NEW YORK—Spectrum Networks today announced plans to provide breaking national news coverage for its local news networks, and reporting on how national events impact the local communities it serves.
Spectrum News NY1 veteran journalist Annika Pergament will move from her current role as “Mornings on 1” co-anchor to become a national news anchor covering breaking news events and national content across Spectrum Networks’ linear TV networks and other platforms, and providing a “nuanced, locally-informed context,” the company said. The news team will be led by Sam Singal, Spectrum Networks’ Vice President of Editorial and Content.
In recent years, Spectrum Networks has launched linear TV news networks in seven states, introduced the Spectrum News mobile app, which has reached 1.9 million downloads, and launched three digital-only local news networks. Spectrum Networks says these local news channels regularly rank as the most-watched news network among Spectrum customers, averaging more than 2.6 million viewing households per month across its linear and digital platforms in 12 states.
Although the majority of Spectrum Networks’ news coverage in 2021 was local community based reporting, its news network also covered national news events, producing presidential inauguration, immigration issues at the U.S. Mexico border, and the trial of Derek Chauvin with locally-informed reporting and insights
“Grounded in the trust we have built by telling stories about the issues that affect our viewers’ daily lives, we are implementing a comprehensive news strategy that will allow us to continue to meet the growing needs of our audience,” said Alison Hellman, Senior Vice President, Content, Strategy and Marketing, Spectrum Networks. In a recent nationwide survey, viewers rated Spectrum News as more trustworthy than other local TV news channels by a margin of more than five-to-one.* Hellman continued, “Our audience looks to us as their definitive source of information, so it's essential for us to connect on all of the issues that matter to them.”
"I am excited and honored to take on this new role," Pergament said. "I've spent my career helping inform New Yorkers about the news that impacts their lives. Now I will have the opportunity to do that for audiences around the country, working with my colleagues across the Spectrum Networks footprint to bring our audience the day's top stories across all of our platforms. The news business is changing rapidly and I am eager to be at the forefront of that evolution."
Updated 3/21 to correct first paragraph.
