Who broadcasts the most local news during the week?

That would be Roanoke’s NBC affiliate, WSLS (Channel 10), when the station adds a 5 a.m. newscast starting Monday. Meanwhile, its crosstown rival, the CBS affiliate, WDBJ (Channel 7), is “strongly considering” doing the same.

Viewers are going to bed earlier and waking up earlier, prompting the push for earlier local news, the two stations said. Both currently begin their weekday newscasts at 5:30 a.m.

Warren Fiihr, general manager for WSLS, said the station wanted to roll out the extra newscast when more eyes were watching.

The Beijing Olympics have spiked NBC’s ratings, bringing the network an average of 28.7 million viewers in the games’ first full week, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research. By comparison, its closest competition, CBS, averaged 5.1 million.

Fiihr referred to the phenomenon of viewers turning on their TVs after a night of watching the Olympics and finding — what’s this? — a new morning show.

“You’d think in this world of remotes it wouldn’t matter,” he said, but viewers linger on what they see first. “If it’s good, people watch it.”

The WSLS news tally is currently at four hours each weekday. WDBJ airs 3.5 news hours.

The difference? WSLS has a 5:30 p.m. newscast, when WDBJ is playing a local favorite, “The Andy Griffith Show.” (In July, the sitcom was the region’s ratings king at 5:30 p.m., also beating “Oprah.”)

But WDBJ is thinking seriously about adding local news to the 5 a.m. slot, too, said Jeffrey Marks, the station’s general manager. “News viewing habits are shifting away from late-night news to morning news,” he said.

The Lynchburg-based ABC affiliate, WSET (Channel 13), has already made the move. The station began airing “Good Morning Virginia” at 5 a.m. in January 2005, said Bill Foy, news director for WSET.

The WSLS morning team of anchor Dawn Jefferies and meteorologist Patrick McKee is set to host the 5 a.m. show.

The WDBJ morning team of anchor Kimberly McBroom and meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner would likely host its 5 a.m. show.