by  , Staff Writer
Source: www.mediapost.com, March 2022

In a TV world where we seem to have tons of news content including national TV news, Spectrum Networks — from cable TV pay service and broadband operator Charter Communications — is launching special national news coverage on its locally based news networks. The belief is that we need much more.

This comes as big TV station group Nexstar Media Group continues to ramp up efforts around “News Nation,” a national news TV show that started up in March 2021. Before that, Sinclair Broadcast Group started up national TV program “The National Desk” in January of that year.

Legacy TV news networks such as CNN and MSNBC continue to offer up more streaming content and/or separate streaming apps.

For CNN, that means CNN+, which is due to launch on March 29. For MSNBC, it means placing more shows on NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service, including some live TV MSNBC programs on a time-delayed basis.

Spectrum News is starting up special coverage of news events anchored by a national news anchor seen network-wide — airing on every local-based Spectrum News network.

Similarly, Nexstar’s “News Nation” show expands on the back of its news operations to many of the big TV station-group outlets.

Nexstar has roughly 200 TV stations in 116 U.S. markets.

Spectrum bolsters its argument with a recent survey that shows existing viewers rate Spectrum News higher than local TV news channels by a margin of more than five to one, according to a TVSpy report.

Surveys, as we all know, are not always an ideal reflection of things. Still, we get the plan.

The incentive here comes from a continued demand from TV news marketers — especially as political advertising revenue keeps skyrocketing, and also, as viewership for new content — especially live TV content — has become more valuable.

For CNN+ and MSNBC, as well as Fox Nation, which started up in 2018, there is a push to do more “news magazine” content to expand on live news content.

These programs offer more analysis, intended to be complementary to the live content — and to avoid harming exclusive deals that many pay TV distributors have, in carrying cable TV linear channels.

Other legacy, locally based TV news shows are also looking for a new niche.

Spectrum says its national news will have “nuanced, locally-informed content.”

So… narrowcasting, along with your broadcasting? We’re all eyes and ears.

This column has been updated.