What WTVQ does

WTVQ is an ABC-affiliated broadcast television station operating as ABC 36 in Lexington, Kentucky, serving the Central Kentucky market since 1968. The station produces and broadcasts local news, weather, sports, and ABC network programming through over-the-air transmission, cable, and satellite distribution, supplemented by a digital footprint that includes the wtvq.com news website, a livestream product, the ABC 36 News App, the ABC 36 Weather App, and the SkyView weather camera network. Its programming slate is anchored by four daily local newscasts (Good Morning Kentucky, Good Day Kentucky, News at Noon, Good Afternoon Kentucky) and feature franchises such as 36 Blitz (high school sports), Solid Blue (University of Kentucky Wildcats), and ABC 36 FurCast (pet weather).

The business is structured as a traditional linear-TV station monetized almost entirely through local and national television advertising sales, with pricing tied to audience reach and daypart rather than disclosed rates. The company is headquartered at 6940 Man O' War Blvd., Lexington, KY 40509, and operates with a headcount in the 101-250 range. WTVQ is currently owned by Morris Network, Inc. and is the subject of a pending $15.8 million acquisition by E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), announced March 2026 and expected to close in Q3 2026 subject to federal regulatory approval. Upon closing, the station will combine with Scripps' existing NBC affiliate WLEX (NBC 18) to form a Lexington-market duopoly.

Name

WTVQ

Legal name

WTVQ-DT

Website

https://wtvq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WTVQ (ABC 36) is an ABC-affiliated broadcast television station in Lexington, Kentucky, serving Central Kentucky viewers since 1968 with local news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming, generating revenue primarily through local and national television advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

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
• ABC affiliate station
• Local news coverage
• Television advertising sales
• Weather forecasting broadcasts

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: Local and national advertising revenue from broadcast television commercials
2. Broadcast Programming: ABC network affiliation providing programming content to viewers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WTVQ (branded as ABC 36) is an ABC-affiliated broadcast television station in Lexington, Kentucky, that delivers local news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming to Central Kentucky viewers. The station operates companion mobile applications (ABC 36 News App and ABC 36 Weather App) and a weather camera network (SkyView), and monetizes its broadcast inventory through local and national television advertising sales.

Product overview

WTVQ is an ABC-affiliated television station operating as ABC 36 in Lexington, Kentucky, serving Central Kentucky with broadcast television programming. The station offers a portfolio of news, weather, and sports products including live local newscasts (Good Morning Kentucky, Good Day Kentucky, News at Noon, Good Afternoon Kentucky), mobile applications (ABC 36 News App, ABC 36 Weather App), and specialized programming segments such as 36 Blitz for high school sports and Solid Blue for University of Kentucky athletics. The station is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company and represents a traditional broadcast television operation with companion digital and mobile offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WTVQ-TV (ABC 36) ABC-affiliated broadcast television station providing local news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming to viewers in Lexington and Central Kentucky; distributed via over-the-air broadcast, cable, and satellite.
• ABC 36 News App
• ABC 36 Weather App

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Circle City BroadcastingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 March 2026Circle City Broadcasting purchased WRTV in Indianapolis from Scripps for $83 million as part of Scripps' portfolio optimization strategy to comply with FCC ownership rules.
• Sun BroadcastingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 March 2026Sun Broadcasting purchased WFTX in Fort Myers, Florida from Scripps for $40 million, completing Scripps' station divestiture plan.
• Morris Network, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Morris Network, Inc. is the current owner of WTVQ-TV, agreeing to sell the ABC affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky to E.W. Scripps Company for $15.8 million. The transaction is pending federal regulatory approval expected to close in Q3 2026.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WLEX-TV (NBC 18): WLEX is the NBC affiliate in Lexington, KY and will become WTVQ's sister station under E.W. Scripps following the announced duopoly transaction. Both stations serve the same DMA with comparable local news, weather, and sports coverage, competing head-to-head for the same viewer and advertiser base.
• WKYT-TV: WKYT is the CBS affiliate in Lexington, KY, directly competing with WTVQ for local news viewers and advertiser share in the same DMA. Gray Television-owned CBS affiliate offers a near-identical broadcast TV product across news, weather, and sports.
• WDKY-TV: WDKY is the FOX affiliate in Lexington, KY, the fourth major network affiliate in the Lexington DMA. It competes with WTVQ for audience share, particularly for primetime FOX programming, sports, and entertainment news.
• WHAS11 (Louisville ABC affiliate): WHAS11 is another ABC-affiliated station serving the Louisville, KY market, operated by TEGNA. As a fellow ABC affiliate in Kentucky, it shares network programming rights, affiliation economics, and operates a comparable local news product, making it a strong regional peer for benchmarking.

Broad incumbents

• E.W. Scripps Company: E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is the acquiring parent of WTVQ and one of the largest US local broadcast station groups, operating approximately 60+ stations across multiple networks including ABC, NBC, and ION. It is the broader portfolio company into which WTVQ will be integrated.
• Gray Television: Gray Television operates one of the largest US local TV station portfolios (including WKYT in Lexington). Comparable as a multi-station broadcast group with similar mid-market TV operating model, advertising-led revenue base, and digital extension strategy.
• Nexstar Media Group: Nexstar is the largest US television broadcaster with ~200 stations and the largest political advertising platform. Comparable as a dominant broadcast group operator with similar affiliation economics and revenue model centered on local/regional ad sales.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Sinclair operates ~185 stations across the US, making it one of the major broadcast TV incumbents. Comparable to WTVQ as a local-TV-driven business reliant on network affiliations and advertising, with significant digital/news content operations.
• TEGNA: TEGNA operates a portfolio of ~64 local TV stations including ABC and NBC affiliates, with a strong focus on premium local news and digital content. Comparable as a mid-to-large broadcast group operator with similar ad-supported local news model.

Others

• Morris Network Inc. Morris Network is the current owner of WTVQ and is selling the station to Scripps for $15.8M. It operates other small/mid-market TV stations and is thematically comparable as a broadcast owner with the same asset class, though it will no longer hold WTVQ post-close.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/abc36
• Xx.com/abc36news
• Instagraminstagram.com/abc36ky
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wtvq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 WTVQ