Spectrum News joins world of streaming ‘pluses’

Spectrum News, a group of over 30 regional TV news networks, has expanded into streaming.

Spectrum News channels get new logos

Spectrum News+ launched Monday, April 17, 2023, and will initially stream Monday through Friday before expanding to 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the summer of 2023.

Spectrum News+ will feature a single stream, as opposed to localized versions in each market, but cull content from each of its markets. 

“By combining the power of our deeply-rooted local newsrooms with objective coverage of national news and events, we are helping our audiences connect with their communities while also providing them with a comprehensive view of the world around them,” Alison Hellman, senior vice president of Spectrum News, said in a news release Monday.

Spectrum News+ will be available to any Spectrum broadband subscriber via OTT and mobile apps, including those who do not live in a market covered by a Spectrum News TV channel.

However, it will not be available to the general public. 

Anchored news aimed at a national audience will air starting at 6 a.m. 

The schedule will also include public affairs program “In Focus” plus selections from its various outlets, including Spectrum News NY1’s “On Stage,” focusing on theatre, and “L.A. Stories with Giselle Fernandez” from its California branch. 

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Weather segments will also air throughout the day from various meteorologists across the Spectrum network.

Other specials and content from newsrooms across the country will also be included. 

Spectrum is the brand name for cable, broadband and telephony services owned and operated by Charter. The regional news networks, under the name Spectrum News, were previously branded under the Time Warner Cable name, but rebranded after Charter acquired them.

Some of the networks, including NY1 and YNN had separate branding prior to that.

With the launch of Spectrum News+, the company is aiming to continue one of the original goals of offering 24 hour news on its cable systems — offering exclusive content not available elsewhere while also generating advertising revenue.

Spectrum News+ will allow cord cutters to have access to Spectrum News content, as well as opening up content to cable markets without a Spectrum News channel.

The Spectrum News+ logo follows the same design that rolled out across all offerings March 1, 2023, but with the “+” symbol tacked on to the second line of text.