KWWL

What KWWL does

KWWL is a local broadcast television station licensed to and operating from Waterloo, Iowa, and serving the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque designated market area (DMA) in Eastern Iowa. Founded in 1947 and currently owned by Allen Media Broadcasting (a subsidiary of Allen Media, LLC), the station operates as the market's NBC affiliate on primary channel 7.1 and carries five additional digital subchannels (7.2 Heroes & Icons, 7.3 MeTV, 7.4 Court TV, 7.5 True Crime, 7.6 MeTV Toons). The station delivers local news, weather (anchored by its proprietary Storm Track 7 radar and alerting system), regional sports coverage (UNI Panthers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State Cyclones, Friday Night Heroes), and NBC network programming.

The underlying technology stack combines over-the-air VHF/UHF transmission, Storm Track 7 weather radar and alerting, live and on-demand streaming infrastructure, native iOS and Android applications, and a BLOX Digital (TownNews) content management system powering kwwl.com. Distribution spans over-the-air broadcast, regional cable carriage (Xfinity and local systems), satellite (DirecTV, Dish Network), connected-TV streaming, and social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram). KWWL reports 101-250 employees and does not disclose revenue, funding, or ownership percentages.

KWWL's business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) local television spot advertising across linear and subchannel inventory; (2) digital/online advertising on kwwl.com and in mobile apps, including sponsored-content formats such as Medical Minute, Ask the Expert, and Gold Star Teachers; and (3) recurring retransmission consent fees paid by cable and satellite distributors for the right to carry KWWL's signal. Two primary customer segments are served: Eastern Iowa viewers (free-to-air audience across all platforms) and local/regional advertisers seeking reach into that DMA.

Name

KWWL

Legal name

Allen Media, LLC

Website

https://kwwl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KWWL is a privately held NBC-affiliated local television station in Waterloo, Iowa, serving the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque DMA. It delivers local news, weather, and sports via broadcast, cable, satellite, streaming, and mobile apps, monetized through advertising and retransmission consent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

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 television broadcasting
• Local news media
• Weather reporting services
• Broadcast advertising sales
• Video streaming content

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterloo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: Local television commercial advertising across multiple subchannels, including pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll spots during news programming, sports coverage, and network shows. Advertisers include local businesses, regional enterprises, and national brands targeting Eastern Iowa viewers.
2. Digital/Online Advertising: Banner advertisements, sponsored content, and digital advertising placements on kwwl.com website and mobile applications, including targeted advertising based on user location and content consumption patterns.
3. Retransmission Consent: Fees paid by cable and satellite providers (Xfinity, DirecTV, Dish Network, etc.) for the right to retransmit KWWL's broadcast signal to their subscribers in the market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KWWL is a local NBC-affiliated television station delivering local news, weather, sports, and network programming to Eastern Iowa across over-the-air broadcast (seven sub-channels), cable and satellite carriage, live streaming, mobile apps (iOS/Android), and the kwwl.com news website. Its flagship product is KWWL News 7, complemented by the Storm Track 7 weather franchise and retransmission carriage agreements, with advertising sales as the principal revenue line.

