A newscast is a television or radio program that presents current news stories to the public. When you turn on the TV at 6 PM and see anchors sitting at a desk reporting on the day's events, you're watching a newscast. Radio stations broadcast newscasts throughout the day, giving listeners updates on what's happening in their community and around the world.

The word combines “news” with “broadcast,” reflecting how these programs transmit information to wide audiences. A typical newscast might cover local happenings like a new school opening, national stories about government decisions, weather forecasts, and sports scores. Newscasts usually follow a predictable format: anchors introduce stories, reporters provide details from the scene, and the program ends with lighter features or a weather update.

People have relied on newscasts since radio became popular in the 1920s. Before the internet, families gathered around radios and later televisions to watch the evening newscast and learn what had happened that day. Today, newscasts compete with websites and social media, but many people still tune in to see professional journalists explain complex events. The person who presents a newscast is called a news anchor or newscaster.