ABC News and ABC Owned Television Stations Group Reveal Innovative iPad Apps and Tailor User Experience with Morning, Afternoon and Evening Editions

Consumer Trends Guided Design and Content Update and Special Editions Give Users the Content They Want When They Want It

Customized Versions including Regional News, Weather and Traffic Will Also Be Available from All Eight ABC-Owned Stations, Beginning Today with KABC-TV Los Angeles's iPad App

ABC News and the ABC Owned Television Stations Group today announced the release of extensive new updates to the award-winning ABC News App and the ABC Owned Television Stations local news Apps for iPad.

The redesigned ABC News App, now in the App Store delivers around-the -clock news coverage, unrivaled video content and exclusive interviews with three distinct editions throughout the day - morning, afternoon and evening.

All eight ABC-owned television stations will also offer customized editions with regional news headlines, weather and traffic reports, as well as individual cityscape splash screen designs. The KABC-TV Los Angeles iPad App launches today and is available in the App Store. WABC-TV in New York, WLS-TV in Chicago, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, KGO-TV in San Francisco, KTRK-TV in Houston, WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham and KFSN-TV in Fresno are scheduled to release their distinct Apps within the next several weeks.

In July 2010, ABC News was the first broadcast news organization to release an App for iPad. Later that year the eight ABC Owned Television Stations released their local news Apps. Now, utilizing two years of consumer research metrics, the updated Apps respond to how people use the Apps at different times of the day. Analysis of user data showed App usage parallels broadcast consumption patterns and peaks between 7-10 p.m. when users watch 1.5 times more video content and read 20% more stories than any other time during the day. According to their joint research, more than 50% of all news stories on the ABC News for iPad App were read in the morning and the evening.

Based on how users interact with the ABC News and the Owned Television Stations Apps, the upgrade features three distinct editions:

  • Morning Edition: The "Morning Edition" features the top world, national and local headlines, weather and everything a news consumer needs to know before heading out the door. The design of this edition focuses on top headlines with a local weather band. The ABC News App also features an exclusive quick-fix national news digest with "Good Morning America" news anchor Josh Elliott.
  • Afternoon Edition: The "Midday Edition" features updates of the top news headlines, as well as a variety of video clips and lifestyle and feature stories.
  • Evening Edition: The "Primetime Edition" gives users a rich, lean-back video experience with a design centered on a prominent video player that features top world, national and local news and broadcast video.

"ABC News and the ABC Owned Television Stations broke the mold and now serve our iPad audience even better than before, delivering the news they need to inform their busy lives," said ABC News President Ben Sherwood. "This is a great example of how ABC News and ABC's eight owned stations are working closely together to give our audience a seamless experience and the best national, international and local news and information."

"In addition, the ABC Owned Television Stations local news Apps are focused on the needs of the local user, with breaking news, weather and traffic reports specifically geared to where they live," said Rebecca Campbell, President of the ABC Owned Television Stations Group.

The updated ABC News App also offers users unique content available only on the iPad. Exclusive features include:

  • "5 Things to Know This Morning" with Josh Elliot: Every weekday morning "Good Morning America" news anchor Josh Elliot gives App users the top news headlines they need before they start their day.
  • New Lifestyle and Fun Section: An exciting new section features entertainment news, useful consumer and lifestyle tips plus video and slideshows.
  • Video Updates Every Afternoon: Breaking news and top headlines in a quick video round-up keep users in the know all afternoon.

The ABC News and ABC Owned Television Stations iPad Apps enable users to truly see the whole picture with access to the most up-to-date breaking news coverage, exclusive interviews, live video streaming and award-winning video content anytime, anywhere.

The new ABC News App is sponsored at launch by USAA.

The updated Apps for iPad are available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore. For more details and to see a demo of the updated ABC News App on the iPad go to http://abcnews.go.com/ipad.