--- schema_type: "SoftwareApplication" entity_type: "Mobile Application" app_name: "St. Louis News from KSDK" developer_entity: "Tegna Inc." bundle_id: "com.gannett.news.local.KSDKNews" app_store_id: "568136681" google_play_id: "com.gannett.local.library.news.ksdk" category: "News" primary_platform: "ios" primary_monetization: "Free" offline_capable: false market_region: "US" platforms: "iOS & Android" app_last_updated: "2026-04-14" report_date: "2026-06-10" last_verified: "2026-06-10T01:26:23.188Z" report_version: "50.8.8" total_reviews: 35772 overall_rating: 4.75 sentiment: "Excited" sentiment_score: 85 confidence: "high" confidence_score: 0.95 top_praise_theme: "Reliability of local weather alerts" top_complaint_theme: "Static content feed" top_request_theme: "Enhanced community engagement" review_sample_size: 35772 data_age_days: 5 momentum_velocity: "intense" intelligence_version: 3 nemesis: "NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts" competitor_count: 8 tags: ["news", "free", "excited sentiment", "mobile app", "app review", "app analysis", "louis", "residents", "seeking"] canonical_url: "https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-gannett-news-local-ksdknews" license: "CC-BY-NC 4.0" content_version: "v2" --- # St. Louis News from KSDK App Audit ## TL;DR {#tldr} - **Category**: News · Free - **Signal**: Rating 4.75 · Sentiment Excited - **Recent focus**: Static content feed (top complaint) · Reliability of local weather alerts (top praise) · Enhanced community engagement (top request) > **TL;DR:** St. Louis News from KSDK is a news app by Tegna Inc., rated 4.75/5 by 35.8K users, with Excited user sentiment (85/100), available on iOS & Android. > > **Marlvel.ai App Intelligence** — Independent analysis. US Market. No publisher influence. > **Key Insight:** St. Louis News from KSDK maintains Excited user sentiment (4.75/5 from 35.8K reviews), with users consistently praising reliability of local weather alerts. ## Quick Facts | Fact | Value | | :--- | :--- | | **Rating** | 4.75/5 (35.8K reviews) | | **User Mood** | Excited | | **Category** | News | | **Developer** | Tegna Inc. | | **Pricing** | Free | | **Platforms** | iOS & Android | | **Confidence** | High (0.95/1.0) | | **Data Age** | 0d | ## Metadata & Market Performance - **Publisher:** Tegna Inc. - **Category:** News - **Target Audience:** St. Louis area residents seeking local news, weather forecasts, and community-specific information. - **Platforms:** iOS & Android - **Version Audited:** 50.8.8 - **Audit Date:** 2026-06-10 - **Signal Count:** 35772 reviews analyzed - **Confidence:** High (0.95/1.0) - **App Store ID (iOS):** 568136681 - **Bundle ID:** com.gannett.news.local.KSDKNews - **Google Play ID:** com.gannett.local.library.news.ksdk - **Performance Trend:** Mixed - **Data Window:** Analysis based on signals collected up to 2026-06-10 - **Short Description:** Stay up-to-date with news, weather, and traffic in the St. Louis, MO area. ## Executive Snapshot **What it is:** KSDK News is a local broadcast news and weather app for St. Louis residents, available on iOS and Android. **Why users hire it:** Users hire the app for verified local situational awareness and severe weather alerts that national aggregators cannot replicate. ## App DNA (Features & Intent) - **[Standard] Hyperlocal Weather Alerts:** Automated push notifications for severe weather events based on user location * *User Intent:* Users want timely prompts to stay engaged without missing updates. - **[Differentiator] Live Video Streaming:** Live broadcast of newscasts and local events directly within the app - **[Standard] TV Casting:** Cast live streams and video clips to external TV devices via integrated casting protocols * *User Intent:* Users seek enhanced value through premium features. - **[Differentiator] School Closings & Delays:** Real-time tracking of local school status updates * *User Intent:* Users want visibility into their own performance and progress. ## Market Position {#market-position} KSDK News holds the #158 Free position in the US News & Magazines category, with a 4.77 rating on iOS. The decline in chart rank signals that the current broadcast-first content strategy is losing ground to algorithmic aggregators. ## Monetization Strategy - **Model:** Free - **Tiers:** Free ad-supported access to all news, weather, and video content - **Analysis:** The app operates as a free, ad-supported extension of the KSDK broadcast brand, monetizing via display and video ad inventory. ## 🟢 User Sentiment (High Confidence: 35.8K reviews) {#user-sentiment} - **Overall Rating:** 4.75/5 - **Platform Split:** iOS 4.8/5 (32.8K ratings) | Android 4.5/5 (2.9K ratings) - **Overall Sentiment:** Excited ### Top Praises - **Reliability of local weather alerts** ### Top