SD-AL/Rasmussen: After primary, Noem (R) defeats Herseth-Sandlin (D) by 12

[Brittain33]

I haven't a clue.  KELO-TV is probably the most watched in the state, and covers both the Sioux Falls and Rapid City markets.  They have the best website of the South Dakota stations.  Google searches show at least two instances when she was mentioned on their website before this election cycle.  There could be more.  She definitely was mentioned during the election cycle.  And as I said, there was a contested Republican primary and Noem was likely advertising outside of the newscasts, too.

Our problem here is that we're both arguing from our guts and what we believe to be true, and don't have data. I do believe that the percentage of people watching local tv news is fairly low.

[Brittain33]

Here's some data. By 2008, all network news reports combined had an audience of only 22.8 million out of a country of about 300 million. I believe that something like 130 million people voted in 2008, which a substantially smaller number voting in 2010. This is network news, by the way, and doesn't count local news.

http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2009/narrative_networktv_audience.php?cat=2&media=6

[cinyc]

Here's some data. By 2008, all network news reports combined had an audience of only 22.8 million out of a country of about 300 million. I believe that something like 130 million people voted in 2008, which a substantially smaller number voting in 2010. This is network news, by the way, and doesn't count local news.

http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2009/narrative_networktv_audience.php?cat=2&media=6

Nightly network news viewership is irrelevant.  It's on once a day for half an hour.  Local news viewership is higher because it is on more frequently.  In 2008, 29% of respondents told Pew that they watched a network newscast yesterday.  52% said they watched their local newscast.   Local newscasts were still the number one source for news in 2008, according to Pew.  That's still true in 2010 - local TV is the top news source for Americans on a typical day, with 78% of Americans telling Pew they get news from a local TV station.