Customer Reviews (500)

SarahToo1976 • 2025-02-22T18:55:17-07:00

None of the videos will become full screen when turning my phone so annoying

XplrGod • 2025-02-18T16:04:06-07:00

The best app ever!!! ℹ original download news 8, but it only gives news reports of on other states that I don’t live in! 🥶😞

Windsor b • 2025-02-04T05:10:01-07:00

Great app best news in Tulsa by far !!

Summary of Key Insights

The News On 6 app receives mixed reviews, with a significant number of users expressing frustration over excessive advertisements, technical issues (video loading failures, app crashes), and unwanted features like auto-playing videos and opening sounds. While many users appreciate the app for local news and weather updates, especially during severe weather, the negative aspects frequently overshadow the positives. The app's overall rating is pulled down by a large number of 1 and 2-star reviews, indicating a need for significant improvements. The high number of 5-star reviews suggests a loyal user base that values the content but is potentially being alienated by the app's performance and intrusive advertising.

Key Strengths: Local news and weather coverage, particularly during severe weather events. Trusted news source. Key Weaknesses: Excessive and intrusive advertisements, frequent technical issues (video loading failures, app crashes), unwanted auto-playing videos and opening sounds, poorly organized content, grammatical errors in articles, and broken notifications. Overall Sentiment: Mixed. Users appreciate the content but are frustrated by the app's performance and intrusive advertising. Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: Not explicitly stated, but can be inferred from the score distribution.
  • Score Distribution: 1-star (82/500 = 16.4%), 2-star (51/500 = 10.2%), 3-star (49/500 = 9.8%), 4-star (49/500 = 9.8%), 5-star (269/500 = 53.8%).
  • Percentage of Positive Reviews (4 and 5-star): 63.6%
  • Percentage of Negative Reviews (1 and 2-star): 26.6%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but likely represents a cumulative view based on the app's version (7.0) and the range of issues discussed. Reviews span a considerable period as some reference older versions.
  • Analysis Methods: Manual review and categorization of user feedback, keyword extraction to identify recurring themes, and sentiment assessment based on star ratings and written comments.

Key User Pain Points

  • Excessive and Intrusive Advertisements: This is the most frequently cited complaint. Users are annoyed by the number of ads, their length, and their placement (e.g., before critical weather updates, interrupting reading). The ads frequently fail to load content after playing.
  • Technical Issues (Video Loading Failures, App Crashes): Many users report that videos often fail to load after ads play, resulting in a black screen. The app also crashes frequently.
  • Unwanted Auto-Playing Videos and Opening Sounds: Users find the auto-playing videos distracting and the opening sound annoying, especially in quiet environments.
  • Broken Notifications: Notifications often lead to the app's home page instead of the specific story mentioned in the notification.
  • Poorly Organized Content: Users find the app's layout confusing and difficult to navigate. They report difficulty finding specific stories and note that the same stories are often repeated in multiple sections.
  • Grammatical Errors in Articles: Several users complain about poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation in news articles, which damages the app's credibility.
  • Radar Map Issues: The new radar map is unpopular with users. They find it too small and difficult to use compared to the previous version.
  • Lack of Live Streaming: Some users report issues with live streaming, particularly during severe weather events.
  • Political Bias: Some users feel the app leans to the left politically.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Option to Disable Auto-Playing Videos and Opening Sounds: Users want the ability to control these features.
  • Ad-Free Version (Potentially Paid): Some users would prefer to pay for an ad-free version of the app.
  • Improved Navigation and Organization: Users want a cleaner, more intuitive interface.
  • Picture-in-Picture Support: Users would like to be able to watch videos in a smaller window while using other apps.
  • More Positive News Stories: Some users want a better balance between negative and positive news.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Local News and Weather Coverage: Users value the app as a source of local news and weather information, particularly during severe weather events.
  • Trustworthy News Source: Many users trust News On 6 to provide accurate and unbiased reporting.
  • Timely Updates: Users appreciate the app's push notifications, which keep them informed of breaking news and weather events.
  • Familiarity and Loyalty: Many users have been watching Channel 6 for years and feel a sense of loyalty to the station.
  • Good Weather Team: The weather team, especially Travis Meyer, is highly regarded by users.
  • Easy to Use (for Some): Some users find the app easy to navigate, although this is not a universal opinion.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Reduce and Optimize Advertisements: Drastically reduce the number and intrusiveness of ads. Ensure that ads do not interrupt critical weather updates. Investigate ad loading issues causing black screens. Explore a paid, ad-free option.
  • Fix Technical Issues: Address app crashes and video loading failures. Thoroughly test the app on various devices and operating systems.
  • Address Notification Issues: Ensure that notifications link directly to the relevant stories.

Medium Priority:

  • Implement User Preferences: Allow users to disable auto-playing videos and opening sounds.
  • Improve Navigation and Organization: Redesign the app's layout to make it easier to find specific stories and sections. Reduce redundancy in content.
  • Improve Radar Map: Revert to the previous radar map design or create a new design that is more user-friendly.
  • Address Grammatical Errors: Implement a rigorous proofreading process to ensure that news articles are free of errors.

Low Priority:

  • Increase Positive News Coverage: Include more positive news stories to balance out the negative news.
  • Add Picture-in-Picture Support: Implement picture-in-picture functionality for videos.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Hyperlocal News Aggregator with Customizable Ad Preferences: A news app that allows users to select the types of news they want to see (e.g., crime, weather, sports) and customize their ad experience (e.g., frequency, type of ads).
  • Local News App with Enhanced Severe Weather Features: A news app that focuses on providing real-time, life-saving information during severe weather events, with features like live radar, customizable alerts, and offline access to critical information.
  • AI-Powered Proofreading and Fact-Checking Tool for News Outlets: A tool that uses AI to automatically proofread news articles and verify facts, helping news outlets improve their accuracy and credibility.

Trends and Observations

  • Strong Focus on Weather: Weather coverage is a key differentiator for News On 6, especially during severe weather season.
  • User Loyalty: Many users have been watching Channel 6 for years and are loyal to the station.
  • Frustration with Ads: The increasing number and intrusiveness of ads is a major source of frustration for users.
  • Technical Issues Persist: Technical issues, such as app crashes and video loading failures, have been a recurring problem for some time.
  • Political Commentary: Some users are sensitive to perceived political bias in the app's content.

Conclusion

The News On 6 app has the potential to be a leading source of local news and weather information for Tulsa and Green Country. However, the app's current performance is being hampered by excessive advertisements, technical issues, and a poorly designed user experience. To improve the app's rating and retain its loyal user base, Griffin Communications needs to prioritize addressing these issues. Reducing the number of intrusive ads, fixing technical problems, and improving the app's navigation and organization are essential steps. By focusing on these areas, News On 6 can create an app that is both informative and enjoyable to use.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize addressing the high-priority issues related to advertisements, technical problems, and notification delivery. A focus on improving the user experience will be critical for the app's long-term success.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/news-on-6/id405727120?uo=2