Texas station launches weekly streaming-only show

Tenga’s KYTX in Tyler, Texas, has launched a weekly streaming-only show.

Dubbed “Inside East Texas,” the show will stream Saturdays at 4 p.m. on CBS19+, the station’s streaming service. 

Jesus Martinez, who currently appears on the station’s morning newscast “Hey Y’All” (yes, that’s really its name), will also host “Inside.”

CBS19+ is free and currently available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and Android devices. 

Planned segments include “Behind the Headline,” where the station’s reporters will break down stories they’ve covered and “provide more context, behind-the-scenes insights, or additional details that didn’t make it into the final broadcast.”

Another segment, “The Scroll: This Week,” will cover the major headlines of the week in a fast-paced, short clip-driven format meant to mimic the style of scrolling through news on a mobile device.

“Inside” will lead into “Texas News Now,” a news program featuring a statewide take on the news that appears on streaming services operated by other Tegna-owned stations in the state. 

The launch of “Inside” marks another in a growing series of investments local TV stations are creating for streaming services. Some owners, like Tegna, have also created programming that can be shared among multiple services to save on production costs. 

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While networks have been involved in streaming for some time now, local TV has taken a largely more cautious approach to it, though as viewers continue to flee linear TV, it’s likely to become a key part of TV station strategies going forward. Although not all streaming services operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there still is driving incentive to offer or grow into that schedule. 

To fill time, stations may air repeats of their local newscasts or other OTA programs combined with original content such as “Inside.” Other options include documentary-style programming, lifestyle content and other options. 

While “Inside” is an original program, it also takes advantage of existing station resources, such as reporters, to fill segments and extend its station’s brand. “The Scroll, meanwhile, is likely to rely on at least some footage and information the station already has on hand, just in a re-packaged format that’s likely fairly cost-effective to produce, though KYTX has not released any details about the economic factors of the show.

That said, there’s also the risk that programs that simply rehash existing content that could be as much as a week old might not feel quite as up-to-date as viewers might want, which is why many stations have opted to focus more on content that is at least somewhat “evergreen.” KYTX did not comment on how “Inside” is fairing or its overall streaming strategy. 

Streaming programs are not rated by major media metering companies such as Nielsen, but broadcasters typically have detailed analytics available to help sell advertising based on viewership figures. Some third-party data companies can provide insights into streaming viewing, however. Most of these types of programs aren’t likely to attract the audiences of a linear show, but their often lower costs can work out to be at least somewhat economical while also serving as a platform to test and build-out a streaming strategy.

Most of the local TV streamers that have popped up are free but supported by advertising.