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Will local broadcast TV eventually go the way of local radio?

It’s all in the monetization. New models emerge, some succeed some don’t. And some don’t… in spectacular fashion. For sure things will look different just as they are different today from years past.
 
Moving to streaming platforms might be the demographic saving grace for news networks. Shifting to the stream might boost the younger demographic because it meets those users where they already are. Maybe.

The older audience will still be around. Those of us that used to get the news from the paper or Walter Cronkite will likely follow their preferred news source - CBS/NBC/ABC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, or other outlets like Newsy, OANN and WGN’s NewsNation - to whatever platform they move to. It’s just like readers not giving up their preferred newspaper back in the day, just way more fractured.
 
It already is in eastern Washington. KNDU in Tri-Cities has a Spokane-based meteorologist after Tim Adams retired. And only KIMA (CBS) has local news in Yakima, and it's only for two half-hours a day at 5PM and 6PM. Give it time, and KIMA will shut down and send everyone to KEPR in various roles. Then KEPR will eventually shut down (probably a few years down the road) and KOMO will start prerecording news for Tri-Cities and Yakima.
Eventually, I (sadly) see news being statewide, originating from Seattle (or Spokane) and giving out a forecast for the entire state, not just eastern WA. Resulting in the loss of jobs, not just in front of the camera but also behind the camera too. Probably by 2025 or later.
Advertising dollars are way down too and even if full normalcy is reached again, I can't see it coming back on television with too many people <40 using Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and other streaming services. I have a cousin who only watches Pluto TV and nothing else. No broadcast OR cable/sat.
Some kids today don't even know what a DVD is. They only know Disney+ and Netflix for their shows. Some don't watch Nick, Disney, or Cartoon Network on a regular basis. They too watch OTT streaming for SpongeBob (and cartoons that are exclusive to Netflix or other services).
And speaking of DVDs, I predict by 2025, a major studio will stop putting movies out on DVD. Eventually, they all will, just like with VHS some 20 years ago now.

I wonder what it will be like for rural viewers in the future. Are farmers still waking up to watch AgDay at 5 in the morning? Do they even watch local news anymore (or just cable news, ala Fox or Newsmax)? Or do they just hit their HughesNet-powered Internet for corn and cattle prices?
 
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It already is in eastern Washington. KNDU in Tri-Cities has a Spokane-based meteorologist after Tim Adams retired. And only KIMA (CBS) has local news in Yakima, and it's only for two half-hours a day at 5PM and 6PM. Give it time, and KIMA will shut down and send everyone to KEPR in various roles. Then KEPR will eventually shut down (probably a few years down the road) and KOMO will start prerecording news for Tri-Cities and Yakima.
Eventually, I (sadly) see news being statewide, originating from Seattle (or Spokane) and giving out a forecast for the entire state, not just eastern WA. Resulting in the loss of jobs, not just in front of the camera but also behind the camera too. Probably by 2025 or later.
Advertising dollars are way down too and even if full normalcy is reached again, I can't see it coming back on television with too many people <40 using Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and other streaming services. I have a cousin who only watches Pluto TV and nothing else. No broadcast OR cable/sat.
Some kids today don't even know what a DVD is. They only know Disney+ and Netflix for their shows. Some don't watch Nick, Disney, or Cartoon Network on a regular basis. They too watch OTT streaming for SpongeBob (and cartoons that are exclusive to Netflix or other services).
And speaking of DVDs, I predict by 2025, a major studio will stop putting movies out on DVD. Eventually, they all will, just like with VHS some 20 years ago now.

I wonder what it will be like for rural viewers in the future. Are farmers still waking up to watch AgDay at 5 in the morning? Do they even watch local news anymore (or just cable news, ala Fox or Newsmax)? Or do they just hit their HughesNet-powered Internet for corn and cattle prices?
IMO while localized meteorologists and weather forecasting might be done away with in favor of a statewide forecast highlighting the predictions for the larger cities and showing the RADAR for the entire state, when it comes to "news", viewers will always want something local. When they see 1/2 dozen police cars in front of their neighborhood bank, they expect coverage and they want to know what happened. When a business in the area is destroyed by fire, they want to be able to tune in and get details and see video.

Regarding the comments about DVDs, I think that technology has already sunset for the most part. It's been well more than 1/2 dozen years since I've purchased a CD or DVD. My last 3 laptop computers haven't contained CD/DVD players. My 5.1 surround system has a Blu Ray DVD player, but I purchased that system 9 years ago. Most content I'm interested in watching, even classic movies and other programming, is available on demand or via the web or a streaming service.

