ORLANDO, Fla. -- WESH-TV announced that it will launch a new 7 a.m. weekday newscast on WKCF-TV on Friday.

"We have been planning the addition of this morning newscast since the purchase of WKCF in September of last year," said Bill Bauman, WESH 2-CW18 president and general manager. "As one of the top CW affiliates in the country, the CW18 platform offers us a remarkable opportunity to extend the WESH 2 News brand to an entirely new audience. In addition, localism and commitment to the community are significant parts of our vision for CW18."

"Mornings are the fastest area of growth for stations around the country," said Barbara Maushard, WESH 2 news director, "and people constantly tell us they want more local news beyond 7 a.m. We're excited to provide Central Florida viewers with even more local news, weather and traffic as they prepare to start their day."

"WESH 2 News on CW18" will feature news from overnight and breaking news, WESH 2 Weather Plus forecasts and traffic updates. On Aug. 14, 2006, WESH-TV launched Central Florida's only hour-long 4 p.m. news broadcast.

"We are constantly looking for opportunities to serve the local news and weather needs of our viewers both on air and online. With the addition of 'WESH 2 News on CW18,' we take yet another step toward our ultimate goal of anywhere-anytime local news and weather coverage," Bauman said.

CW18 airs on Bright House Networks channel 8.