CBC is dropping its current plan of attack for suppertime news programming, and in February will axe its national newscast Canada Now to make room for expanded, hour-long local news.

The move reverses changes made in 2000 that saw local newscasts cut back to 30 minutes, and will shuffle current Canada Now anchors Ian Hanomansing and Gloria Macarenko to a local TV news hour from Vancouver.

CBC upper management unveiled the new plans, billed as My CBC, to staff via teleconference on Nov. 30. Local news coverage will also be stepped up on cbc.ca, as the network pushes for a smoother, more multi-platform approach to its news reporting, they said. Some changes will not formally launch until September.