We primarily use Netflix and prime for our entertainment needs. I'm curious if there was a free or cheap way to watch live local TV primarily for the news. Perhaps a digital antennae? No idea how this works or what to purchase these days. I remember rabbit ear antennaes years ago but don't even know where to start now.

I live in Thurston County just north of Olympia City limits by the way. Dunno if that matters but just for some context.

If you have  Roku or Fire stick, check out the NewsOn app. Most of the local stations also have streaming apps for those devices, as well as smartphones and tablets, where you can watch the live news broadcast or replay an earlier broadcast.

As far as over the air, your TV needs to have a digital capable tuner - almost all TVs made since the late 2000s will. Depending on your location you may need an amplified DTV antenna, and there's no guarantee of signal strength or availability. Most of the local stations don't seem to have many active repeaters any longer, so coverage is spotty.

Digital antenna is awesome.
Free digital reception.
Free local news.
Sat and Sun Sports.
Mine was $25.00 from Lowes.
Plug in, easy, next to tv.

You can download the Kiro7 and King5 app on the Roku and stream live newscasts for free.

Tag.