Eyewitness News

Name

Eyewitness News

Legal name

Sinclair, Inc.

Website

https://wchstv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television News

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rolling News & Breaking News Channels (MPABAIAH)

Keywords

• Local television broadcasting
• News and weather coverage
• Investigative journalism
• Mobile news applications
• Regional broadcast media

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eyewitness News (WCHS-TV) produces and distributes local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, sports coverage, and entertainment content for the Charleston-Huntington television market in West Virginia. Content is delivered via over-the-air broadcast on ABC Channel 8, cable and satellite distribution, a responsive website (wchstv.com), and native mobile applications for iOS and Android. The station also produces specialized content verticals including investigative reporting, weather forecasting, and education coverage.

Product overview

Eyewitness News (WCHS-TV) is a local broadcast television station in Charleston, West Virginia, operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. The station operates as an ABC affiliate and delivers news content across multiple platforms including traditional broadcast, a responsive website, and mobile applications. The product portfolio centers on Eyewitness News as the core broadcast offering, supplemented by specialized vertical coverage sections (such as SkyTeam weather, Crisis in the Classroom education coverage, and Eyewitness News Investigates investigative unit), a weather section with interactive radar and forecasting tools, a Money section covering personal finance content, and a Sports section covering local teams. The station also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, enabling on-demand news consumption and live streaming. The overall offering is a broadcast-plus-digital multi-platform news service rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eyewitness News Investigates: Investigative journalism unit of Eyewitness News focusing on in-depth reporting and investigations.
• SkyTeam

Products and services

• Eyewitness News Broadcast Local television news broadcasting on ABC affiliate channel 8, covering local, national, and world news, weather, sports, and investigative reporting for the Charleston, West Virginia market. Available via over-the-air broadcast, cable, and satellite distribution.
• Eyewitness News Website Digital news platform providing articles, video content, weather updates, and interactive features including live streaming, weather radar, and on-demand video for desktop and mobile web browsers.
• Eyewitness News Mobile App Native mobile application for iOS and Android devices enabling push notifications, news alerts, live streaming, and on-demand video consumption for viewers on the go.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Gray Television: Major U.S. local broadcast group with comparable mid-market station footprint. Competes for local ad share and operates similar news-broadcast-plus-digital models.
• WKRC-TV (Local 12): Sinclair-owned ABC affiliate in Cincinnati, OH. Sister station with similar Sinclair operational footprint, news product structure, and multi-platform distribution approach.
• WFXR-TV: Fox-affiliated Sinclair station in Roanoke, VA. Operates the same dual-affiliate strategy (Fox + CW) and shares news content/sales infrastructure within Sinclair's regional network.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: NASDAQ-listed parent company (SBGI) and one of the largest U.S. TV station operators. Provides strategic context, shared services, and content at the corporate level.
• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. television station operator. Competes with Sinclair for affiliate agreements, advertising share, and political coverage budgets across local markets.

Direct peers

• WOWK-TV: CBS-affiliated local station serving the same Charleston-Huntington DMA as WCHS-TV. Directly competes for local news viewers, ad spend, and political coverage in West Virginia.
• WBOY-TV: ABC/NBC affiliate in Clarksburg, WV covering north-central West Virginia. Competes for regional news audiences and advertising in the broader West Virginia market.
• WTRF-TV: CBS affiliate in Wheeling, WV, also owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sister station within the same parent, operating similar news-broadcast-plus-digital model in another West Virginia market.
• WVVA: NBC affiliate in Bluefield, WV covering southern West Virginia and the broader Appalachian region. Comparable local news operation with overlapping geography.
• WDTV: CBS affiliate in Weston, WV serving central West Virginia. Comparable broadcast-plus-digital local news operation with overlapping regional coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wchs8fox11
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/eyewitnessnewswv
• Facebookfacebook.com/eyewitnessnewscharleston
• Instagraminstagram.com/wchs8fox11
• TikToktiktok.com/@wchstv8
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/w-c-h-s

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 Eyewitness News