Why Chicago TV stations are adding so many hours of news

The five biggest TV stations in Chicago are expanding their news programming, adding another 14 hours per week altogether in the past year alone. It's not just a Chicago phenomenon. Across the country, TV broadcasters are trying to slow the exodus of viewers to video streaming services like Hulu and Netflix. Many are turning to live programming, which is among the few things that still have the power to draw people to their TV sets. Newscasts also are relatively cheap to produce.

“In an era of increased competition for video viewers, you have to distinguish yourself a little more, and what distinguishes local stations is their news and information,” says Mark Fratrik, chief economist at BIA/Kelsey, a broadcast research and consulting firm. It predicts local TV advertising revenue will rise 10 percent to $22.3 billion this year from $20.2 billion in 2015. But as stations pump out more and more hours of local news, they risk flooding the market. “We're going to be aware that there may be some fatigue, and we're going to be on the lookout for it,” says John Idler, general manager at WLS-TV/Channel 7, the city's market leader on TV ratings. “But I don't think there will be.”