When it really matters, people still watch local TV for the latest weather information.

According to comScore, during Hurricane Harvey the combined total-day average audience for the four local network affiliates jumped 140% from the week prior.

Responding to a Research Now study conducted during Hurricane Harvey, 89% of Houston residents say they got their weather information from local TV news programs.

Similarly, a whopping 97% of respondents living in Boston say they watched local TV news for weather information during the “Bomb Cyclone” of 2018.

There’s nothing fake about this news. 84% of respondents said they trust the news on local TV, compared to 68% for cable news and 35% for social media.

While there is a justified push to produce more content for digital platforms and social media, it shouldn’t undermine the commitment to our key business. TV still outranks everything else when lives are on the line.