{"id":7182,"date":"2023-09-14T15:02:41","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T20:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?p=7182"},"modified":"2026-04-14T10:08:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T14:08:55","slug":"local-tv-news","status":"publish","type":"fact-sheet","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/fact-sheet\/local-tv-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Local TV News Fact Sheet"},"content":{"rendered":"
Fact Sheets: State of the News Media<\/a><\/div>
Audio\/Podcasting<\/a>Cable News<\/a>Digital News<\/a>Hispanic\/Black News Media<\/a>Local TV News<\/a>Network News<\/a>Newspapers<\/a>Public Broadcasting<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Note: This\u00a02023\u00a0fact sheet was part of the last update to our State of the News Media report. Find more updated survey data about local news in our \u201c<\/em>Local News Fact Sheet<\/em><\/a>\u201d here. Read\u00a0<\/em>archived reports<\/em><\/a>\u00a0on the State of the News Media from 2004-23 and the\u00a0<\/em>methodology<\/em><\/a>\u00a0here.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Television remains a common place for Americans to get their news<\/a>, and one of the most preferred sources for local news specifically<\/a>. In 2022, local TV news audiences remained relatively stable from the previous year. Financially, local TV companies generated more revenue in 2022 than in 2021, consistent with a cyclical pattern in which advertising revenue rises in election years and falls in non-election years. Explore patterns and longitudinal data in local TV news below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Audience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, viewership for network local affiliate news stations (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) stayed relatively stable from 2021 across almost all key time slots, according to Comscore StationView Essentials\u00ae<\/sup> data. Local TV average audience (defined as the average number of TVs tuned to a program throughout a time period) for the late night time slot is the only time slot that had any significant change from 2021, with a 7% decline in average audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Average audience for local TV news<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Tab Contents<\/h3>
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Average audience for local TV key time slots<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Average number of TVs tuning to news programming during each time slot for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\"Chart\"<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Note: Numbers represent ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates for the full year and include live viewership only. \u201cAverage audience\u201d is the average number of TVs tuned to an entity throughout the selected time frame, calculated by dividing the total hours viewed by the length of the time frame (in hours). \u201cLocal news\u201d is defined as any telecast that has been flagged by Comscore (either by notification from clients or from standard processes) as being a news-based program airing on a local broadcast affiliate of ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox. The morning news time slot includes any news programming that aired from 6 to 9 a.m. for stations in Eastern\/Pacific time zones, or 5 to 8 a.m. for stations in other time zones; the evening news time slot is defined as \u201cearly fringe news\u201d by Comscore and includes any news programming that aired from 4 to 7 p.m. for stations in Eastern\/Pacific time zones, or 3 to 6 p.m. for stations in other time zones; the late night news time slot is defined as \u201clate fringe news\u201d by Comscore and includes any news programming that aired from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. for stations in Eastern\/Pacific time zones, or 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for stations in other time zones.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Source: Comscore StationView Essentials\u00ae, 2016-2022, U.S.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t