It’s been non-existent since television first had a picture in the 1940s. New York City has never had a one-hour 11 p.m. newscast. But, that all changed at the start of 2011 when WABC/Channel 7 expanded its late weekend newscast.

Anchors Sandra Bookman and Joe Torres, meteorologist Jeff Smith, and sports anchor Laura Behnke now give viewers a comprehensive 60 minutes until midnight.

“We thought that another half-hour of news would be better received by the viewers than the repeat, syndicated programming that we have been running there,” Dave Davis, WABC president and general manager, tells FishbowlNY.

It’s rare to consider a newscast counter-programming, but with options like Saturday Night Live on WNBC and recent episodes of Alcatraz and New Girl on WNYW/Channel 5, WABC is providing another choice for the proven commodities.

Davis says the change has already been evident, as numbers indicate more people sticking with WABC’s news during the weekend than prior to the expansion.

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New York’s longest current sports anchor Scott Clark steps away from the daily grind tonight. He’ll handle his usual 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. duties one more time. You can be sure there will be an on-air tribute waiting for Clark.

In June, Clark announced he would retire.

He began at WABC in 1986 and before long he was the station’s sports director and main sportscaster.

His weekly features “Armchair Quarterback,” “Hilight Zone,” and “Out Of This World” became staples in his reports.

Clark is an Emmy Award winner.

Rob Powers takes over for Clark starting tomorrow night. With Powers upgraded, recently hired Laura Behnke is the new weekend sports anchor.