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San Diego–Tijuana's media market reaches roughly 3.3 million residents and 1.3 million television households, spanning coastal suburbs, inland innovation hubs, border communities, and Marine and Navy installations. Local outlets balance wildfire readiness, public health, cross-border trade, and tourism coverage with bilingual storytelling for audiences moving between San Diego County, Imperial Valley, and northern Baja.
Tegna's CBS 8 (KFMB), NBCUniversal's NBC 7 (KNSD), Nexstar's FOX 5/KUSI, and E.W. Scripps' ABC 10News (KGTV) anchor English-language broadcasting alongside KPBS public media and Cox-owned YurView community programming.
Spanish-language audiences rely on Telemundo 20 (KUAN), Univision 17 (KBNT-CD), Azteca América, and Entravision's radio and digital networks, while FCC cross-border agreements coordinate signal sharing with Tijuana stations and binational emergency alerts.
Joint operations between Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and local broadcasters ensure rapid dissemination of base advisories, veteran services updates, and defense industry reporting to military families and contractors.
Tourism, craft beer, life sciences, and Baja manufacturing shape advertising demand, and bilingual publishers document border wait times, immigration policy shifts, and CaliBaja innovation partnerships for commuters and international investors.
Broadcast signals remain critical for wildfire alerts, atmospheric river tracking, and cross-border traffic updates, with Nielsen reporting strong evening news audiences across CBS 8, NBC 7, ABC 10News, and FOX 5.
Spanish-language households follow Noticias Univision 17 and Telemundo 20 for immigration, housing, and community services updates, while Padres baseball on Bally Sports San Diego and Aztecs athletics drive seasonal spikes.
Roughly 70% of San Diego households maintain at least one paid streaming bundle, combining Peacock, YouTube TV, and Vix with antenna viewing to stay connected during deployments and travel.
Podcast listening, bilingual newsletters, and cross-border social video continue to grow, as KPBS, Voice of San Diego, and Inewsource expand investigative series across mobile apps, smart TVs, and YouTube shorts.
| Indicator | Latest Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DMA population | approximately 3.3 million residents (2024) | Nielsen DMA Rankings |
| Television households | about 1.3 million households | Nielsen Local Market Universe 2024 |
| Streaming penetration | around 70% of households with paid OTT bundles | Nielsen The Gauge, 2024 |
| Hispanic population share | roughly 34% of DMA residents | U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 |
| Active duty & veteran population | approximately 115,000 personnel and households | San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., 2024 |
KPBS, NBC 7, and ABC 10News rank among the most trusted sources for wildfire, flood, and earthquake alerts, while Spanish-language households rely on Univision 17 and Telemundo 20 for bilingual emergency messaging.
Military families supplement base communications with KOGO, KPBS, and Blue Star Families newsletters, and the San Diego Union-Tribune continues to anchor investigative coverage of housing, homelessness, and border policy.
Padres baseball, San Diego Wave FC, and Aztecs athletics fuel multiplatform viewing across Bally Sports, ESPN+, and local radio, while tourism and craft beer features remain reliable lifestyle staples.
Voice of San Diego, inewsource, and local creators grow audiences through membership-supported podcasts, WhatsApp alerts, and bilingual explainer videos that track civic projects, transit upgrades, and cross-border innovation.
