Nielsen Local Watch Report Oct2020 Final

NIELSEN LOCAL WATCH REPORT | OCTOBER 2020
OCTOBER 2020
NIELSEN LOCAL
WATCH REPORT
DIVERSE, YOUNG AND INFORMED:
TODAY’S GROWING NEWS AUDIENCE
Copyright © 2020 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. Confidential and proprietary. Do not distribute.
WELCOME
As media consumers, we have all heard some familiar phrases that have become synonymous with
the news: “Here’s what’s first on this morning’s news”, “Just breaking now!” or one of my personal
favorites, “It’s 10pm, do you know where your children are?”. More and more, as we navigate
through COVID-19, unprecedented political and social unrest, unpredictable weather events, and
JUSTIN LAPORTE now a big resurgence in sports, we go to the news to get local information that we trust. TV news
VP, LOCAL INSIGHTS viewing was on a meteoric rise as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the U.S. While that rise
was soon followed by a steady leveling off, news consumption still remains a much larger part of
the TV viewing day. The question is, will these levels be maintained? While no one knows for sure,
the upcoming events—a presidential election, continued focus on COVID-19, more sports, and the
holiday season, indicate that consumption of local news will remain strong.
This begs the question, how will local stations, major networks, and brand marketers plan for the
future? And the answer is, follow the data. This report takes a deeper look at TV news across various
entities and how they have grown.
WHILE NEWS HAS BEEN STEREOTYPED AS A GENRE FOR OLDER, WHITE ADULTS,
THE LARGEST GROWTH BETWEEN Q2 2019 AND Q2 2020 IS FROM ASIANS,
HISPANICS AND BLACK AMERICANS
Today’s appetite for news is also fueled by younger demographics including the coveted 18-34 and
25-54 demos. And while females typically make up the majority of local news and national broadcast
news viewers, women and men comprise an exact 50/50 share of cable news audience. And when
you start to look at which markets are driving growth, it isn’t just New York, LA, and Chicago. Adults
in West Palm, Birmingham, and Pittsburgh all spent more than 11 hours in a typical week watching
news on TV. Furthermore, the data tells us that Local News is actually the youngest skewing TV
news medium. In fact, almost 30% of Local News viewers are between the ages of 18 and 49. Cable
news is the most likely news type to be watched by males. That is the type of data that brands
and marketers need to know, and you can find it all in our latest Local Watch Report on news
consumption.
Additionally, we fielded a survey of remote workers, which has become the new norm for a large
portion of the U.S. workforce. We found that remote workers flock to Local News content. Sixty-four
percent (64%) of remote workers engage with Local News during work hours. In the Midwest alone,
that number rises to 73%. Why do remote workers rely on local news? Among other things, it gives
them local content, information they can trust, and connection to their communities.
At Nielsen, we continue to mine the data to identify the stories and information that is relevant to
our clients, and to help them make informed decisions. The reliance on news is real, and there is no
better time than now to continue to cultivate that audience and build on it.
JUSTIN
Copyright © 2020 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. Confidential and proprietary. Do not distribute. 2
CONTENTS
NEWS CONSUMPTION TRENDS .................................................. 4
Examination of viewing to TV news across local markets, trending
across Q2 2018, 2019, 2020. Compares time spent and reach
metrics for Local News, National Broadcast News and Cable News
A LOOK ACROSS MARKETS ........................................................ 13

Summary of news viewing at the local level using a combination of
Nielsen’s TV panel and Scarborough survey data
SPECIAL FEATURE ON REMOTE WORKERS .............................. 20

Highlights Nielsen custom survey data on news viewing habits of
people working from home during the COVID pandemic
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA & SOURCING ........................................ 24

Detailed tables and charts including weekly time spent and reach
figures at the individual market level
A SURGE TO STAY INFORMED

It’s easy to lose sight of long-standing, dependable products and services when new options come
to market. Video streaming services, for example, are top of mind across the media landscape, and
will likely continue ingraining themselves into our daily media routines. But amid the ever increasing
media fragmentation, especially in a year of such change and uncertainty, there’s still no option that
maintains its place in our media diets like the news does.
This year has been like no other, and consumers quickly responded, largely through the media
channels they engage with. Whether to stay informed about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in
their markets, learn about growing social unrest, or to tune in to their TVs to learn how the political
landscape is evolving ahead of the November elections, consumers’ engagement with the news is
hitting heights unseen in years.
While the time consumers spend watching TV news has been rising since the fall of last year, it
peaked at just under nine-and-a-half hours in April of this year—the height of the stay-at-home
period in the U.S. That time period includes more than 140 minutes of advertising. While noteworthy
from a media consumption perspective, the engagement and reliance on TV news at that point
isn’t surprising, given consumers’ concerns about the pandemic and the fact that they were largely
homebound.
Importantly, engagement with TV news has remained high after the lockdown period, with weekly
time spent remaining well above their year-ago levels. The trifecta of a pandemic, massive social
protests and a U.S. presidential election in November bode well for news outlets, but they put the
onus of keeping audiences engaged and informed on those outlets as well.
Adults in the top 25 markets collectively spent more than 59 billion minutes consuming news in a
typical week during Q2 2020—up 48% from the same period last year. In terms of weekly time spent,
the average adult spent 5 hours, 47 minutes watching news in Q2 2019. Fast forward to this year,
they’re watching nearly 3 hours more per week. During Q2 2020, the average adult consumed 8 hours,
34 minutes of TV news.
In fact, in September, the share of news viewing on TV grew more than 13% over the prior year among
adults 18 and older. And in the same month, news on broadcast and cable accounted for 35% of all
viewing.
TV news—as defined in this report—includes any programs that are classified as local news, cable news
or national broadcast news.
WEEKLY TIME SPENT WATCHING TOTAL TV NEWS (HH:MM) | ADULTS 18+
SOCIAL UNREST
COVID SHUTDOWNS
SHARE OF TV 35%
COVID NEWS BEGINS
6:47 7:05
SHARE OF TV 31%
5:46
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
2019 2020
Source: NLTV Local News Genre Report, P18+, based on Population across Top 25 LPM markets
TV News = Local News, National Broadcast News and Cable News
Share of TV = Percent that news viewing makes up of Total TV viewing
See sourcing page for additional methodology details.
NEWS AUDIENCES ARE

