WSAW

Local Broadcast Televisionwsaw.com

WSAW (NewsChannel 7) is a CBS-affiliated local television station serving Wausau and northcentral Wisconsin, owned by Gray Television (NYSE: GTN). It delivers local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism across broadcast, streaming, mobile, and podcast platforms to regional viewers and advertisers.

Company typePublic
Founded-
HeadquartersWausau, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What WSAW does

WSAW (branded as NewsChannel 7) is a CBS-affiliated local television station serving Wausau and the broader northcentral Wisconsin market. Founded in 1986 and operated by Gray Local Media, Inc. — a subsidiary of the publicly traded Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE: GTN) — the station delivers over-the-air broadcast television, 24/7 streaming, mobile applications, podcasts, and social media content. Core editorial franchises include First Alert Weather (forecasting, radar, Skycam network, severe-weather alerts), 7 Investigates (investigative journalism), 715 Live (community coverage), Wisconsin 360 (statewide news), and Aging Untold (senior-focused reporting), supplemented by Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Wisconsin Badgers sports coverage.

The station's underlying technology stack combines traditional broadcast infrastructure (FCC-licensed spectrum, ATSC 1.0) with the newly deployed NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) standard for enhanced features. Digital distribution extends through wsaw.com, iOS/Android mobile apps (including a dedicated First Alert Weather app), ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV streaming platforms, plus podcast distribution. Content is produced in-house by a newsroom staff of 51-100 employees based at the Wausau headquarters at 1114 Grand Avenue.

WSAW's revenue model is advertising-led, comprising television advertising (local, regional, and national spots across news, sports, and entertainment programming) and digital advertising (display, video, sponsored content on web/mobile/streaming). Secondary revenue streams include streaming/app subscription features and contest/promotion fees. Customer segments are two-sided: end consumers (viewers in northcentral Wisconsin seeking local news, weather, and sports) and B2B advertisers (local businesses, regional companies, and national brands seeking reach into the market). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; ad packages are negotiated based on time slots, audience reach, and campaign duration through the station's direct sales operation.

WSAW firmographics

Firmographics

Name: WSAW
Legal name: Gray Local Media, Inc.
Website: https://wsaw.com
Company type: Public
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: WSAW (NewsChannel 7) is a CBS-affiliated local television station serving Wausau and northcentral Wisconsin, owned by Gray Television (NYSE: GTN). It delivers local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism across broadcast, streaming, mobile, and podcast platforms to regional viewers and advertisers.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where WSAW is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Wausau
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

WSAW business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Television Advertising: Sale of advertising time on broadcast television including local, regional, and national advertising spots during news programs, sports coverage, and other programming slots
Digital Advertising: Online advertising across website, mobile apps, and streaming platforms including display ads, video ads, and sponsored content
Streaming Subscriptions: Over-the-top streaming services and mobile app features including weather app premium features
Contest and Promotion Fees: Entry fees and sponsorship revenue from contests, sweepstakes, and promotional activities

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

WSAW product offering

Product offering

Core offering

WSAW is a CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station serving Wausau and Northcentral Wisconsin with local news, weather, sports, and community programming. It distributes content over-the-air and through cable/satellite carriage, plus digital streaming via website, mobile apps, ROKU, Fire TV, and Apple TV. Revenue is generated primarily through television and digital advertising sales to local and regional businesses.

Product overview

WSAW (NewsChannel 7) is a traditional broadcast television station serving Wausau and northcentral Wisconsin. The station operates as a single-station broadcast platform offering over-the-air television, streaming video, and digital content. Core offerings include local news broadcasts, First Alert Weather forecasting, and sports coverage. Digital extensions include podcasts (Wisconsin 360, Forgotten: Wisconsin Cold Cases), investigative journalism (7 Investigates), and mobile applications. The station is owned by Gray Television, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

First Alert Weather: Weather brand used by WSAW for severe weather alerts and forecasts
715 Live
Wisconsin 360
7 Investigates
Gray Local Media

Products and services

WSAW NewsChannel 7 Broadcast Over-the-air broadcast television station delivering local news, sports, weather, and community coverage to Wausau and Northcentral Wisconsin as a CBS affiliate.
WSAW Livestream Live streaming and on-demand video content including newscasts, weather forecasts, sports coverage, and special programming available via the website, mobile apps, and connected TV platforms (ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV).
First Alert Weather Weather forecasting and alert service providing local forecasts, radar imagery, interactive maps, SkyCam network, and severe weather alerts for Northcentral Wisconsin.
WSAW Podcasts Podcast content including Wisconsin 360 statewide news summaries, Forgotten: Wisconsin Cold Cases investigative podcast, and other audio programming for Northcentral Wisconsin audiences.
WSAW Mobile Apps Mobile applications for news and weather content delivery, including the WSAW news app and First Alert Weather app for iOS and Android devices with push notifications and on-the-go access.

