News broadcasting
News Broadcasting on Your Own Website
Go live from the studio. Keep every bulletin. Set your own access.
Run live bulletins or a 24/7 news channel on your WordPress site. Archive each recording for on-demand access and set your broadcasting hours.
Evening News Bulletin
Broadcast from Your Station's WebsiteFrom studio to your site in three steps
Create a news channel on your site
Set up a free-to-view or pay-per-view channel in WordPress. First, enable "Record Live Stream" in Channel Settings.
Send the bulletin from your encoder
Paste the channel's server URL and stream key into OBS (Service, then Custom), a hardware encoder, or a phone app. You can also go live straight from the browser.
Your audience watches on your page
The player sits on your station's WordPress page through a shortcode or Elementor WpStream Player widget, branded with your logo.
Broadcast news on your own page under your logo, with no platform ads or suggested videos. Lock to Website keeps the stream on your site.
Where the audience is
Your audience already watches news online
The audience has already changed. Among Americans who get news from local TV, 43% now mainly access it online, according to the Pew Research Center (April 2026, survey December 2025). In 2018, 76% used a TV set.
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 reveals that 77% of people globally watch online news video each week. However, growth is mainly on third-party platforms, while news organisations' own-site video fell by 5 points. Use social media for reach, but keep your full newscast, archive, and any paid tier on your own site.
Five Ways the Bulletin Reaches Your Site
Every route to news broadcasting on your site works the same way. An encoder sends the feed to your WpStream channel, and the player on your page handles the rest. You can stream local news from the studio, the field, or a browser tab, choosing the best route for each story.
OBS at the News Desk
OBS Studio is free, open-source, and works on Windows, Mac, or Linux. In its settings, select Service, then Custom, and paste your channel's server URL and stream key.
Build scenes for the anchor desk, interviews, breaking news, and lower thirds. New to OBS? Its auto-configuration wizard runs the first time you open it.
Hardware Encoder for the 24/7 Channel
A 24/7 news channel runs all night, so the encoder matters. Our hardware encoder guide states that these devices are "typically more stable" than software, able to "handle continuous streaming for long periods."
Plan your upload speed at about 1.4 times the bitrate. For instance, a 6,000 kbps stream needs around 8.5 to 10 Mbps sustained.
Phone for the Field Report
Field reporters can go live using Larix Broadcaster, a free app for iOS and Android. Choose Custom RTMP and paste the channel's details.
Turn on Auto TURN ON, and the channel starts automatically next time, without manual intervention.
Keep it simple: a phone, a clip microphone, and a charged battery cover most field reports.
Browser for Quick Updates
For quick updates from the desk, go live from the browser.
It works in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. Choose the camera, microphone, bitrate, and resolution before you start.
No encoder is needed, which is helpful for breaking news.
Pre-Recorded Segments as Live
A 24/7 channel doesn't need an anchor on air every hour.
Our 24/7 guide notes that it "often runs a playlist pre-recorded as live" between bulletins: repeat the evening newscast, a weather segment, or a community feature.
Put the Evening Bulletin on Your Site
Four steps take a newscast from the studio to your page and into the archive. Watch How To Create A LIVE TV CHANNEL On Your Website for a visual guide, and follow our news channel setup guide for each click.
Destination
Pick the Page that Holds the Player
Embed the channel on any WordPress page using its shortcode or the Elementor WpStream Player widget. Add your logo to the player in a corner of your choice.
Setup
Turn Recording On, Then Test
First, enable "Record Live Stream" (recording docs), then run a short test before going live. Tests matter, too. According to the pricing FAQ, test streams count against broadcast hours.
On air
The Anchor Goes Live
Turn the channel on, start the encoder, and the bulletin is live on your page. Optionally show a live viewer count in the player's top left corner. Expect a short delay behind the studio (latency docs).
Archive
Publish the Bulletin to the Archive
The recording appears under WpStream, then Recordings, after a few minutes or longer. From there, publish it as a free or pay-per-view video on demand, or download it.
Put Your Radio Studio on Video
Our internet radio station guide helps set up live broadcasts with OBS on a free-to-view or pay-per-view channel. Choose "Go Live With External Streaming App," then OBS. DJ software like Serato DJ can also run through OBS. Adding a studio camera makes the morning show a live view of the studio.
