Don't Overlook Local: Zeam Founder Jack Perry Discusses Why Viewers Turn to Local TV for National News
Advertisers may be wondering more than ever how much their money can buy them in this fragmented media environment as worries about a weaker Upfronts season grow. One area, nevertheless, cannot be disregarded: local broadcasting. According to recent poll data from the streamer Zeam, consumers use local, even outside their markets, during crucial times to help fill in the gaps left by national media.
According to a recent survey of Zeam viewers, the majority of participants (54%) say they have used the platform in the past year to watch local news events that either quickly faded from the national news or were never covered by national outlets in the first place (such as coverage of severe storms, wildfires, etc.). Major disasters like the wildfires in Los Angeles and Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina receive extensive coverage in the national media in the short term. Still, as other news emerges, these stories—including the crucial recovery period—quickly fade from the mainstream news cycle.
Several studies have examined how "media storms," or extensive coverage of significant events, typically last only 15 days. However, Zeam's research indicates that viewers are still interested in these developments long after this time has passed and are using local media, even outside of their markets, to stay current on these problems. Furthermore, other TVB research demonstrates that viewers initially turn to local media; for instance, seven out of ten respondents choose local TV news to learn about Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Francine.
In this Q&A, Zeam Media founder Jack Perry discusses these findings in further detail, including ways that national broadcasters can integrate local coverage to improve the quality of their offerings and how local broadcasters can reach new demographics.
What are some of the key differences between local coverage and national coverage, in terms of quality, accuracy, and relevancy?
From a pure production standpoint, the advancement and accessibility of modern broadcast technologies have enabled local stations across the country to provide the same high-quality newscasts that viewers might see watching the national news. However, sometimes national news networks and shows don’t spend as much time on or delve as deeply into the stories that actually impact the communities that viewers care about most.
The recent Los Angeles wildfires or Hurricane Helene, which greatly impacted western North Carolina, for example, certainly made national news in the short term. They were top stories that everyone was talking about. However, over time, the national media prioritized other breaking news stories even though these communities were still struggling. Because of this, local stations better serve these local viewers – or viewers in other markets who are interested in these stories and are turning to these stations out of market – by continuing to cover these developments. As one Zeam viewer told us in a survey about how they use the platform: “I watched KCAL from Los Angeles during the wildfires…My son lives in Eastern Wyoming, so I am able to watch the Cheyenne station for his local weather and News."
Which tactics work well for local broadcasters that national media can learn from and integrate into their coverage to improve the quality of their offerings?
By focusing more on community impact, the national news media might consider extending the window in which they cover news like wildfires or hurricanes and more frequently revisit stories around recovery efforts. But the reality is that there is simply a lot of national and international news to cover, and a network, even national ones, has limited resources. That is why local media is inherently better positioned for this type of programming and storytelling.
How can local broadcasters work to attract and keep Gen Z viewership in ways that will encourage engagement with the platform and its advertisers?
The biggest way to grow engagement with Gen Z viewers – or any viewer, for that matter – is to meet them where they are at. Gen Z audiences aren’t necessarily going to be sitting on the couch at 6 o’clock every evening to watch your local newscast. But they will be on streaming services, they will be online, and on social media. Producing content that can live in different places only allows a station to expand its reach to audiences of all kinds.
Reaching audiences in new ways is what we are helping over 300 local stations do each day. In fact, a new survey issued to Zeam viewers shows a majority of respondents (54%) say they have turned to the platform over the past year to watch news happenings in local markets that faded from the national news quickly, or were never covered by national outlets in the first place. You might not live in a particular market, but maybe you were from there, or know somebody there, and have an interest in what’s happening. By diversifying where content is distributed, local stations have an opportunity to reach more people and be more appealing to advertisers as well. It’s also why advertisers shouldn’t overlook the power of local this Upfront season, as it’s a cost-effective, scalable platform for brands to reach viewers in a way that many national mediums cannot.
Have there been any recent findings about which types of local coverage resonate the most with viewers (such as local weather, sports, and politics)?
The power of local when it comes to news, weather, and sports has been something we have frequently underscored over the years. However, what we are also seeing that might surprise people is that other forms of content with a local lens also resonate. For example, with the explosion of the true crime genre, many stations have begun creating their own local true-crime programming and have turned to Zeam to help distribute it to a wider, national audience. Zeam is actually creating a true crime hub for our content on the platform because we have seen true-crime related content rise as one of our more popular genres.
Could you discuss some unique methods that local broadcasters can use to increase personalization for viewers that are relevant to their daily lives and to their community?
The biggest thing that local broadcasters can do is meet their audiences where they are – whether it’s on the air, on streaming, or on social media. When you open up access to your audience, you not only grow the number of people you can reach, but you also provide them with the ability to access the stories and content that matter most to them on their own terms.
I would also say don’t let local be limited to just your own region. Everyone lives somewhere, comes from somewhere, or knows someone from somewhere, meaning your audience might not only be in the region of your station. People from other areas of the country will have an interest in what’s going on in your market, so it’s important to give them the opportunity to access this content from wherever they might be tuning in from.
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