WAFB

What WAFB does

WAFB is a local broadcast television station (Channel 9) and NBC affiliate serving Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the broader Gulf Coast region. Founded in 1953 and operating from its headquarters at 844 Government Street in Baton Rouge, the station has been a Gray Television property since 2002, operating as part of one of the largest U.S. broadcast conglomerates (Gray Television Inc., NYSE: GTN, with 116 stations across 68 markets). WAFB delivers approximately 25 hours of local news programming per week, alongside weather, sports, and community content. Its core product portfolio includes flagship news programs (9News Now, 9News at 5:30), the I-TEAM investigative journalism unit, the First Alert Weather service with a proprietary radar network, the Hurricane Center for tropical storm coverage, and the Titan 9 aerial drone system. The station extends its reach through multiple digital channels including the WAFB Plus OTT streaming service, iOS and Android mobile applications, a portfolio of sports and general-interest podcasts, and active social media presence on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

The underlying technology combines over-the-air digital broadcast with internet-based streaming, mobile push notifications, and proprietary weather radar infrastructure. WAFB's business model is advertising-based rather than subscription-based: the station generates revenue through local and regional advertising sales, sponsorship deals, and national advertising placed through Gray Television's pooled sales network. Its customer segments are defined by use case rather than demographics: the general Louisiana audience seeking local news and weather, weather-conscious Gulf Coast viewers dependent on storm tracking and hurricane coverage, and Louisiana sports fans following LSU, the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, Southern University, and regional high school athletics. Strategic positioning centers on hyperlocal content differentiation — investigative accountability journalism, proprietary weather technology, and community engagement features like "Meet Your Neighbor" and "Stirrin' It Up" cooking segments — within the protected geographic boundary of the Baton Rouge DMA.

Name

WAFB

Legal name

Gray Local Media, Inc.

Website

https://wafb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

WAFB is a local NBC-affiliated broadcast television station (Channel 9) serving Baton Rouge and the Louisiana Gulf Coast, owned by Gray Television, delivering local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports Digital Audio Broadcasts (Live Radio, Play-by-Play, Podcasts) (MPAKAOAG)

Keywords

• Local television news
• Broadcast journalism
• Weather forecasting
• Investigative reporting
• Sports coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

WAFB is a Gray Local Media-owned NBC affiliate (Channel 9) that produces and broadcasts approximately 25 hours per week of local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism to viewers in the Baton Rouge and Louisiana Gulf Coast market. Programming is delivered over-the-air via Channel 9 and supplemented by digital streaming on WAFB Plus, mobile applications, podcasts, and a network of websites and social channels. Core franchises include 9News flagship newscasts, the I-TEAM investigative unit, and First Alert Weather hurricane and severe-storm coverage.

