The expanded Morning News show will begin at 4:30 AM, and end at 10 AM. The morning news expansion comes days after WCVB announced it would begin its Eyeopener at 4:30 AM, and a few months after NECN and WBZ also moved up their morning shows to 4:30.

That leaves only WHDH starting its news at the more traditional 5 AM.

Boston will add about 50,000 households this year, bringing its total to 2,460,290. More importantly, The Hub extended its lead over market 8 (Atlanta) to about 53,000 households.

On a broader note, 1 million new television households will come online this year, bringing the total to 115.9 million. The total number of viewers (P2+) increased 2 million to 294,650,000.

View the full DMA list here.

Shelburne, who joined NECN in 2006 and has most recently been the station’s prime-time co-anchor, is heading back to Birmingham, Alabama where she was born and raised.

She will anchor the 9 and 10 PM news at WBRC-TV, the local Fox affiliate, in addition to working on special project reports.

Beth says, “I’m thrilled with the opportunity to work for a winning station and be closer to family.”

Beginning Tuesday September 7, WCVB’s Eyeopener will air from 4:30 AM to 7:00 AM Monday through Friday.

The weekend Eyeopener will have an hour added to its schedule, meaning it will air from 5-8 AM.

WCVB’s News Director Andrew Vrees says that “people are up earlier in the morning — whether they are heading to the gym or off to work,” hence the need for more morning news.

Jim Armstrong is leaving FOX 25 after his 11 PM live shot tonight, according to a FOX 25 photographer. This comes as no surprise, as we have known since November that he would be parting with WFXT. Jim is moving on to FOX 29 in Philadelphia.

Alison Bologna has also left WFXT. She has returned to WJAR in Providence, where she will be working on a new show that debuts on September 6. Ironically she’ll be working with former Fox 25-er Dan Jaehnig.

Meanwhile, station insiders tell me that Erin Hawksworth is leaving the station on September 1. Neither Erin nor WFXT would comment on this report.

The most recent, Shannon Mulaire, comes to FOX 25 from WTVT in Tampa, Florida. Before that she worked in Fort Myers. Shannon graduated from Wellesely College, so she is no stranger to Boston.

Nicole Jacobs, most recently of WTIC in Hartford, also joined WFXT this summer.

Atwater, who last worked in Philadelphia, has worked at WCVB as a freelancer since November 2009.

Sorry for the delay in posting this information, but I am currently in Guatemala and will not be back until Sunday evening.

Another potential aesthetic change lies ahead for WBZ as well. NewsByte2, a television news blog out of New York, linked to WCBS-TV’s new website which is set to launch soon (see it here). The new site links WCBS-TV and several CBS owned NYC radio stations into one very clean looking website. It seems plausible that a similar change may be made here in Boston if all goes well in the Big Apple, as WBZ-TV/WSBK-TV could link up with radio stations ranging from ‘BZ radio to The Sports Hub.

To WBZ’s credit, they have remained active in keeping their website attractive, and reasonably easy to navigate. Far more so, at least in my opinion, than WCVB’s now antiquated website and WFXT’s less than appealing site. Like WBZ, WHDH recently streamlined its website to become more user friendly and interesting.

Please feel free to chime in on what you like or dislike about station websites.

Reid, who worked in Boston years ago, recently spent several years at WUSA-TV in Washington, DC.

5-6 AM

WCVB: 55,000
WHDH: 34,000
WFXT: 20,000
WBZ: 17,000

6-7 AM

WCVB: 94,000
WHDH: 72,000
WBZ: 41,000
WFXT: 40,000

7-9 AM

WHDH (Today): 94,000
WCVB (GMA): 71,000
WFXT (Local): 52,000
WBZ (Early): 23,000

Noon

WCVB: 85,000
WBZ: 77,000
WHDH: 67,000

5-6 PM

WCVB: 119,000
WHDH: 96,000
WBZ: 78,000

6 PM

WCVB: 171,000
WHDH: 109,000
WBZ: 92,000

11 PM

WCVB: 146,000
WHDH: 113,000
WBZ: 98,000
WFXT: 67,000

Sign on to Sign off (M-Su)

WCVB: 75,000
WHDH: 67,000
WBZ: 62,000
WFXT: 34,000