MIAMI, July 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Locast, the nonprofit local broadcast TV streaming service, is now delivering dozens of local TV channels via the internet, for free, to those living in the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach TV markets in Florida. Locast provides a public service by giving access to important local news, hurricane and storm coverage, emergency information, election coverage, sports, and entertainment programming to internet-connected devices. Locast also offers English and Spanish-language channels, including a Spanish-language TV guide.
The announcement was made this week as residents in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties face rising coronavirus infection rates and as they prepare for summer storms. More than 6.8 million TV viewers living in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-West Palm Beach designated market areas (DMA) can now tune in their local TV news on their mobile devices to stay informed of local emergency alerts concerning further outbreaks or closures due to COVID-19. Local TV will also be popular for watching election coverage in Florida, an historical battleground state, as well as the start of professional football this fall.
“For the first time, Floridians located within the Miami and West Palm Beach DMAs will be able to watch their local TV stations on their phones, tablets, laptops or streaming media devices,” said Locast Founder and Chairman David Goodfriend. “Local TV news is critical for broadcasting alerts about hurricanes, elections and coronavirus-related restrictions, making Locast an important lifeline for South Florida residents and for those who can’t get local TV channels from an off-air antenna or cannot afford a pay-TV subscription.”
Goodfriend continued, “Especially when dealing with health, safety, or participation in our democracy through voting, Locast performs a critical public service by increasing access to local broadcasting. South Floridians can stay on top of local emergency information, coverage of the upcoming political conventions, and more – on the go, over the Internet – through Locast. We have used our best efforts to make local broadcast more accessible to you.”
With Locast, viewers using internet-connected devices can watch, for free, their locally produced broadcast TV in high definition via the Locast app or at www.locast.org. Locast also offers multi-language support by giving Spanish-language access to the Locast app’s user-interface, log-in screens, and program guide.
Locast delivers more than 40 local TV channels in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale DMA, including ABC 10, NBC 6, CBS 4, FOX 7, PBS, PBS Kids, Estrella TV, MOVIES!, The CW, CourtTV, Univision, Telemundo and more. Counties served by the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale DMA include Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe, including the Florida Keys.
West Palm Beach viewers will have access to 28 channels including ABC 25, NBC 5, CBS 12, FOX 29, PBS, and PBS Kids, Azteca America, Mystery, ION, Grit, Justice Network and more. Counties served within the West Palm Beach/Ft. Pierce DMA include Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Palm Beach North and South, and Indian River.
Complete local TV guides are available at www.locast.org.
Locast now delivers local TV channels via the internet into 21 U.S. TV markets containing more than 134 million viewers or 41% of the U.S. population. Locast has more than 1.4 million users.
Locast operates under the Copyright Act of 1976 that allows nonprofit translator services to rebroadcast local stations without receiving a copyright license from the broadcaster. The federal statute (17 U.S.C. 111(a)(5)) states that a nonprofit organization may retransmit a local broadcast signal and collect a fee to cover the cost of operations. Locast asks viewers to donate as little as $5 per month to help cover operating costs. The donation is voluntary and not required.
Locast is available for streaming at www.locast.org, app stores, on DISH Hopper/Wally receivers, select DIRECTV receivers, TiVo, and at streaming service providers Google Play, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon, and ROKU.
For more information, visit www.locast.org. Follow Locast on Facebook and Twitter @LocastOrg.
About Locast
Locast.org was founded by Sports Fans Coalition NY (SFCNY), a New York-based nonprofit, fan-advocacy group formed in 2017. Locast launched in 2018 and is available in 21 DMAs. SFCNY is the first local chapter of Sports Fans Coalition, Inc., which led the successful campaign to end the FCC’s Sports Blackout Rule and continues to advocate for fans. As a nonprofit, Locast is supported by user donations and is available at www.locast.org.