Is Local TV News Doing Better or Worse?
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
If you had to make a guess in 5-seconds or less – would you say Local TV news is doing better or worse these days?
Time is up.
The answer may surprise you. According to the Pew Research Center which is out with some interesting facts and analysis about the news business, local TV news is on the up-swing.
Specifically---Pew says after years of decline---local TV news showed real signs of life in 2011. Specifically they say viewership nationwide for local TV stations increased in the morning by 1.4% and late evening newscasts--by 3%. The growth in the morning points to why many stations – including Channel 10 and Channel 12 here have flipped the switch to start their morning newscasts at 4:30am instead of the traditional start time which was 5am.
Any gains measured in 2011 for local news is good thing says WJAR News Director Chris Lanni. “The numbers are encouraging. Growth, as slight as it might be, is better than the realities our friends in the print industry are facing. The trick is to continue breaking important stories on air while also further expanding our digital presence. This way, if the tables ever do turn on traditional TV as we currently know it, we’ll already be well-positioned as a leading provider of local content on a full array of other platforms.”
For many stations – making that switch to the digital presence has been easier said than done. The station’s that are bloated with “old timers” resistant to change are suffering the most. The reason for that is under the new digital – social networking age – the monster to feed requires a whole new platform of getting information out and getting it out fast. Reporters and Anchors who struggle with posting stories on Facebook, or updating a live scene via twitter are like guppies being surrounded sharks. They’ll be eaten alive and no longer have a place in newsrooms sadly.
Focus On the Morning
The early morning newscasts are slowly changing into having as much clout and importance as the 6pm news back in the glory days.
Pew research confirms a station’s decision to go earlier in the morning will yield some dividends with more eyeballs tuning in. Lanni, who has been an advocate of this, says early mornings will continue to be a focus. Perhaps you have noticed on Channel 10 a new live traffic reporter. That move follows a co-anchor with Frank Coletta. “We still believe early mornings is a growth area in this market. WJAR doubled its year-to-year rating in February during this time period” said Lanni.
Mobile Is Where It Is At
The data also shows that Mobile Devices are also becoming more popular for people to get their news---it's not just from the laptop anymore. Lanni sheds light on how the Mobile App for WJAR has been key. “Obviously, mobile is the future. And the future is now. Smart phones, tablets and apps give users content on demand in the palm of their hands. NBC 10’s app, web site, mobile web site, text alerts and email alerts help reach these users and keep them informed on whatever device they’re using. Up next is mobile TV, which will be the ability to watch live TV on your mobile device.”
Digital Is Rocking
The research by Pew also shows that Digital news consumption and use is like a straight arrow in one direction – up. According to the data, more than three-quarters of U.S adults now own a laptop or desktop computer. In addition – 44% now own a smartphone and Pew says tablet ownership is up by 7% to 18 % compared to the summer of 2011.
51% of smartphone owners use their device to get news.
And consider this final set of factoids.
If anyone thinks advertising in the Providence Journal is A) still happening like it used to B) working like Digital does – consider this information.
Researchers at Pew report that Digital ads generated $12.4 billion dollars in 2011. That’s up 24% from the year before according to eMarketer. Most of that growth is coming from banner ads – so get used to seeing more of those as the web takes on more and more dominance every day.
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- Channel 10 Loudly Claims Victory - Channel 12 Says Not So Fast
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