RTDNA/Hofstra Survey: Record Amount of Local News Produced in 2010

By Merrill Knox 

The second part of the annual RTDNA/Hofstra University study found the average local station produced a record 5.3 hours of news a day in 2010, up 18 minutes from 2009. The network affiliate average is even higher, recording 5.6 hours of news daily.

Almost 35 percent of stations added a newscast last year — most often occuring in the 4:30 a.m. timeslot on weekdays, RTDNA/Hofstra finds. The majority of stations — 58.9 percent –recorded the same number of newscasts in 2010 and 2009, and only 6.5 percent of stations cut a newscast.

Looking ahead, 36.9 percent of local stations report a planned increase in news coverage in the coming year. RTDNA/Hofstra point out in the survey results that one third of all stations produce news that runs on another stations, so the possibilities for expansion throughout local markets are endless.

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Read the full RTDNA/Hofstra University survey results here.

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