Local programming

The terms local programme, local programming, local content or local television refers to a television program made by a television station or independent television producer for broadcast only within the station's transmission area or television market. Local programmes can encompass the whole range of programme genres but will usually only cover subjects or people of particular interest to an audience within the station’s coverage area.

For example, a local sports programme will present results, interviews and coverage of games or matches, just like a network sports programme, but it would only feature teams and players from within the broadcaster's transmission area.

In some cases a television network programme may include a local element as well. This is particularly the case in the United Kingdom and still happens today with The Politics Show. The BBC regions will all opt-out at the same time from the main programme to present a locally produced segment.

Sometimes locally made programmes that are not too specific to the transmission area, will be sold to other local stations for broadcast in their region.

Historically there was a large percentage of local programming on television. Late in the 20th century this has significantly fallen.[1][2][3][4][5][6] In many cases the only local programmes on a television station today will be the local newscast.[7]

The above can also apply to radio. A national radio network may have local studios or affiliates who opt-out at various times to present local programs and content.

In the late-1950s, many of the early Australian television series such as Melbourne Magazine (1957), Sydney Tonight (1956-1959), and TV Talent Scout (1957-1958) were broadcast in only a single city.

United States

The term is also generally accepted to refer to television programming that is not produced by a broadcast or other media source for national or international distribution (broadcast syndication). Usually programming of local interest is produced by either a Public, educational, and government access (PEG) television organization, cable TV operator or broadcast network affiliate stations that offer local radio news and television news.

Placeholder use of term

Additionally, the term is used in a more generic form in the United States, Canada, Mexico and other countries in the Western Hemisphere as a placeholder term within published national program guide listings in publications such as the post-2006 format TV Guide or USA Today which only carry the default schedules of national networks, where the "local programming" designation replaces detailed listings for a local station that would be impossible to print in a national publication. Outside of local newscasts and some rare non-news programming however, the term merely describes time periods under a local station's control, where syndicated content airs rather than true local programming. For equivalent electronic program guide listings for set-top boxes, the term is used mainly with PEG stations which do not have a schedule compiled by a cable operator as a default placeholder; other instances are with only broadcast stations who outright refuse or do not release their program listings due to lack of staff, though as advertisers usually demand a minimum schedule to place their ads on a television station, the vast majority of broadcast stations do provide program listings.

List of local programs in the United States

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United Kingdom

Many local television stations in the United Kingdom ceased broadcasting due to a lack of viability, but some stations are still being broadcast.

List of local television stations currently broadcasting in the United Kingdom

See also

References

  1. ↑ Foster, Robin (November 2004). "What Future for Regional TV?". Ofcom. Retrieved 2007-06-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. ↑ McLaughlin, Paul (November 2004). "We must save regional TV". Campaign for Press & Broadcasting Freedom. Retrieved 2007-06-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  3. ↑ "Ofcom slashes ITV local programming". National Union of Journalists. February 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
  4. ↑ Hopkins, Stephen (March 2006). "Regional TV – a spent force?". Transdiffusion. Retrieved 2007-06-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ↑ Palmer, Danny (June 2003). "Regional TV – Déjà vu Down Under". Transdiffusion. Retrieved 2007-06-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  6. ↑ Kedgley, Sue (May 2007). "NZ made programmes lowest since Charter introduced". Green Party of New Zealand. Retrieved 2007-06-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  7. ↑ Project for Excellence in Journalism (2004). "State of the US local news media". Journalism.org. Retrieved 2007-06-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
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