NewsON Launches First-of-Its-Kind Service, Delivering Live and On-Demand Local News to Mobile and Connected TV Devices

Available on iOS and Android Smartphones and Tablets, and Roku Devices

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NewsON, a venture dedicated to providing local news nationwide,
today announced the launch of the NewsON app, a
groundbreaking new service that provides consumers access to live and
on-demand local newscasts and local news clips. The free, ad-supported
app features flexible navigation that encourages discovery, offering
instant access to broadcast quality video. It also enables users to
search by market via an interactive map and for curated content linking
coverage of breaking news events from multiple stations. NewsON
is available beginning today for Apple iPhone and iPad, Android phone
and tablet, and on the Roku platform across Roku players and Roku TVs.

NewsON features video content from 118 stations in 90 markets,
covering approximately 75% of the United States. At launch,
participating stations include those owned by members of NewsON’s
owner group as well as stations from Graham Media Group and TEGNA. As announced
in June, NewsON founding members are the ABC Owned Television
Station Group, Cox Media Group, Hearst Television, Media General and
Raycom Media. In addition, Hubbard Broadcasting has joined the NewsON
founding members as an investor, effective immediately.

A recent study underscores local TV’s leading role as a news source.
According to the March 2015 report “Local
News in a Digital Age” by the Pew Research Center, local TV stations
remain the dominant source of news for Americans in markets both large
and small. The appetite for local and neighborhood news, the staple of
TV station newscast coverage, is up to twice the demand for national and
international news, the study found. In addition, nearly nine-in-ten
residents follow local news closely—and about half do so very closely
and about two-thirds of the residents in each city from the study
discuss local news in person a few times a week or more.

Going forward, in addition to the stations available initially, NewsON
will welcome new ones from existing and additional markets in the US. At
launch, multiple stations will be available through NewsON in
some markets, giving viewers the opportunity to “change channels” as
they wish.

NewsON users will enjoy broadcast-quality video instantly
accessible on mobile devices, at the touch of a button. Stations can be
found via an interactive map which locates stations most relevant to
users – from home markets to business destinations to communities where
family members live. While watching, the viewer can use a timeline
viewing tool to pinpoint the precise moments he or she wants to watch –
from business and sports to weather and traffic. In addition, viewers
can access and contribute to real-time tweets about local news, adding
their perspective to the community of viewers and increasing the spread
of local information.

“NewsON expands the reach and relevance of local broadcast news,
and delivers a uniquely valuable experience for viewers,” said Louis
Gump, CEO of NewsON. “NewsON offers the most comprehensive
collection of local news video available today for mobile and connected
TV viewers, and we expect the number of participating stations to grow
between now and the end of the year. The vast collection of news
content, coupled with a powerful interface, gives NewsON the
potential to be an iconic app that quickly becomes a consumer favorite.”

In addition to iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, the NewsON
app is also available to the connected TV market. At launch, the
connected TV app will be available exclusively to users of Roku
streaming players, the Roku Streaming Stick™ and Roku TVs. NewsON
gives local TV stations the ability to deliver live and on-demand local
newscasts and local news clips within a robust user interface, and
provides connected TV consumers with a new and powerful way to access
local news.

Download NewsON from iTunes,
Google
Play and Roku
Channel Store.

About NewsON
NewsON
provides a nationwide lineup of local news from trusted, credible TV
stations, giving consumers access to live and on-demand local newscasts
and local news clips. NewsON is available for Apple iPhone and
iPad, Android phone and tablet, and Roku devices, and offers a free,
ad-supported app which features instant access to broadcast quality
video. The NewsON ownership group includes the ABC Owned
Television Station Group, Cox Media Group, Hearst Television, Hubbard
Broadcasting, Media General and Raycom Media, and also includes
additional station groups that are dedicated to serving customers across
platforms in their communities and beyond.

Contacts

For NewsON:
Global Results
Comms (GRC)
Valerie Christopherson/Lora Wilson
+1 949 608 0276
NewsON@globalresultspr.com