Graham stations boosting streaming offerings with new morning newscasts

Starting Monday, April 4, 2022, Graham Media Group stations KPRC in Houston and WDIV in Detroit will launch an additional hour of their morning local newscast streaming exclusively on digital platforms and OTT apps.

Graham calls the effort a “reimagining” of local news.

The move follows similar efforts made at other stations around the country, including several prominent ABC-owned stations in major markets that have added additional streaming-only hours of local news in both the morning and evening.

KPRC’s morning newscast will stream from 7 to 8 a.m. on KPRC2+, and will feature the morning news team of Owen Conflenti, Lisa Hernandez, meteorologist Anthony Yanez and Anavid Reyes following rush hour traffic.

Amy Davis and Reyes will expand their consumer and transit stories to include angles not covered on broadcast, and the hour will feature live guests to give depth and perspective on the big stories of the day.

WDIV morning newscast will stream from 7 to 8 a.m. on Local4+, and will feature the morning news team of Rhonda Walker, Evrod Cassimy, meteorologist Brandon Roux, traffic reporter Kim DeGiulio and reporter Nick Monacelli and will feature live guests, the day’s top stories, weather and traffic reports from across metro Detroit.

WDIV added a 10 p.m. nightly newscast streaming exclusively on Local4+ earlier this year.

“We’ve reimagined our streaming news products to meet the needs of our viewers. They’ve clearly told us they want more local news from the brands they trust most and we’re providing that with our original news programs on Local4+,” said Bob Ellis, WDIV vice president and general manager in a statement. “The streaming numbers on our app continue to grow rapidly and we’re committed to serving these new audiences now and in the weeks and months ahead with much more quality content coming.”

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KPRC2+ and Local4+ television apps are available for free download in the Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Google TV app stores. The livestreams also can be viewed on the stations’ mobile apps and online at Click2Houston.com and ClickOnDetroit.com, respectively.

Additionally, Graham Media Group stations continue to invest in streaming local news beyond broadcast. Earlier this year, KSAT in San Antonio launched a daily 11 a.m. digital stream exclusive newscast, “KSAT News Now”, and “KSAT Explains,” a weekly deep-dive news feature program available on KSAT Plus; and WSLS in Roanoke launched “The Sprint”, a daily digital-only news brief.

WKMG Orlando has pioneered a “Choose Your View” director’s chair digital stream for coverage of space launches from Kennedy Space Center and with 25 live cameras covering the Orlando 4th of July Fireworks in 2021. WJXT in Jacksonville debuted the “Choose Your View” stream in covering the implosion of a downtown skyscraper in March.

Other Graham Media Group digital-first productions currently streaming on each stations’ OTT apps include “Solutionaries,” a monthly solutions journalism-focused program highlighting local people working to find solutions to challenging issues from affordable housing and inflation, to climate concerns and police reform; and “Something Good,” an ongoing series of positive news and the good works of people living in the community.