Broadcasters’ YouTube Dilemma – TV News Check

Broadcasters’ YouTube Dilemma  TV News Check

Does putting news content on YouTube erode or attract viewers? To be there or not to be there: that is the question. Over the past five to seven years, many broadcasters have adopted the thesis that they must follow the consumer. If a local viewer chooses to watch “television” via apps, FAST or another OTT streaming provider, the thought has been to ensure their news content is there. Many broadcasters already publish news stories on YouTube. In fact, many content management systems can automatically publish to YouTube when a story package is uploaded for digital distribution. Far fewer broadcasters, however, publish their morning, noon, evening and late newscasts in their entirety on YouTube.

There are several arguments why they should not. First and foremost are their agreements with MVPDs. Broadcasters must be careful that digital distribution of their programming does not conflict with contractual rights granted to distributors, as retransmission-consent revenue is vital to the economics of many television stations. Many broadcasters have addressed similar issues on FAST platforms by creating streaming newscasts that differ from their linear broadcast, changing the mix of local and national news, weather, traffic and other content rather than simply simulcasting the station’s linear feed. There is also the argument that live news broadcasts or long-form news programming on YouTube will further erode over-the-air and