WJFW Newswatch 12

What WJFW Newswatch 12 does

WJFW Newswatch 12 is a local NBC-affiliated broadcast television station licensed to Northland Television, LLC and operated by Rockfleet Broadcasting, LLC, serving the Northwoods region of northcentral Wisconsin from its headquarters at 3217 County G, Rhinelander. Founded in 1966, the station produces a daily lineup of newscasts (Newswatch 12 Today, Up North @ 4, Newswatch 12 Evenings at 5pm/6pm/10pm, and Newswatch 12 Weekends), supplemented by local sports coverage, motorsports programming (Racewatch 12), historical features (Connecting the Dots), community segments (Buffy's Northwoods Kitchen, Homeward Bound, Y-Watch, Northwoods Together), and viewer contests (Mugshot Monday, Birthday Club, Big Ol' Fish).

The station's digital and broadcast technology stack centers on the BLOX Content Management System from BLOX Digital for web/digital content management on wjfw.com, paired with the Sky 12 Live weather camera network that integrates 8+ live camera feeds across Rhinelander, Eagle River, Tomahawk, Park Falls, Marshfield, Minocqua, Saint Germain, and Wausau, plus Wisconsin Department of Transportation traffic cameras along the US 51 corridor. Distribution spans over-the-air VHF/UHF broadcast, cable and satellite carriage, website live streaming at wjfw.com/site/watch_live.html, and on-demand YouTube content (channel UCIvOr9XVC46Wt48xnv0ekEw).

Revenue is generated primarily through local broadcast television advertising sales during newscasts and sponsored programming segments, supplemented by digital advertising on wjfw.com, content sponsorships (notably Forward Bank and BSI Elcho as School Closings underwriters), and branded merchandise sales via merchlink.com. The customer base is small and mid-sized regional advertisers seeking access to a hyperlocal Northwoods Wisconsin audience; no subscription, programmatic, or data-monetization streams are disclosed. The station employs between 11 and 50 people.

Name

WJFW Newswatch 12

Legal name

Northland Television, LLC

Website

https://wjfw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WJFW Newswatch 12 is a local NBC-affiliated broadcast television station in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, serving the Northwoods region with daily newscasts, local sports, and the Sky 12 Live weather camera network, monetized through regional TV and digital advertising.

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

News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Regional news coverage
• Weather forecasting services
• Community journalism
• Live television streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Rhinelander

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: Local broadcast television advertising sales including commercial spots during newscasts and programming. Sponsorships of specific programming segments such as Racewatch 12 and weather segments.
2. Digital Advertising: Website advertising and digital marketing services on wjfw.com including display ads and sponsored content
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Newswatch 12 branded merchandise through merchlink.com online store

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WJFW Newswatch 12 is a local NBC-affiliated television station that produces and broadcasts daily local newscasts (Newswatch 12 Today, Up North @ 4, Newswatch 12 Evenings, Newswatch 12 Weekends) covering news, weather, sports, and community programming for the Northwoods region of Wisconsin. Distribution is via over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite carriage, live website streaming, and YouTube on-demand.

Product overview

WJFW Newswatch 12 is a local NBC-affiliated television station serving the Northwoods region of Wisconsin. The station operates a multi-platform news operation centered on its broadcast television newscasts (Newswatch 12 Today, Up North @ 4, Newswatch 12 Evenings at 5pm/6pm/10pm, and Newswatch 12 Weekends), supplemented by the Sky 12 Live weather camera network, Local Sports coverage, and specialty programming including Racewatch 12 motorsports coverage and Connecting the Dots historical features. The station also offers digital services through its wjfw.com website, including weather reports, school closings, and interactive features like Mugshot Monday and Birthday Club contests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Weather Watch 12: Weather forecasting brand for the station's weather coverage
• Sky 12 Live
• Racewatch 12

Products and services

• Newswatch 12 Today Morning broadcast news program featuring local headlines, interviews, and community-focused segments targeted at Northwoods Wisconsin viewers.
• Up North @ 4 Afternoon broadcast news program airing at 4 PM with local and regional news coverage for Northwoods Wisconsin viewers.
• Newswatch 12 Evenings Evening news programming at 5pm, 6pm, and 10pm covering local news, sports, and weather for the Northwoods Wisconsin region.
• Newswatch 12 Weekends Weekend broadcast news programming including the Saturday 10pm newscast and local feature stories for the Northwoods Wisconsin audience.
• Sky 12 Live Weather Live weather camera network and comprehensive weather forecasting service delivering real-time conditions, hourly forecasts, 7-day forecasts, radar imagery, and severe weather alerts across the Northwoods region.
• Racewatch 12 Motorsports coverage program featuring NASCAR and other racing events hosted by Cade Heidemann and Ian Farris, targeting racing fans in and beyond the Northwoods region.
• Live Streaming Live video streaming of Newswatch 12 broadcasts and special coverage available to viewers online via wjfw.com.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Forward BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary sponsor for School Closings section and weather-related pages. Major advertising partner supporting community-focused coverage.
• BSI ElchocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for School Closings page, supporting the station's community service functions and local school coverage.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WAOW-TV: ABC affiliate (and CW subchannel) based in Wausau, WI serving northcentral Wisconsin. Directly comparable to WJFW as a network-affiliated local TV station covering an overlapping Northwoods/northcentral Wisconsin audience with daily newscasts, weather, and sports.
• WSAW-TV: CBS affiliate in Wausau, WI also operating FOX and MyNetwork subchannels. Competes with WJFW for the same advertisers and household eyeballs across the Wausau–Rhinelander DMA with network newscasts, weather, and local sports.
• WLUC-TV: NBC affiliate serving Marquette/Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Very close peer — similarly sized NBC affiliate in a rural, weather-heavy, outdoor-recreation market adjacent to WJFW's Northwoods Wisconsin footprint.
• WDIO-TV: ABC affiliate in Duluth, MN covering a rural northern-minnesotan/wisconsin-style market. Comparable small-city, rural-wisconsin-adjacent network affiliate with hyperlocal weather and high school sports focus.
• WBAY-TV: ABC affiliate in Green Bay, WI serving northeastern Wisconsin. Same general Wisconsin local-TV station model as WJFW — daily newscasts, weather coverage, and community journalism for a regional audience.
• WEAU-TV: NBC affiliate in Eau Claire, WI. Closest direct NBC-affiliate peer to WJFW within Wisconsin, providing regional news, weather, and sports to a nearby north-central Wisconsin audience.
• WKBT-TV: CBS affiliate in La Crosse, WI. Similar regional Wisconsin network-affiliate broadcaster competing for local ad dollars in a mid-sized western Wisconsin market.

Regional players

• WXPR Public Radio: Public/community radio station serving the Northwoods Wisconsin region. Adjacent local broadcaster overlapping WJFW's coverage area in news, weather, and community programming, but operating as nonprofit radio rather than commercial network TV.

Broad incumbents

• Heartland Media LLC: Operator of a portfolio of small-market network-affiliated TV stations across the Midwest and US. Strategically comparable acquirer/operator archetype for WJFW's parent Rockfleet Broadcasting.

Others

• Rockfleet Broadcasting, LLC: Parent company of WJFW Newswatch 12. Operates other regional network-affiliated TV stations under common ownership; relevant as the corporate-level peer that defines WJFW's group economics and exit path.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wjfw12
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIvOr9XVC46Wt48xnv0ekEw
• Facebookfacebook.com/wjfw-newswatch-12-161956232193
• Instagraminstagram.com/wjfw12
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wjfw

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 WJFW Newswatch 12