NewsWatch is a weekly television program with a news and entertainment format, primarily featuring on location satellite media tour (SMT) interviews, video news release

Video news release

A video news release is a video segment made to look like a news report, but is instead created by a PR firm, advertising agency, marketing firm, corporation, or government agency. They are provided to television newsrooms to shape public opinion, promote commercial products and services,...

s (VNRs), public service announcement

Public service announcement

A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...

s, and national non-profit awareness campaigns submitted to the program by various providers. It is usually broadcast during morning news hours between Thursday and Sunday on all Ion Television affiliates, as well as independently syndicated

Television syndication

In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...

 local stations. NewsWatch is based in Fairfax, Virginia and has offices in New York City.

Origins

NewsWatch began airing in March 1990 as a monthly program with a primary focus on financial issues. In the 1990s, it expanded its scope to become more of a TV news magazine covering a wide variety of topics of interest to the general public.

Format

NewsWatch uses an in-studio host who introduces the individual stories, all either pre-produced segments, VNRs, or Satellite Media Tours, booked through third party providers. Segments within the program typically run one-to-two minutes in length and are usually self-contained reports. The host also conducts interviews with newsmakers in remote locations throughout the U.S. These interviews cover a multitude of topics and often include well-known celebrities who may have a personal involvement in the issue being discussed.

Celebrity appearances

Between July 2010 and July 2011, celebrities including Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...

, Brooklyn Decker

Brooklyn Decker

Brooklyn Danielle Decker is an American fashion model and actress best known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, including the cover of the 2010 issue. In addition to working for Victoria's Secret for the 2010 "Swim" collection, she has ventured into television with guest...

, Cee Lo Green, Tom Skerritt

Tom Skerritt

Thomas Roy "Tom" Skerritt is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes since 1962.-Early life:...

, Julie Bowen

Julie Bowen

Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...

, Chris Noth

Chris Noth

Christopher David "Chris" Noth is an American actor. He is known for long-running television roles as Det. Mike Logan on the police procedural and legal drama television series, Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and as Big on Sex and the City. For the latter role, he has been...

, Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino

Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...

, Alison Sweeney, and Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....

 have appeared in the show. In that same time period, celebrity athletes including Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson

Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...

, Joe Montana

Joe Montana

Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...

, Jerry West

Jerry West

Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...

 and Jeff Burton

Jeff Burton

Jeffrey Brian "Jeff" Burton , also referred to as JB or The Mayor, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver who drives the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing. Burton is the younger brother of Ward Burton, who is a former Sprint Cup driver...

have appeared on the show.