Commutes Get Worse, Coverage Gets Better
Growing morning commutes and earlier newscasts have given traffic reporting a new importance, not only on-air. And as traffic information from alternative sources grows, TV stations are working to remain the top destination for traffic news. They are developing new ways of tracking traffic in real time and are also delivering the information to commuters through email, social media and mobile devices. This is the third of four articles that will appear this week and that collectively constitute a TVNewsCheck Special Report on Traffic Reporting.
Investigative Reporting Outlook Not Bright
One of local TV’s most accomplished investigative reporters, WFAA Dallas’ Byron Harris believes he may be part of a dying breed as broadcasters fixated on the bottom line keep cutting the people and resources needed for in-depth reporting. But for now he is happy to be with Belo, one of the few station groups committed to its investigative tradition.
Belo-owned ABC affiliate WFAA Dallas, distrustful of the audience numbers it’s receiving from longtime titan Nielsen Media Research, is making a concerted push behind Portland, Ore.-based Rentrak’s new ways of measuring eyeballs.
