The media landscape is rapidly changing, from sources of news like social media and streaming platforms to how fast information spreads. One of these changes includes the ongoing merger of ABC affiliate KATC-TV on Channel 3, Fox affiliate KADN on Channel 15 and NBC affiliate KLAF on Channel 14 into Acadiana News First (ANF), owned by Gray Media.
The three channels will remain separate to allow them to air programming from their national affiliates, but also unify their brand and consolidate resources. Viewers will find the same newscasts airing across three channels at once, but find their favorite late-night talk shows, game shows, talent competitions, sports coverage and more unchanged.
This includes Good Morning Acadiana hosted by Scott Brazda and Caroline Marcello, with Al Hebert and Brazda continuing their staple segments on community involvement and Daniel Phillips on the weather. Darla Montgomery hosts “Midday with Darla.”
Evening news will be hosted by Jim Hummel and Jazmin Thibodeaux, with weather by Rob Perillo and Dan Romano. Friday Night Live, covering high school football, will expand. More segments will be added in the future. The ANF evening broadcast debut was postponed from Sept. 21 to Oct. 12, according to James Parker, director of news for Gray Media in Lafayette.
Parker said, “What I think is unique to Acadiana is what you could call the heart or the spirit of the community. This is a particularly welcoming area.” Parker also said that the change will allow “more hours of live, local coverage.” Currently, there are no plans for mass layoffs or major programming changes.
The transfer was part of a larger station deal. Gray Media, which owned a station in every Louisiana market except Lafayette, faced objections from the American Television Alliance, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and the Federal Communications Commission. Gray Media bought KADN and KLAF from Allen Media Group on May 1, 2026. They then bought KATC from The E.W. Scripps Company on May 14, 2026.
Objections stemmed from concerns about the ethics of a duopolistic market in the Lafayette area. KLFY, the CBS affiliate on Channel 10, is the primary competitor.
The KATC studio on Eraste Landry Road is now ANF headquarters. The KADN and KLAF facility, which those stations leased, will go back on the market. Parker noted that consolidating resources in one facility will allow the station to extend outreach in other ways.
Regarding changes, KATC and KADN applications and websites have been rebranded and merged under the Acadiana News First mobile app and acadiananewsfirst.com, respectively. Articles published before Sept. 1, 2026, will be archived and available upon request. Although the Facebook and YouTube pages will remain separate, expect to see their three logos replaced with the ANF logo.
Changes like this don’t necessarily mean anything good or bad. Current UL Lafayette Chief Communications Officer, Marcelle Fontenot, served as a news anchor in the Acadiana journalism industry from 2004 until April 2026. She stressed that, “I know a lot of people in that building, and they are hardworking, and they are dedicated, and they believe in what they do and are trying to do a good job of being fair and balanced and providing information.”
Remarking on the changes she’s seen while working in the industry, Fontenot said, “We recognized that we had to transition because people were now consuming more information in different ways.” This includes social media informing the public as soon as possible rather than waiting until the evening broadcasts.
Regardless of how viewers have traditionally gotten their local news, Fontenot suggested that, “I think we, as a community, at least have to give them a shot before we say no.” Parker also expects viewership to rise because “people are going to want to sample this new product because they’re hearing about it.”