Companies that use WSAW

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

WSAW technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

WSAW partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Gray Television (Parent Company)coreOthersWSAW is owned and operated by Gray Television Inc., a major American television broadcasting company. Gray Television provides corporate support, advertising technology, shared content resources, national partnerships, and operational infrastructure for WSAW and its sister stations.
FCC (Federal Communications Commission)coreOthersWSAW operates under FCC broadcast licenses and maintains public inspection files as required by federal regulations. The station complies with FCC requirements for content, accessibility (closed captioning), and equal employment opportunity.
Gray DC Bureau / Local News LiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for national political coverage and Washington DC bureau content sharing with other Gray Television stations through Local News Live initiative.
InvestigateTVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-platform investigative journalism collaboration with InvestigateTV for sharing investigative resources and stories across multiple markets.
Wisconsin Broadcasters AssociationminorOthersWSAW staff participate in Wisconsin Broadcasters Association activities including the Young Professional Committee. Station complies with association standards and participates in industry events.
Digital Marketing Partners (gdmcentralwisconsin.com)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCentral Wisconsin digital marketing services offered through Gray Digital Media partnerships for local businesses seeking digital advertising solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

WSAW competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

WAOW-TV: ABC affiliate serving the exact same Wausau/northcentral Wisconsin DMA. Head-to-head competitor for local news viewers and advertisers; identical product category (local broadcast TV) and identical target market.
WJFW-TV: NBC affiliate based in Rhinelander covering the northcentral/wisconsin River region. Overlaps with WSAW's coverage area, competes for the same Wisconsin sports rights and viewer attention, and operates the same traditional-plus-digital broadcast model.
WFRV-TV: Local CBS affiliate for the Green Bay market, also owned by Gray Television. Same network affiliation as WSAW, same business model, nearby geography, and shared parent leverage of Gray's content and ad-tech resources.
WISC-TV: CBS affiliate in Madison, WI, the state's capital market. Closest network peer for WSAW within Wisconsin; same affiliate structure, similar local news + weather + sports programming mix, and shared CBS network programming contract.
WBAY-TV: ABC affiliate in Green Bay competing against WFRV in the adjacent market. Directly comparable mid-sized Midwest local broadcast station with news, weather, and Packers coverage similar to WSAW's programming strategy.
WKOW: ABC affiliate in Madison, WI operating as a sister Gray Television station. Same parent-owned operating playbook, same multi-platform distribution model, comparable statewide Wisconsin news coverage overlap.
WMTV: NBC affiliate in Madison, WI providing the same type of local news, weather, and digital streaming services in an adjacent Midwest DMA, with overlapping Wisconsin Badgers sports rights competition.

Regional players

WLUC-TV: NBC affiliate serving Marquette and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Comparable small-market Upper Midwest local broadcast operation with weather, news, and digital extensions, but in an adjacent geography rather than WSAW's coverage area.

Broad incumbents

Gray Television, Inc. WSAW's publicly traded parent company (NYSE: GTN) operating a portfolio of over 100 local television stations nationwide. Provides corporate scale, shared content, advertising technology, and operational infrastructure that WSAW benefits from but does not itself replicate.
Sinclair Broadcast Group: Large publicly traded US local broadcast TV group and direct competitor to Gray Television. Operates comparable local news and sports stations with similar scale economics, multi-platform distribution, and political/advertising sales strategies across small and mid-sized DMAs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

WSAW financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

WSAW leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

WSAW funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

WSAW M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WSAW

What does WSAW do?

Is WSAW a public or private company?

WSAW is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.

When was WSAW founded?

WSAW was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is WSAW based?

WSAW is headquartered in Wausau, United States, in the North America region.

How does WSAW make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Television Advertising is the primary driver. The others are digital Advertising, streaming Subscriptions and contest and Promotion Fees.

Who are WSAW's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are WAOW-TV, WJFW-TV, WFRV-TV, WISC-TV, WBAY-TV, WKOW and WMTV. WLUC-TV is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Gray Television, Inc. and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Does WSAW have an API?

No public API is recorded for WSAW.