The local TV news business had an extraordinarily good year in 2016, with newsroom profitability tying the highest level since 1996, according to the latest RTDNA/Hofstra University annual survey.
Profitability in 2016 hit 65.7%, tying the number achieved in 2013, the survey found. The 72% percent profitability hit in 1996 was the highest level recorded in the survey’s 23-year history.
Profitability rose at stations across-the-board except for those in the smallest markets, partially fueled by election-year spending, the survey found. Profitability was slightly lower for stations in the Northeast, according to the survey, whose findings are being released in two-week increments.
Stations’ average and median revenue rose 5% in 2016, a marked change from the 4-point drop in 2015.
The survey also shows that the TV news business continues to expand beyond linear TV delivery. In addition, 76% of TV stations provide news to other outlets, up from 73% in 2015.
You can read the full report here.
