Afternoon expansion for ABC's morning franchise

The Associated Press, Monday, July 9, 2012, 11:26am (PDT)

NEW YORK (AP) -- ABC has brought its morning news franchise to the afternoon, but it might want to hold on to its alarm clock.

The debut edition of "Good Afternoon America" on Monday ended abruptly in mid-anecdote from singer Liza Minnelli, who was being interviewed after performing "New York, New York" in the show's Times Square studio. Host Lara Spencer interrupted her to wave goodbye.

ABC's "Good Morning America" has watched its competitors at NBC's "Today" stretch its show to four hours in recent years so it is trying out its own expansion. The hourlong "Good Afternoon America" is airing for nine weeks as a summer replacement series.

Before Minnelli, the pop culture-oriented show was helped by a breaking news story: the divorce settlement between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.