Product overview

KWWL News 7 is a local NBC-affiliated television station serving Waterloo and eastern Iowa, operated by Allen Media Broadcasting. The station offers a multi-platform news and entertainment portfolio consisting of its core broadcast news product (KWWL News 7), comprehensive weather services with interactive radar and alerts, mobile applications for iOS and Android, live streaming capabilities, and an extensive video-on-demand library. The station broadcasts across six sub-channels: 7.1 NBC (primary network programming), 7.2 Heroes & Icons, 7.3 MeTV, 7.4 Court TV, 7.5 True Crime, and 7.6 MeTV Toons. Sports coverage focuses on regional university and high school teams. The station also provides local advertising services through its business features platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KWWL News 7 Broadcast Flagship local television newscast covering Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque, and surrounding Eastern Iowa communities with news, weather, sports, politics, crime and courts reporting, and NBC network programming.
• KWWL Weather Services (Storm Track 7) Storm Track 7 weather service providing interactive radar, weather cameras, forecasts, severe weather alerts, river levels, closings/delays, and storm tracking for Eastern Iowa viewers.
• KWWL Mobile Apps Native iOS and Android mobile applications providing KWWL News 7 content, live streaming, weather alerts, and push notifications for Eastern Iowa audiences.
• KWWL Live Stream Live streaming service featuring KWWL newscasts, Gold Star Teachers, Decorah Eagle Cam, and live event coverage available via kwwl.com and mobile apps.
• KWWL Sports Coverage Regional sports coverage including UNI Panthers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State Cyclones, Friday Night Heroes high school football, and local team sports across broadcast and digital.
• KWWL Video On Demand On-demand video content library featuring news segments, recipes, automotive content, and special features available on kwwl.com.
• KWWL Advertising Services (Advertise With Us) Custom television commercial and digital advertising sales service for local businesses, regional enterprises, and national brands targeting Eastern Iowa television and digital audiences, including sponsored content and event sponsorships.
• Sub-channel 7.1 NBC Primary digital sub-channel broadcasting NBC network programming alongside KWWL's local news content.
• Sub-channel 7.2 Heroes & Icons Digital sub-channel broadcasting classic television programming from the Heroes & Icons network.
• Sub-channel 7.3 MeTV Network Digital sub-channel broadcasting MeTV classic television programming.
• Sub-channel 7.4 Court TV Digital sub-channel featuring Court TV legal and true crime programming.
• Sub-channel 7.5 True Crime Digital sub-channel dedicated to true crime documentary and investigative programming.
• Sub-channel 7.6 MeTV Toons Digital sub-channel featuring animated classic television content from the MeTV Toons network.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NBC (National Broadcasting Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKWWL operates as an NBC affiliate, carrying NBC network programming including national news, entertainment, and sports content. This affiliation provides access to NBC's national programming while KWWL focuses on local news and community coverage for Eastern Iowa.
• Allen Media BroadcastingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKWWL is owned and operated by Allen Media Broadcasting, a media company that owns multiple television stations across the United States. Allen Media Broadcasting provides operational support, corporate resources, and technology infrastructure.
• Local Businesses and Healthcare ProvidersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored content partnerships with local healthcare organizations including Medical Minute and Ask the Expert features, as well as sponsored community programming and local event coverage.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WHO-TV (Des Moines): NBC-affiliated local TV station serving the Des Moines/Ames market in central Iowa. Most directly comparable as another NBC affiliate in Iowa with the same network programming, subchannel model, and local-news/advertising revenue structure as KWWL.
• KCRG-TV (Cedar Rapids): ABC-affiliated local TV station operating in the same Cedar Rapids-Eastern Iowa market as KWWL. Direct in-market competitor for local news, advertising dollars, and viewer share in the overlapping DMA.
• KGAN (Cedar Rapids): CBS/Fox-affiliated local TV station based in Cedar Rapids, directly competing with KWWL for Eastern Iowa viewers, local advertising, and retransmission consent agreements within the same DMA.

Regional players

• WOI-DT (Ames/Des Moines): ABC-affiliated local TV station serving the Des Moines-Ames market. Comparable Iowa-market broadcaster with similar local-news + network programming mix, operating in a different but adjacent DMA from KWWL.
• KCCI (Des Moines): CBS-affiliated local TV station serving the Des Moines market. Operates with the same business model (local news + network programming + ad sales + retransmission) as KWWL in another Iowa DMA.

Broad incumbents

• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. owner of local TV stations, operating hundreds of network-affiliated stations nationally. Comparable through the same network-affiliate, retransmission, and local ad business model — represents both a competitor to KWWL's parent group and a comp set for valuation.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Major U.S. local TV station group with a similar portfolio of network-affiliated local stations generating revenue from advertising and retransmission. Comparable business model and capital structure profile to KWWL's parent.
• Gray Television: Operates a large portfolio of local TV stations across mid-sized U.S. markets — directly comparable in terms of mid-market station mix, local news focus, and revenue model to KWWL.
• Tegna: Owns a portfolio of network-affiliated local TV stations in mid-sized U.S. markets, with revenue split between advertising, retransmission, and digital — a close structural comp to KWWL's operating model.

Others

• Allen Media Broadcasting (sister stations): Sister stations under the same Allen Media Broadcasting parent that owns KWWL. Operates other network-affiliated local TV stations with shared corporate resources, technology, and operating model — useful as a direct internal comp.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kwwl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC39A2i4aF91lJD5ywGB4qrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/kwwl7
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kwwl-television
• Instagraminstagram.com/kwwl_tv

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 KWWL