Local News Audiences Doubled and Even Tripled During L.A. Fire Coverage

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During a calamitous event in Los Angeles, city dwellers sought updates from local news outlets – on television, radio, and online platforms. On January 7th, last Tuesday, as the city was assaulted by strong Santa Ana winds, sparking fires in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and other areas, there was a significant surge in viewership for LA’s local TV stations. With round-the-clock coverage, they experienced a notable increase in viewers, with some instances doubling or even tripling their typical audience, particularly as the fires rapidly encroached upon residential neighborhoods during the early evening hours.

Based on Nielsen’s findings, KABC (Channel 7), the dominant station in the market, drew an average of 318,166 viewers for its 6 p.m. news broadcast on January 7th. Typically, this time slot averages around 170,769 viewers for ABC-owned KABC. However, there were significant increases in viewership at other times as well: 209,421 viewers tuned in at 4 p.m., which is a rise from the usual average of 119,190; and 5 p.m. saw an impressive 268,915 viewers, up from its normal average of 140,820.

On that particular evening, viewership for Nexstar’s CW affiliate KTLA (Channel 5) saw a significant surge, averaging 212,396 viewers at 5 pm (compared to the usual 73,036), and peaking at 6 pm with 282,710 viewers (over three times its normal 70,027). In contrast, NBC-owned KNBC (Channel 4) saw a rise in viewership as well, attracting 130,787 viewers at 5 pm (a jump from the typical 70,511), and 123,795 viewers at 6 pm (an increase from the usual 69,638).

At 5 PM, the programming on CBS-owned KCBS (Channel 2) drew an audience of 93,231 viewers, marking a significant increase from the previous day’s 58,165 viewers. Similarly, the viewership at 6 PM reached 113,180 people, again showing growth over the 78,033 viewers from the prior day. Meanwhile, Fox-owned KTTV (Channel 11) saw an audience of 44,891 viewers at 5 PM, a noticeable jump from the 30,184 viewers on the previous day. By 6 PM, the viewership had grown further to 67,821 people, compared to the 31,016 viewers seen earlier in the day.

Telemundo’s Spanish-language station KVEA (Channel 52) experienced significant increases as well, with viewership rising to 218,498 viewers at 5 pm (from 168,305), and further increasing to 231,777 viewers at 6 pm (from 201,458).

During primetime hours, the majority of local stations provided continuous news coverage: KABC attracted approximately 261,440 viewers from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.; KVEA had around 251,194 viewers; KTLA drew about 215,972 viewers between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.; KNBC averaged roughly 156,864 viewers during primetime; and KCBS recorded approximately 76,839 viewers.

During prime time, the news broadcasts on KCBS, a sister station to KCAL that typically airs news during this period, experienced a significant increase. At 8 p.m., they drew in 166,320 viewers (compared to their usual average of 111,473), and at 9 p.m., they attracted 193,606 viewers (a jump from their typical 104,708).

The late news experienced a significant surge in viewership as the fire risk intensified that evening: For instance, during KABC’s 11 p.m. slot, the average audience was 191,995 (increased from the usual 134,753); KTLA had 200,260 viewers at 10 p.m. (up from 79,863) and 170,008 at 11 p.m. (up from 61,707); while KCAL saw an increase to 131,474 viewers at 10 p.m. (up from 85,681).

Furthermore, KCBS saw an increase from 60,148 to 89,668 viewers at 11 p.m., while KNBC reported a rise from 66,408 to 81,916 viewers during the same hour. At 10 p.m., KTTV had an audience of 87,233 (previously 35,198), and at 11 p.m., Spanish-speaking station KVEA attracted 177,400 viewers (up from the previous 132,752).

Steve Carlston, senior VP/general manager of KTTV (Fox 11) and KCOP (Fox 11 Plus), expressed pride in all the stations and journalists he knows. He believes that during emergencies, local broadcasting becomes incredibly valuable. People aren’t seeking out CNN for this kind of story; instead, they rely on their familiar local stations, anchors, and reporters who intimately know their city. This is evident when they begin to report, as they can identify landmarks, routes, and other vital information about the neighborhoods. In essence, this is a remarkable tale showcasing the importance of local news and broadcasting in serving, safeguarding, and preparing communities.

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2025-01-14 21:47