What is considered local programming and local presence?
As noted above, local programming is defined as programming produced by local stations with local personnel or programming produced by locally-based independent producers that reflects the particular needs and interests of the market’s residents. Due to the regional nature of some conventional stations, the Commission will allow a local station that has historically been or is currently permitted to count regional programming towards meeting its local programming commitments to continue to do so for the purposes of meeting the requirements related to accessing the LPIF. The Commission expressly encourages local stations to maintain a local presence. Local presence is defined as providing seven-day-a week original local news coverage distinct to the market employing full-time journalists on the ground in the market and operating a news bureau or news gathering office in the market.
