Local TV News Has the Largest Audience Share During the age of the Internet, gathering, reporting and delivering the news has become very competitive. Despite the increasing number of news sources, local TV news is still where more American adults seek information about the day’s events and the all- important weather forecast and sports headlines. During 2017, according to the Pew Research Center, local TV news’ share was 37%, compared to 26% for network TV news and 28% for cable TV news.

Divide and Conquer Although the percentage of US adults who regularly obtain news from all TV sources, including local TV, has decreased from 57% during 2016 to 50% during 2017, a multitude of other sources must divide the remaining 50% among themselves. Newspapers’ competitive position continues to decline, as 2017 US weekday newspaper circulation decreased 11%, to a total of 31 million, and Sunday circulation decreased 10%, to 34 million – and these numbers include print and digital versions. As measured by local weekday news minutes, radio stations aired 12 fewer minutes during 2017. Separating this data point by major, large, medium and small markets reveals +12 minutes, -2 minutes, - 20 minutes and -18 minutes, respectively.

Online News Overview The digital competition is significant, as a September 2017 Pew Research Report stated 67% of Americans obtain some of their news from social media, but “some” is not “regularly.” Facebook may have had 45% of those online news seekers, but there was considerable overlap of 25% or more with 7 other social media platforms, thus scattering the audience. In addition, recent reports seriously questioning the reliability of news on Facebook and other digital channels suggest many US adults may favor the decades-old integrity and relative objectivity of local TV news.

Basics of Local TV News Viewers It’s general knowledge in the media world, especially TV, that very few younger adults, those 18–29, watch local TV news, or 18%; however, 57% of the oldest age group, 65+, do. Not only is local TV news #1 in all age groups, but also the strength of local TV news’ digital presence provides advertisers with the best one-two punch to reach virtually all TV news viewers regardless of their ages. 41% of women watch local TV news, compared to 33% of men as well as more African Americans, Latino Americans and Asian Americans, whose populations are increasing at a faster rate than Caucasian Americans.

Local TV News Trends The total number of TV stations originating news was 703 during 2017, or two less than 2016. The total has been decreasing since 2013 because of the major consolidations of stations. The total number of TV stations carrying local news increased from 357 for 2016 to 369 during 2017. The grand total of 1,072 is a record and has continued to increase, as fewer newsrooms are airing news on an increasing number of outlets.

Time for the News Pew Research Center reports the average audience for local TV news decreased during the primary news time slots – morning, early evening and late night – from 2016 to 2017. Undoubtedly, there are multiple reasons why the average viewership decreased during these three news time slots on the major network affiliates, but no overall increase in the number of hours certainly didn’t help. The number of hours of local TV news during 2017 was approximately the same as 2016, which was a record year; however weekdays’ had 12 fewer minutes, on average, while both Saturday and Sunday had 12 additional minutes.

Hours of Local TV News by Affiliation and Staff Size Of the Big-Four affiliates, Fox stations had the largest average hours of weekday news, or 6.2; followed by CBS and NBC stations, 5.8 hours each; and ABC, 5.6 hours. CBS and NBC had the largest average number of hours of Saturday TV news, at 2.3; however, Fox had the largest Sunday average, or 2.5 hours. Not surprisingly, the stations with the largest news staffs, or 51+, aired more median hours of local news: weekdays, 8 hours; Saturday, 4 hours; and Sunday, 4 hours.

No Good Reasons to Change Local TV News’ Number of Hours The results of the (RTDNA)/Hofstra University Newsroom Survey indicate almost two-thirds (65.4%) of all stations did not change the total number of hours of news aired. Just 1.9% decreased the total hours and 32.4% remained the same. Interestingly, the survey found 52.2% of other commercial stations increased the number of hours of local news compared to 30.3% of the Big-Four affiliates. For 2018, 60.9% of local TV stations don’t anticipate changing the number of hours of aired news; however, 29.2% anticipate adding hours. Just 0.3% said they expected to decrease the number of hours of news while 9.6% weren’t sure.

Providing Other Media Outlets with News Content Another significant change during 2017 was a slightly larger percentage of TV stations (32.2%) were part of a Shared Service agreement, providing other local media outlets with content. Among the Big-Four affiliates, 42.7% provided news content to radio stations, more than twice a TV station in another market, at 19.8%. Among other commercial local TV stations, however, 32.0% provided news content to a TV station in another market and 28.0% to a radio station.

Profile of TV News Directors Visit most local TV news operations and you’ll meet a news director with an average age of 47.8 years and median age of 47; however, he or she tends to be significantly younger at stations in the 101 to 150 market size range. The average age of radio stations’ news directors, according to the (RTDNA)/Hofstra University Newsroom Survey, were slightly younger than their TV counterparts, or 46.4 years, but the media age was the same, at 47. Radio news directors have been on the job at the same station for more years than TV news directors. Quite possibly, because the average radio station allocated less time for news, or just 1 hour, 11 minutes during weekdays.

Local TV News Staffs Exceed Newspaper Staffs for First Time During 2017, total local new staffs total 27,100, compared to 25,000 for local newspapers. Unlike the closure of many newspapers and/or the reduction in the number of weekly issues, the increasing consolidation of TV ownership and, therefore, TV operations were the primary cause of total news staff shrinkage. Local news staffs’ total of 27,100 was 500 fewer than 2016, which was relatively small, as stations increased the average number of part-time and decreased the number of full-time staff members.

Local TV News Broadcasts and Online Presence: An Unbeatable Combination for Local Advertisers The advantage for you, as a local TV media sales rep, and your clients is the combination of broadcasted TV news and your station’s news content on your Website and social media platforms outperform online-only and print newspapers. According to an August 2017 Pew Research Center survey, 50% of US adults often obtained their news on TV and 43% online, compared to 25% from radio and 18% from newspapers. Knight Foundation’s 2017 Local TV News and New Media Landscape Report found the median social media share for all TV stations in the 22 major markets measured was 85.5%, compared to 11.7% for all newspapers.

Oldest Age Group Increased Its Use of Online News the Most According to the same Pew Research Center survey, 30% of US adults 65+ visited online news sources during 2017, a 34% increase from 20% for 2016. Adults 50–64 increased from 29% to 35%. The youngest age group, 18–29, only increased its use of online news sources by 2 percentage points, from 50% to 52%. Not only can your station’s news operations deliver very large percentages of older adults 50–64 and 65+ during broadcast news, but also significant percentages from your station’s Website and social media platforms.