National news covers events or issues that have nationwide impact, such as politics, economics, major disasters and international events. In the context of television and radio, national news is often categorized in contrast to local news that deals with community-related stories such as city government, crime reports or human interest stories. National news organizations typically have more resources and reach than local outlets, which can sometimes lead to a disparity in the coverage of these two types of stories.
The first nationwide cable news channel to launch in the United States was CNN in 1980. In 1982, the network created a spin-off called CNN2 (later HLN). CNN2 shifted away from an all-news format in 2008 to a mix of news programming during the day and discussion programs and documentary series at night.
Other nationwide cable news channels have included MSNBC, Fox News Channel and CNBC. More recently, new channels have emerged that are devoted to niche interests such as sports or business news. The 24-hour ESPN channel carries sports news coverage and highlights but does not air live sports events. The college-focused ESPNU carries similar sports news programming to ESPN and also offers documentaries.
The non-profit PBS has 349 member public television stations that offer news and public affairs programs such as Frontline and PBS NewsHour. It has been criticized for its left-wing political leanings. In addition, the new CBSN was launched in 2021, which is a news and current affairs channel owned by CBS. Other new channels include MHz WorldView, NHK World and Cheddar.
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