Los Angeles Wildfire Coverage Drives Surge in Local News Viewership

Local TV stations in Los Angeles saw their audiences double and triple during continuous coverage of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena wildfires on January 7.

• KABC (Channel 7) led the ratings surge with a 6 p.m. newscast drawing 318,166 viewers, an 86% increase from its usual average of 170,769.
• KTLA (Channel 5) tripled its typical audience at 6 p.m., reaching 282,710 viewers, while its 10 p.m. newscast more than doubled its usual numbers.
• Spanish-language station KVEA (Channel 52) also experienced significant growth, with its 6 p.m. audience rising to 231,777, up from 201,458.
• National news networks such as ABC, NBC, and CBS saw viewership increases of at least 18% during wildfire coverage, with ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ peaking at 9.65 million viewers on January 9.
• Local stations emphasized the critical role of community-focused journalism during emergencies, providing detailed, neighborhood-specific updates that drew residents away from national outlets.

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