23ABC Bakersfield

What 23ABC Bakersfield does

23ABC Bakersfield (legally KERO-TV, operated by Scripps Media, Inc.) is a local broadcast television station serving the Bakersfield-Kern County market in California. Founded in 1958, the station operates as the ABC affiliate on channel 15 (digital) and is wholly owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), a publicly traded media conglomerate headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The station distributes local news, weather, sports, and community content across an over-the-air broadcast signal, cable and satellite carriage agreements (under retransmission consent), a dedicated iOS/Android mobile and tablet app, website streaming at turnto23.com, and active social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and YouTube. Its content portfolio includes the 'In Your Neighborhood' hyperlocal beat structure covering 15 communities across Kern County, 'Friday Night Live' high school sports coverage, and a specialized weather service with radar, hourly forecasts, and severe weather alerts calibrated to the region's desert and mountain climate patterns.

The station's revenue model is built on two primary streams: local and regional television advertising (including broadcast spots, digital ad placements, and sponsorships) and recurring retransmission consent fees paid by cable, satellite, and streaming distributors for the right to carry the signal. Major customer segments are Kern County residents (consuming news, weather, sports, and community information) and local/regional advertisers (healthcare providers, automotive dealers, retailers, and SMBs seeking to reach the Kern County audience). The station does not charge viewers directly; programming is free over-the-air. Community engagement initiatives such as the Bakersfield Baby Shower, Senior Food Drive, Kern's Kindness, and Ready-Set Back 2 School serve as brand-building activities and advertiser-adjacent marketing vehicles. The station has 51-100 employees and is headquartered at 321 21st Street, Bakersfield. Notable operational headwinds include an ongoing retransmission dispute with DirecTV, which has removed KERO from its satellite lineup.

Name

23ABC Bakersfield

Legal name

Scripps Media, Inc.

Website

https://turnto23.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

23ABC Bakersfield (KERO-TV) is a local ABC-affiliated broadcast television station serving Kern County, California, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It distributes local news, weather, sports, and community content via over-the-air broadcast, mobile app, website streaming, and social media, generating revenue from advertising and retransmission consent fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bakersfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: Local television station generating revenue primarily through sale of advertising spots to local and regional businesses, including news segments, weather sponsorships, sports coverage, and digital ad placements on the station's website and mobile properties.
2. Retransmission Consent Fees: Fees paid by cable, satellite, and streaming distributors (such as DirecTV) for the right to carry the station's broadcast signal. The station has experienced retransmission disputes, notably with DirecTV.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

23ABC Bakersfield (KERO-TV) is a local ABC-affiliate broadcast television station serving the Bakersfield and Kern County region of California. The station delivers local news, weather, sports, and community programming through over-the-air broadcast on digital channel 15, the turnto23.com website, a mobile and tablet app, and active social media channels. Revenue is generated primarily from sale of television advertising spots to local and regional businesses and from retransmission consent fees paid by cable, satellite, and streaming distributors for the right to carry the station's signal.

Product overview

23ABC Bakersfield operates as a local television news station (KERO-TV, Channel 23/ABC) owned by E.W. Scripps Company. The organization's product portfolio centers on its core broadcast television station and digital news platform (turnto23.com), complemented by a mobile/tablet app for on-the-go access. Supporting offerings include specialized weather services with radar and alerts for the Kern County region, and Friday Night Live for local high school sports coverage. The station covers local news across Bakersfield and numerous surrounding communities including Taft, Shafter, Wasco, Kern River Valley, Delano, Edwards Air Force Base, California City, Arvin, Tehachapi, Ridgecrest, and Oildale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 23ABC News Website (turnto23.com) The primary digital news platform providing local, national, and world news coverage for the Bakersfield and Kern County area, including weather, sports, politics, health, and entertainment content. Targets Kern County residents who access news via desktop and mobile browsers.
• 23ABC Mobile and Tablet App Dedicated mobile and tablet application for iOS and Android enabling on-demand access to local news, weather alerts, live streaming of broadcasts, and breaking news push notifications. Targets Kern County viewers on the go.
• KERO-TV Broadcast Signal (Channel 23/ABC) Over-the-air television broadcast station operating on digital channel 15 serving the Bakersfield/Kern County market, providing local news programming, weather coverage, live event streaming, and ABC network content. Targets households in the Kern County viewing area equipped with antennas.

Segments2 records

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• E.W. Scripps CompanycoreOthersThe E.W. Scripps Company is the parent broadcast company and owner of 23ABC Bakersfield (KERO-TV). Scripps operates local television stations across multiple markets and the Scripps News national network. The station operates under Scripps' corporate structure, branding, technology platforms, and news syndication agreements.
• Scripps News GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationContent syndication and sharing partnership with the Scripps News Group national news operation, providing access to national and international news content that supplements local coverage on 23ABC.
• Associated Press (AP)coreTechnology or IntegrationNews content licensing partnership providing access to wire service reporting, international news coverage, and syndicated stories that complement local reporting on the station.
• DirecTVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite television distributor that previously carried KERO-TV but has removed the channel from its lineup, creating a retransmission dispute. The station provides guidance to affected viewers on alternative viewing methods including antenna, streaming, and other providers.
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission)coreOthersRegulatory oversight body governing broadcast licensing, public file requirements, closed captioning compliance, retransmission consent rules, and spectrum management for KERO-TV.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• E.W. Scripps Company: Parent company and operator of more than 60 local television stations across the U.S. Comparable as a like-for-like local broadcast TV operator with the same business model (local news/ads + retransmission fees) and overlapping operational footprint.
• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. owner of local television stations, operating 200+ stations across 100+ markets. Highly comparable as a network-affiliate broadcaster monetizing local news, retransmission consent, and digital advertising.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Second-largest U.S. TV station operator with stations in more than 70 markets. Directly comparable business model: network-affiliate local news, retransmission revenue, and regional sports programming.
• Tegna Inc. Owns 64 local television stations in 51 markets, monetizing local news, advertising, and digital platforms. Closely comparable mid-sized public station group with similar reliance on retransmission and political ad cycles.
• Gray Television: Operator of local television stations in mid-sized and smaller U.S. markets, with a portfolio mix and cost structure similar to what Scripps deploys at stations like KERO-TV. Comparable on retransmission, local ad sales, and political advertising exposure.
• Hearst Television: Privately held division of Hearst operating more than 30 local TV stations, including ABC, NBC, CBS, and CW affiliates. Comparable as a multi-network local broadcaster with similar news production and retransmission economics.
• Cox Media Group: Private operator of local television stations and radio stations across the U.S. Comparable on local news monetization, retransmission consent revenue, and cross-platform (TV + digital + radio) sales.
• Weigel Broadcasting: Family-owned operator of local TV stations in the Midwest and beyond, with deep local news focus. Comparable as a privately held local broadcaster competing on hyperlocal news coverage in mid-sized markets.
• Allen Media Broadcasting: Operator of local television stations acquired from various broadcasters, including several ABC/CBS/NBC affiliates. Comparable as a smaller-scale station owner monetizing local advertising and retransmission.
• Standard Media Group: Independent owner-operator of local television stations focused on small and mid-sized U.S. markets. Comparable as a similarly sized local broadcast peer serving non-top-50 DMAs with the same ad-plus-retransmission revenue model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/23ABCNews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/23abcnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/23ABCBakersfield
• Instagraminstagram.com/23ABCNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kero-tv

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 23ABC Bakersfield