Commentary

Local TV Continues to Engage, Inform, Inspire

by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, December 8, 2010

A recently released a study Hearst Television shows that local television news is more effective in engaging viewers' attention to advertising than other TV program genres and competitive media.

The primary objectives of the study, says Frank N. Magid Associates, is to determine the key attributes to be used for television advertising sales based on the performance of local TV news relative to other genres and other media platforms across the following categories:

Importance
Emotional attachment
Level of engagement in advertising
Advertising effectiveness

49% of viewers ranked local TV news first as "... a major part of my daily routine." Broadcast prime time dramas and sitcoms ranked second (47%) followed by:

Broadcast network prime time reality TV (42%)
Cable network prime time dramas/movies (37%)
Cable news (34%)

45% of respondents said they "pay more attention" to local TV news than most other TV genres, while cable news was cited by 39%. 81% cited local TV news as the "most important" news source among local, network broadcast and cable TV news.

The largest number of respondents cited local TV newscasts as being the most effective medium for delivering awareness of products and services advertised during the programming. Local news ranked #1, with 27% of respondents replying that ads during local TV newscasts "keep me in the know with regards to products/services." Informational talk shows, was cited second by 24%.

Local newscasts were considered a better platform to most other TV genres in terms of:

Driving purchase of products
Trustworthiness
Advertising products that appeal to the viewer.

Local TV news is also relatively "DVR-proof," says the study. Only 17% of respondents cited having recorded local TV newscasts for later viewing. 57% said they never, rarely or only sometimes fast-forward through portions of recorded local TV newscasts. By contrast, 69% of respondents said they most of the time or always fast-forward through portions of cable network prime time dramas/movies.

Ads on local TV news websites were found to do a better job than advertisements on most other types of websites in terms of:

Keeping viewers in the know regarding products and services
Driving purchase of products
Trustworthiness
Advertising products that appeal to the viewer

Trust Products or Services Advertised During The Type of Program (% Who Watch Genre More Than Twice a Week)
*Genre*	*% Reporting "Trust"*
Informational talk shows	27%
Entertainment talk shows	23
Local TV news	18
Broadcast network news	14
Broadcast prime time shows	11
Cable news	11
Game shows	10
Frank N Magid Associates, November 2010

Advertisements Keep Me In The Know (% Who Watch Genre More Than Twice a Week)
*Type of Program*	*Kept Me Knowledgeable*
Local TV news	27%
Informational talk shows	24
Entertainment talk shows	19
Broadcast network prime time reality TV	15
Broadcast primetime dramas/sitcoms	15
Frank N Magid Associates, November 2010

Purchased a Product as a Result of Ad On Program (% Who Watch Genre More Than Twice a Week)
*Genre*	*% Making Purchase*
Informational talk shows	19%
Entertainment talk shows	14
Local TV news	12
Cable network	11
Broadcast network prime time reality TV	10
Frank N Magid Associates, November 2010

Local TV news ranked 1st among all media platforms when choosing the medium that "is essential to keeping me informed," "is my most important source of information in my community," "is my most important source for weather" and "as a source for political information."

Value of News Source (% of Respondents Ranking "Most Important")
*Value*	*Local TV News*	*Broadcast Network News*
Essential to keep informed	65%	57%
Most important source of community information	64	34
Anchor/News personalities trusted	50	49
Good source of information on products/services	30	24
Frank N Magid Associates, November 2010

The survey included 2,500 local TV news viewers in Hearst Television markets around the country - where local TV news viewers were defined as those who watch local TV news twice or more per week.

For more information and access to the PDF file, please see MediaBuyerPlanner here.

advertising, location-based, news, research, tv

2 comments about "Local TV Continues to Engage, Inform, Inspire".

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Mark Bundgaard from American Public Media, December 8, 2010 at 11:35 a.m.
This is not meaningful research, the sample is represented by people who prefer to watch local news - it tells us nothing. Let's sample Coke drinkers and see how they like the taste of Coke!
Reply

John Grono from GAP Research, December 8, 2010 at 5:21 p.m.

Mark, I think I understand what you are trying to say, but it is probably actually meaningful research - however it is not representative of the entire population.

It is meaningful if trying to understand just that sub-set of the population of 'local TV news viewers in Hearst markets', and if the findings are kept within that context of that sub-set.

For example, the first paragraph should say something like "...shows that local television news is more effective in engaging LOCAL TELEVISION NEWS viewers' attention to advertising than other TV program genres and competitive media." But then that would seem rather obvious wouldn't it.