Key Points
- TEGNA is rolling out redesigned, personalized smartphone news apps across more than four dozen local TV stations in 60 markets.
- The apps emphasize real-time updates, vertically oriented video and customizable local news and weather feeds to match mobile viewing habits.
- The launch aligns with TEGNA’s shift toward continuous, digital-first local newsrooms as it prepares for a proposed merger with Nexstar.
Local television broadcaster TEGNA is bringing personalization and interactivity to its news-focused smartphone apps.
The new app experience is rolling out this week across TEGNA’s broadcast footprint of more than four dozen local TV stations in 60 markets.
The company said the apps are designed to deliver real-time local news and weather through personalized feeds and vertically oriented video, reflecting changing audience consumption habits that favor mobile viewing and on-demand updates over scheduled newscasts.
The new mobile experience is tied directly to TEGNA’s ongoing transformation of its local stations into around-the-clock, story-first newsrooms. Rather than structuring coverage around fixed broadcast windows, the company has retooled newsroom workflows to publish stories as they develop across mobile, streaming and other digital platforms.
The new apps feature localized onboarding that allows users to set geographic preferences, topics of interest and notification settings. A personalized home feed surfaces local news and weather stories in real time, while story presentations combine text, video and related coverage so users can quickly skim updates or explore reporting in greater depth.
A core element of the redesign is a vertically scrolling video feed that highlights short, original clips from local reporters and meteorologists. Weather coverage is also a prominent feature, offering customizable forecasts, maps and alerts powered by local station teams.
“Our audiences rely on us for credible, local coverage that helps them stay connected to their communities and make informed decisions in the moment,” Adrienne Roark, the Chief Content Officer at TEGNA, said in a statement.
Roark said the apps reflect how local journalism is increasingly consumed, with audiences expecting immediate access to reporting on the devices they use throughout the day.
The first newsrooms that will encounter the updated smartphone apps are WXIA (Channel 11) in Atlanta, KUSA (Channel 9) in Denver, KING-TV (Channel 5) in Seattle and WTHR (Channel 13) in Indianapolis — all NBC affiliates. Stations in other markets will receive refreshed smartphone apps in the coming weeks.
The apps are available as a free download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Test runs of the smartphone app in a few markets showed increased engagement among local news consumers, TEGNA said on Wednesday. Video saw a 40 percent increase in use, the broadcaster affirmed, but specific data points beyond that were not revealed.
The revamped smartphone apps come at a time when TEGNA is preparing to merge its operations with Nexstar as part of a proposed $6 billion acquisition announced last year. The deal would create the largest local TV broadcaster in the country, and give Nexstar the biggest number of local TV stations affiliated with a major network. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently reviewing the proposal.
Nexstar and TEGNA will report their fourth quarter (Q4) and full year 2025 financial earnings in late February.
