CBSN LOCAL - New York channel has launched

CBSN - LOCAL - CBS has announced they will launch a local version of their apparently successful 24hr news channel CBSN. The channels are set to feature local content and dedicated newscasts and simulcasts of the local O&O's broadcasts. Also will feature rolling breaking coverage of stories that require extended coverage. It will be shown CBSN on CBSNews.com, the CBS News apps for mobile and connected TV devices and CBS Television Stations websites and mobile apps. But strangely they do not intend to use the digital channels connected to their O&O stations, such as 2.2. or 2.3, 2.4 etc.

More info at DEADLINE.com
https://deadline.com/2018/08/cbs-plans-to-launch-local-streaming-portfolio-modeled-on-cbsn-1202438121/

As CBSN has been so successful for CBS they also launched CBSSPORTSHQ channel last year I think. It sits alongside the CBSN inside the streaming app when you open it in addition to the dedicated CBS Sports Streaming app.

This is an interesting development. CBSN works because of its distinctly low budget style, simple set, basic coverage, talking to reporters at bureauxs more often than going live to satellite trucks. But on the local front, most local stations don't have a lot of studios outside of their main studio centre, so does that means lots of throws to the newsroom or to a standup position? I'd be interested to see how they apply the CBSN model.

It's a pretty good model. To be fair, I am not sure why nobody has gone for a CBSN-a-like in the UK.
The format would be a dream to automate, repeating segments until such time as they are out-of-date or can be updated.
Same is true whether your editorial area is the whole country (ala CBSN) or a smaller area (say New York metro area)

Cheaper than a dedicated 24hr rolling news operation and making the best use of your station's resources.

Would love to see ITV, Viacom (of course with their own links to CBS), or maybe even ITN have a crack at the format in this country.

Launching as an OTT network is pretty shrewd as carriage over broadcast media is so expensive.

Well remember that CBSN Local will only launch on CBS O&O stations, they have far more resources and are typically in larger markets. Addtionally according the press release from CBS, they will simulcast the stations regular newscasts and then create additional newscasts specifically for the channel. So its likely they will use their regular sets and almost every O&O has a set/ DTL in their newsroom, similar to how CBSN National aready operates if needs must. So set space shouldnt be an issue at all.

WBBM Chicago - Newsroom set-up

WBBM Chicago - Studio Set


FYI there are the CBS O&O stations
WCBS-TV and WLNY-TV (New York), KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV (Los Angeles), WBBM-TV (Chicago), KYW-TV and WPSG-TV (Philadelphia), KTVT-TV and KTXA-TV (Dallas-Ft. Worth), KPIX-TV and KBCW-TV (San Francisco), WUPA-TV (Atlanta), WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV (Boston), KSTW-TV (Seattle), WTOG-TV (Tampa-St. Petersburg), WWJ-TV and WKBD-TV (Detroit), WCCO-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul), WFOR-TV and WBFS-TV (Miami), KCNC-TV (Denver), KOVR-TV and KMAX-TV (Sacramento), KDKA-TV and WPCW-TV (Pittsburgh) and WJZ-TV (Baltimore), as well as WCCO-TV’s satellite station KCCW-TV (Walker, Minn.).

The new CBSN local will debut with New York City's WCBS /WLNY duopoly in Q4 2018. WCBS not only has the CBS Broadcast Center as its base but it also has the studios of WLNY in Melville, New York as a secondary space. The Melville studios serve as the Long Island bureau of WCBS / WLNY

Just a little FYI about CBS successful CBSN...

Quote: Expand

CBSN currently produces 15 hours of programming daily, much of it live, with stories repeating in a wheel format. Anchors remain on standby for breaking news and special reports.

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According to the CBSN data from December 2017, 79 percent of CBSN viewers are in the 18-49 demo, with an average age of 38. The average CNN, Fox News and MSNBC viewer across the 24-hour-day is in their 60s.

Super cost effective and very successful and has youngest audience than any of the Big 3 news channels. The most coveted of advertisers. Interesting that ABC News tried a similar strategy but they didnt get it right and they basically shut down. Thought there is some live exclusive programming on ABCNews.com

Does anybody know how CBSN performs, compared against, say, Newsy?

15 hours a day - I thought their model was effectively a 30 or 60 minute newswheel updated three times a day, with further updates if stories dictate it.

Isn't a huge step with that model for local channels to create a news channel considering many have 5-6 hours of content already. It's basically a case of adding in something in the morning, afternoon and primetime.

The other thing to consider with this - a few years back, the O&Os tried implementing "CBS Plus" on their .2 subchannels. It basically was a newswheel format that predated CBSN, but essentially the same idea - some new content sprinkled in, reruns of shows/segments, etc. It didn't get much traction, and Decades replaced it on the .2s.

I bring this up because the experiment of CBS Plus likely means the O&Os already have the infrastructure in place to do this - the only costs would be incurred in transmitting it to the OTT platforms.

There's a lack of local news content on OTT here in the US. I'm just as intrigued to see how the locals tackle this, as CBSN really exceeded expectations in a lot of ways when it launched.

Erm, that wasn't quite what I was talking about. Even the O&Os don't have the level of resources the national CBSN operation does. CBSN regularly throws to Washington, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, and other places where CBS News has bureaux that are capable of providing contributions. Even WCBS in New York doesn't have anything close to that. They might be able to utilise Washington occasionally for stories about local congressman, but their only other bureau is in Long Island. They might not be able to use the resources of their former sister station WCBS NewsRadio 880, which would be a real shame, because CBS sold the station and others to Entercom. If they hadn't done that they could have simulcast WCBS 880.

No but they’ll likely take packages from other CBS owned and affiliated stations, receive custom standups and possibly be at the front of the line to get them. It’s definitely going to leverage all the resources of the group.

Technically, CBS still owns the stations as they hold 72% of Entercom stock. Entercom, however is operating independently of CBS. Not to mention WCBS-TV still has a partnership with WCBS Newsradio 880 and sister 1010 WINS and some 1010 reporters also occasionally file reports for WCBS-TV.