BECOMING MORE MULTICULTURAL
There’s no downplaying the monumental influence the news has on our lives, but that influence often
gets stereotyped as one that’s geared toward older, white adults. While that may have been the case at
some point, more and more, we see growth from younger, more diverse news viewers. In fact, the most
growth in viewership is coming from Asian, Hispanic and Black American viewers.
TOTAL TV NEWS CONSUMPTION BY RACE/ETHNICITY

AVERAGE WEEKLY HH:MM PER ADULT, Q2 2020
WHITE BLACK
Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF
6:20 6:16 9:13 +47% 7:07 6:43 10:38 +58%
HISPANIC ASIAN
Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF
3:02 2:41 4:27 +66% 3:45 3:17 6:06 +86%
Source: NLTV Local News Genre Report, time spent based on population across LPM markets. % Difference based on Q2 2020 vs. Q2 2019.
All ethnic groups are mutually exclusive. White, Black and Asian groups are Non-Hispanic.
BLACK AMERICANS ARE THE HEAVIEST

NEWS VIEWERS, WATCHING NEARLY 11
HOURS PER WEEK.
YOUNGER AUDIENCES
DOMINATE NEWS GROWTH
Today’s TV news viewers also buck the stereotype of only being Boomers or members of the Greatest
Generation. While it is true that consumers 55 and older watch the most news, younger generations
have steadily increased their news consumption over the past two years, with consumers 18-34
growing their total TV news consumption by 134% between 2019 and 2020. And viewers 25-54 now
spend four hours and 46 minutes each week watching TV—up about an hour-and-a-half from just two
years ago. What’s more, local news is now the youngest skewing TV news medium, with almost 30% of
local news viewers ranging between the ages of 18 and 49.
TOTAL TV NEWS AVERAGE WEEKLY HH:MM, Q2 2020

PERSONS 18+ PERSONS 18-34
Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF
5:55 5:47 8:34 +48% 1:02 0:56 2:11 +134%
PERSONS 25-54 PERSONS 55+

Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF
3:18 2:55 4:46 +63% 10:51 10:44 14:43 +37%
GENDER
Q2 2018 Q2 2019 Q2 2020 % DIFF ADULTS OF ALL AGES ARE SEEKING MORE
NEWS ON TELEVISION. ADULTS 18-34 SAW THE
FEMALE 6:23 6:17 9:18 +48% GREATEST GROWTH, WITH A 134% INCREASE IN
MALE 5:26 5:11 7:51 +51% MINUTES OVER LAST YEAR
Source: NLTV Local News Genre Report, average weekly time spent based on population
% Difference based on Q2 2020 vs. Q2 2019
Given the unrest and uncertainty in the world, there’s no doubt that news consumption will remain a
staple in the months and the year to come. And as much of the country’s workforce continues to work
from home, the importance of local news will remain, if not increase, in the long term.
This has implications for stations that carry local news in all markets. For example, Nielsen’s recent
Remote Workers Consumer Survey found that 42% of Americans would consider moving to a new
location if their employer gave them the ability to work from anywhere.
52% OF EMPLOYEES WHO BEGAN WORKING REMOTELY DUE TO COVID-19 SAY THEY
WANT THE OPTION TO CONTINUE WORKING FROM HOME TO SOME DEGREE, AND 25%
WANT TO WORK REMOTELY EXCLUSIVELY GOING FORWARD
Stories about a mass urban exodus were rampant during the early days of the lockdown period, yet
research from Bloomberg finds that there’s little data to support the dramatic claims. Moving, much
like other large endeavors, isn’t easy during a pandemic, but there are some early indicators of new
geographic preferences. United Van Lines, for example, looked at moves between March and August
and found Connecticut to be a top inbound state for re-location. Portside Real Estate in Maine, another
example, is reporting that more than half of home purchases are being made by people coming from
out of state. These shifts present media organizations—and advertisers—with potential new audiences
to engage with, and based on recent trends, local news is a top focus for them. Among work-from-
homers, news is the most consumed content, and local news is the most consumed type of news
content.
NEWS CONTENT VIEWED WHILE WORKING FROM HOME
64% 62% 58%

LOCAL CABLE NATIONAL BROADCAST
TV NEWS TV NEWS TV NEWS
Source: Nielsen Custom Survey. See sourcing page for additional methodology details.
INCREASED VIEWERSHIP TO
ALL NEWS OUTLETS
Maintaining and growing audiences going forward will be critical for media companies, especially when
we look at the depth and breadth of choice that consumers now have access to. Engagement this
year, however, has not been a problem, with news consumption rising even as the weather started to
warm up as the spring and summer months began. In June, for example, Americans 18 and older were
watching an average of more than eight hours of TV news each week—more than a typical workday.
Last year, the average in June was just over five-and-a-half hours.
Truly understanding news consumption means diving into the players. In this case, the major news
players are local TV news, national broadcast TV news and cable TV news. News engagement hit new
heights in Q2 2020, with especially impressive gains in March and April. Time spent with cable news
jumped dramatically during this time, with other news types showing lesser growth. Overall, time spent
with all news types is above last year, with local news and national news showing a gradual return to
pre-COVID levels.
WEEKLY TIME SPENT WATCHING NEWS BY TYPE (HH:MM) | ADULTS 18+

NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS LOCAL TV NEWS CABLE TV NEWS
SOCIAL UNREST
COVID SHUTDOWNS
COVID NEWS BEGINS
2:54 3:26
2:32 2:23
1:21 1:16
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
2019 2020
Source: NLTV Program Report, P18+, based on population in LPM markets
LOCAL NEWS REACHES MOST,

REGARDLESS OF AGE
While cable TV news is the leader when it comes to weekly time spent per viewer, local news always
wins for most viewers reached. It is the top reached TV news for all generations. The most critical
demo, however, is the core selling demo, persons 25-54. Local news reaches 12% more 25-54s
then national broadcast news, and a whopping 23% more then cable TV news. This is still the most
coveted demo for advertisers, as it includes critical purchasing decision makers.
AVERAGE WEEKLY REACH BY NEWS TYPE, Q2 2020

LOCAL TV NEWS NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS CABLE TV NEWS
PERSONS 18+ PERSONS 18-34

54% 30%
42% 22%
31% 14%
PERSONS 25-54 PERSONS 55+

45% 71%
33% 58%
22% 46%
ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS, LOCAL NEWS AVERAGES HIGHER WEEKLY REACH THAN CABLE AND
NATIONAL BROADCAST NEWS
Source: NLTV Reach Report, based on population in LPM markets for Q2 2020.
COMPOSITION VARIES BY
NEWS SOURCE
SHARE OF IMPRESSIONS BY NEWS TYPE, Q2 2020
<$25K <25K-$50K $50K-$75K $75K-$100K $100K+
LOCAL TV NEWS
17% 25% 22% 15% 21%
NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS
CABLE TV NEWS VIEWERS 16% 24% 21% 15% 24%
ARE HIGHER INCOME COMPARED TO CABLE TV NEWS
OTHER NEWS SOURCES
9% 20% 21% 17% 33%
P18-34 P35-49 P50+

LOCAL TV NEWS
7% 16% 76%
LOCAL TV NEWS COMPOSITION
7% 15% 77%
SKEWS YOUNGER THAN CABLE AND
NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS CABLE TV NEWS
6% 12% 82%
FEMALE MALE
LOCAL TV NEWS
58% 42%
LOCAL NEWS AND NATIONAL NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS
BROADCAST NEWS VIEWERS ARE 62% 38%
MORE LIKELY TO BE FEMALE CABLE TV NEWS
50% 50%
Source: NLTV Program Report, P18+, based on population in LPM markets
With so much in the world and our communities in flux, news will remain a staple in consumers’
ever-expanding media diets (Americans now spend almost 12-and-a-half hours engaging with media
each day).
2020 has been a year that highlights the importance of knowing what’s going on in our communities.
Whether it be to check for COVID-19 updates, learn about local political candidates, catch the highlights
from the regional sports teams or just drop in to know tomorrow’s weather, local news delivers in ways
that only it can, and it’s arguably never been more important.
Much like how radio listeners tune in to hear their favorite DJs, our local communities depend on and
trust their newscasters for up-to-date, relevant and meaningful information that’s top of mind for the
communities they serve. In that respect, it’s no surprise that local news has the greatest reach of all
news types.
WHERE DOES LOCAL NEWS HAVE THE GREATEST REACH? AT 64.1% AMONG ADULTS
18+, IT’S A TIE BETWEEN TWO MARKETS (SEE PAGE 15 TO SEE WHICH ONES).
Importantly, local news is no longer something consumers explore right before dinner at a designated
time. As they increase their time with media, news content remains a top draw. And as the U.S.
prepares for fall and winter months with many consumers still working from home, local news will be
a steadfast and critical connection to understanding the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic within
each individual market.
So how should stations, networks and marketers plan for the future? The answer is simple: follow the
data. By knowing which types of information consumers are looking for and on what platforms—as
well as in which markets—media industry participants will stay in the engagement driver seat.
A LOOK ACROSS
MARKETS
At Nielsen, data drives everything we do—even art. That’s why we used real data to create this image.
WHERE NEWS MATTERS MOST

Florida markets were heaviest to lean into TV news during Q2 2020, with West Palm Beach and Ft.
Myers topping the list in terms of weekly time spent. The average adult in these markets consumed
over 12 hours of news content in a typical week. Cities in the South and Northeast also showed big
numbers, with markets like Pittsburgh, Birmingham and New Orleans totaling over 11 hours per week.
TOP CITIES FOR TIME SPENT WATCHING TV NEWS

AVERAGE WEEKLY HH:MM PER ADULT, Q2 2020
DETROIT 10:22
10 PITTSBURGH 11:22
4 8
PHILADELPHIA 10:25
6 NORFOLK 10:54
7
9 GREENVILLE 10:23
3 KNOXVILLE 10:44
BIRMINGHAM 11:31
5
1 WEST PALM BEACH 13:19
2
NEW ORLEANS 11:11 FT. MYERS 12:27
Source: NLTV Local News Genre Report, Persons 18+, average weekly time spent based on population
Top viewing markets based based on the Top 10 metered markets for time spent viewing TV news during Q2 2020
WHERE TV NEWS REACHES MOST

