KATC, KADN And KLAF Newsrooms To Merge Under New Acadiana News First Brand

LAFAYETTE, La. — A major change is coming to the local television news landscape in Acadiana as three familiar stations prepare to operate under one unified news brand.

KATC, KADN and KLAF are combining their news operations to become Acadiana News First, bringing the stations' reporters, anchors, meteorologists, sports teams and digital operations together under a single identity.

The change first caught viewers' attention Monday, when new Acadiana News First branding appeared on KATC's social media pages, immediately sparking questions about what was happening.

KATC anchor Jazmin Thibodeaux later appeared in a video explaining that KATC, KADN, and KLAF's news operations are being combined. Acadiana News First described the move as a new chapter for local journalism, designed to provide broader regional coverage, stronger severe-weather coverage, and more comprehensive reporting across Acadiana.

The new Acadiana News First brand is scheduled to officially launch across broadcast television on September 21, 2026.

What Happens To KATC, KADN And KLAF?

For viewers wondering whether their favorite ABC, FOX, or NBC programs are disappearing, the answer is no.

Programming outside of local newscasts will largely remain unchanged. ABC programming will continue on ABC 3, FOX programming will remain on FOX 15, and NBC programming will continue on NBC 15.2.

The biggest change involves the local news itself.

Instead of KATC and News15 operating as separate local news organizations, the combined newsroom will produce newscasts under the Acadiana News First, or ANF, name across all three channels.

According to the announcement, the familiar KATC, KADN, and KLAF call letters will no longer be used to identify the individual channels on air. Acadiana News First will instead become the associated news brand.

Why Are The Acadiana Newsrooms Combining?

The merger follows major ownership changes involving Lafayette television stations.

KATC officially completed its transition from The E.W. Scripps Company to Gray Media in May 2026 as part of a station swap. Gray also acquired KADN and KLAF from Allen Media Group, putting the Lafayette stations under the same ownership.

That ultimately paved the way for the previously separate news operations to combine.

Acadiana News First says pooling the resources and talent of all three stations will allow the organization to expand local news, weather, sports, and community coverage throughout the region.

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What Happens To KATC.com And KADN.com?

The digital side of the transition is already underway.

KATC.com and KADN.com are being consolidated into AcadianaNewsFirst.com, which will become the central online destination for news, weather, sports, traffic information, live video and other local coverage.

There is one significant detail longtime readers should know. According to Acadiana News First, stories published on KATC.com or KADN.com before September 1, 2026, will no longer be publicly available on the old websites.

An internal archive of older content from both sites has been created, but the archived stories will generally be accessible only to Acadiana News First digital staff.

The KATC and KADN YouTube channels are expected to remain active and transition to Acadiana News First branding, preserving video archives of previous stories and interviews.

One Acadiana News First App Will Replace Existing News Apps

The KATC and KADN news apps are also being consolidated into one Acadiana News First app.

The new app will offer local news, weather, sports, breaking news coverage and 24/7 live streaming. Acadiana News First says apps will also be available on streaming platforms and devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Android TV.

Viewers should also expect to see the Acadiana News First name increasingly appear across the existing stations' Facebook, Instagram and X accounts as the transition continues.

Familiar Acadiana News Personalities Will Remain On Air

While the branding represents a major shift, viewers will see plenty of familiar faces.

Acadiana News First's announced news team includes Jim Hummel, Jazmin Thibodeaux, Scott Brazda, Caroline Marcello, Darla Montgomery and Al Hebert alongside reporters from the former KATC and News15 operations.

The weather team will include Rob Perillo, Dan Romano, Daniel Phillips and Breyanna Lewis, while Jamarcus Fitzpatrick, Will Herren and Anthony Council make up the announced sports team.

The combined operation will be based at 1103 Eraste Landry Road, the longtime KATC studios in Lafayette.

Good Morning Acadiana Will Air Across All Three Channels

One of the most recognizable local television brands is also staying around.

Good Morning Acadiana will air from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on ABC 3, FOX 15 and NBC 15.2, followed by additional coverage from 7 to 9 a.m. on FOX 15.

Scott Brazda will return to a co-host role alongside Caroline Marcello, who is returning to the news desk after several years away from television and a short stint as a morning radio co-host on Hot 107.9's DJ Digital in the Morning. Al Hebert will serve as community correspondent, with Daniel Phillips handling weather.

Darla Montgomery will host Midday with Darla from noon to 12:30 p.m. on FOX 15 and NBC 15.2, with plans for the program to eventually air on ABC 3 later in 2026.

Acadiana News First Announces Evening Newscast Schedule

Acadiana News First will also have a significant presence throughout the afternoon and evening.

FOX 15 is scheduled to carry newscasts at 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m. ABC 3 and NBC 15.2 will carry newscasts at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.

Jim Hummel and Jazmin Thibodeaux will serve as evening anchors, while Rob Perillo, Dan Romano and Breyanna Lewis will provide weather coverage as part of the First Alert Weather team.

The announced schedule is subject to change.

A Major Shift For Local Television News In Acadiana

For decades, KATC and KADN have been competitors covering many of the same breaking stories, hurricanes, elections, festivals, sporting events, and community issues across Acadiana.

Beginning September 21, those previously separate news operations will officially share one identity.

The television channels themselves are not going away, and viewers will still find their ABC, FOX and NBC entertainment and network programming in the familiar places. What changes is the local news operation behind them.

Instead of competing newsrooms, Acadiana News First will become the shared local news operation serving ABC 3, FOX 15 and NBC 15.2.

More details to come in the following days and weeks, but this merger marks this one of the most significant changes to Lafayette's local media landscape in decades.