Complaints (Impact Areas) - **Static content feed** ### Top Requests (What Users Want) - **Enhanced community engagement** ## SWOT Analysis {#swot} **Core Strengths:** - Trusted local broadcast brand identity sustains high user trust - Severe weather alert infrastructure drives high-frequency daily opens - Integrated TV casting extends session duration on large screens **Critical Frictions:** - Static content feed lacks community-driven engagement loops - Declining category rank indicates slowing organic install velocity - Ad-only monetization limits revenue per active user **Growth Levers:** - Integrate crowdsourced community alerts to increase daily retention - Expand school-closing utility to year-round community event tracking - Develop B2B partnerships with local businesses for sponsored content **Market Threats:** - NewsBreak's discovery algorithm captures local news intent - Watch Duty's emergency mapping siphons high-intent safety traffic - Declining chart rank reduces organic new-user discovery ## Recent Changes (v2 → v3) {#recent-changes} The app has transitioned to a defensive broadcast-first positioning while identifying specific feature gaps in community engagement and real-time mapping compared to modern aggregators. **Overall trend**: Mixed **Compared at**: 2026-06-10 ### High-impact changes - **[Shifted] Broadcast-first defensive posture** (positioning) — Shifted from a general news utility to a broadcast-first brand explicitly acknowledging category rank decline to #158 and competitive pressure from algorithmic aggregators. - **[Improved] Feature differentiation** (features) — Live Video Streaming and School Closings & Delays were promoted to differentiator status; TV Casting was added as a new standard feature. ### Medium-impact changes - **[Added] Community engagement complaints** (sentiment) — New user complaints emerged regarding the static nature of the content feed and requests for social-style community engagement features. ## Rivals Landscape {#rivals} > Competitive positioning identified by AI analysis of app features, category, and market signals. ### St. Louis News from KSDK vs NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts — Head to Head - **[NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-particlenews-newsbreak)** by Particle Media Inc.: With over 1.3 million reviews and a high-velocity release cadence, NewsBreak dominates the local news aggregation space by prioritizing hyper-local content discovery over traditional broadcast-first models. - **Moat strength:** High — sustainable advantage over 12 months - **Key differences:** - Aggregates hyper-local community updates and neighborhood alerts beyond traditional broadcast news station coverage - Employs a high-frequency release strategy with 25 updates in six months to rapidly iterate on discovery algorithms - Focuses on personalized news feeds that prioritize user location data over static broadcast programming schedules - **Where St. Louis News from KSDK wins:** - ✅ Provides direct, unfiltered access to trusted local broadcast journalism and verified weather radar data - ✅ Maintains a stronger brand association with local news anchors and established community reporting teams - **Where NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts wins:** - ❌ Leverages a massive, automated content aggregation engine that scales across thousands of local municipalities simultaneously - ❌ Integrates community-driven alerts and social-style engagement features that keep users returning for non-broadcast updates - **Verdict:** The target app must pivot from a static broadcast-first experience to a more dynamic, community-aware feed to prevent NewsBreak from capturing the local news intent of its core audience. ### Contenders (Strong Challengers) - **[ABC 7 New York](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-go-abclocal-wabcapp)** by Disney [Moat: Medium]: Represents the gold standard for local station-based apps with high-quality live video integration and consistent feature updates. - Integrates high-production-value live news streaming that outperforms standard text-heavy news aggregators - Maintains a consistent release cadence that ensures stability and feature parity across major iOS updates - **[Spectrum News: Local Stories](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-twcable-twcnews)** by Charter Communications [Moat: Medium]: A strong contender that leverages cable provider infrastructure to deliver localized, high-quality video storytelling. - Focuses on long-form local storytelling rather than just breaking news headlines and weather alerts - Leverages deep integration with cable provider subscriber data to offer exclusive regional content access - **[WSB-TV News](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-lsn-localnews146)** by