Defense News announces growth and enhancements to TV show, new public broadcast partner

Vienna, Va. – Defense News, the leading global news brand dedicated to the technology, business, programs and politics of defense, today announced important updates to its television show.

The program will change its name from This Week in Defense News to Defense News Weekly. This simple change allows more precise cataloguing and efficient search by users for the show in cable and DVR formats.

The show continues to air on American Forces Network (AFN) as its military broadcast partner, reaching 3 million U.S. military service members all over the world.  The show is also accessed by the professional defense community around the world on the digital video channel at www.DefenseNews.com

For Washington, D.C. area broadcast viewers, Defense News Weekly will now air on WETA TV 26 and WETA HD at 10:30am on Sunday mornings beginning April 16.

On WETA, the 30-minute program will air at 10:30am on Sundays after This is America and the World, a show discussing current global events.  WETA, the flagship public broadcaster in the nation’s capital, increases the broadcast reach of Defense News Weekly, providing access to viewers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

Defense News Weekly also announced that Tony Lombardo, executive editor of Defense News’ partner brand, Military Times, will co-host the Defense News Weekly TV show. Lombardo has significant video experience and is often called upon by national networks to provide insight on news stories relating to the U.S. military. This announcement coincides with content enhancements that include selected Military Times coverage on issues that affect the careers and lives of those who serve in uniform, complementing and augmenting the core Defense News technology and acquisition content of the show.

Jill Aitoro, executive editor of Defense News, will continue to have a prominent role in Defense News Weekly TV program and will co-host the show. The reporters of Defense News will continue to provide unique field reports, such as those recently from the IDEX defense show in United Arab Emirates or from Creech Air Force Base covering drone warfare.  Defense News Weekly is sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union.

“These developments to the Defense News television show are in keeping with our video growth strategy.  It helps strengthen the appeal of the show to our core audience of 3 million military service members on AFN, while increasing our range in the DC metro region.” said David Smith, President of Sightline Media, publisher of Defense News. “The partnership with WETA offers a relationship between media brands who share values of integrity and a commitment to  journalism and public service.”

WETA has a loyal, highly-educated, highly influential audience for its news content. For national PBS audiences, WETA Washington, D.C. is one of the largest-producing stations of new content for public television in the United States, with news and public affairs programs including PBS NewsHour and Washington Week