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If you have an Amazon Fire TV streaming device, you may now have access to local news channels in your viewing area. For free.
Amazon announced Wednesday that it has expanded its “Amazon News” platform to include 158 cities. That’s up from 88 when Amazon last updated the available markets in March 2021.
This announcement means more U.S. streamers can get updates on local news, weather and sports without having to buy a digital antenna, pay for cable or subscribe to a live TV streaming service.
And for users who relied on Locast for local news content, this could be an especially welcome alternative.
Important note: This is for local news content only. You’re not getting access to all of the content your local TV stations provide.
Markets With Local News on Amazon Fire TV
Not only has Amazon expanded the number of U.S. cities that are served from 88 to 158, but it also has made some additions within markets to give streamers more choice.
Amazon has doubled the number of local stations available from 126 to 259. That means some markets may enjoy local news content from as many as two or three stations.
Let’s take a quick look at the U.S. cities that now have access to the Amazon Fire TV News platform. I have sorted them by new and previously existing markets.
New Local News Options on Amazon Fire TV
These markets now have access to the following local news outlets as a part of the expansion announced by Amazon.
(Note: Some are new markets, others are expansions within existing Amazon Fire TV news markets)
Albany, Ga. — WALB News
Albuquerque, N.M. — Very New Mexico by KOAT
Alexandria, La. — Newschannel 5
Amarillo, Texas — News Channel 10,
Anchorage, Alaska — KTUU News 2
Baltimore, Md.— Very Baltimore by WBAL-TV
Bangor, Maine — WABI TV5 News
Baton Rouge, La. — WAFB 9 News
Biloxi, Miss. — WLOX News
Birmingham, Ala. — WBRC FOX 6 and Very Alabama by WVTM
Bismarck, N.D. — KFYR News
Boston, Mass. — WHDH-TV and Very Boston by WCVB
Bowling Green, Ky. — WBKO News
Bridgeport, W.Va. — 5 News
Bryan, Texas — KBTX News 3
Burlington/Plattsburgh, Vt. — Channel 3 News and Very Champlain Valley by NBC 5
Cape Girardeau, Mo. — Heartland News
Cedar Rapids, Iowa — KCRG TV9 News
Charleston, S.C. — Live 5 News
Charlotte, N.C. — WBTV News 3
Charlottesville, Va. — NBC29 News
Cheyenne, Wy. — Wyoming News Now
Cincinnati, Ohio — Fox19 Now and Very Cincinnati by WLWT
Cleveland, Ohio — 19 News
Colorado Springs, Colo. — 11 News
Columbia, S.C. — WIS News 10
Columbus, Ga. — WTVM Newsleader 9
Davenport, Iowa — KWQC News
Des Moines, Iowa — Very Iowa by KCCI
Detroit, Mich. — WDIV
Dothan, Ala. — WTVY News 4
Eau Claire, Wis. — WEAU 13 News
Evansville, Ind. — 14 News
Fairbanks, Alaska — Fairbanks News
Fargo, N.D. — Valley News Live
Fort Smith/Fayetteville, Ark. — Very Arkansas by 40/29
Gainesville, Fla. — WCJB TV20 News
Grand Junction, Colo. — KJCT News 8 and KKCO 11 News
Green Bay, Wis. — Action 2 News
Greenville, N.C. — WITN News
Greensboro, N.C. — Very Carolina by WXII
Greenville, S.C. — Very Carolina by WYFF 4
Harrisonburg, Va. — WHSV News
Hastings, Neb. — Local4 News
Hazard, Ky. — WYMT Mountain News
Honolulu, Hawaii — Hawaii News Now
Houston, Texas — KPRC
Huntington, W.Va. — WSAZ NewsChannel 3
Huntsville, Ala. — WAFF 48 News
Jackson, Miss. — WLBT 3 News and Very Jackson by 16 WAPT
Jacksonville, Fla. — WJXT
Jonesboro, Ark. — Region 8 News
Kansas City, Kan. — Very Kansas City by KMBC/KCWE
Knoxville, Tenn. — WVLT News
Lake Charles, La. — 7 News
Lansing, Mich. — News 10
Lancaster, Penn. — Very Pennsylvania by WGAL
Laredo, Texas — KGNS News
Lawton, Okla. — 7 News
Lexington, Ky. — WKYT News
Lincoln, Neb. — 10/11 Now
Louisville, Ky. — WAVE 3 News and Very Louisville by WLKY
Lubbock, Texas — KCBD 11
Madison, Wis. — 15 News
Manchester, N.H. — Very New Hampshire by WMUR
Memphis, Tenn. — WMC Action News 5
Meridian, Miss. — Newscenter 11
Miami, Fla. — WPLG and WSVN-TV
Milwaukee, Wis. — Very Milwaukee by WISN 12
Monroe, La. — KNOE 8 News
Monterey, Calif. — Very Central Coast, CA by KSBW
Montgomery, Ala. — WSFA 12 News
Moselle, Miss. — WDAM 7 News
Myrtle Beach, S.C. — WMBF News
Negaunee, Mich. — TV 6 News
New Orleans, La. — FOX 8 News and Very New Orleans by WDSU
North Augusta, S.C. — News 12
North Mankato, Minn. — KEYC News Now
North Platte, Neb. — News 2
Oklahoma City, Okla. — Very Oklahoma by KOCO
Omaha, Neb. — WOWT 6 News and Very Omaha by KETV
Orlando, Fla. — WKMG and Very Orlando by WESH 2
Ottumwa, Iowa — KYOU News
Panama City Beach, Fla. — NewsChannel 7
Parkersburg, W.Va. — WTAP News
Pittsburgh, Penn. — Very Pittsburgh by WTAE
Pollok, Texas — KTRE East Texas News
Portland, Maine — Very Maine by WMTW
Presque Isle, Maine — NewsSource 8
Raleigh-Durham, N.C. — WRAL
Rapid City, S.D. — KEVN Black Hills FOX and KOTA Territory News
Reno, Nev. — KOLO 8 News Now
Richmond, Va. — 12 News
Roanoke, Va. — WSLS and WDBJ7 News
Rockford, Ill. — 23 News
