A Centralcasting Postmortem and a News-Share Projection: Using Market Theory to Assess Alternative Local Television News Strategies

Abstract

In the wake of decisions by two television station groups in 2006 to end centralcasting experiments, the author of this paper employed market theory to compare both centralcasting and contracted newscast products with traditional newscast products. Twenty-two newscasts that aired between 2004 and 2005 were recorded and analyzed in three southern markets. Results showed in the 2,583 stories analyzed there were more similarities than differences between the traditionally staffed local news operations and the operations produced with alternative staffing. News programs produced in a news share agreement or with a centralized news operation showed no less commitment than the “fully” staffed operations to stories related to state and local politics or government. The results of this study were consistent with data in the State of the News Media 2006 report that found a heavy emphasis on crime and accidents in local news.