News HUB is a production company based in Little Rock, Arkansas, which syndicates "localized" news programs for broadcast television stations in the United States, that have budgets limiting their ability to produce their own local newscasts. In addition to producing local newscasts, INN also produced a Spanish language Hispanic News Network, or HNN, and INN News for national syndication.
History
Regional News Network
The Regional News Network started in 1999 and branded itself as Independent News Network. The company's first client was Davenport Fox affiliate KLJB. INN produced a half-hour primetime newscast for that station, titled the Fox 18 Nine O'Clock News, which started on December 31, 1999 until the station entered into a news share agreement with crosstown ABC affiliate WQAD-TV in September 2010. The company started two syndicated general national news products in June 2002. "The American Times" and "INN News" were for stations and cable channels who did not want a customized news product. In October, a Montana regional newscast, Big Sky News, with some localization for five stations began. INN began expanding into Spanish language newscast with Univision affiliates, particularly those owned by Equity Media Holdings. The Salt Lake City affiliate, KUTH, became INN's first Spanish client in February 2003. INN started Noticias Arkansas, a regional and local Spanish newscast, in June 2004 for affiliates in Little Rock and North West Arkansas. In August 2008, INN launched Hispanic News Network in 20 markets. At that time INN employed six on-air personnel, with the expectation of hiring 6 more by early 2009. A new studio was constructed for HNN and WMYD, the Detroit MyNetwork TV affiliate.
Latin Media Group
Regional News Network filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on December 31, 2008. INN was taken over in early January 2009 by LMG, Inc., part of Fusion Communications, also of Davenport, Iowa. In the transfer, INN laid off 12 of its staff of 40, and kept its client stations except forWPGA-TV in Macon, Georgia. By November 2009, Independent News Network signed on WeatherNation for five of INN's Spanish language client stations. INN agreed by October 2011 to support Soul of the South Network's planned five hours of news per day. INN's staff was further cut to 14 in June 2013 as more client stations left the service.
Media Gateway division
By June 2015, SSN Media Gateway, LLC had acquired Independent News Network. At that time INN had hired Anne Imanuel, the wife of Mike Preston, the new director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, as an anchor. The Commission had a past due loan from the Soul of the Southcompany group thus causing a perception of a conflict of interest. With financial difficulties, SSN Funding partners' ownership interest in Gateway Media Technologies was purchased by Matthew Davidge, owner of client station WRDE, as of February 6, 2016. Sarah Blakely was hired by May 2017 as anchor for the Lafayette, Indiana Star City News.
News Hub
purchased Independent News Network from Media Gateway in early June 2019 and renamed News Hub. As corporate director of news, Elden A. Hale Jr. was then appointed to head the division. The national version of the newscast was dropped at the same time. Standard Media Group, in turn, purchased Waypoint in November 2019.
Hispanic News Network
Hispanic News Network was launched by INN in 20 markets in August 2008. Alan Rivera was promoted to executive producer for HNN and newscaster after already working at INN for 4 years. At launch, HNN produced three newscasts a day. At that time INN employed six on-air personnel with expectation of hiring 6 more by early 2009.
Stations with INN newscasts
English
Spanish
INN produces several Spanish language newscasts, and provides content for HNN. INN also produces a daily national program for the HITN network. INN also previously produced a newscast for affiliates of LAT TV, a Houston, Texas-based Spanish language television network; LAT TV folded in May 2008. The company also produced newscasts for seven Univision-affiliated stations owned by the Equity Broadcasting Corporation: KUTH in Salt Lake City, KLRA-LP in Little Rock, KEYU in Amarillo, WUDT-CA in Detroit, WUMN-CA in Minneapolis, KUOK in Woodward and WUVF-CA in Naples. Equity discontinued these newscasts on June 6, 2008.
