Advanced Television

US broadcasters form NewsON

June 11, 2015

Five major broadcast television station groups collectively reaching two-thirds of US TV households have formed NewsON, a new venture to provide live and same-day local TV newscasts on demand from leading stations around the country to consumers’ mobile and selected connected TV devices.

The NewsON service will be provided by a new venture formed by The ABC Owned Television Station Group, Cox Media Group, Hearst Television, Media General and Raycom Media.

The free, advertising-supported NewsON service will be delivered through apps available for download from leading mobile and connected TV app stores.  NewsON will enable users to watch live and on-demand newscasts from their local markets or from any of the 112 participating news stations, in 84 viewing markets across the country, whose owners have already contracted to deliver their news streams through NewsON.  These include stations in eight of the top 10 US TV markets and 17 of the top 25.

Multiple stations will be available through NewsON in 21 markets, giving viewers the opportunity to “change channels” as they wish. The number of participating TV stations is expected to grow in the months ahead as additional broadcast TV station groups activate their streams into NewsON.

“The sheer amount of live news coverage – from TV stations around the country – that has been assembled for delivery through NewsON’s apps is unprecedented,” CEO of the venture Louis Gump said.  “Americans place a great deal of trust in their local news teams, who are typically the first informers from the local scene of the biggest news developments around the country.  NewsON will bring instant access to live local news to a generation of viewers accustomed to using mobile and connected TV platforms to stay informed.

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