OTTAWA, Canada—CBC has launched a new free ad-supported TV channel, CBC News Explore. The 24/7 service is being billed as offering audiences a new way to discover CBC News by featuring video journalism that takes a step away from breaking news to explain and explore stories beyond the headlines. 

Original programs include “About That” hosted by Andrew Chang, a daily half-hour show that takes a closer look at the biggest stories of the day. 

The free CBC News Explore stream is available on a number of digital and connected TV platforms including CBC Gem, the CBC News App, CBCNews.ca and The Roku Channel (channel 105 in Canada), with more to be added soon, the public service said.  

The service complements CBC News Network, which remains CBC’s 24-hour premium service  for live-and-breaking news, available through cable and satellite providers and on CBC Gem.

“Today's launch of CBC News Explore marks an important moment in our evolution, ensuring we will be able to serve more people across Canada whenever, wherever or however they choose to consume our content,” said Susan Marjetti, general manager of CBC News, Current Affairs and Local. “As Canada’s public broadcaster, it is important we are there for people with trusted news and information 24/7 on their platform of choice whether radio, TV, digital or via a streaming channel like this one.”

“While some focus on traditional TV audience numbers as the only measure of success, the real story of how a news organization reaches and grows its audience today is much more complex,” said Brodie Fenlon, editor in chief, CBC News in an Editor’s Blog. “Streaming audiences in Canada are sizable and growing, and hungry for high-quality, fact-based video journalism — just not in the places we’ve traditionally offered TV news. We won’t treat them as an afterthought. While CBC News Network remains our premium live-and-breaking news service, CBC News Explore is an important part of our future to serve Canadians on the platform of their choice.”

NEW YORK—NBCUniversal Local continues to expand the availability of its local streaming news channels with the launch of three more NBC local news channels on The Roku Channel. 

The new launches on The Roku Channel channels include NBC Bay Area News, NBC Boston News and NBC San Diego News as well as LX News, a news network by NBCUniversal Local for adults 18-45.  

The new channels add to the local news streaming services that the NBCU Local stations launched on The Roku Channel in June. 

“We are excited to introduce LX News and three new NBC local news channels to The Roku Channel’s  audiences following a very successful launch of our channels earlier this summer,” said Meredith McGinn, executive vice president of diginets and original production, NBCUniversal Local. “If you’re looking to get the latest local news from NBC stations or want to go beyond the headlines, our NBC local news channels and LX News will deliver this and more.”    

“We’re thrilled to further expand our NBCUniversal Local news channels lineup to provide streamers across the country with access to valuable local news coverage through The Roku Channel,” said Ashley Hovey, head of The Roku Channel AVOD. “Since launching our local news category earlier this summer, we have seen users come to The Roku Channel to engage with this programming category in a meaningful way. We’re proud to offer a convenient way for millions of streamers to stay informed on important local topics and current events.”

The NBC local news channels complement The Roku Channel’s existing lineup of national news options and feature the latest local news, breaking updates, weather forecast, and live events from that designated area. 

LX News airs more than 20 hours of live news each weekday from its Dallas-Fort Worth studio, giving audiences context beyond the daily headlines. 

NBCUniversal Local’s news channels currently available on The Roku Channel include: 

• LX News
• NBC New York News 
• NBC Los Angeles News 
• NBC Chicago News 
• NBC Philadelphia News 
• NBC Dallas/Fort Worth News 
• NBC Bay Area News
• NBC Washington, D.C. News 
• NBC Boston News
• NBC South Florida News 
• NBC San Diego News
• NBC Connecticut News 

BOSTON—CBSN, CBS’ direct-to-consumer streaming news service that will provide a local focus, has launched in its third market, Boston, on Tuesday, Sept. 24. The new CBSN Boston streaming service offers 24/7 anchored programming, coverage of live breaking news events in the region and a library of local news content that is available for on-demand viewing.

This is the third market that CBSN has launched its service in, following CBSN New York in December 2018 and CBSN Los Angeles in June of this year.

CBSN Boston lineup consists of live streams of WBZ-TV’s newscasts, as well as one-hour newscasts at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. that are produced exclusively on the platform each weekday. The streaming platform will also have an 8 p.m. newscast that will be simulcast by WBZ-TV’s sister station, WSBK-TV.

CBSN Boston is available to viewers through the CBSN, CBSNews.com, on the CBS News apps for mobile and connected TVs or through CBSBoston.com and the CBS Local mobile app.

“The combined resources of CBS Television Stations and CBS Interactive are placing our CBSN Local services at the forefront of addressing consumers’ interest in receiving local, relevant and useful information on all platforms,” said Adam Wiener, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Local Digital Media. “With today’s launch in Boston we continue moving forward with an accelerated plan to launch CBSN Local services in all of our local news markets.”

CBS already has plans to launch its next CBSN service in San Francisco sometime during the fourth quarter of 2019. It will launch in nine more markets in 2020, including Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Philadelphia, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver, Miami, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.