiliate WTEV in Jacksonville, beginning that November.[18] While WTEV's newscasts focused on the Jacksonville area, they did cover Gainesville during Gator football season or major news events. After a few years, WGFL quietly dropped the WTEV simulcasts in the fall of 2006 and replaced it with the nationally syndicated INN News, produced by Independent News Network.
On October 27, 2010, WGFL launched a local newscast produced by INN under the branding GTN News (standing for "Gainesville Television Network"). The newscast was produced from INN's studios (initially in Davenport, Iowa, but later Little Rock, Arkansas) using centralized anchors, and footage from local reporters. WGFL simulcast with WNBW at 6 and 11 p.m.; the 11 p.m. newscast can be delayed on either station due to network obligations. WGFL and WNBW also simulcast local news and weather cut-ins on weekday mornings during their respective national network shows. WGFL also aired a standalone 5:30 p.m. newscast which was canceled a few years later.[19] On April 4, 2016, it began using Sinclair's standard music and graphics package, and was renamed CBS 4 News.
By October 2019, production of the newscast had been taken over by Sinclair's West Palm Beach CBS affiliate WPEC, using a secondary studio and set previously used by Sinclair's defunct American Sports Network.
On May 1, 2023, it was reported that WGFL would be discontinuing its CBS 4 News newscasts, effective May 12, with plans to lay off the entire news operation. The station now runs "nationally syndicated programming", such as Sinclair's news program The National News Desk, in lieu of locally produced newscasts.[20]
