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If you use Locast to stream your local channels for free, you need to start the search for an alternative way to find your local NBC, ABC, FOX and CBS affiliates — at least for now.
The donation-based streaming service announced on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, that it was immediately suspending operations.
Team Clark is here to both explain what is going on with Locast and help you find some alternatives for watching local channels without breaking the bank.
If you’ve just been minding your own business and streaming local news, you may be wondering what the heck is going on with Locast and why you can no longer use the service.
The streaming service has been fighting a legal battle for more than two years, contending its right to stream broadcast signals. A court ruling earlier this week that it has led to the decision to halt operations indefinitely.
Here are the issues at hand:
So not only is the legality of Locast’s entire business model in question, the company has lost its source of funding (user donations).
All of this led to Locast’s decision to halt its local channel streaming operation, which was accessible by up to 55% of the United States population.
If you try to access Locast via a streaming device like Roku, you’re now likely to see the following message before being returned to your device’s home screen:
Locast has been vocal in its dissent to the court’s decision.
It’s has been in regular contact with its users since the court ruling on Tuesday, August 31. That included a message on Wednesday evening announcing that Locast would no longer solicit donations from users.
On Thursday morning, Locast issued the following statement to users via email:
“As a non-profit, Locast was designed from the very beginning to operate in accordance with the strict letter of the law, but in response to the court’s recent rulings, with which we respectfully disagree, we are hereby suspending operations, effective immediately. Thank you.”
While waiting to see if Locast will be able to return to operation at some point in the future, many streamers are now in search of a new way to see their local channels.
Team Clark has a guide for accessing your local channels without cable (you may want to ignore any Locast advice in there at this time).
The cheapest solutions include:
Alternatively, you could go the paid streaming route to receive your local channels.
YouTube TV, which has a base price of $65 per month, is one of Team Clark’s top streaming picks that offers local channels from all four major broadcast networks as part of the base package.
This post was last modified on September 2, 2021 11:11 am
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