When diving into local markets, certain geographic locations show a propensity toward certain news types. The below graphic
highlights the Top 3 markets in terms of average weekly reach among adults during Q2 2020. Local news was most popular
in New Orleans and Tulsa, while West Palm Beach topped the list for cable news. Greenville, South Carolina was No. 1 for
national broadcast news.
AVERAGE WEEKLY REACH BY NEWS TYPE, ADULTS 18+, Q2 2020

LOCAL TV NEWS
64.1% 63.9%
64.1%
NEW ORLEANS, LA TULSA, OK GREENVILLE, SC

55.2% 54.2%
55.0%
GREENVILLE, SC FORT MYERS, FL HARTFORD, CT
CABLE TV NEWS
48.2%
37.8%
41.5%
WEST PALM BEACH, FL FORT MYERS, FL NEW YORK, NY
Read as: 64.1% of adults in Tulsa, Oklahoma were reached by Local News on TV in Q2 2020.
Source: NLTV Reach Report, based on population in LPM markets for Q2 2020.
LOOKING A BIT CLOSER

The uniqueness of local markets is showcased in the consumer behaviors of three spotlight
markets. In the following pages, we will take a more detailed look at New York, San Diego and
Birmingham, Ala. These snapshots will highlight news behaviors as well as political trends and
digital touchpoints in each market.
NEW YORK
BIRMINGHAM
SAN DIEGO
NEW YORK, NY
AUDIENCE SNAPSHOT
HOW MANY WATCH NEWS?

In a typical week during Q2 2020, 51% of adults in New York were
reached by local TV news—more than any other news type on television.
DIGITAL HABITS
51% 48% 38%
LOCAL TV NEWS NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS CABLE TV NEWS 46%
STREAMED BREAKING
NEWS IN PAST MONTH
POLITICAL AFFILIATION
DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN INDEPENDENT NONE
23%
RESEARCHED A
LOCAL TV NEWS VIEWERS POLITICIAN’S CAMPAIGN
ONLINE IN PAST MONTH
42% 17% 25% 15%
NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS VIEWERS
46% 16% 29% 10%
57%
ACCESSED NEWS VIA
INTERNET OR APPS IN
CABLE TV NEWS VIEWERS
PAST MONTH
39% 23% 26% 12%
31%
HOW MUCH THEY WATCH ACCESSED A BROADCAST TV
APP/WEBSITE IN PAST WEEK
7,871,103,902 MINUTES
spent watching TV news during Q2 2020 across the NY population,
averaging out to approximately 9 hours per week, per adult
Source: Political and Digital insights derived from Nielsen Scarborough Survey Panel. USA+ Release 1 2020. New York DMA. TV News Reach and Time Spent
Watching News derived from Nielsen Local TV View, based on Q2 2020 for New York. See methodology section for additional details.
SAN DIEGO, CA
AUDIENCE SNAPSHOT

In a typical week during Q2 2020, 55% of adults in San Diego were
DIGITAL HABITS
55% 43% 36%
STREAMED BREAKING
NEWS IN PAST MONTH
23%
RESEARCHED A
31% 21% 28% 20%
41% 17% 33% 9%
55%
ACCESSED NEWS VIA
INTERNET OR APPS IN
PAST MONTH
37% 23% 30% 10%
37%
1,064,645,233 MINUTES
spent watching TV news during Q2 2020 across the San Diego
population, averaging out to approximately 8 hours per week, per adult
Source: Political and Digital insights derived from Nielsen Scarborough Survey Panel. USA+ Release 1 2020. San Diego DMA. TV News Reach and Time Spent
Watching News derived from Nielsen Local TV View, based on Q2 2020 for San Diego. See methodology section for additional details.
BIRMINGHAM, AL
AUDIENCE SNAPSHOT

In a typical week during Q2 2020, 63% of adults in Birmingham were
DIGITAL HABITS
63% 39% 36%
STREAMED BREAKING
NEWS IN PAST MONTH
16%
RESEARCHED A
24% 37% 25% 14%
22% 37% 25% 14%
47%
ACCESSED NEWS VIA
INTERNET OR APPS IN
PAST MONTH
23% 39% 25% 13%
25%
896,007,978 MINUTES
spent watching TV news during Q2 2020 across the Birmingham
population, averaging out to approximately 11.5 hours per week, per adult
Source: Political and Digital insights derived from Nielsen Scarborough Survey Panel. USA+ Release 1 2020. Birmingham DMA. TV News Reach and Time Spent
Watching News derived from Nielsen Local TV View, based on Q2 2020 for Birmingham (Ann & Tusc). See methodology section for additional details.
NEWS HABITS AMONG

REMOTE WORKERS
NEWS WINS WITH REMOTE WORKERS

NEWS IS MOST POPULAR CONTENT CHOICE AMONG THOSE WORKING AT HOME
47%
OF REMOTE WORKERS SAY NEWS IS
THE MOST COMMONLY WATCHED
GENRE WHEN WORKING FROM HOME
GENRES WATCHED DURING A TYPICAL WEEK WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

GENRE TYPE TOTAL U.S. MIDWEST NORTHEAST SOUTH WEST
1 NEWS 47% 44% 49% 44% 54%

2 COMEDY 40% 42% 43% 36% 40%
3 MOVIES 36% 38% 33% 39% 34%
4 DRAMA 30% 26% 36% 29% 31%
5 SPORTS 24% 22% 27% 24% 22%
6 SHORT-FORM VIDEOS 21% 19% 21% 19% 26%

