Local Broadcast Newsroom Survey

Local news media is undergoing a paradigm shift as the world – and the news audience – undergoes a digital transformation. But is the broadcast industry adapting fast enough?

The Annual Newsroom Survey is the only comprehensive annual research of radio and television newsrooms, providing unique insight into staffing, salaries, news coverage, business operations – and how local broadcast news is surviving in a digital world.

Local broadcast news is a fiercely competitive business – local TV and radio newsroom managers need to know what their competition is trying and to stay ahead of trends.

These informed insights into the broadcast business are only found here – at RTDNA.

2020 Reports:

Special edition: First look at COVID impacts on local TV

Local Broadcast News Business: Trends and Threats

Local Broadcast Newsroom Diversity

Local Broadcast News Innovation: Digital and Technology Trends

More:
TV News Innovation | TV online | TV on social media | TV on mobile | TV drones

Radio News Innovation | Radio online | Radio on social media | Radio on mobile | Radio tech

Local Broadcast Newsroom Staffing and Hiring

Newsroom Salaries

2019 Reports:

Local News Salaries

Newsroom Diversity
Local radio and TV newsroom diversity report

Prior year reports

About the Survey

The RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University Survey, funded in part by the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University, was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2019 among all 1,702 operating, non-satellite television stations and a random sample of 3,427 radio stations. Valid responses came from 1,313 television stations (77.1%) and 673 radio news directors and general managers representing 1,996 radio stations. Some data sets (e.g. the number of TV stations originating local news, getting it from others and women TV news directors) are based on a complete census and are not projected from a smaller sample.

About Bob

Bob Papper is Adjunct Professor of Broadcast and Digital Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and has worked extensively in radio and TV news. He has headed the annual Survey for more than 25 years. Our thanks to Bob for his dedication and uncanny ability to hold a quarter-century of local news trends in his head and recount them with ease.