WTAP Television

What WTAP Television does

WTAP Television is a local broadcast television station headquartered in Parkersburg, West Virginia, founded in 1953 and wholly owned by Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE: GTN), one of the largest U.S. television broadcasters. The station operates a multi-channel broadcast platform delivering NBC, FOX, CBS, MeTV, and CW programming to approximately 55,000 households in its primary coverage area of Wood and Pleasants Counties in West Virginia and Washington County in Ohio, with total household reach extending to roughly 70,000 across surrounding counties in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Stephanie Plant serves as General Manager.

The station's product offering centers on traditional over-the-air broadcast supplemented by a digital ecosystem that includes the wtap.com content portal, native iOS and Android mobile applications, live streaming services, and a four-location Skycam network. WTAP has deployed NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) advanced broadcasting technology and operates WTAP+, a subscription product offering podcasts and digital exclusives, alongside community content franchises such as WTAP Cares, WTAP Kid Cast, and the Athlete of the Week program.

WTAP's revenue model is anchored in broadcast and digital advertising sold to local advertisers seeking to reach Mid-Ohio Valley audiences, supplemented by the WTAP+ recurring subscription service and event sponsorships tied to community programming. The station operates within a small Designated Market Area under an FCC broadcast license and consolidates its financials under Gray Television, Inc.; station-level revenue is not independently disclosed.

Name

WTAP Television

Legal name

Gray Television, Inc.

Website

https://wtap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WTAP Television is an NBC-affiliated local broadcast station in Parkersburg, West Virginia, owned by Gray Television, serving approximately 70,000 Mid-Ohio Valley households via NBC, FOX, CBS, MeTV, and CW channels plus digital and subscription products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.) (MPABACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Television advertising
• Local news coverage
• Weather broadcasting
• Multi-channel broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Parkersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Advertising: Commercial advertising time sold to local businesses and advertisers on broadcast television channels. Advertisers can run commercials on broadcast sources and online platforms to associate their brand with trusted local content.
2. Digital Advertising: Online advertising opportunities on wtap.com digital platform reaching the station's online audience
3. Subscription Services (WTAP+): Premium subscription service providing exclusive content, podcasts, and digital exclusives to subscribers
4. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for community events and features such as Star-Spangled Sing-Off, Athlete of the Week, and other community programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WTAP Television operates a multi-channel local broadcast television station serving the Mid-Ohio Valley, distributing NBC, FOX, CBS, MeTV, and CW channels via over-the-air transmission and complementary digital platforms. The station produces local news, weather forecasting, sports coverage, and community-oriented content for roughly 55,000–70,000 households across Wood and Pleasants Counties in West Virginia and Washington County in Ohio, monetized primarily through local broadcast and digital advertising, supplemented by the WTAP+ premium subscription service.

Product overview

WTAP Television operates as a local broadcast television station offering a multi-channel platform consisting of NBC, FOX, CBS, MeTV, and CW channels. The station's core offering is its broadcast television service supplemented by WTAP+, a subscription digital service providing podcasts and digital exclusives. Additional offerings include live streaming weather services, Skycams, mobile applications, and NextGen TV technology. The station serves the Mid-Ohio Valley region, reaching approximately 55,000 households in its primary coverage area and up to 70,000 with surrounding county viewership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WTAP+: Premium subscription service offering exclusive content, podcasts, and digital exclusives.
• WTAP Kid Cast
• WTAP Cares

Products and services

• WTAP Television Broadcast Service Multi-channel local broadcast television service distributing NBC, FOX, CBS, MeTV, and CW over-the-air to approximately 55,000 households in the assigned Mid-Ohio Valley coverage area (Wood and Pleasants Counties, WV; Washington County, OH), with extended viewership of roughly 70,000 households including surrounding counties. Targets local viewers seeking news, weather, sports, and community content.
• WTAP+ Premium Subscription Service Premium recurring subscription service providing subscribers with WTAP+ exclusive content, podcasts, digital exclusives, and enhanced features such as headline and weather update emails. Available through wtap.com for Mid-Ohio Valley audiences.
• Live Streaming Weather & Special Reports Online live streaming service providing real-time weather coverage, Skycams feeds from Parkersburg WV, Marietta OH, Constitution OH, and Ravenswood WV, plus live special reports and storm tracking. Available to wtap.com visitors in the Mid-Ohio Valley region.
• NextGen TV Broadcast Service Next-generation television broadcasting service (ATSC 3.0) offering enhanced digital TV picture, sound, and interactive features to viewers in WTAP's Mid-Ohio Valley coverage area.
• WTAP Mobile Applications Native mobile applications for iOS and Android devices delivering WTAP news, weather forecasts, sports coverage, video content, and push alerts (including severe weather notifications) to Mid-Ohio Valley users on the go.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gray TelevisioncoreOthersParent company owning and operating WTAP and 92 other television markets. Gray Television supports local community interests by providing quality television broadcasting and exceptional service. WTAP is one of Gray's local media stations serving the Mid-Ohio Valley region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WKBN-TV: CBS-affiliated station in Youngstown, OH competing for viewers and ad spend in the same Mid-Ohio Valley corridor with comparable local news/weather proposition.
• WTRF-TV: FOX/CBS-affiliated station in Wheeling, WV directly competing with WTAP for Mid-Ohio Valley viewers and advertisers with overlapping coverage geography.
• WTOV-TV: NBC-affiliated station in Steubenville, OH that competes with WTAP across the Ohio Valley border, offering nearly identical regional news, weather, and community programming.
• WSAZ-TV: Sister Gray Television NBC affiliate serving the Huntington-Charleston WV market, with identical multi-channel and NextGen TV operating model and comparable small-market Mid-Ohio/Mid-Atlantic scale.
• WOWK-TV: CBS-affiliated station serving the Charleston-Huntington WV market, similar in scale and regional broadcaster model to WTAP and competing for Mid-Ohio Valley spillover viewership.

Broad incumbents

• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Largest US station group and a direct competitor to Gray Television, providing comparable multi-channel local broadcast and digital ad products at portfolio scale.
• TEGNA: US broadcast group with comparable local news/sales and digital platform strategy across mid-sized US markets, serving as a portfolio-level analog.
• Nexstar Media Group: Major US broadcast group and industry consolidator; operates a comparable local affiliate business model including multi-channel and digital ad revenue streams.
• Scripps Broadcasting: Operates a comparable network of local broadcast stations with multi-channel and digital ad offerings; relevant as a portfolio peer for Gray Television-style small-market operators.

Others

• Gray Television, Inc. NYSE-listed parent of WTAP operating 93 stations nationwide; comparable as a portfolio operator of small/mid-market local affiliates, though operates at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wtaptelevision
• Xx.com/wtaptelevision
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wtap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WTAP Television