Channel 7, faced with losing its NBC affiliation in January, today announced a new broadcast schedule that will feature more than 87 hours of news per week, including a primetime block from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and syndicated programming to fill out the rest of the schedule.

The new lineup is a tacit acknowledgement that the battle to keep NBC programming on Channel 7 is all but over and WHDH has lost, even though owner Ed Ansin has appealed a judge’s decision saying the network owes him nothing once their contract runs out.

Beginning Jan. 1, Channel 7 will broadcast local news from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., from noon to 1 p.m., from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and from 9 to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends, 7News will air from 8 to 11 a.m., 6 to 7:30 p.m. and 9 to 11:30 p.m.

The station will air “Family Feud,” the popular syndicated game show hosted by Steve Harvey, weeknights from 8 to 9 p.m.

“We’re especially excited about our new 9 p.m. newscast, because viewing habits have changed,” said Paul Magnes, vice president and general manager of WHDH. “People are recording traditional primetime programs and watching them later. Now they will be able to watch a live newscast with vital and compelling information they want before they go to bed.”

Developing …