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The Savannah DMA covers Georgia’s coastal communities, the Port of Savannah, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, and Lowcountry tourism extending into South Carolina. Newsrooms highlight port expansion, hurricane readiness, film production, and historic preservation while following workforce housing, environmental resilience, and cultural festivals. Audiences combine legacy broadcasts with streaming, podcasts, and bilingual newsletters to keep pace with rapid regional growth.
Gray Television operates WTOC 11 (CBS) and WFXG (FOX Augusta), while Nexstar runs WSAV 3 (NBC/CW) and WSAV NOW streaming services. Hearst Television owns WJCL 22 (ABC) and its digital-first newsroom, and WGXA (ABC/FOX) in Macon extends supplemental coverage. Spanish-language outlet Telemundo Savannah and public broadcaster GPB Savannah (WJWJ-TV) serve diverse communities. The Savannah Morning News, The Current, and Savannah Tribune collaborate with broadcasters through the Savannah Media Collaborative to tackle coastal development, government accountability, and environmental justice.
The Federal Communications Commission coordinates signal reach across coastal Georgia and the Lowcountry, ensuring Emergency Alert System compliance for hurricanes, flooding, and industrial incidents. Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS), Chatham Emergency Management, and the South Carolina Emergency Management Division conduct annual joint hurricane drills with stations to test evacuation messaging, contraflow traffic plans, and multilingual updates.
WTOC’s 24/7 streaming channel delivers First Alert Weather, port logistics updates, and investigative specials, while WSAV NOW publishes digital briefings and live event coverage on OTT platforms. WJCL 22 News invests in bilingual explainers and TikTok content for film industry stories, and Georgia Public Broadcasting expands podcasts on coastal resilience and civic education. Independent newsrooms use newsletters (The Current GA, Savannah Agenda) to deliver deep dives on local policy.
Broadband initiatives from the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Coastal Electric Cooperative, and the South Carolina Broadband Office extend fiber to Liberty and Bryan counties, improving connectivity for military families and logistics firms. The Georgia Ports Authority and U.S. Army Corps deploy sensor networks for harbor deepening and river traffic, integrating data into newsroom graphics and push alerts for commuters.
Port workers, truckers, and logistics firms follow WTOC and WSAV mobile apps for ship traffic, roadway incidents, and severe weather updates. Military households rely on GPB, WTKS, and bilingual push alerts from station apps to coordinate evacuation plans, childcare, and base access notices.
Connected TV adoption is high among urban professionals and SCAD creatives who mix streaming newscasts, podcasts, and newsletters. The Savannah Area Chamber and port partners push real-time commerce and workforce training news through LinkedIn Live, webinars, and station segments.
Residents in downtown Savannah, Tybee Island, and the Golden Isles monitor hurricane forecasts, tidal flooding, and tourism data via linear TV, NOAA radio, and text alerts. Local podcasts such as Savannah Now, The Commute, and The Current’s Policy Reporter see strong engagement among advocates and neighborhood associations.
Faith communities, Gullah Geechee cultural organizations, and nonprofits stream services and town halls via Facebook Live, YouTube, and station OTT channels. High school sports, SCAD athletics, and Savannah Ghost Pirates hockey draw hybrid audiences across broadcast, NFHS Network, and social highlights.
| Indicator | Latest Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DMA population | approximately 865,000 residents (2023) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Television households | about 346,000 TV homes, rank 90 (2024-2025) | Nielsen DMA Rankings |
| Median household income | roughly $70,400 across Chatham and Bryan counties (2022) | U.S. Census Bureau ACS |
| Port of Savannah container throughput | 5.4 million TEUs handled (FY2023) | Georgia Ports Authority |
| Broadband availability | 91% of households with 100 Mbps access | Georgia Broadband Program |
| Tourism economic impact | about $4.4 billion in visitor spending (2023) | Visit Savannah |
| Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF personnel | approximately 51,000 active-duty soldiers and civilians | U.S. Department of Defense |
The 2024 Georgia News Collaborative survey finds 62% of coastal residents trust local TV and public radio for hurricane and port coverage, versus 29% trust in national media. Stations publish transparency dashboards detailing evacuation routes, cargo statistics, and public record sourcing, and they host town halls with emergency managers, port officials, and housing advocates.
Collaborative reporting initiatives—The Current, WTOC Investigates, and Georgia Public Broadcasting—produce solutions journalism on housing, flood mitigation, and workforce training. These partnerships build credibility and offer consistent fact-checking tools for residents and regional decision-makers.
Sports fans follow Savannah Bananas baseball, Ghost Pirates hockey, Georgia Southern athletics, and SEC football through linear broadcasts, ESPN+, and streaming highlights. Coastal lifestyle content—fishing, culinary arts, Gullah traditions—performs strongly on YouTube, OTT apps, and social media reels.
Podcast and newsletter consumption continues to grow, with audiences tuning into GPB’s Georgia Today, WTOC’s Unmasking the Pandemic series, and The Current’s weekly digest. Younger audiences engage with SCAD student media, TikTok creators, and Instagram storytellers covering street art, film sets, and entrepreneurship. Faith and civic organizations livestream services and council meetings to reach rural and military audiences unable to attend in person.
