I don't think local TV is a particularly good example. .....Standalone local TV channels are only really viable in the largest cities ......Local/regional TV is valued but largely in terms of news, current affairs .........//..... That's why network TV, where the regional station does a bit of local stuff but largely takes on a network itinerary, is the best model. It's a big reason why many stations in the US have tons of local news without even being forced to by licence obligations.
......
Yes, indeed..totally agree.
An issue with discussion with this and similar forums in the UK is the misunderstanding of the word "local". In the main US media markets, local TV is essentially what we would call regional TV. Often our sub-regions are smaller than US markets quite a way down the ranking.
I'm not sure that's the case. Our sub-regions fit in with their US equivalents fairly well. Five are in the top 20 and all bar STV North Dundee, both Borders and Channel are in the top half of the table. Even tiny Channel (ranked 192) at 54,000 households is larger than 19 US media markets. Glendive is by far the smallest with a meagre 3690 households.
Region/households
1 New York ----------------------6,824,120
2 Los Angeles ----------------5,145,350
London ------------------------4,900,000
3 Chicago ----------------------3,256,400
Granada -----------------------3.100,000
Central West ------------------2,900,000
4 Philadelphia -----------------2,758,330
5 Dallas-Ft. Worth -----------2,563,320
6 San Francisco-Oak-San Jose 2,364,740
7 Washington, DC (Hagrstwn) 2,351,930
8 Houston ----------------- 2,330,180
9 Boston (Manchester) ------2,302,680
10 Atlanta ----------------------2,269,270
Yorkshire West ----------------1,900,000
11 Phoenix (Prescott) -----------1,879,780
12 Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota) 1,800,600
13 Seattle-Tacoma -----------1,764,680
14 Detroit ----------------------1,737,170
15 Minneapolis-St. Paul ------1,697,370
16 Miami-Ft. Lauderdale ------1,642,220
17 Denver ----------------------1,532,320
18 Orlando-Daytona Bch-Melbrn 1,492,640
Tyne Tees ----------------------1,400,000
19 Cleveland-Akron (Canton) 1,366,110
20 Sacramnto-Stkton-Modesto 1,317,500
STV Central Glasgow ---------------1,300,000
Wales --------------------------------1,200,000
21 Charlotte -----------------------1,125,970
*****
27 Raleigh-Durham (Fayetvlle) 1,025,320
Anglia West -------------------------1,000,000
28 Nashville ------------------------983,180
*****
31 San Antonio ------------------916,970
Central East --------------------------900,000
Meridian South ----------------------900,000
Meridian Thames Valley -------------900.000
West Country East -------------------900,000
32 Kansas City ------------------896,850
Anglia East ---------------------------800,000
West Country West ------------------800,000
37 Cincinnati ------------------828,250
*****
40 Austin ------------------------736,770
Yorkshire East -------------------------700,000
Meridian South East ------------------700,000
41 Jacksonville -------------------690,400
*****
50 New Orleans ------------------615,480
UTV -----------------------------------600,000
51 Memphis ------------------------580,600
*****
59 Albany-Schenectady-Troy --500,400
STV Central Edinburgh ---------------500,000
60 Wilkes Barre-Scranton-Hztn --497,830
*****
66 Honolulu ------------------------414,130
STV North Aberdeen -----------------400,000
67 Green Bay-Appleton --------394,210
*****
125 Bakersfield -------------------200,460
Border England -----------------------200,000
STV North Dundee --------------------200,000
126 SantaBarbra-SanMar-SanLuOb -195,870
*****
164 Abilene-Sweetwater --------100,790
Border Scotland -----------------------100,000
165 Yuma-El Centro ---------------99,710
*****
191 Twin Falls --------------------------55,050
Channel ---------------------------------54,000
192 Great Falls ---------------------53,210
*****
209 North Platte ---------------------12,010
210 Glendive ----------------------------3,630