While I'm not closely connected to farming, the last I saw a demo of the large machinery and equipment they use to work their fields, it's all connected via GPS to give them details and feedback and help them work smarter and be more productive. I'm guessing programs like AgDay are much less important than they once were, provided the farmers that once tuned in to those types of programs are at least somewhat tech savvy.
 
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IMO while localized meteorologists and weather forecasting might be done away with in favor of a statewide forecast highlighting the predictions for the larger cities and showing the RADAR for the entire state, when it comes to "news", viewers will always want something local. When they see 1/2 dozen police cars in front of their neighborhood bank, they expect coverage and they want to know what happened. When a business in the area is destroyed by fire, they want to be able to tune in and get details and see video.

Regarding the comments about DVDs, I think that technology has already sunset for the most part. It's been well more than 1/2 dozen years since I've purchased a CD or DVD. My last 3 laptop computers haven't contained CD/DVD players. My 5.1 surround system has a Blu Ray DVD player, but I purchased that system 9 years ago. Most content I'm interested in watching, even classic movies and other programming, is available on demand or via the web or a streaming service.

While I'm not closely connected to farming, the last I saw a demo of the large machinery and equipment they use to work their fields, it's all connected via GPS to give them details and feedback and help them work smarter and be more productive. I'm guessing programs like AgDay are much less important than they once were, provided the farmers that once tuned in to those types of programs are at least somewhat tech savvy.

also now less family farms and more corporate factory farms
 
You are correct in over the air viewership, however economically speaking it is worth the cost and Federal regulations to deal with at this point because what what cable pays broadcast TV stations on their cable systems. When that must carry doesn't mean much in viewership and revenue, broadcast TV will become just an online thing.
We would need universal broadband with no data caps to make that happen.
 
We would need universal broadband with no data caps to make that happen.
Not really. Half of the TV households are in the top 27 markets (New York to Pittsburgh), three-quarters are in the top 65 markets (to Dayton), and seven-eighths are in the top 103 (Quad Cities).

If internet video streaming were to reach such a popularity in the top 100 markets that broadcast became a money loser there, the business model would collapse. Broadcast services in much smaller markets (Sioux City, Laredo, Jonesboro) would no longer be subsidized by Philadelphia and Denver and even Knoxville, even if the residents of those smaller markets had reduced access to the streaming services.
 
How much will people pay for streaming? Or, is it such an addiction that no one cares about costs any more?
Depends on the percentage of the streaming demo. If one cannot subscribe directly theres the free streaming as in ad supported versions if one is really doing that.





Here are some of the biggest Free Streaming/Ad Supported outlets. Xumo is owned by NBC, Tubi owned by Fox, Pluto owned by CBS and IMDB owned by Amazon studios. These are the same places that own their flagship streamers. In these cases its to maximize viewership size.
 
Depends on the percentage of the streaming demo. If one cannot subscribe directly theres the free streaming as in ad supported versions if one is really doing that.





Here are some of the biggest Free Streaming/Ad Supported outlets. Xumo is owned by NBC, Tubi owned by Fox, Pluto owned by CBS and IMDB owned by Amazon studios. These are the same places that own their flagship streamers. In these cases its to maximize viewership size.

My primary issue with platforms like Pluto and Tubi is that there are tons of movies, shows and content supposedly available to me as a Comcast subsriber, but each time I try and select something to watch on one of those 2 platforms, I get an error that tells me I must have Comcast WiFi in order to watch. While I do use Comcast for cable, our HOA supplies Google Webpass as part of our association dues, and I'm not about to pay for Comcast WiFi just so I can get the Pluto and Tubi content.

If anyone has found or can suggest a work around, I'd be appreciative. I've tried to access Pluto and Tubi via my laptop rather than looking up the shows and content via Comcast On Demand via my cable box, but still no luck as I get that same error, telling me I need Comcast WiFi.
 
My primary issue with platforms like Pluto and Tubi is that there are tons of movies, shows and content supposedly available to me as a Comcast subsriber, but each time I try and select something to watch on one of those 2 platforms, I get an error that tells me I must have Comcast WiFi in order to watch. While I do use Comcast for cable, our HOA supplies Google Webpass as part of our association dues, and I'm not about to pay for Comcast WiFi just so I can get the Pluto and Tubi content.

If anyone has found or can suggest a work around, I'd be appreciative. I've tried to access Pluto and Tubi via my laptop rather than looking up the shows and content via Comcast On Demand via my cable box, but still no luck as I get that same error, telling me I need Comcast WiFi.
Ok I never heard of this one before wifi systems not being compatible before over content unless there were disputes I never knew about.
 
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