NEW YORK—Fox Television Stations (FTS) and Amazon are teaming up to distribute FTS’s local news content across Amazon’s devices. Effective immediately, FTS will provide 17 24/7 local, free, ad-supported television (FAST) channels, one from each market covered by the Fox Television Stations, through the Amazon News app on Fire TV and Alexa on Echo Show devices. 

“This important collaboration with Amazon further solidifies our commitment to bring FTS’s powerhouse local news content to as many people as possible,” said Jeff Zellmer, Senior Vice President, Digital Operations, Fox Television Stations. “We know that choice and accessibility matter to our viewers and this launch is another key step in our overall strategy and goal of giving our viewers the live and on-demand content from the stations they love.”

This collaboration began in March 2022 with the initial distribution of LiveNOW from FOX and FOX Soul FAST channels. In December 2022, FTS’s local news content debuted across Amazon products with the distribution of the first five stations: WTXF FOX 29 Philadelphia, KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco, KSAZ FOX 10 Phoenix, WJBK FOX 2 Detroit, and KMSP FOX 9 Minneapolis. 

The remaining 12, WNYW FOX 5 New York, KTTV FOX 11 Los Angeles, WFLD FOX 32 Chicago, KDFW FOX 4 Dallas, WAGA FOX 5 Atlanta, KRIV FOX 26 Houston, WTTG FOX 5 DC, KCPQ FOX 13 Seattle, WTVT FOX 13 Tampa Bay, WOFL FOX 35 Orlando, KTBC FOX 7 Austin and WITI FOX 6 Milwaukee, are now available across Amazon products, such as Fire TV and Echo Show devices. In addition to live content, FTS is also distributing local news video on demand (VOD) clips.

Amazon’s News app on Fire TV is a free and customizable news aggregator supported with advertising. The app comes built into the Fire TV experience on all Fire TV streaming media players and smart TVs in the U.S. When viewers open the News app on the Fire TV home screen for the first time, they can select the news that matters most to them from national and local sources.

Customers in the U.S. can also watch local news channels in 250 cities from more than 300 local news providers on Echo Show devices. With this update, Amazon says Alexa will make it easier to learn about the latest news stories in local communities from Fox Local News—all hands-free. Just say, “Alexa play Phoenix news,” “Alexa play Seattle news,” etc. to get started.

Fox Television Stations owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations in the U.S. including stations located in nine of the top ten largest designated market areas (DMAs)

NEW YORK—Fox Television Stations is reporting that its digital properties finished May 2022 as the top-performing O&O station group in total minutes, unique visitors and total views, according to Comscore Media-Metrix data cited by the station group. 

Fox Television Stations closed out the month reaching 1.67 billion total minutes, 403 million total views, and 54 million unique visitors. 

This performance marked increases in all three key metrics versus prior month and year, with total minutes  up 143% from a month earlier and +313% from a year earlier, views (+61% MoM and +103% YoY), and unique visitors (+28% MoM and +41% YoY).

Fox Television Stations also cited data showing it was the most engaged brand on social media against the other O&O groups in May, with 17.1 million total social actions according to Shareablee. 

On YouTube, Fox Television Stations secured the overall #1 spot among all local station groups, with more than 531 million video views, the company said. 

In terms of multi-platform total minutes the company reported this data: 

• Fox Television Stations – 1.67B
• ABC Local – 271M
• NBC Television Stations Group – 209M
• CBS Local – 18M

In terms of multi-platform total views the company reported this data:  

• Fox Television Stations – 403M
• ABC Local – 170M
• NBC Television Stations Group – 129M
• CBS Local – 22M

 In terms of multi-platform unique visitors the company reported this data: 

• Fox Television Stations – 54M
• ABC Local – 36.6M
• NBC Television Stations Group – 37M
• CBS Local – 6.2M

Fox cited these sources for the data: Comscore Media Metrix Multi-Platform, Total Digital Audience, Custom-Defined List including [M] Fox Television Stations, [C] NBC Owned Television Stations, [S] ABC Local, and [C] CBS Local, May 2022, U.S.

Social media data was from May 2022 Shareablee, PowerRankings: Local Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube)

NEW YORK—Richard Friedel is the new EVP of Engineering, Operations and Technology at Fox Television Stations, FTS CEO Jack Abernethy said this week.

"It's rare that you can pick up an All Star on waivers. We are very happy to have Richard lead our group and more importantly help drive our ATSC 3.0 efforts," said Abernethy.

Friedel joins FTS after overseeing the technology strategy and daily operations of Fox Network Center in Los Angeles and the Fox Technical Operations Center in The Woodlands, Texas. He was employed by a division of Fox that was acquired by Disney.

His first role with Fox was the design and construction of Fox News Channel in 1996. He also held positions at Capital Cities/ABC, NBC News and local TV stations before joining Fox.

“What an exciting opportunity this is to work with the Fox Television Stations team. I can't wait to get started and move ATSC 3.0 from theory into practical implementation, a pivotal moment," said Friedel, who is the former chairman of the Advanced Television Systems Committee and currently serves as president of the North American Broadcasters Association and the Video Services Forum.

In 2015, Friedel was honored by the National Association of Broadcasters with its Engineering Achievement Award for significant contributions to advancing broadcast engineering. Three years later, he received an Emmy for lifetime achievement from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

He is a Fellow of the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers and a Life Member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society.