WGCL/CBS46

What WGCL/CBS46 does

WGCL/CBS46, legally WANF-TV and doing business as Atlanta News First, is a local broadcast television station licensed to Atlanta, Georgia, operating as the CBS network affiliate on Channel 46. Founded in 1971, the station is owned by Gray Television (NYSE: GTN), one of the largest US local broadcast groups with a portfolio of 100+ stations. The company produces and distributes local news, weather (First Alert Weather), sports (Peachtree Sports Network covering Atlanta Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Dream, and regional college teams), and investigative journalism (ANF Investigates) to the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is among the top 10 US designated market areas. The technical stack comprises over-the-air broadcast infrastructure, cable/satellite carriage agreements, mobile and connected-TV streaming applications, and a web platform.

The business generates revenue primarily through local and national television advertising (ad spots, sponsored segments, political ad cycles), digital advertising services operated through Gray Digital Media, retransmission and shared revenue tied to the CBS network affiliation, and emerging direct-to-consumer streaming via the ANF+ premium offering. Distribution spans over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite carriage (DirecTV, DISH), OTT apps (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV), iOS/Android mobile apps, the Peachtree TV secondary subchannel, and a podcast portfolio. The go-to-market is event- and audience-driven: programming, sports rights (including the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta), and weather coverage create viewing peaks that the station monetizes against an advertiser base of local businesses, healthcare providers, automotive dealers, and political campaigns.

Name

WGCL/CBS46

Legal name

WANF-TV

Website

https://cbs46.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WANF-TV (Atlanta News First/CBS46) is a Gray Television-owned CBS affiliate broadcast station serving the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, producing local news, weather, sports, and investigative content distributed over-the-air, via cable/satellite, and through streaming apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

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 advertising including TV spots, sponsored segments, and integrated content placements. Advertisers include local businesses, healthcare providers, automotive dealers, and political campaigns (Elections coverage).
2. Digital Advertising: Digital marketing services through Gray Digital Media, offering online advertising solutions, programmatic display, and digital campaign management for local and regional advertisers.
3. Broadcast Network Affiliation: CBS network affiliation providing national programming, sports broadcast rights (including World Cup coverage, NBA, NFL, MLB, NCAA), and shared revenue from network content.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WGCL/CBS46 (WANF / Atlanta News First) is a CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station producing and distributing local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism to the Atlanta metropolitan area. Programming is delivered through an over-the-air broadcast signal on Channel 46, cable/satellite carriage, streaming apps, and the Atlanta News First digital platform, with monetization primarily driven by local and digital advertising sales. The station is owned by Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE: GTN) and operates as part of its portfolio of more than 100 U.S. local TV stations.

Product overview

Atlanta News First (ANF) is a local broadcast news operation serving the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area through a multi-platform portfolio. The core offering consists of WANF (Channel 46), the CBS affiliate broadcast station delivering local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism. The digital ecosystem includes the Atlanta News First website and mobile apps for news and streaming content. Supporting products include the First Alert Weather service with radar and severe weather tracking, ANF Investigates for in-depth investigative reporting, and ANF+ for premium streaming content. The Peachtree Sports Network covers regional sports teams, while ATL Live provides lifestyle programming. Original local programming includes shows like Aging Untold and Monica Pearson One-on-One. Community engagement features include the Surprise Squad, 3-Degree Guarantee weather contest, and various outreach initiatives. The portfolio also includes Peachtree TV as a secondary broadcast partner channel and multiple podcast offerings covering news, aging topics, and political updates. Digital advertising services are powered through Gray Digital Media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ANF Investigates: Investigative journalism unit of Atlanta News First focusing on in-depth investigative reporting
• First Alert Weather
• Peachtree Sports Network
• Better Call Harry
• ANF+

Products and services

• Atlanta News First (ANF) Digital News Platform Primary digital news destination for the Atlanta metro area, providing local, state, national, politics, public safety, education, entertainment, and consumer news via the ANF website and integrated content experience. Targeted at Atlanta-area viewers as a free, ad-supported product.
• WANF (CBS46) Television Broadcast The core over-the-air local broadcast television station airing on Channel 46 as a CBS affiliate, delivering local news, weather, sports, and investigative content to Atlanta DMA viewers via free over-the-air transmission, cable, and satellite carriage.
• ANF+ Premium Streaming Service Premium streaming offering from Atlanta News First providing additional live content and exclusive coverage beyond the standard ANF broadcast and digital experience, accessible via the station's streaming platforms.
• Peachtree Sports Network Regional sports content network covering the Atlanta Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Dream, as well as NCAA programs (Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech) and high school sports, distributed to Atlanta sports fans.
• Peachtree TV (Subchannel) Secondary digital broadcast and streaming subchannel featuring lifestyle content, entertainment programming, and the ATL Live show, extending the Atlanta News First content portfolio on a separate channel.
• Atlanta News First / CBS46 Mobile Apps Native mobile applications for iOS and Android delivering news, weather, and live-streaming content to Atlanta-area viewers on smartphones and tablets.
• Atlanta News First / CBS46 Streaming Apps (OTT) Over-the-top streaming applications for connected-TV platforms including Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV, plus web-based streaming, allowing cord-cutters to access the station's live and on-demand content.
• Gray Digital Media Atlanta Digital Advertising Services Digital advertising solutions (programmatic display, online advertising, and digital campaign management) offered to local and regional advertisers seeking to reach the Atlanta metro audience through ANF's digital properties.

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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gray TelevisioncoreOthersParent company providing corporate structure, operational infrastructure, shared content resources, and central advertising sales. WANF operates as part of Gray Television's portfolio of local broadcast stations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WXIA-TV / TEGNA Local News Portfolio: TEGNA is a major U.S. local TV broadcaster; its portfolio of NBC/CBS/ABC affiliates provides a direct strategic and operating comparison for WANF on shared services, digital ad tech, and multi-market revenue models.
• Hearst Television Local Stations: Owns ~30 local TV stations including major-market affiliates. Comparable to WANF on operating model, network affiliation mix, and digital ad offerings, providing a meaningful read-across for station-level economics.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group Local Stations: Major U.S. local TV broadcaster with national sports rights (e.g., Tennis Channel, regional sports networks). Comparable to WANF through shared local news content (InvestigateTV-style), national advertising scale, and multi-platform distribution.
• Nexstar Media Group Local Stations: Largest U.S. owner of local TV stations and a direct comparator on scale, network affiliation strategy, retransmission consent economics, and digital advertising growth. Comparable to Gray Television as a parent and to WANF as a station-level model.
• Scripps Local News Stations: Operates a portfolio of local ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX affiliates plus Court TV and Scripps News. A useful peer for WANF's network-affiliated local news model and digital extension strategy.

Direct peers

• WXIA-TV (11Alive): NBC affiliate serving the Atlanta DMA, owned by TEGNA. Directly competes with WANF for local news viewers, sports rights, and Atlanta ad dollars across broadcast, digital, and streaming.
• WAGA-TV (FOX 5 Atlanta): FOX-owned affiliate serving Atlanta, competing head-to-head with WANF in local news, weather, and sports. Holds FOX's NFL and college sports rights, providing parallel premium content to WANF's CBS portfolio.
• WSB-TV (Channel 2 Action News): ABC affiliate and Atlanta's long-dominant local news station, directly competing with WANF for the same Atlanta DMA audience, advertisers, and local news franchise. Operated by Cox Media Group, it is the principal head-to-head competitor in the market.

Others

• Gray Television Other Local Stations: Other local stations within the same parent company as WANF. Provides the cleanest peer benchmark for station-level operating performance, content sharing economics, and Gray Digital Media ad monetization uplift.

Emerging players

• Cord cutters streaming aggregators (e.g., YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV): Digital live TV and on-demand aggregators that compete with WANF's distribution channels for cord-cutting audiences. Comparable as substitutes for cable/satellite carriage and as a competitive constraint on the station's reach and ad inventory pricing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cbs46
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWElIIlFx2JiyI9UVrbrEcw
• Facebookfacebook.com/cbs46
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wgcl-cbs-atlanta
• Instagraminstagram.com/atlantanewsfirst

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 WGCL/CBS46