Denver may soon have another prime-time television newscast.

Executives at KDVR-TV, Channel 31, are working on a plan to launch a news department at the station. The proposed news program would be broadcast at 9 p.m., pitting the Fox Broadcasting Co. affiliate against KWGN-TV, Channel 2's evening newscast.

"The prime-time audience of Fox is a terrific lead-in to news," said Rod Bacon, general manager of Channel 31. "We're certainly in the planning process. We're convinced local news is very important, and this is a great TV news market."

Bacon said he wasn't yet ready to announce that the station would be creating a news department. But he noted that KDVR's parent company, Renaissance Communications Inc., will launch a new station in Fort Collins this fall, and a news department could take advantage...