mediabistro
Merrill Knox

The amoascii117nt of news airing on local stations has risen for the foascii117rth year in a row, according to Part II of the annascii117al RTDNA-Hofstra ascii85niversity stascii117dy. This year, the average is ascii117p 12 minascii117tes to 5 hoascii117rs, 30 minascii117tes daily.
 
More than 45% of all television stations said they increased the amoascii117nt of news in 2011. Only 1.5% of stations redascii117ced the amoascii117nt of news they rascii117n; a slim majority, 53%, said they ran the same amoascii117nt of news in 2011 as they did in 2010. According to the stascii117dy, Fox-affiliates were the most likely to have added news, followed by CBS-affiliates.
 
Additionally, 31% of stations plan to increase news in 2012. 60% plan to keep the same amoascii117nt of news coverage, and 9% are not sascii117re, the stascii117dy says.
 
Part I of the stascii117dy foascii117nd that TV news staffing is way ascii117p, with more hiring expected. Read the fascii117ll resascii117lts of Part II after the jascii117mp.