WICU 12News
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersErie, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
WICU 12News firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WICU 12News
- Legal name
- Erie News Now
- Website
- https://wicu12.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WICU 12News industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Broadcast Television News
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.) (MPABACAE), News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)
Keywords
Where WICU 12News is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Erie
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WICU 12News business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising: Traditional broadcast advertising including TV commercials and digital ad placements on the website and streaming platforms
- Subscription (Erie News Now Plus): Premium subscription service offering exclusive content such as Cleveland Guardians baseball games
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free broadcast access with ad-supported content |
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels9 records
WICU 12News product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WICU 12News (operating as Erie News Now) is a local broadcast television station that produces and distributes local news, weather, sports, and feature programming for Erie, Pennsylvania and the surrounding tri-state region. The station broadcasts over-the-air on WICU Channel 12 and WSEE, and distributes content across connected TV platforms, mobile apps, voice assistants, and social media. Premium subscription access is offered via Erie News Now Plus, which carries exclusive content such as Cleveland Guardians baseball games.
Product overview
WICU 12News operates as a local television news station providing regional news coverage through a multi-platform approach. The core offering is the Erie News Now broadcast service on WICU/WSEE television station, supplemented by the Erie Weather App for weather-specific functionality, Erie News Now Plus for premium streaming and sports content, and the Doppler Max 5D Storm Spotter radar system. Content is distributed across broadcast TV, dedicated mobile apps (iOS/Android), smart TV platforms (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung), voice assistants (Alexa), and social media channels (Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Erie News Now Plus: A subscription streaming service carrying 10 Cleveland Guardians baseball games
Companies that use WICU 12News
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
WICU 12News technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
Feature3 records
WICU 12News partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Lilly BroadcastingcoreLilly Broadcasting is the parent company and broadcast group that owns WICU/WSEE Erie News Now stations. The company operates local television stations across multiple markets.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WICU 12News competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. television broadcaster, operating 200+ local stations; directly comparable business model of local news/weather/sports plus national advertising and is a likely counterparty in any station M&A.
- Tegna Inc. Broadcast and digital media company owning 60+ local stations; competes for the same regional/local ad budgets and is pursuing similar local-content OTT and subscription strategies.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Major U.S. broadcast group operating local TV stations and regional sports networks, with a comparable mix of local news content and multi-platform distribution that overlaps WICU's go-to-market.
- E.W. Scripps Company: Diversified local broadcast group with local news, weather, and sports focus; comparable station portfolio profile and similar exposure to cord-cutting and OTT transition dynamics.
- Gray Television: Operator of 180+ local TV stations, including mid-market properties comparable in size and content mix to WICU/WSEE; meaningful peer for benchmarking local ad economics and digital monetization.
Direct peers
- WJET-TV: Erie's ABC-affiliated local TV station and direct in-market competitor to WICU/WSEE, offering overlapping local news, weather, and sports coverage to the same Erie DMA audience.
- WFXP-TV (Erie Fox 66): Fox-affiliated local broadcast station serving Erie, competing head-to-head with WICU for local news viewership and regional advertising dollars.
- Lilly Broadcasting: Parent company and broadcast group that owns WICU/WSEE and operates local TV stations across multiple U.S. markets; the closest operational peer given shared newsrooms, sales, and tech infrastructure.
Others
- The Weather Channel: National weather media brand competing with WICU's Doppler Max franchise for weather viewership attention and digital ad spend; relevant comparator for the local weather-tech investment thesis.
- Roku: Connected-TV platform on which WICU distributes via a dedicated channel; ecosystem partner whose ad business and content policies directly shape WICU's streaming monetization upside.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WICU 12News social profiles
Digital presenceWICU 12News financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WICU 12News leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
WICU 12News funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WICU 12News M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WICU 12News
What does WICU 12News do?
WICU 12News (operating as Erie News Now) is a local broadcast television station that produces and distributes local news, weather, sports, and feature programming for Erie, Pennsylvania and the surrounding tri-state region. The station broadcasts over-the-air on WICU Channel 12 and WSEE, and distributes content across connected TV platforms, mobile apps, voice assistants, and social media. Premium subscription access is offered via Erie News Now Plus, which carries exclusive content such as Cleveland Guardians baseball games.
Is WICU 12News a public or private company?
WICU 12News is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WICU 12News founded?
WICU 12News was founded in 1948. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is WICU 12News based?
WICU 12News is headquartered in Erie, United States, in the North America region.
How does WICU 12News make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are subscription (Erie News Now Plus).
Who are WICU 12News's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nexstar Media Group, Tegna Inc., Sinclair Broadcast Group, E.W. Scripps Company and Gray Television. Direct peers are WJET-TV, WFXP-TV (Erie Fox 66) and Lilly Broadcasting. Others are The Weather Channel and Roku.
Does WICU 12News have an API?
No public API is recorded for WICU 12News.
What industry is WICU 12News in?
WICU 12News's product category is Local Broadcast Television News. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAJ, Local News & Weather Stations, with a secondary code of MPABACAE, Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.). Its NAICS code is 516120 and its SIC code is 4833.