WTTO launched its own in-house news operation on September 8, 2003, and began airing a nightly hour-long prime time newscast, titled "WB21 News at 9:00". The program was developed and formatted around the "News Central" local/national hybrid news concept created by Sinclair that year; local news segments originated from the station's Beacon Parkway studios in Birmingham, while national news, weather and sports segments were based out of studios located at Sinclair's corporate headquarters on Beaver Dam Road in Hunt Valley, Maryland. In addition, WTTO also aired "The Point", a controversial one-minute conservative political commentary feature during its newscasts; the segment was required to air on all Sinclair-owned stations that aired local newscasts (regardless of whether it carried the "News Central" format or not).