That didn’t take long. WCVB Channel 5 launched a 7 p.m. newscast last month and quietly recruited former Fox 25 anchor Maria Stephanos to co-host the show at the ABC affiliate.

Now rival WHDH Channel 7 wants in on the act.

The NBC affiliate unveiled its move on Wednesday, saying Kim Khazei and Adam Williams will co-host a 7 p.m. news show that will debut on March 7. They’ll be joined by meteorologist Jeremy Reiner and sports anchor Joe Amorosino.

“Adding a 7 [o’clock] newscast only reaffirms our commitment to news and the people of New England,’’ Paul Magnes, the station’s general manager, said in a brief press release. “We will continue to be innovative and invest in the future of 7 News and this community.’’

Magnes was out of town and unavailable to elaborate on the statement. But there’s one crucial element that the press release didn’t mention: the feud between station owner Ed Ansin and NBC.

The Peacock Network, owned by cable giant Comcast, last month confirmed the long-circulating rumors that it would start its own Boston-area station after its affiliation with Ansin’s Sunbeam Television Corp. expires at the end of the year.

At the time, Ansin said he would fight NBC’s effort to seek the divorce. Ansin said NBC initially tried to buy his station but was unwilling to pay a sum anywhere near its value. And he argued, among other considerations, that it’s not in the public’s best interest to give Comcast so much control in the Boston media market.

Chris Wayland, executive vice president at Sunbeam in Miami, answered some questions by e-mail on Wednesday about the launch. He said Sunbeam executives had been thinking about launching a 7 p.m. newscast for a while. Because WHDH was unable to renew “Access Hollywood’’ for the next season, it seemed like a good time to add a news show in its place.

The change, Wayland said, will take place regardless of whether WHDH continues its NBC affiliation.

Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jonchesto.