Facts & Figures
and radio to be the most trustworthy.
with important information about their community,
as well as critical national news.
as compared to national news (55%).
FACT:
Local news is essential to the well-being of American communities and the strength of our democracy.
Local news covers the events and issues that matter most to Americans in their everyday lives, providing insight into and coverage of local matters such as government and elected officials, school administration, crime, public safety, environmental issues, and health reports as well as critical real-time coverage of urgent matters such as severe weather events and public health crises.
FACT:
Local news is a powerful partner and catalyst for charitable and civic organizations that have a critical role in serving local communities.
News broadcasts help raise crucial awareness and support for local charitable organizations through on-air messaging campaigns and assistance in fundraising. A decrease in local news will severely impact the reach and support for these vital community pillars. Local broadcasters have a deep local connection to their communities that transcends any national network or brand because their viewers are their neighbors.
FACT:
Local broadcast stations can and will thrive in a fair marketplace, but only if the rules of the market reflect today’s reality.
In 2014, the FCC started a rulemaking proceeding to address the “streaming loophole” when streaming services were nascent and did not dominate the industry with well over 80% of U.S. households still having cable or satellite subscriptions. Since then, streaming has skyrocketed. But the FCC has not acted in the last eight and a half years to assess or address this change in the market. The current ecosystem cuts local broadcasters out of the negotiating process, forcing them to accept “take it or leave it deals” for less than the true value of their local news. Moreover, local video assets that consumers have come to expect, whether independent stations or multicast channels, are largely unavailable.