(i.e., YouTube)
7 TALK SHOWS 19% 20% 18% 19% 21%
8 GAME SHOWS 14% 13% 13% 18% 12%
9 KIDS SHOWS 9% 9% 10% 9% 7%

Source: Nielsen Custom Survey.
Question: Thinking about your most recent week watching TV or streaming content while working from home, what type(s) of content are you viewing most often?
WFH NEWS PREFERENCE

VARIES BY REGION
Digging deeper, remote workers tune into local TV news more than cable TV news or national broadcast TV news. Sixty-four
percent say that they engage with local TV news on a regular basis during work hours. Visibility at the regional level gives a
clearer picture, with different areas of the country skewing more towards certain news types. The below maps are shaded
from dark to light, illustrating which regions over and under index against the U.S. average. Midwesterners come out on top
for local TV news, while The West over-indexes for national broadcast and cable TV news.
LOCAL TV NEWS
NORTHEAST
WEST MIDWEST 53%
64% 72% 73%
SOUTH
63%
CABLE TV NEWS
NORTHEAST
WEST MIDWEST 63%
62% 66% 59%
SOUTH
61%

NORTHEAST
WEST MIDWEST 53%
58% 63% 53%
SOUTH
61%

Question: What type of news do you engage with on a regular basis during working hours?
REASONS REMOTE WORKERS

RELY ON LOCAL NEWS
REMOTE WORKERS WHO WATCH
LOCAL NEWS ARE CONNECTED TO
THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TRUST
LOCAL NEWS FOR UP-TO-DATE
INFORMATION
TOP REASONS REMOTE WORKERS WATCH LOCAL NEWS
61%
FOR LOCAL
41%
CONTENT THAT
39%
CONNECTION TO MY
INFORMATION I TRUST COMMUNITY
44%
STORIES ARE
20%
FEEL LIKE I’M SUPPORTING
17%
ANCHORS THAT
RELEVANT TO ME MY COMMUNITY I TRUST
Base: Watch local news content while working from home.
SUPPLEMENTAL
CHARTS AND TABLES
WEEKLY TIME SPENT IN LPM MARKETS

AVERAGE HH:MM WATCHING TV NEWS PER ADULT, PER WEEK
PITTSBURGH 4:10 2:37 4:35 11:22

PHILADELPHIA 3:25 2:03 4:57 10:25
DETROIT 4:05 2:07 4:10 10:22
ATLANTA 3:32 1:59 3:58 9:29
BALTIMORE 2:59 1:48 4:40 9:27
CHICAGO 4:13 1:37 3:26 9:16
CLEVELAND 3:50 1:32 3:50 9:12
TAMPA 2:32 1:28 5:10 9:10
ST. LOUIS 3:58 1:58 3:11 9:07
NEW YORK 2:14 1:44 5:03 9:01
BOSTON 3:22 1:28 4:04 8:54
ORLANDO 2:29 1:38 4:31 8:38
CHARLOTTE 2:39 1:59 3:56 8:34
MIAMI 3:13 1:48 3:31 8:32
WASHINGTON, DC 2:03 1:28 5:01 8:32
PHOENIX 3:02 1:20 3:46 8:08
SEATTLE 2:40 1:18 3:57 7:55
HOUSTON 3:00 1:48 3:06 7:54
SAN FRANCISCO 2:48 1:05 3:57 7:50
DENVER 2:35 1:32 3:39 7:46
MINNEAPOLIS 3:23 1:26 2:44 7:33
PORTLAND 2:33 1:19 3:41 7:33
DALLAS 2:53 1:36 3:00 7:29
SACRAMENTO 2:17 1:09 3:24 6:50
LOS ANGELES 2:07 1:07 3:34 6:48
Source: NLTV Program Report, Q2 2020, P18+, based on Total Population in each market
WEEKLY TIME SPENT IN SET METER+PPM MARKETS

WEST PALM BEACH 2:51 2:19 8:09 13:19
NORFOLK 3:08 2:39 5:07 10:54
NASHVILLE 3:49 2:06 4:26 10:21
MEMPHIS 4:09 1:55 3:54 9:58
HARTFORD 3:30 2:13 4:13 9:56
RALEIGH 3:11 2:04 4:28 9:43
LAS VEGAS 2:49 1:27 5:19 9:35
JACKSONVILLE 3:24 1:13 4:56 9:33
CINCINNATI 3:53 1:49 3:32 9:14
PROVIDENCE 2:59 2:05 4:05 9:09
GREENSBORO 3:18 1:42 4:08 9:08
KANSAS CITY 3:52 1:48 3:20 9:00
COLUMBUS, OH 3:19 1:50 3:37 8:46
MILWAUKEE 3:42 1:43 3:12 8:37
SAN DIEGO 2:40 1:28 4:15 8:23
INDIANAPOLIS 3:13 1:21 3:42 8:16
SAN ANTONIO 2:59 1:44 3:28 8:11
AUSTIN 2:10 1:29 4:22 8:01
SALT LAKE CITY 2:12 0:49 1:56 4:57
Source: NLTV Local News Genre Report, Q2 2020. P18+, based on Total Population in each market
WEEKLY TIME SPENT IN SET METER+RPD MARKETS

