Numbers: Our Data Library

A five year study of local TV newscasts found no difference in the likelihood of network owned and operated stations versus others in airing controversial topics.

Fewer network owned and operated local TV stations earned “A” and “B” grades than other stations in PEJ’s five year study of local TV news. But none of the network owned stations earned the lowest “F” grades.   

Local TV stations owned by publicly traded companies were somewhat less likely than privately owned stations to earn “A” and “B” grades in PEJ’s five year study of  local TV news. 

Stations owned by the ten biggest TV station owner groups were more likely to earn higher quality grades in their early evening newscasts in PEJ’s five-year study of local TV news. 

Stations owned by different sized ownership groups tended to have similar levels of enterprise in the stories on their newscasts in PEJ’s five year study of local TV news. 

Unlike in early evening news, stations owned by larger ownership groups were less likely to earn “A” and “B” grades in late newscasts in PEJ’s five year study of local TV news.

Local TV news stations owned by ownership groups of different sizes had similar levels of localism in their newscasts in PEJ’s five year study of local TV news.

Stations owned by the larger ownership groups were less likely to earn “A” and “B” grades than others in PEJ’s five year study of local TV news.

The accounts of embedded reporters during the first week of the Iraq war tended to be highly factual.

The reporting of embedded reporters during the first week of the Iraq war tended to be live rather than taped and edited.