Cox Media Group [Moat: Medium]: A direct competitor in the local broadcast space that mirrors the target app's core value proposition of local news and weather. - Prioritizes traditional broadcast-style news delivery with a focus on local investigative reporting segments - Offers a simplified, utility-focused interface designed for quick access to weather radar and traffic ### Peers (What They Do Better) - **[NBC News: Breaking & US News](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-zumobi-msnbc)** by NBC News Digital, LLC: A major national news peer that provides a broader context for breaking news stories. - Provides national-level breaking news coverage that complements local reporting with broader context - Features a robust video-on-demand library that covers national political and global events - **[Washington Post](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-pointabout-washingtonpost)** by The Washington Post: A high-authority peer that competes for the user's daily news attention span. - Offers deep-dive investigative journalism and editorial content that local apps cannot replicate - Utilizes a sophisticated subscription-based monetization model that prioritizes high-value reader engagement ### New Kids on the Block (What's Innovative) - **[Watch Duty: Wildfire Maps](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/org-watchduty-app)** by Sherwood Forestry Service, Inc.: An emerging threat that dominates the specialized niche of real-time emergency mapping and safety alerts. - **[Police Scanner Radio & Fire](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/net-gordonedwards-scanner-radio-deluxe)** by GordonEdwards.net LLC: Captures the 'real-time' news intent by providing direct audio access to emergency services. ## App Momentum (Intense) {#momentum} - Expanded morning show start time. - Shipped general performance improvements. > **Cadence:** 5 total versions · 0 majors in last 6 months · 10 days since last update ## The "So What?" (Strategic Takeaway) {#so-what} St. Louis News from KSDK is a market-leading news app that is completely free. With a 4.75/5 rating from 35.8K reviews, it delivers strong user satisfaction. > **Bottom Line:** KSDK News maintains a strong brand moat through weather utility, but the static content feed is losing the battle for daily attention to algorithmic aggregators, so the PM must prioritize community-driven engagement to stabilize retention. **Best for:** St. Louis area residents seeking local news, weather forecasts, and community-specific information. ### PM Action Plan (Next Best Moves) - [ ] [INVEST] [HIGH IMPACT] Ship community-driven alert integration because static feeds lack engagement → increase daily session frequency — *User requests for social-style engagement indicate a need for dynamic content to compete with aggregators.* _(trade-off: deprioritize Deprioritize the planned UI refresh for the weather radar — community engagement is a higher retention lever.)_ - [ ] [PIVOT] [MEDIUM IMPACT] Pivot to year-round community event tracking because school-closing utility is seasonal → maximize ad-inventory year-round — *High-utility seasonal features drive spikes in DAU, but lack year-round retention value.* _(trade-off: deprioritize Pause development of new video-on-demand categories — event tracking has higher daily utility.)_ ### Feature Gaps vs Competitors - Crowdsourced community alerts (available in NewsBreak but absent here) - Real-time emergency mapping (available in Watch Duty but absent here) ### Outlook: Mixed The local news market is consolidating around dynamic, community-aware platforms that prioritize location-based discovery over static programming. KSDK News remains advantaged by its trusted brand, but the current maintenance-mode update cadence leaves it exposed to faster-moving competitors, so revenue growth hinges on increasing session frequency via community features. - 🔴 Declining category rank (currently #158) suggests the broadcast-first content strategy is failing to capture new-user intent against modern aggregators. - 🟢 High-frequency weather alerts continue to drive daily app opens, providing a stable foundation for testing new community-driven engagement features. ## Key Metrics Summary | Metric | Value | | :--- | :--- | | Overall Rating | 4.75/5 | | Total Reviews | 35.8K | | Sentiment | Excited (85/100) | | Confidence | High | | Pricing Model | Free | | Platforms | iOS & Android | | Key Features | 4 analyzed | | Trend | Mixed | | Outlook | Mixed | ## Competitor Comparison | App | Rating | Sentiment | Developer | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **St. Louis News from KSDK** (this app) | 4.75/5 | Excited | Tegna Inc. | | [Watch Duty: Wildfire