More TV station websites are turning a profit in 2010 and many sites are increasing their content while dropping site features that may not be working well, according to a new survey from the Radio Television Digital News Association and Hofstra University.
The survey found TV station websites have continued to see an increase in profitability, up 4.3 percent in the last year. Websites with bigger staffs are more likely to make a profit.
"These numbers suggest that, more and more, stations are deciding that certain web elements aren’t working that well for them — or aren’t worth the effort — and they’re either scaling them back or not bothering with them at all," said survey director, Bob Papper, professor and chair of the Department of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations at Hofstra University.
The survey found TV websites maturing. Text, photos, news video are now common on all TV websites. The use of audio, live cameras, recorded newscasts and blogs is increasing. However, streaming audio and podcasts have leveled off or declined.
Consistent with results from pervious years,, the largest stations tend to have the most complex websites. There are no significant distinctions based on network affiliation or geography.