WKYT-TV

What WKYT-TV does

WKYT-TV is a CBS-affiliated local television station headquartered at 2851 Winchester Rd., Lexington, Kentucky, serving the Lexington-Fayette metropolitan area and surrounding central Kentucky communities. The station has operated continuously since 1957, originally under the WKX-TV call sign before adopting its current name in 1983, and has operated under Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE: GTN) ownership since at least 2002. WKYT-TV distributes programming through over-the-air broadcast on Channel 27, cable and satellite carriage (DirecTV, DISH Network), NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0), and digital streaming via wkyt.com and dedicated iOS/Android mobile applications.

The station's core products are organized around three franchises: WKYT News (local, regional, state, national, and investigative coverage plus the WKYT+ exclusive content subscription tier), First Alert Weather (forecasts, severe weather alerts, radar, Weather Cams, and the 3 Degree Guarantee accuracy program), and WKYT Sports (University of Kentucky athletics, high school Game Time and PrepSpin coverage, and Futbol Frenzy soccer). Supporting sub-brands include WKYT Investigates, Bluegrass H&G TV, Aging Untold, Everyday Kentucky, We the People, Commonwealth of Kindness, and the St. Jude Dream Home community fundraiser. Technology infrastructure spans broadcast television production, dual-channel livestreaming, a content management and digital publishing platform shared across Gray Local Media stations, and push-notification-based news/weather alerts.

WKYT-TV generates revenue primarily through television advertising (spots during news programming and other shows) and digital advertising (website and mobile placements), with quote-based pricing under Gray Television's standard terms and conditions. The customer base is two-sided: a B2C audience of central Kentucky households consuming news, weather, and sports content, and a B2B base of local advertisers and sponsors purchasing commercial airtime and digital inventory. A third revenue vector, WKYT+ subscription, is emerging. The station is licensed by and compliant with the FCC Public Inspection File requirements and operates within Gray Television's certified advertising non-discrimination policy.

Name

WKYT-TV

Legal name

Gray Television, Inc.

Website

https://wkyt.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WKYT-TV is a CBS-affiliated local television station in Lexington, Kentucky, owned by Gray Television (NYSE: GTN), providing local news, weather, sports, and investigative coverage to central Kentucky households and selling advertising to regional and local businesses across broadcast and digital channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

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

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

Keywords

• Local television broadcasting
• News broadcasting
• Weather forecasting
• Sports coverage
• Digital streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

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: Sale of advertising time on broadcast television including TV spots and promotional placements during news programming and other shows
2. Digital Advertising: Digital advertising placements across the WKYT website and mobile platforms

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WKYT-TV is a CBS-affiliated local television station serving Lexington and central Kentucky, delivering local news, weather forecasts, and sports coverage across over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite carriage, digital streaming, and mobile apps. The station generates revenue primarily through the sale of television and digital advertising inventory to local businesses and organizations.

Product overview

WKYT-TV is a local television station serving Lexington and central Kentucky, offering a unified broadcast and digital media platform. The core offerings include WKYT News for local news coverage, First Alert Weather for meteorological services, and WKYT Sports for athletic coverage. The station distributes content through multiple channels including live streaming, mobile apps, and specialized sub-brands such as WKYT+ Exclusive for investigative journalism, Weather Cams for real-time visual conditions, and lifestyle programming through Everyday Kentucky. Weather services feature the 3 Degree Guarantee accuracy program and a comprehensive closings and delays system for community announcements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WKYT+: Premium subscription service offering exclusive content
• First Alert Weather
• WKYT Investigates
• High School Game Time
• Futbol Frenzy

Products and services

• WKYT News Local television news broadcast covering Lexington and central Kentucky, including crime, local, state, national, and regional news coverage, broadcast to viewers in the Lexington DMA.
• First Alert Weather Weather forecasting service providing local conditions, 10-day forecasts, hourly forecasts, radar imagery, and severe weather alerts for central Kentucky audiences.
• WKYT Sports Sports coverage service including University of Kentucky (UK) athletics, high school sports (Game Time, PrepSpin), soccer (Futbol Frenzy), and sports scores for Kentucky viewers.
• WKYT Live Streaming Live video streaming service providing real-time access to WKYT broadcasts including primary livestream and secondary livestream options via website and mobile apps.
• WKYT+ Exclusive Premium subscription exclusive content service providing investigative reports, in-depth local journalism, and feature stories not available through standard news coverage.
• WKYT Mobile Apps Mobile applications for iOS and Android devices providing access to WKYT news, weather alerts, and live streaming content.
• Everyday Kentucky Lifestyle content programming covering local Kentucky events, food, travel, and community feature stories for viewers.
• Bluegrass H&G TV Home and garden focused video content programming for viewers in the Kentucky region.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• American Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026WKYT and WYMT partnered with the American Red Cross to raise money for disaster relief efforts following devastating Kentucky floods. The partnership aimed to collect donations to support flood victims in central Kentucky communities.
• Gray TelevisioncoreOthersWKYT-TV is owned and operated by Gray Television, a major broadcast company. The station operates under Gray Local Media and adheres to Gray Television's advertising non-discrimination policies and standard terms and conditions.
• Gray TelevisioncoreTechnology or IntegrationParent broadcast company providing shared technology infrastructure, digital platforms, content management systems, and operational support across Gray's local media stations including WKYT-TV.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hearst Television: Owner of numerous network-affiliated local TV stations focused on local news and weather, comparable to WKYT's core operations.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Major operator of local network-affiliated TV stations nationwide with a comparable local news and advertising business model.
• Scripps (E.W. Scripps Company): National operator of local TV stations and news brands with a comparable broadcast and local advertising model.
• TEGNA Inc. Large owner of local broadcast TV stations focused on local news and multi-platform distribution, directly comparable to Gray's station strategy.
• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. owner of local TV stations operating network affiliates across many markets; same local broadcasting and advertising model at national scale.

Regional players

• WTVQ-DT: ABC-affiliated local station in Lexington, KY competing directly for the same central Kentucky viewers and local advertisers.
• WLEX-TV: NBC-affiliated local television station serving the same Lexington, KY market; a direct in-market competitor for local news, weather, and advertising.
• WDKY-TV: FOX-affiliated station serving the Lexington market, competing for local viewership and ad revenue in the same DMA.

Others

• Gray Television: Parent company and owner-operator of WKYT; sets the strategy, infrastructure, and terms for the station rather than a standalone competitor.

Direct peers

• WYMT-TV: Sister Gray Television CBS-affiliated station serving eastern Kentucky; near-identical business model and shared operations with WKYT.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wkyt
• Facebookfacebook.com/wkyttv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wkyt-tv

Compliance2 records

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 WKYT-TV