Since the first black-and-white image appeared on the first television, the local network affiliate has been a pretty important part of our daily lives. Not only did it provide the news and programming that the network delivered, but it also provided us with local information and personalities that we brought into our family as one of our own. In addition, many of the network talent we watch today came from those same local stations.

Now, as the networks place more and more of their content on the Internet for pay-per-view or free download, local broadcasters fear that they are being left in the dust to fend for themselves. That is why, this week, local broadcasters will be meeting at the annual National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas to determine how to hang on to their audience and their money.

According to an article from the Associated Press some local stations are already providing streaming video on their own websites to cash in on this growing trend. Station officials claim that they can rely on their local audiences to market the network shows on their local websites. However, there are doubts as to whether they can keep up with the amount of audience and advertising going to the Internet.

Will local stations become less and less relevant as more and more content moves to the Internet? Your opinions are welcome.