Field Reporters
Let Reporters Go Live from the Field
Staff who aren't admins can broadcast from the front end. You select roles (Editor, Author, Contributor, or Subscriber) and a free or pay-per-view channel for each reporter.
They can go live from the browser or an external app and see their live metrics. Only the admin sets the price (front-end broadcasting guide, video).
The station is responsible for their broadcasts, and their hours come from the station's account.
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What WpStream Does Not Do
for Your Newsroom
No Native TV Apps
There are no WpStream apps for Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV.
A developer can connect the channel's stream address to a third-party player via the API, but this support is limited. Your audience watches on your site.
No Built-in Chat
The player lacks chat functionality. For audience interaction during the newscast, live chat is available through the Better Messages integration in the Hello WpStream theme (plugin changelog).
About 20 Seconds Behind
Typically, the stream reaches your audience about 20 seconds after the studio. Low latency, now in beta, reduces this to roughly 2 to 5 seconds. Avoid promising real-time updates on breaking-news pages.
Free, Members-Only, or Paid: You Set the Rules
Start free. Just 12% of U.S. adults paid or donated to a local news source in the past year, according to the Pew Research Center (survey August 2025).
One option: keep the daily bulletin free and charge for specials or the archive. You can mix free, subscription, and pay-per-view news broadcasting on one site. See how to sell access to live streams.
Free Bulletin
A free-to-view channel everyone can watch. It suits daily newscasts, council meetings, or storm updates.
Station Subscription
With Global Subscription Mode, one subscription grants access to all live bulletins and videos on your site. This requires the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin.
Pay-Per-View Special
A pay-per-view live channel for special reports or local sports finals. Buyers access it through a link in their confirmation email or My Orders.
Members-Only Page
Place a free channel on a restricted page using your membership plugin, such as MemberPress, Paid Membership Pro, or Restrict Content Pro. Members log in to watch.
Private Newsroom Feed
Use password-protected streams for staff or partner stations. WpStream checks viewers when the player requests the video (private streaming).
Kept on Your Site
Enable "Lock to Website" to show the stream only on your site. It won’t appear elsewhere.
News Archive
Every Bulletin On Demand
Enable "Record Live Stream" in Channel Settings before starting the channel, or the bulletin won't be saved.
Recording hours measure the total length of videos you keep, not live time. After processing, you can publish a free or pay-per-view video on demand, or download the file (docs).
For a paid bulletin, switch the product type from Live Stream to Video on Demand and select the recording. Buyers maintain access without extra charges.
Older .mp4 or .mov bulletins can also be uploaded to Recordings.
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Plan Sizing
How Many Hours Does a Newscast Use?
Three meters size a news broadcasting plan. Broadcast hours count the time channels are on, including tests. Viewer hours measure total audience watch time, both live and on demand.
Recording hours reflect the length of kept bulletins. Picture quality doesn’t change these counts. The pricing FAQ states, "Hours are based on time only."
A 24/7 news channel has 744 broadcast hours in a 31-day month, even at 3 a.m. with few viewers. That requires a Pro plan.
Keep recording off on that always-on channel. Recording would fill Pro's 500 recording hours in 21 days, so build the archive from scheduled bulletins.
If you run out of broadcast or viewer hours, you can still go live, but limits may apply, and streams may show WpStream branding until you upgrade or top up.
On monthly and yearly plans, broadcast and viewer hours count monthly. One-time hours do not expire.
| Newsroom schedule (example) | Broadcast hours | Viewer hours | Recording hours | Plan that fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newsroom schedule (example): 24/7 news channel (10 watching on average, peak 150) | Broadcast hours: 744 a month | Viewer hours: 7,440 a month | Recording hours: Off (the feed would outgrow Pro's 500 recording hours) | Plan that fits: Pro |
| Newsroom schedule (example): Nightly 30-minute bulletin (channel on 40 min, 100 watching the full 30 minutes, 31 nights) | Broadcast hours: About 20.7 a month | Viewer hours: 1,550 a month | Recording hours: About 20.7 added a month; Plus holds about 4.8 months | Plan that fits: Plus |
| Newsroom schedule (example): Weekly 2-hour radio show on video (channel on 2 h 15 min, 5 Saturdays, 40 watching 1 hour) | Broadcast hours: 11.25 a month | Viewer hours: 200 a month | Recording hours: 11.25 added a month; Lite holds about 2 months | Plan that fits: Lite |
| Newsroom schedule (example): Election-night special, one time (5 h plus 30 min test, 800 watching 1.5 hours, peak 400) | Broadcast hours: 5.5 that month | Viewer hours: 1,200 that month | Recording hours: 5.5 kept | Plan that fits: Plus One Time ($89) |
News broadcasting on a page you own, sized in hours.
