More and more Americans are awakening to the advantages of over the air TV and are catching their local broadcasts without having to pay top dollar. And new types of streaming services are also getting in on the game, offering custom streams to people all over the country. In this chapter, we’ll focus on how to watch local news broadcasts, primarily those broadcast by local affiliates of the four major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX).
Free TV is still the best solution to watch local news
If you can install an antenna on your property, this is one area where it will really help you. By far the easiest way to get local news broadcasts is to pick them up for free over the air. Head back here for a more in-depth explanation of OTA, or flip forward for tips on choosing the right antenna for you.
Once you’ve set up an antenna, you should be able to watch local news. They’ll be exactly the same as they are on cable. You’ll still get HD, and everything will still be on at exactly the same time, from network sitcoms and dramas to (of course) local news.
Watch local news via streaming
The streaming world has been a little slow to figure out local news, but the industry is quickly making up for lost time. A few new services have recently emerged to tackle the local news problem, and while none of them are perfect, they’re all solid options that can help you cut the cord.
There are two types of news apps you’ll want to look at. The first is a general news app like Watchup, which offers options to people all over the country.
Watchup offers a personalized, multi-channel experience. Choose from over 200 local, national and international channels and a variety of news categories. The free app is on iOS, Android smartphones and tablets, Amazon Fire TV & Kindle and Nintendo Wii U.
The other option to watch local news is your news station’s own app – which they very likely have. Find out if it’s available for your favorite streaming device, and see if there’s a live feed (sometimes local station apps just have clips or print stories available).
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