KING 5 News for Seattle/Tacoma 4+

King 5 News targets news that is helpful: traffic, any immediate disruptions to everyday life such as weather, construction, pandemics, basic schools info, political events on the horizon. Issues affecting the business of everyday life such local economics, local politics, local social policies such as responses to homelessness, are reported with facts and options. Recreational outdoor activities are described and can greatly enrich the experience of living in the region. Racial relations and historically based, neighborhood struggles are represented fairly and accurately. All of these reports, soft and hard news, are presented with integrity and responsibility and a keen eye for detail.

This app will test your patience and civility. First, the stream randomly breaks. Often. Even in good coverage areas where other streaming video does not. Being video, the screen must be opened and unlocked to continue listening. Fine, not their fault. But this leaves it susceptible to any and every unintentional button press on a screen chock full of links. Didn’t mean to leave the live stream? Fine, you can now sit through a minute of extra, bonus commercials just for doing something modern, like streaming, before you can rejoin the actual broadcast. Also for your trouble of streaming, you will get DOUBLE commercials of creepy ads for the murder network, including bloody hands running a chainsaw, and a psychotic, garrote-snapping villain, EVERY 5 MINUTES! It at least does encourage most of us to turn it off due to all these, unless this stuff is your kink.

Let me start by saying that I don’t mind learning a new app. I will say that it did take me a while to figure out that I have to press the Star in the upper left corner to get to the topic section; world, local, sports, etc. I also don’t care for the emphasis on videos. One because I prefer to read the article and two because if I hit the video I have to watch another ad, maybe two if I maximize the screen. Love the Weather section which I use most often because Rich, in my experience, is the most accurate in predicting what will be going on. And I really LOVE the fact that they have now added an hourly forecast for the day. Spend a lot of time outdoors and now I can see when the rain is going to hit when there is a front coming in. All in All a pretty good job.