Lite
Lite: $24 a month or $190 a year. 100 broadcast hours, 500 viewer hours, 25 recording hours. Supports 200 viewers at once and 5 live channels.
This suits a weekly video radio show. Its 25 recording hours hold about two months of shows.
Plus
Plus: $59 a month or $490 a year. 250 broadcast hours, 2,000 viewer hours, 100 recording hours. Supports 1,000 viewers at once and 15 live channels.
This fits a nightly bulletin. A 24/7 channel needs Pro: 1,000 broadcast hours and 10,000 viewer hours for $169 a month. Pricing increases with plan levels.
The trial
For a single special, one-time plans start at $36 and their hours don't expire.
Try news broadcasting for free: 100 viewer hours, 20 broadcast hours, and 10 recording hours. All features, no credit card needed. Prices as of September 2026.
More on News Broadcasting
How to Set Up a News Channel
A news channel on a website lets viewers watch updates live, like a small TV station.
How to Run a Nonstop Channel
24/7 live streaming turns a website into a continuous channel.
How to Set Up an Internet Radio Station
Create a radio station online, from choosing a platform to legal matters and monetising the broadcast.
News broadcasting questions
Yes, all paid WpStream plans include 24/7 broadcasting (pricing).
One channel running all day uses 744 broadcast hours in a 31-day month, which means Pro. Live news streaming counts those hours, even with few overnight viewers.
Leave recording off for the always-on channel and use a hardware encoder for long runs. Our 24/7 guide provides the setup.
Yes, if “Record Live Stream” is enabled before the channel starts (docs).
Each recording counts against your recording hours as long as you keep it. Deleting old bulletins frees those hours.
Publish a recording as free or pay-per-view video on demand, or download it for personal use.
For a paid live bulletin, switch the product to Video on Demand and select the recording: buyers keep access.
Both. With WpStream, you can stream local news for free, behind a subscription, as pay-per-view, or mix options on one site (selling access).
The Pew Research Center found just 12% of U.S. adults paid or donated to local news in the past year (survey August 2025).
You could keep the daily bulletin free and charge for specials or archives.
Example: a nightly 30-minute bulletin, channel on for 40 minutes, 100 viewers watching the full 30 minutes for 31 nights.
That’s about 20.7 broadcast hours and 1,550 viewer hours a month, plus about 20.7 recording hours if you keep every bulletin.
WpStream Plus fits: 250 broadcast hours, 2,000 viewer hours, and 100 recording hours, enough for about 4.8 months of bulletins.
An average audience of 130 or more, or heavy archive viewing, suggests Pro.
Yes. With WpStream’s front-end broadcasting, admins choose which roles can go live and give reporters a free or pay-per-view channel (guide).
In the field, reporters can use the free Larix Broadcaster app or go live from a browser.
Their hours come from the station’s account, and the station is responsible for the broadcast content.
Our guide explains how to set up a live broadcast with OBS on a free-to-view or pay-per-view channel, adding a studio camera for visuals.
DJ software like Serato DJ can integrate with OBS. The video stream uses the same broadcast, viewer, and recording hours as any other channel. WpStream doesn’t have an audio-only plan.
Yes, for anything you don’t own. WpStream carries your stream; it doesn’t license its content.
Under Title 17, section 106, the right to publicly perform audiovisual works belongs to the copyright owner. ASCAP states that any video with music needs a public performance license.
An unlicensed internet radio station requires an ASCAP New Media license.
For news broadcasting from a studio, you’ll need an encoder, camera, microphone, and sufficient upload speed. OBS Studio is free; a hardware encoder is best for 24/7 channels.
According to our equipment guide, plan for upload speed at about 1.4 times your bitrate: a 6,000 kbps stream needs roughly 8.5 to 10 Mbps sustained.
Always test before airing, as suggested in the OBS quick start. On WpStream, tests use broadcast hours.
Ready when you are
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