Sacramento, Calif. — Very Sacramento by KCRA
San Antonio, Texas — KSAT
Sarasota, Fla. — ABC7
Savannah, Ga. — WTOC News and Very Savannah by WJCL
Scottsbluff, Neb. — NBC Nebraska
Sherman, Texas — News 12
Shreveport, La. — KSLA News 12
Sioux Falls, S.D. — Dakota News Now
South Bend, Ind. — 16 News Now
Springfield, Mo. — KY3 News
Tallahassee, Fla. — Eyewitness News
Tampa Bay, Fla — Very Tampa Bay by WMOR
Toledo, Ohio — 13ABC Action News
Topeka, Kan. — 13 News
Tucson, Ariz. — News 13
Twin Falls, Idaho — KMVT News
Tyler, Texas — KLTV East Texas News and KLTVSP East Texas News
Waco, Texas — KWTX News 10
Watertown, N.Y. — 7 News
Wausau, Wis. — NewsChannel 7
West Palm Beach, Fla. — Very South Florida by WPBF 25
Wichita, Kansas — Eyewitness News
Wilmington, N.C. — WECT News
Existing Local News Options on Amazon Fire TV
These television markets already were enjoying local news access via Amazon Fire TV prior to the latest announcement:
Atlanta, Ga.
Austin, Texas
Bakersfield, Calif.
Baltimore, Md.
Beaumont, Texas
Billings, Mont.
Boise, Idaho
Boston, Mass.
Buffalo, N.Y.
Butte-Bozeman, Mont.
Charlotte, N.C.
Chicago, Ill.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
College Station, Texas
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Columbia, S.C.
Columbus, Ohio
Corpus Christi, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Davenport, Iowa
Dayton, Ohio
Denver, Colo.
Des Moines, Iowa
Detroit, Mich.
Fayetteville, Ark.
Fort Myers, Fla.
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Great Falls, Mon.
Green Bay, Wis.
Greensboro, N.C.
Harrisburg, Pa.
Hartford, Conn.
Helena, Mont.
Houston, Texas
Huntsville, Ala.
Indianapolis, Ind.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Knoxville, Tenn.
Lafayette, La.
Lansing-Jackson, Mich.
Lexington, Ky.
Little Rock, Ark.
Los Angeles, Calif.
Louisville, Ky.
Macon, Ga.
Memphis, Tenn.
Miami, Fla.
Midland, Texas
Milwaukee, Wis.
Minneapolis, Mont.
Missoula, Mont.
Moosic, Pa.
Nashville, Tenn.
New Orleans, La.
New York, N.Y.
Norfolk, Va.
Omaha, Neb.
Orlando, Fla.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Phoenix, Ariz.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Portland, Ore.
Richmond, Va.
Sacramento, Calif.
Salt Lake City, Utah
San Angelo, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Diego, Calif.
San Francisco, Calif.
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Seattle, Wash.
Spokane, Wash.
St. Louis, Mo.
Tallahassee, Fla.
Tampa, Fla.
Temple, Texas
Toledo, Ohio
Tulsa, Okla.
Tyler, Texas
Waco, Texas
Washington, D.C.
West Palm Beach, Fla.
How Can I Access Local News on My Amazon Fire TV Device?
So you found out that you live in one of the eligible TV markets … now what?
Well, all you have to do is access the News app from the “Free” section of your Amazon Fire TV device.
I have included a photo of what that probably looks like on your screen:
The app will use your location to detect the local news streams closest to you.
If this is the first time that you’ve accessed the app, it may start a setup process of having you choose your preferred news options to curate national news to go along with your local feed.
The local feeds that you receive will vary by market.
For example, I got the local CBS affiliate’s content in Nashville. But I could also access surrounding markets to get streams from local NBC, ABC and Fox affiliates.
Some markets now have more than one option, while others may be restricted to news from just one of your local channels. It all comes down to which news corporations Amazon has partnered with to this point.
Warning: This Is Not a Live Stream of Your Local Channels
When I first heard the news about Amazon streaming local TV news content, my mind immediately went to network programming.
Could I see my favorite shows or sports games on this platform for free? Unfortunately, the answer to that is, “No.”
Instead, what I found was a mix of curated on-demand news and limited live stream news options.
As you can see in the picture above, at the time I was using the app there was only on-demand content available from one station in Nashville. But I could livestream content from stations in nearby markets including Atlanta and Memphis.
Other Free Content Available on the Amazon News Platform
As great as free access to local news seems, that’s really only a fraction of the content that Amazon News offers.
Amazon also integrates a curated national news experience on its News app. All for free.
Here are some of the national brands that you can add to your live streaming experience on the News app:
ABC News
CBS News
Reuters
Bloomberg
USA Today
Newsy
When you set up your News app, Amazon prompts you to select your favorites from a menu of free channel offerings:
Once selected, they are meshed together with your local news streaming options to replicate what feels pretty close to a linear television experience. You can channel surf just like you would on cable TV.