TAMPA, Fla., June 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Locast, the nonprofit local broadcast TV streaming service, is now delivering more than 45 local TV channels via the internet, for free, to those living in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater TV market in Florida. Locast provides a public service by giving access to important local news, hurricane and storm coverage, emergency information, sports, and entertainment programming to internet-connected devices.
The announcement was made this week during the official start of hurricane season, as Tampa residents prepare for approaching summer storms, continue to monitor coronavirus updates and witness recent unrest in communities. And with an increasing number of beaches re-opening, those living within the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater designated market area can now tune in their local TV news on their mobile devices to stay informed of local emergency alerts concerning any further outbreaks or closures due to COVID-19. Local TV will also be popular for watching the pending arrival of football stars Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“For the first time, Floridians located anywhere within the Tampa DMA will be able to watch all of their local TV stations on their phones, tablets, laptops or streaming media devices,” said Locast Founder and Chairman David Goodfriend. “Local TV news provides the most up-to-date emergency and disaster information, and it broadcasts critical alerts about hurricanes and coronavirus-related restrictions. As long as local TV stations continue to broadcast during major storms, Locast will remain a lifeline to those living within the Tampa metro area.”
The more than 3 million residents in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater designated market area (DMA) 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 offers the following channels for Tampa viewers: ABC 28/40, NBC 8, CBS 10, FOX 13, PBS, PBS Kids, Telemundo, The Florida Channel, Univision, Telexitos, MOVIES!, Estrella TV, Azteca America, MyNetworkTV, CourtTV, Mystery, Justice Network, The CW and more. A complete local TV guide is available at www.locast.org.
With the addition of the Tampa market, Locast delivers local TV channels via the internet as a public service in 19 U.S. TV markets and has more than one million users, including people who can’t get local channels through an antenna or cannot afford a pay-TV subscription.
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 even 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 to view local TV channels from Locast.
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 January 2018 in New York City and now reaches more than 40 million viewers in 19 designated market areas. SFCNY is the first local chapter of Sports Fans Coalition, Inc., which led the successful campaign to end the Sports Blackout Rule at the FCC in 2014 and continues to advocate for fans wherever sports and public policy intersect. As a nonprofit, Locast is supported by user donations and is available at www.locast.org. Visit www.locast.org.