FT. MYERS 3:18 2:16 6:53 12:27
BIRMINGHAM 4:39 1:42 5:10 11:31
NEW ORLEANS 4:25 1:34 5:12 11:11
KNOXVILLE 2:54 2:07 5:43 10:44
GREENVILLE 3:35 2:11 4:37 10:23
LOUISVILLE 4:19 1:48 3:33 9:40
ALBUQUERQUE 2:51 2:20 4:26 9:37
BUFFALO 2:52 2:07 4:28 9:27
RICHMOND 3:10 2:20 3:47 9:17
TULSA 3:53 1:42 3:42 9:17
DAYTON 3:05 2:25 3:45 9:15
OKLAHOMA CITY 3:47 2:04 2:58 8:49
WEEKLY TIME SPENT BY ETHNICITY IN TOP MARKETS

BLACK AMERICAN
12:37 12:31 12:20 11:50 11:46 11:22 11:11
4:15 10:12 9:52 9:50
5:11 3:55 3:47
4:21
6:19 6:24 4:33
2:39 2:23 5:16 4:06
2:28 2:50
2:22
1:49 1:43 2:06
2:10 1:24
5:43 6:02 5:09
4:52 4:28 3:56 3:38
3:42 2:48 3:12
DETROIT PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO WASHINGTON, ATLANTA NEW YORK HOUSTON MIAMI LOS ANGELES DALLAS
DC
HISPANIC
5:59 5:48
1:35 1:23 4:53 4:44 4:42 4:36 4:31
0:50 4:07 4:01
1:11 0:51 3:39
1:39 2:00 1:17 0:47
1:49 1:05
1:21 1:13 1:31 1:23
1:04 1:03 1:20
1:10
0:49
2:45 2:36 2:33 2:18 2:14 2:10 1:59 1:54
1:43 1:27
MIAMI NEW YORK DENVER CHICAGO PHOENIX HOUSTON SAN LOS ANGELES DALLAS SACRAMENTO
FRANCISCO
LPM+PPM MARKETS
REACH PERCENT BY NEWS TYPE AMONG ADULTS 18+

MARKET Q2 ’18 Q2 ’19 Q2 ’20 Q2 ’18 Q2 ’19 Q2 ’20 Q2 ’18 Q2 ’19 Q2 ’20
ATLANTA 48.0 47.0 54.8 40.7 40.2 45.8 26.3 23.5 32.5
BALTIMORE 45.3 44.0 52.3 35.1 34.1 42.4 24.3 24.5 34.6
BOSTON 50.9 51.7 54.8 38.6 39.9 41.2 23.4 23.4 33.8
CHARLOTTE 46.8 47.3 53.5 40.6 43.1 45.6 24.9 20.8 30.2
CHICAGO 54.0 52.8 59.5 32.6 32.2 35.7 19.9 18.7 27.6
CLEVELAND 55.5 53.9 56.3 41.0 41.2 39.6 25.8 24.6 31.9
DALLAS 52.2 50.4 57.0 32.8 34.3 37.8 20.8 17.9 23.5
DENVER 49.5 48.0 53.0 30.4 31.1 33.0 22.9 21.0 27.4
DETROIT 52.2 49.5 56.9 43.1 42.5 48.0 23.3 19.2 32.0
HOUSTON 50.0 49.0 54.4 37.9 37.8 46.8 18.3 17.0 23.2
LOS ANGELES 47.1 43.6 51.8 36.1 35.6 41.3 21.4 18.0 28.3
MIAMI 52.9 52.6 59.1 42.5 43.5 51.1 20.8 19.5 26.7
MINNEAPOLIS 53.3 52.7 57.6 37.1 38.5 39.8 21.4 18.3 25.7
NEW YORK 47.0 45.8 51.3 41.8 41.9 47.7 29.0 26.8 37.8
ORLANDO 44.7 43.8 50.2 39.2 39.1 43.0 26.3 23.4 32.1
PHILADELPHIA 51.5 49.5 54.7 43.2 44.4 47.9 24.4 23.6 36.1
PHOENIX 49.9 48.3 53.2 31.7 30.2 33.7 22.1 21.5 28.6
PITTSBURGH 60.5 57.0 61.7 51.6 49.0 53.2 28.7 26.6 36.0
PORTLAND 45.0 45.0 51.8 34.9 36.7 36.7 23.3 21.3 29.0
SACRAMENTO 46.8 43.2 48.4 37.3 36.7 36.9 21.5 21.3 27.7
SAN FRANCISCO 45.5 42.6 52.9 30.1 29.9 37.2 24.1 21.4 31.2
SEATTLE 42.2 42.0 49.5 32.5 35.7 37.1 22.9 21.9 30.7
ST. LOUIS 56.8 59.9 60.2 35.1 42.1 40.4 22.1 18.9 26.8
TAMPA 45.0 42.9 48.9 37.2 37.6 41.2 28.9 26.4 34.7
WASHINGTON, DC 43.8 40.9 45.5 35.5 35.6 40.1 27.0 25.5 35.7
Source: NLTV Reach Report. Average Weekly Reach Percent Among Persons 18+. Based on Total Population in each market.
SM+PPM MARKETS

