WXYZ-TV in Detroit presently broadcasts 42½ hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with seven hours each weekday, four hours on Saturdays and 3½ hours on Sundays). The news department of WXYZ-TV began in 1960, with the titles of its first newscast program: "The Big News". Four years later, in 1964, it rebranded its newscast titles as "Channel 7 News", and then the news department of Channel 7 began a longtime dominance of TV news in Detroit partly due to the popularity of long-time lead news anchor Bill Bonds (who first joined the team in the mid 1960s), and it started as a small operation but it would gain credibility for its coverage of the 1967 Detroit Riots. In the 1970s, WXYZ began an agressive build-up to its news department by adopting many elements of the Eyewitness News format, such as the Cool Hand Luke news music, and in 1971, it named its newscast title: Action News. In 1973, Channel 7 Action News, for the first time ever, became the highest-rated newscast in Detroit and has had the lead ever since. In 1982, the station added the 5PM weeknight newscast. Over the years, the faces of anchors, reporters, meteorologists and sportscasters worked for WXYZ-TV, along with Bonds were Dave Diles (who first joined the station in 1961 until 1972, and again from 1979 to 1982), Erik Smith (who first joined the station in 1962, and returned in 1976), John Kelly, Jac LeGroff, Al Ackerman, Marilyn Tucker, Jack McCarthy, Jerry Hodak, Don Lark, Doris Biscoe, Steve Wilson, Diana Lewis (who first joined the station on July 4, 1977), Robbie Timmons (who joined the team in 1982), Don Shane, Guy Gordon (who joined the station in October 1984), Frank Turner, Cheryl Chodun, Bill Proctor, Mary Conway, Val Clark and more... In the 1990s, the station expanded its weekday morning newscast to the eventual start time at 5AM. In June 1998, Carolyn Clifford joined the station as weekend evening anchor and medical reporter. Also in 1998, Joanne Purtan join the station as Erik Smith's co-anchor on the weekday morning newscast. In 1999, Heather Catallo joined the team as an investigative reporter. In 2000, Dave Rexroth joined the station's weather team to do the weather for the weekday morning & noon newscasts. In 2001, the station launched a 7PM weeknight newscast, and then expanded the noon weekday newscast to 1-hour. In 2002, WXYZ-TV launched its investigative unit: "7 Investigators". Also in 2002, Stephen Clark joined the station as reporter and later anchor. In May 2002, Carolyn Clifford replaced Joanne Purtan as Erik Smith's co-anchor on the weekday morning newscast. On September 1, 2003, Glenda Lewis joined WXYZ-TV as co-anchor of the 6 p.m. & 11 p.m. Sunday newscasts and weekday general assignment reporter. In April 2004, Guy Gordon left the station after almost 30 years and went on to another Detroit station WDIV-TV. In November 2006, WXYZ-TV switched all of its newscasts to HD. In January 2007, Alicia Smith (who joined the station as reporter and anchor in 1995) became co-anchor of the weekday morning newscast. In May 2010, after nearly 50 years, Erik Smith retired by anchored his final newscast. In September 2010, Keenan Smith joined WXYZ-TV as weathercaster and anchor on the weekday morning newscast. On September 23, 2010, Jerry Hodak retired by doing his final weather forecast, and the next day, Dave Rexroth became chief meteorologist for the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. weeknight newscasts. On August 3, 2011, WXYZ-TV unveiled its new news set during the noon weekday newscast. The new news set did featured new HD cameras, monitors and a redesigned weather center under the new forecast branding "7 First Alert Weather". On October 3, 2012, after more than 32 years at WXYZ-TV, Diana Lewis left the station by being retired. On January 26, 2014, the station expanded its 11 p.m. Sunday newscast to one hour. One week later, on February 2, 2014, WXYZ-TV debuted its new Sunday Morning sports program "7 Sports Cave". On September 8, 2014, WXYZ-TV introduced its new 4 p.m. weekday newscast called "The Now Detroit". On February 23, 2015, WXYZ-TV expanded into Downtown Detroit with a new street-side studio inside the Chase Tower, this new studio at the time was served as the location for the noon weekday newscast. On February 28, 2018, after 40 years, Stephen Clark retired from tv journalism by anchoring the 6 p.m. newscast. In March 2018, Keenan Smith became full-time co-anchoring with Alicia Smith on the weekday morning newscast. On March 24, 2018, Joanne Purtan left WXYZ-TV after 20 years by anchoring her final noon weekday newscast. In 2020, Ali Hoxie (who joined the station as an intern) began doing full-time traffic anchoring on the weekday morning newscast. On April 22, 2024, WXYZ-TV rebranded its newscasts titles as 7 News Detroit.