Local TV says it’s achieved its highest audience figures since records began in 2018.
The company stated that average daily reach for February 2020 across its hyperlocal channels hit 236,300.
Chairman David Montgomery used the announcement to compare its viewing figures with the readership of local newspapers:
“At Local TV we’re pleased to be the pre-eminent mainstream media platform in our great cities, delivering real value to our audiences and advertisers,” he stated.
“We proudly present our growing figures on a monthly basis, unlike regional newspaper publishers who are no longer releasing six monthly circulation figures – presumably partly through embarrassment and partly because there might not be any circulation left at the end of the next six months”.
Montgomery is a former CEO of the Mirror Group (now Reach) and Local World. His company, National World was in talks to buy Yorkshire Post’s owner, JPI Media.
The figures are based on a “3 minute reach” measurement by TV Panel, which records viewership in millions of Freeview homes.
Breaking it down by region, Liverpool TV had an average daily audience of 49k.
Leeds TV’s average daily audience was 47,058, while Tyne & Wear TV had an average daily audience of 40,300.
In response to Montgomery’s comments about local newspapers, Andy Atkinson, Chief Revenue Officer of Reach told Prolific North:
“We’re feeling prouder than ever of our regional reach and performance right now. Just to pull out one example, the Manchester Evening News reaches over 50 percent of Manchester on a weekly basis across both print and digital.
“This is what advertisers love us for, and we’re only seeing this relationship growing stronger as we continue to innovate and improve our reach year on year.”