AUSTIN 49.9 49.3 52.1 34.0 31.7 34.9 21.7 23.6 31.7
CINCINNATI 59.0 60.0 58.5 48.4 46.1 44.7 24.5 22.3 28.3
COLUMBUS 58.9 57.0 56.9 50.3 47.3 46.4 27.3 23.1 31.1
GREENSBORO 58.1 55.7 55.5 45.4 42.3 45.3 22.8 22.3 31.7
HARTFORD 62.1 60.9 61.7 54.4 52.7 54.2 30.8 29.0 36.6
INDIANAPOLIS 54.6 53.5 54.0 43.3 38.8 42.0 23.3 22.9 30.7
JACKSONVILLE 56.7 56.0 56.5 36.6 37.6 36.4 30.7 25.4 34.8
KANSAS CITY 63.6 63.5 60.6 47.7 46.4 47.4 22.7 21.2 31.2
LAS VEGAS 56.4 53.1 57.3 43.5 41.9 44.4 29.3 27.8 36.7
MEMPHIS 49.8 49.4 47.5 41.3 40.5 42.1 25.4 21.0 26.6
MILWAUKEE 62.7 63.5 59.9 38.1 38.4 40.8 19.8 17.7 25.0
NASHVILLE 64.5 63.5 60.7 44.4 41.6 43.0 25.0 22.7 30.9
NORFOLK 58.5 57.8 58.1 54.5 50.9 52.7 30.6 26.6 35.4
PROVIDENCE 51.4 54.3 55.7 46.2 46.9 49.5 25.2 24.9 36.2
RALEIGH 52.9 51.5 55.4 48.1 45.4 48.2 25.3 22.6 31.6
SALT LAKE CITY 45.2 46.1 47.1 23.9 22.9 24.7 16.3 16.0 22.5
SAN ANTONIO 58.8 56.4 58.4 37.0 36.4 39.2 24.1 20.8 28.0
SAN DIEGO 49.5 50.8 55.3 37.6 37.5 42.6 28.1 25.5 35.8
WEST PALM BEACH 55.1 51.5 56.0 49.8 47.0 50.5 38.9 36.1 48.2
SM+RPD MARKETS

ALBUQUERQUE 57.8 55.7 58.5 40.0 38.2 42.2 22.8 24.7 29.9
BIRMINGHAM 60.4 60.0 62.8 38.3 37.4 38.6 28.9 25.9 35.9
BUFFALO 60.4 56.9 57.8 51.7 48.9 51.4 28.7 26.4 34.8
DAYTON 62.1 62.5 61.2 56.1 56.1 53.8 26.2 22.1 30.7
FT. MYERS 58.0 57.6 62.3 51.4 49.6 55.0 34.7 33.6 41.5
GREENVILLE 61.3 61.7 63.9 52.9 53.0 55.2 28.3 25.7 36.5
KNOXVILLE 57.9 54.3 55.3 51.9 46.8 49.3 29.5 26.4 37.4
LOUISVILLE 63.2 63.9 63.4 50.0 49.0 48.7 27.8 23.6 28.7
NEW ORLEANS 61.9 63.0 64.1 38.1 37.8 41.0 25.0 25.2 36.0
OKLAHOMA CITY 64.4 67.6 62.5 46.4 46.3 44.4 20.8 18.1 25.6
RICHMOND 62.1 59.9 58.0 56.0 53.7 52.0 30.0 26.4 34.9
TULSA 64.8 68.2 64.1 40.8 40.4 39.9 24.5 20.8 26.1
SOURCING
NLTV = NIELSEN LOCAL TV VIEW
Nielsen Local TV View is an online tool that allows users to analyze viewing within and
across the 210 Nielsen Designated Market Areas (DMAs). Users can create custom trade
areas to analyze a target audience, as well as sub-sample their audience by a variety of
characteristics.
DEFINITION OF TV NEWS
NEWS TYPE SOURCE METHODOLOGY DETAILS
Local TV News NLTV Sources – ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC,
Independent Stations, Telemundo, Univision
Custom Program Report, Local News Genre,
Sum of Total Minutes converted from
Average Quarter Hour, Mon-Sun, Total Day
3a-3a, Live+Same Day Data Stream
National Broadcast NLTV Sources – ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC

TV News Custom Program Report, News Genre, Sum
of Total Minutes converted from Average
Quarter Hour, Mon-Sun, Total Day 3a-3a,
Live+Same Day Data Stream
Cable TV News NLTV Sources – CNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel,

MSNBC
Custom Time Period Report, Sum of Total
Minutes converted from Average Quarter
Hour, Mon-Sun, Total Day 3a-3a, Live+Same
Day Data Stream
WEEKLY TIME SPENT, REACH PERCENTAGES

NLTV – Quarter 2 (2018, 2019, 2020). All months within each quarter based on local survey
dates. Calculations based on Weekly Gross Minutes across LPM+PPM, Set Meter +PPM
and SM+RPD Markets. Population estimates based on Nielsen Universe Estimates. Reach
schedules reflect all news programs aired during the time period.
MARKET TYPES
Local People Meter (+PPM) – Top 25 DMAs measured by an electronic people meter,
providing daily information about what is viewed on a TV set and which members of the
household are watching.
Set-Meter (+PPM) – 19 markets providing household tuning information on a daily basis.

