NEW YORK – Fans of politics have another way to keep track of what's happening in the most competitive states in the country through a new service that collects and streams local newscasts.
Swing State Election News, which began operation Monday, lets streamers choose from among 37 local television stations in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. They are primarily local affiliates of CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox.
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Those are the states that pollsters have concluded will most likely decide the presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The service will allow people to test the maxim of “all politics is local” by closely following how the campaigns are being waged there.
“Nobody knows local politics better than the journalists in the local communities,” said Jack Perry, CEO of Zeam Media.
Viewers can choose between live and archived programming
Swing State Election News is an outgrowth of Zeam, a free streaming service affiliated with Gray Television that began last winter. Zeam caters to people who have given up cable or satellite television subscriptions by offering hundreds of local market broadcasts. The bulk of its users follow their local markets but a significant number check in on other areas where they may have had ties in the past, the service said.
Zeam doesn't reveal how many people use the service.
Swing State Election News allows users to choose between live programming or archived newscasts. A quick click Monday on a tab, for instance, calls up the morning newscast on WMGT-TV in Macon, Georgia.
As the campaign goes on, Perry said the newscasts will offer a window into rallies and other events held in those states, along with details in local House and Senate races that may impact control of those chambers.
It contrasts with national newscasts, Perry said, because “at the local level, you're going to get a different feel. It's the people actually living in these communities.”
You won't see local political commercials, though
One important indicator of how the campaigns are going will be missing, however. A local newscast in the swing states this fall is expected to be filled with commercials for the presidential candidates, which can illustrate some of the campaign strategies and issues they feel are resonating.
Swing State Election News sells its own advertising, however, and will not show what is being seen in the local advertising breaks, Perry said.
In another effort aimed at boosting election news for swing states, The Associated Press said last month it is offering its campaign coverage to a series of small, independent news organizations that can't otherwise afford it.
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David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder