Does Localism Still Matter?
This is the big question much of the broadcast media has been asking recently. With the rise of Internet-based TV, many are decrying the end of local television.
Their theory?
That as more of the market consumes VOD content via the internet on tablets and mobile devices, people will care less about linear TV through traditional OTA or Cable, and local programming will go by the wayside. In turn, networks will no longer see the value in supporting local content. They believe the end of localism is in sight.
So is this true?
Absolutely not.
The truth of the matter is that localism isn’t going anywhere, for many reasons. Even though the economy and overall consumption trends of consumers have gone global, community and local stations matter more than ever.
Look at viewership trends in Sports and News.
Admittedly, ESPN is doing very well on the cable-side of the sports world. However, most of the most popular sporting events such as The Super Bowl, Olympics, Masters Golf Tournament, MLB World Series, BCS National Championship, etc. are broadcasted via local stations. (Learn more about how TotalCast can help broadcasters get value out of primetime programming.) Sure, viewing growth in YouTube videos or Netflix is growing rapidly, but Sports draw the biggest numbers.
OK, let’s take sports out of the equation. What about news?
Cable news junkies are out there, of course, but facts show that the general audience tunes in to their local news broadcast in impressive numbers. Pew research states that 3 of 4 Americans tune in to local news every day whereas only 38% tune into cable news outlets such as CNN, FOXnews, or MSNBC. {source}
Beyond the number of eyeballs, notice that local news wins in the audience relationship category as well. The most recent Harris . The most recent Harris Poll discovered that Local News is considered more trustworthy by viewers than Cable TV News. {source} This can not be ignored or easily dismissed. Local news is needed for many reasons.
So what does this mean for Internet-Based TV?
Internet TV is only going to grow in demand and Local Affiliates have to get on board. Unfortunately, Local Affiliates have been reluctant to invest in TV Everywhere because
1) They can’t monetize digital views (so why would they cannibalize their current business model?)
2) They don’t have the rights to network content
3) Investment would cost too much money
The good news for affiliates is that TotalCast has the answer. TotalCast’s geofencing and rights management platform allows Local Affiliates and MVPDs to deliver TV Everywhere affordably, monetize these additional viewers, and respect distribution rights while controlling their viewers app experience to ensure Local Affiliate Content stays relevant forever.
Deliver Network Content to Mobile.