CBS said it plans to launch CBSN Local, local news streaming services in markets starting in the fourth quarter with New York, followed by Los Angeles.
The launch follows what the company calls the success of CBSN, the 24 hour streaming news service from CBS News and the CBS Interactive.
The new service will be ad supported. CBS is also in the streaming business with its subscription product CBS All-Access and CBS Sports HQ.
CBS All Access subscribers will get CBSN Local feeds from their local market.
“CBSN Local is the exciting next chapter in how our stations will serve audiences seeking local news on all of the most popular content consumption platforms,” said Peter Dunn, president, CBS Television Stations. “These streaming local news services will be a terrific companion to the award-winning national and global news reporting provided by CBSN. Working together, we look forward to making the outstanding local news coverage produced by our stations available to a wider audience, anytime and anywhere people want to view it.”
In New York CBSN Local will work with WCBS-TV and WLNY-TV. In Los Angeles, CBSN Local will get contribution from KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV.
Each CBSN Local service will have live streams of CBS Television Station’s early morning, daytime and evening newscasts, plus additional daily newscasts produced exclusively for CBSN Local, CBSN Local will also have coverage of breaking news and a library of content for on-demand viewing.
Local programming on CBSN Local will be led by anchors and reporters at CBS TV stations.
“CBSN’s tremendous success in attracting a growing and engaged audience of viewers across all platforms paved the way for us to bring our direct-to-consumer strategy to local markets,” said Jim Lanzone, CEO, CBS Interactive and chief digital officer, CBS Corporation. “The addition of CBSN Local services delivering high-quality coverage from our stations around the country will bring a new level of depth to CBSN’s 24/7 original reporting.”
