Early morning, noon and late evening slots drive growth in local TV news

Even as digital becomes an increasingly essential part of Americans’ news diets, local TV continues to be one of the most-turned-to sources for news. In 2014, it even grew its average viewership. Local TV News Viewership in Nontraditional Time Slots Gains GroundA close examination of the broadcast schedule suggests one reason why. Faced with multiple years of audience declines during traditional time slots -- indeed, morning, early evening and late night news on local TV affiliates have lost on average 12 percent of their viewers since 2007 -- many local TV stations began expanding their programming to nontraditional hours such as very early morning, midday and at 7 p.m., according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Nielsen data. These additions are finding at least some new audiences willing to tune in.

The number of stations airing news at 4:30 a.m. was up 18 percent in 2014, to 320 (counting ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates as well as independent stations). Fully 357 stations had a 7 p.m. newscast in 2014, up 13 percent from the year before. And 328 stations aired local news at midday – an 11 percent increase from 2013. There were more than 800 news-producing local TV stations (commercial and English-language) in the US in 2014, according to consulting firm BIA Kelsey.