Viewer assignment provides demographic information about who is watching.
Set-Meter (+RPD) – 12 markets providing tuning information on a daily basis. Viewer

assignment provides demographic information about who is watching.
Note: Effective October 2019, all above mentioned market types reflect a new currency.
The Top 25 LPM markets and 19 Set Meter markets were enhanced to include Nielsen’s
Portable People Meter (PPM) sample. 12 Set-Meter markets incorporated return-path data
via designated providers. Additionally, all Set-Meter markets now include People Meter
homes, originally installed for use in the National Panel. These enhancements allow for
expanded sample size, and reduced variability. All trends in this report reflect currency data
that aligns with the respective period. Therefore, any data prior to October 2019 reflects the
former methodology without the enhancements.
SCARBOROUGH PRIME LINGO (PAGE 17-19)

Political data based on Households that viewed each news type (Local News, Cable News,
National/Network News) in the respective market during the survey period. Digital statistics
reflect the total market average for adults 18+. Data is based on Release 1 of the 2020
national USA+ survey period. Nielsen Scarborough has been measuring media, retail and
lifestyle habits on a national and local level for more than 40 years. Each year, Scarborough
surveys over 200,000 individuals across the U.S. Survey methodologies vary by local market
with measurement tactics including phone interviews, survey booklets, television diaries
and internet surveys.
CUSTOM SCARBOROUGH SURVEY/TOTAL MEDIA FUSION (PAGES 8, 21-23)

A custom Scarborough survey was fielded in April 2020 and was linked with the Total
Media Fusion sourced from Nielsen Media Impact to understand the media behaviors of
respondents who classified themselves as Traditional Work from Home workers and those
working from home due to the coronavirus outbreak.
ABOUT NIELSEN
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global measurement and data
analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view
available of consumers and markets worldwide. Nielsen is divided into
two business units. Nielsen Global Media provides media and advertising
industries with unbiased and reliable metrics that create a shared
understanding of the industry required for markets to function. Nielsen
Global Connect provides consumer packaged goods manufacturers
and retailers with accurate, actionable information and insights and
a complete picture of the complex and changing marketplace that
companies need to innovate and grow.
Our approach marries proprietary Nielsen data with other data sources to
help clients around the world understand what’s happening now, what’s
happening next, and how to best act on this knowledge.
An S&P 500 company, Nielsen has operations in over 100 countries,

covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information,
visit www.nielsen.com.
Copyright © 2020 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. Confidential and proprietary. Do not distribute.

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Nielsen Local Watch Report Oct2020 Final

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NIELSEN LOCAL WATCH REPORT | OCTOBER 2020

A LOOK ACROSS MARKETS ........................................................ 13

SPECIAL FEATURE ON REMOTE WORKERS .............................. 20

SUPPLEMENTAL DATA & SOURCING ........................................ 24

A SURGE TO STAY INFORMED

WEEKLY TIME SPENT WATCHING TOTAL TV NEWS (HH:MM) | ADULTS 18+

NEWS AUDIENCES ARE

TOTAL TV NEWS CONSUMPTION BY RACE/ETHNICITY

BLACK AMERICANS ARE THE HEAVIEST

TOTAL TV NEWS AVERAGE WEEKLY HH:MM, Q2 2020

PERSONS 25-54 PERSONS 55+

NEWS CONTENT VIEWED WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

64% 62% 58%

WEEKLY TIME SPENT WATCHING NEWS BY TYPE (HH:MM) | ADULTS 18+

LOCAL NEWS REACHES MOST,

AVERAGE WEEKLY REACH BY NEWS TYPE, Q2 2020

PERSONS 18+ PERSONS 18-34

PERSONS 25-54 PERSONS 55+

P18-34 P35-49 P50+

WHERE NEWS MATTERS MOST

TOP CITIES FOR TIME SPENT WATCHING TV NEWS

WHERE TV NEWS REACHES MOST

AVERAGE WEEKLY REACH BY NEWS TYPE, ADULTS 18+, Q2 2020

NEW ORLEANS, LA TULSA, OK GREENVILLE, SC

NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS

LOOKING A BIT CLOSER

HOW MANY WATCH NEWS?

HOW MANY WATCH NEWS?

HOW MANY WATCH NEWS?

NEWS HABITS AMONG

NEWS WINS WITH REMOTE WORKERS

GENRES WATCHED DURING A TYPICAL WEEK WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

1 NEWS 47% 44% 49% 44% 54%

3 MOVIES 36% 38% 33% 39% 34%

4 DRAMA 30% 26% 36% 29% 31%

5 SPORTS 24% 22% 27% 24% 22%

6 SHORT-FORM VIDEOS 21% 19% 21% 19% 26%

7 TALK SHOWS 19% 20% 18% 19% 21%

8 GAME SHOWS 14% 13% 13% 18% 12%

9 KIDS SHOWS 9% 9% 10% 9% 7%

WFH NEWS PREFERENCE

NATIONAL BROADCAST TV NEWS

Source: Nielsen Custom Survey.

REASONS REMOTE WORKERS

TOP REASONS REMOTE WORKERS WATCH LOCAL NEWS

WEEKLY TIME SPENT IN LPM MARKETS

PITTSBURGH 4:10 2:37 4:35 11:22

WEEKLY TIME SPENT IN SET METER+PPM MARKETS

WEST PALM BEACH 2:51 2:19 8:09 13:19

NORFOLK 3:08 2:39 5:07 10:54

NASHVILLE 3:49 2:06 4:26 10:21

MEMPHIS 4:09 1:55 3:54 9:58

HARTFORD 3:30 2:13 4:13 9:56

RALEIGH 3:11 2:04 4:28 9:43

LAS VEGAS 2:49 1:27 5:19 9:35

JACKSONVILLE 3:24 1:13 4:56 9:33

CINCINNATI 3:53 1:49 3:32 9:14

PROVIDENCE 2:59 2:05 4:05 9:09

GREENSBORO 3:18 1:42 4:08 9:08

KANSAS CITY 3:52 1:48 3:20 9:00

COLUMBUS, OH 3:19 1:50 3:37 8:46

MILWAUKEE 3:42 1:43 3:12 8:37

SAN DIEGO 2:40 1:28 4:15 8:23

INDIANAPOLIS 3:13 1:21 3:42 8:16