Local PBS Via Amazon Prime Shows How Commercial Broadcasters Have Lost The Plot
Broadcast television is in the throes of existential upheaval, and nowhere is the divide between innovation and stagnation more glaring than in the contrast between PBS and local commercial broadcasters. With its recent deal to stream 150 local PBS stations, PBS Kids, and a suite of new channels on Amazon Prime’s free ad-supported TV (FAST) platform, PBS has shown that adapting to modern viewer demands is possible — even for a nonprofit network often viewed as a relic of the past.
Meanwhile, most local commercial broadcasters remain stuck in the 20th century, offering little more than repurposed TV newscasts (and numerous repeats of such) via limited individual station streaming apps. This failure to innovate is a striking indictment of their inability to serve evolving audience needs, particularly as PBS redefines how local stations can thrive in a digital, on-demand world.
PBS Breaks New Ground
PBS’s partnership with Amazon marks a watershed moment. For the first time, viewers can access PBS content for free on a major streaming platform, including full-signal local station programming, PBS Kids, and new FAST channels like PBS Drama and PBS Documentaries. These channels deliver curated content, including classics like Reading Rainbow, expanding PBS’s reach to both loyal fans and new audiences — with no legacy pay TV bundle needed.
Unlike commercial broadcasters, PBS has embraced every available avenue to distribute its content, from its website and apps to PBS Passport, a premium on-demand service for station donors. By strategically entering the FAST channel space, PBS achieves two goals: expanding its digital footprint while remaining true to its commercial-free mission.
The significance of this move cannot be overstated. In a media landscape where convenience and accessibility dictate audience loyalty, PBS has positioned itself as a leader in delivering free, high-quality programming wherever viewers are — and outside the shackles of linear TV pay bundles to boot.
Commercial Broadcasters’ Streaming Stagnation
Contrast PBS’s bold moves with the inertia of local commercial broadcasters. Most stations’ streaming offerings consist of local TV newscasts and their repeats, with little to no additional original local content. (Local newscast aggregation feeds like Gray’s Local News Now and Sinclair’s National News Desk are popular fillers). Bound by restrictive pay TV retransmission consent contracts with national networks like NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, these stations cannot stream their affiliate networks’ popular primetime shows or sports programming, leaving them with little else to entice digital audiences to watch.
This narrow focus reflects a profound misunderstanding of today’s media environment. Younger viewers, who are driving the streaming boom, don’t want to tune in at a specific time or sift through individual TV station apps for local news. They want diverse, on-demand programming tailored to their interests — whenever and wherever they desire.
While PBS is leveraging the FAST model to showcase its content on a global platform, commercial broadcasters are squandering their greatest asset: localism. Local stations could be creating rich, hyper-local streaming content libraries that include local history and culture, or livestreaming news conferences and community events — packaged in a way that uniquely captivates viewers and builds community loyalty. Instead, they’ve reduced themselves to simply repurposing increasingly anachronistic legacy TV newscasts with little ambition beyond the next political ad dollar.
The Cost of Complacency
The structural challenges commercial broadcasters face are significant but not insurmountable. Their reliance on network programming leaves them with limited streaming rights, but that doesn’t excuse their lack of imagination. Rather than innovating, many stations remain content to milk the declining revenue streams of linear TV and political advertising cycles.
This complacency is shortsighted. Political ad revenue is cyclical and unsustainable, particularly as campaigns shift more spend to digital platforms in the future. Without a robust digital strategy, local broadcasters are destined to lose both viewers and advertisers to nimbler competitors.
PBS, on the other hand, has recognized that survival in the streaming era requires a multi-pronged approach. Its Amazon FAST deal is just one piece of a broader strategy that includes digital apps, on-demand libraries, and partnerships that prioritize audience accessibility.
Local commercial broadcasters would do well to take notes from PBS’s playbook. By pooling resources and collaborating across markets, stations could create a unified streaming platform offering more than just news. Imagine a service where viewers could access local documentaries, high school sports, regional theater productions, and other community-focused content — all with an intuitive, on-demand interface.
PBS has proven that such innovation isn’t just a dream; it’s a necessity. With fewer resources than commercial broadcasters, PBS has managed to build a streaming presence that enhances its reputation and grows its audience.
The Bottom Line
The stark divide between PBS and local commercial broadcasters underscores a deeper truth: the latter have lost the plot. While PBS is actively reshaping its future with bold, forward-looking initiatives, local broadcasters are clinging to outdated models that no longer serve the audience — or the business.
The message is clear: evolve or become obsolete. PBS has shown what’s possible when broadcasters embrace change and prioritize audience needs. Local commercial broadcasters have the tools to compete — but only if they break free from their self-imposed limitations. The future of local commercial television depends on it.
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Tuning Out TV News Might Be Behind The Decline In Media Trust. (No, Really!) - Sarah Scire [Nieman Lab]
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