Product overview

WAFB is a local broadcast television station (Channel 9) owned by Gray Television, serving the Baton Rouge and Louisiana Gulf Coast market. The station operates a multi-platform news and entertainment operation centered on its broadcast channel, supplemented by digital streaming (WAFB Plus/Stream WAFB), mobile applications, podcasts, and specialized programming segments. Core offerings include 9News (its flagship news programs), the I-TEAM investigative unit, and First Alert Weather services including Hurricane Center tracking. The station also produces or distributes sub-brands including Stirrin' It Up (cooking), InvestigateTV (investigative journalism), PowerNation (specialty programming), and Watching Your Wallet (consumer news), alongside sports podcasts covering LSU, Southern University, Saints, and Pelicans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WAFB Channel 9 Broadcast Primary over-the-air NBC affiliate broadcast (Channel 9) delivering local news, weather, sports, and investigative reporting to the Baton Rouge television market and broader Louisiana Gulf Coast region.
• WAFB Plus Streaming Service Over-the-top (OTT) streaming service allowing cord-cutters and internet-connected device viewers to watch WAFB live newscasts and on-demand programming without a cable subscription.
• WAFB Mobile Applications iOS and Android applications delivering push-notification breaking news and weather alerts, live streaming access, and on-demand news and weather content to mobile viewers.
• First Alert Weather Service Comprehensive weather forecasting and alert service including the First Alert Weather EXTRA program, proprietary radar network, hurricane and tropical-storm tracking, 7-day forecasts, and Sky9 field coverage for the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
• I-TEAM Investigative Journalism Dedicated investigative unit producing in-depth accountability reporting on local government, crime, public safety, hazing, consumer protection, and other public-interest stories for the Louisiana market.
• WAFB Podcasts Portfolio of on-demand podcast shows covering Louisiana sports topics including LSU, Southern University, Saints, Pelicans, high school sports, Jacques Talk, Game Time, Weekend Kickoff, and Sportsline Friday Nite commentary.
• Hurricane Center Dedicated tracking and information hub for hurricanes and tropical storms affecting the Louisiana and Gulf Coast region, with live blog, forecast models, evacuation resources, and on-air coordination with First Alert Weather.
• Stirrin' It Up Cooking Segment Louisiana-focused cooking segment and online recipe platform hosted by Chef John Folse featuring Creole and Cajun cuisine recipes across seafood, meat, pasta, and dessert categories.
• Watching Your Wallet Consumer News Segment Recurring on-air and digital consumer-affairs segment delivering financial tips, consumer-protection reporting, and money-saving information for viewers.
• Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network Regional sports and entertainment content network affiliated with WAFB providing dedicated Pelicans basketball and other Gulf Coast sports coverage beyond the main broadcast channel.
• WAFB.com Digital News Platform Full-service news website featuring articles, video content, weather tools, crime data, sports coverage, community features, and on-demand access to WAFB programming.
• InvestigateTV Collaboration WAFB's participation in Gray Television's national InvestigateTV syndicated investigative journalism platform, producing cross-station accountability and consumer-protection reporting.
• PowerNation Programming Block Specialty programming block distributed through WAFB featuring automotive, hunting, outdoor, and DIY enthusiast content.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gray Television (Parent Company)coreOthersWAFB is owned and operated by Gray Television, one of the largest television broadcast companies in the United States. As a Gray Local Media Station, WAFB benefits from corporate resources including investigative journalism unit InvestigateTV, shared technology platforms, national advertising networks, and cross-station content partnerships. Gray Television operates 116 television stations across 68 markets, providing WAFB with scale advantages in content production, advertising sales, and digital innovation.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WBRZ: WBRZ is the primary in-market competitor to WAFB in the Baton Rouge DMA, operating as a local broadcast television station with overlapping news, weather, and sports coverage targeting the same audience.

Regional players

• WVUE-DT (FOX 8): FOX 8 is the New Orleans FOX affiliate covering the Gulf Coast region adjacent to WAFB's Baton Rouge market, with comparable local news, weather, and sports operations serving a similar audience demographic.
• WWL-TV: WWL-TV is the CBS affiliate in New Orleans and a Tegna-owned station operating with a similar local news and weather playbook in the Gulf Coast region adjacent to WAFB's territory.
• KSLA News 12: KSLA is a Gray Television-owned CBS affiliate in Shreveport, Louisiana, making it a directly comparable Gray-owned local TV station in an adjacent Louisiana market with similar newsroom structure.
• KATC TV-3: KATC is the ABC affiliate serving Lafayette and Acadiana, Louisiana — a fellow Louisiana local broadcast station covering a contiguous market with comparable hurricane coverage and sports content needs.

Broad incumbents

• Nexstar Media Group: Nexstar is the largest U.S. television broadcast operator, directly competing with Gray Television for local news audiences and ad dollars across overlapping markets and serving as a structural benchmark for WAFB's parent.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Sinclair operates one of the largest U.S. station groups with local news operations comparable in scale and playbook to WAFB, and competes with Gray for national advertising and syndicated content deals.
• Tegna Inc. Tegna is a major U.S. local broadcast group with strong investigative journalism and digital growth, serving as a comparable station-group operator against which Gray Television (and thus WAFB) competes for audiences and advertisers.
• Hearst Television: Hearst Television operates a portfolio of NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX affiliates including in Louisiana-adjacent markets, making it a direct comparable station group with similar news and weather operational models.

Others

• InvestigateTV (Gray Television): InvestigateTV is Gray Television's national investigative journalism platform that WAFB's I-TEAM contributes to, representing the cross-station content ecosystem that amplifies WAFB's investigative reporting beyond its local market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3ijTadOgOLbGWGC1rRy9lA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Channel9BatonRouge
• Instagraminstagram.com/wafbnews
• Xx.com/WAFB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wafb-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 WAFB