Summary of Key Insights

The News 9 app receives mixed reviews, with a significant number of users expressing frustration with excessive advertising, technical issues (especially during severe weather), and outdated content. While many users appreciate the accuracy and reliability of News 9's weather coverage, particularly from David Payne, these positive aspects are often overshadowed by the app's performance and user experience issues. The app's overall rating is negatively impacted by the large number of 1-star reviews, indicating serious problems that need to be addressed.

Key Strengths:

• Trusted weather coverage, especially during severe weather events.
• Appreciation for specific on-air personalities (David Payne, Lacey Swope, etc.).
• Local news coverage is valued by many users.

Key Weaknesses:

• Excessive and intrusive advertising, especially during critical weather updates.
• Technical issues, including streaming problems, app crashes, and radar malfunctions.
• Outdated content and slow updates.
• Notifications that don't link to the corresponding story in the app.
• Annoying opening sound/music.

Overall Sentiment: Mixed. While there is strong loyalty to the News 9 brand and its weather coverage, the app itself generates significant negative sentiment due to usability and performance problems.

Quantitative Metrics:

• Overall Rating: Not explicitly stated but can be inferred from the score distribution. The average rating is likely around 3 stars.
• Score Distribution:
  • 5-star: 55.4% (277/500)
  • 4-star: 8.4% (42/500)
  • 3-star: 6.2% (31/500)
  • 2-star: 10.2% (51/500)
  • 1-star: 19.8% (99/500)

Data & Methodology Overview

• Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
• Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but the reviews appear to span several years, with some referencing specific events and app updates.
• Analysis Methods: The analysis was primarily qualitative, involving manual review and categorization of user comments to identify recurring themes, sentiment, and feature requests. Keyword extraction was used implicitly to identify frequently mentioned issues. No advanced sentiment analysis tools were used.

Key User Pain Points

• Excessive Advertising: Users complain about the frequency, length, and intrusiveness of ads, especially during severe weather coverage. Many feel that ads are prioritized over timely access to critical information.
• Technical Issues: Streaming problems, app crashes, radar malfunctions, and slow loading times are frequently reported, hindering the app's usability.
• Outdated Content: Users report seeing news from days or weeks ago, indicating a lack of timely updates.
• Notification Issues: Notifications often fail to link to the corresponding story within the app, leading to frustration and wasted time.
• Annoying Opening Sound: The app's opening sound is widely disliked and considered intrusive.
• Lack of Customization: Users want more control over the types of notifications they receive (e.g., weather-only alerts).
• Poor Video Playback: Many users have trouble playing videos, and sometimes only ads will play.

Frequently Requested Features

• More Granular Notification Controls: Users want to be able to select specific notification categories (e.g., weather, breaking news, sports) instead of an all-or-nothing approach.
• Ad-Free or Reduced-Ad Subscription Option: Some users would be willing to pay to remove or reduce the number of advertisements.
• Improved Radar Functionality: Users want a reliable and up-to-date radar, especially during severe weather.
• Mute Button for Commercials: Users want the ability to mute commercials, especially those that play automatically.
• Option to Disable Autoplay Videos: Users find autoplaying videos disruptive and data-intensive.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

• Trusted Weather Coverage: News 9's weather team, particularly David Payne, is highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability.
• Local News Focus: Users appreciate the app's coverage of local news and events in Oklahoma.
• Familiarity and Loyalty: Many users have been watching News 9 for years and have a strong sense of loyalty to the brand and its on-air personalities.
• Easy Navigation (Sometimes): Some users find the app easy to navigate when it's working correctly.
• Timely Alerts (Sometimes): Some users appreciate the timely breaking news alerts, when they work as intended.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

• Reduce Advertising Intrusiveness: Significantly reduce the frequency and length of ads, especially during severe weather coverage. Consider offering a paid ad-free option.
• Fix Technical Issues: Address the reported streaming problems, app crashes, radar malfunctions, and slow loading times. Prioritize performance improvements during severe weather events.
• Improve Notification Functionality: Ensure that notifications always link to the corresponding story within the app.
• Remove Annoying Opening Sound: Eliminate the widely disliked opening sound.
• Implement Granular Notification Controls: Allow users to customize the types of notifications they receive.

Medium Priority:

• Update Content More Frequently: Ensure that news content is updated in a timely manner.
• Add a Mute Button for Commercials: Provide users with the ability to mute commercials.
• Offer Option to Disable Autoplay Videos: Allow users to disable autoplaying videos.
• Improve Video Playback Reliability: Address issues with videos not loading or playing correctly.
• Proofread Articles: Address the reported spelling and grammar errors in articles.

Low Priority:

• Explore Opportunities for More Positive News Stories: While not a primary concern, some users expressed a desire for more positive news content.
• Improve Sports Coverage: Some users feel the sports section is not as up-to-date as the news section.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

• Hyperlocal News Aggregator with Customizable Alerts: A news aggregator that allows users to select specific geographic areas and topics for personalized news feeds and alerts.
• Ad-Free News App with Premium Weather Features: A news app that offers an ad-free experience and enhanced weather features for a subscription fee.
• Emergency Alert System with Reliable Streaming: A dedicated emergency alert system that provides reliable streaming of critical information during severe weather events, without intrusive advertising.

Trends and Observations

• Strong Focus on Weather: Weather coverage is a key driver of app usage and loyalty.
• Negative Impact of Advertising: Excessive advertising is a major source of user frustration and negatively impacts the app's overall rating.
• Importance of Reliability During Emergencies: App reliability is critical during severe weather events, as users rely on the app for potentially life-saving information.
• Some Political Bias Concerns: A small number of users expressed concerns about perceived political bias in the news coverage.

Conclusion

The News 9 app has significant potential due to the strong brand recognition and trusted weather coverage of News 9. However, the app's current performance is being undermined by excessive advertising, technical issues, and usability problems. Addressing these issues should be a top priority to improve the user experience and maintain the app's relevance. By focusing on reliability, reducing advertising intrusiveness, and providing more customization options, News 9 can create a valuable and engaging app that meets the needs of its users.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/news-9/id405725825?uo=2