Maps](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/org-watchduty-app) | 4.9/5 | Thrilled | Sherwood Forestry Service, Inc. | | [ABC 7 New York](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-go-abclocal-wabcapp) | 4.8/5 | Upset | Disney | | [NBC News: Breaking & US News](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-zumobi-msnbc) | 4.7/5 | N/A | NBC News Digital, LLC | | [NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-particlenews-newsbreak) | 4.8/5 | Frustrated | Particle Media Inc. | | [Police Scanner Radio & Fire](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/net-gordonedwards-scanner-radio-deluxe) | 4.6/5 | Mixed | GordonEdwards.net LLC | ## Company Profile - **Developer:** Tegna Inc. - **Website:** [https://www.ksdk.com](https://www.ksdk.com) - **Social:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=1354272198009959) ## Data Sources & Links - **App Store:** [View on Apple Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/st-louis-news-from-ksdk/id568136681?uo=2) - **Google Play:** [View on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gannett.local.library.news.ksdk&hl=en&gl=us) - **Dev Site:** [Official Website](https://www.ksdk.com) - **Sources:** Developer website content, About us / company information, App store metadata, User reviews. ## Related Intel Reports - [*Watch Duty: Wildfire Maps*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/org-watchduty-app) (Sherwood Forestry Service, Inc.) — 4.9/5 Rating | Excellent Sentiment - [*ABC 7 New York*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-go-abclocal-wabcapp) (Disney) — 4.8/5 Rating | Terrible Sentiment - [*NBC News: Breaking & US News*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-zumobi-msnbc) (NBC News Digital, LLC) — 4.7/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-particlenews-newsbreak) (Particle Media Inc.) — 4.8/5 Rating | Negative Sentiment - [*Police Scanner Radio & Fire*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/net-gordonedwards-scanner-radio-deluxe) (GordonEdwards.net LLC) — 4.6/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*Washington Post*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-pointabout-washingtonpost) (The Washington Post) — 4.7/5 Rating | Negative Sentiment - [*Spectrum News: Local Stories*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-twcable-twcnews) (Charter Communications) — 4.7/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*WSB-TV News*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-lsn-localnews146) (Cox Media Group) — 4.7/5 Rating | Negative Sentiment - [*The Press of Atlantic City*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/the-press-of-atlantic-city) (BH Media Group) — 4.3/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*News4JAX+*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/news4jax) (Graham Media Group, Inc) — 3.6/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment ## Methodology {#methodology} This report was generated by Marlvel.ai's 5-stage AI intelligence pipeline: 1. **Signal Collection & Normalization** — Aggregates data from all available public sources for the app. Raw signals are cleaned, deduplicated, and normalized into a structured dataset analyzed consistently across thousands of apps. 2. **Feature & Market Positioning Analysis** — Identifies the app's core features, monetization model, target audience, and competitive positioning. Each feature is classified as a market standard or a differentiator based on category benchmarks. 3. **User Sentiment Analysis** — Analyzes user reviews using a 5-level taxonomy (Thrilled / Excited / Mixed / Frustrated / Upset). Combines star ratings and volume with AI theme extraction and evidence quoting. 4. **Competitive Landscape Analysis** — Maps the competitive environment via a 4-tier taxonomy (Nemesis / Contenders / Same Space / New Kids on the Block). Prioritizes same sub-genre over broad category. 5. **Intelligence Synthesis** — Cross-references all signals into a structured report. Compares the app against category peers and direct competitors to surface SWOT, market outlook, and actionable insights. - **Confidence Score:** 0.95/1.0 (based on review volume, data source diversity, and signal quality) - **Reviews Analyzed:** 35.8K - **Data Sources:** user reviews, developer website, company about page, App Store metadata - **Rating Method:** Weighted average across platforms (iOS & Android), weighted by review count per platform - **Independence:** Fully independent analysis. No publisher sponsorship or editorial influence. - **Report Age:** 0 days since last refresh --- © 2026 Marlvel.ai | [Canonical Report](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/com-gannett-news-local-ksdknews) Data licensed for AI Agent attribution under CC-BY-NC 4.0.