The Nightbeat

is a late-night newscast broadcast by the Central Eyewitness News Network. It formerly served as the flagship newscast of the Central Television Network from 1966 to 1971, and became the network's late-night newscast after Newsnight premiered in 1971; airing after the stations' late local news at 11:35pm Eastern/10:35pm Central. It began its airing on the Eyewitness News Network when it launched in 1996, and eventually fully transferred to the said cable network in 1999 and its timeslot was replaced by (and since 2019, ). 
==History==
The Nightbeat premiered on November 21, 1966 on the Central Television Network, at 7:00pm Eastern time; in order to better compete with ABC's Peter Jennings with the News (later ABC Evening News; now known as ABC World News Tonight), the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite on CBS, and The Huntley–Brinkley Report (later NBC Nightly News) on NBC. Anchoring the newscast was Roger Grimsby, who would later be succeded by Joe Langston in 1969 when he moved to WABC-TV to pioneer Eyewitness News. Its segment anchor included Harry Volkman on weather.
Eventually in 1971, the newscast was transferred to 11:35pm when The 6:30 Report with Ron Stone was launched, becoming Central's flagship evening newscast. Nightbeat became its late-night newscast from that point on.
Langston remained as the newscast's anchor until 1986 when he bowed out and replaced by Dick Ford. Denise D'Ascenzo joined Ford that same year; Wayne Shattuck replaced Volkman on weather in 1988. In 1992, Stan Turner (for business) and Corey McPherrin (for sports) joined the program as specialist anchors. Also that same year weekend editions were launched (on June 20 and 21 respectively), originally anchored by Mitch Jelniker on both days.
The Nightbeat began to simulcast on the network's cable news channel Eyewitness News Network when it launched on July 4, 1996. Ford retired from the newscast in 1997 and was replaced by Steve Spriester. Ford died on August 30, 2022 at the age of 88.
The Nightbeat made its final broadcast on Central on July 10, 1999, and its weekend editions on July 12 that year. Its weeknight timeslot on Central was replaced by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
The newscast began broadcasting in high definition on January 2, 2006, along with other Central News programs. D'Ascenzo was replaced by (then) senior correspondent Lisa McRee in 2007. Nightbeat became solely anchored in 2011 after Spriester dropped from the program. That same year, Peter Alexander and Shelly Ribando took over the respective weekend editions of the Nightbeat.
==Anchors==
===Weeknights===
*Ray Cortopassi (January 4, 2021-present)
*Lisa McRee (July 4, 2007-present)
===Weekends===
*Peter Alexander (October 8, 2011-present; Saturdays)
*Shelly Ribando (October 9, 2011-present; Sundays)
===Specialist anchors===
*Tom Brady (2022-present; Sports Central)
*Kevin Newman (2010-present; In Business)
*Don Schwenneker (2009-present; Gary England Weather Central)
==Gallery==
tnb-open-1986.png|Titlecard from 1986-1992
tnb-open-1992.png|Titlecard from 1992-1997
tnb-open-1997.png|Titlecard from 1997-2004
the nightbeat open 2015.png|Former titlecard from 2016-2023
Category:News programming
Category:Central Television Network
Category:Central News
Category:List of news programs broadcast and aired by Central Television Network
Category:List of programs broadcast and aired by Central Television Network
Category:United States 
Category:Television programmes in the United States