WTOL
WTOL is the CBS-affiliated local television station serving Toledo, Ohio and northwest Ohio/southeast Michigan, owned by TEGNA. It delivers local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism across broadcast TV, WTOL 11+ streaming, mobile apps, and web.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1950
- HeadquartersToledo, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What WTOL does
WTOL is the CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station serving Toledo, Ohio and the surrounding northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan market. Founded in 1950 and operated today as part of TEGNA Inc.'s (NYSE: TGNA) portfolio of stations, WTOL 11 delivers local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism across broadcast television, the WTOL 11+ free streaming service on Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and the wtol.com website. Core technical assets include the First Alert Doppler Radar system, a Live Skycam Network spanning Downtown Toledo, Perrysburg, the Jet Express, and Lake Erie communities, and dedicated sub-brands such as 11 Investigates, Good Day on WTOL 11, and Face the State.
WTOL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WTOL
- Legal name
- WTOL
- Website
- https://wtol.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1950
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- WTOL is the CBS-affiliated local television station serving Toledo, Ohio and northwest Ohio/southeast Michigan, owned by TEGNA. It delivers local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism across broadcast TV, WTOL 11+ streaming, mobile apps, and web.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WTOL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Broadcast Television
- 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
Where WTOL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toledo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WTOL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Television Advertising: Traditional broadcast TV advertising including local commercials, sponsored segments, and advertising slots during news programming
- Digital Advertising: Online advertising through wtol.com website including display ads, video ads, and sponsored content on digital platforms
- Streaming Subscriptions/Advertising: While WTOL 11+ is free for streaming, it serves as a platform for reaching digital audiences that can be monetized through advertising
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
WTOL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WTOL is the CBS-affiliate local television station (WTOL 11) serving Toledo, Ohio and the surrounding northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan regions. The station produces and distributes local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism through over-the-air broadcast TV, the WTOL 11+ free streaming service on Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and the wtol.com website. WTOL also sells advertising slots on its broadcast and digital platforms to local and regional businesses.
Product overview
WTOL is a local broadcast television station serving Toledo, Ohio and surrounding northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan regions. The station operates as a traditional broadcast television news organization with digital distribution. The core product is the WTOL 11 local TV news broadcast covering news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism. Digital products include the WTOL 11+ streaming service for Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV, a mobile app for iOS and Android, and the First Alert Doppler weather radar system. The station also produces sub-branded programming including 11 Investigates (investigative journalism), Good Day on WTOL 11 (morning lifestyle show), and Face the State (political affairs program). A network of skycams/webcams provides live visual coverage of the region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WTOL 11 News Broadcast
Quantifiable outcome
- Available on multiple streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV
Companies that use WTOL
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WTOL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
WTOL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Toledo Free PressminorMedia partnership where WTOL shares stories from Toledo Free Press, a local independent newspaper, on its platform. This partnership provides cross-promotional content sharing between the two local media outlets.
- Elk+Elk (Skycam Sponsor)minorSponsored relationship for the Downtown Toledo Skycam. Elk+Elk law firm sponsors the weather camera providing visibility on the WTOL website and weather pages.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WTOL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WTVG: ABC affiliate serving the Toledo DMA; competes head-to-head with WTOL for local news viewers and local advertising dollars in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
- WNWO NBC 24: NBC affiliate in the Toledo market and the most direct local competitor to WTOL for news, weather, and political advertising in the same DMA.
- WUPW Fox 36: FOX affiliate in Toledo, sharing WTOL's local news production (WTOL 11 News at 10 PM airs on FOX36); direct duopoly-style competitor for local viewers and advertisers.
Broad incumbents
- TEGNA (other station portfolio): Parent of WTOL; owns ~60+ network-affiliated stations across the U.S., operating under the same shared news, weather, and digital infrastructure that supports WTOL.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: One of the largest U.S. broadcast station groups; operates competing local affiliates and is a natural comparator for station-level economics, retransmission fees, and digital strategy.
- Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. owner of local TV stations; peer for broadcast+digital economics, political ad cycle exposure, and streaming FAST channel strategy.
- Gray Television: Operates a large portfolio of mid-market local network affiliates, directly comparable to WTOL's market profile, revenue mix, and reliance on political advertising.
- Hearst Television: Owns and operates network-affiliated local stations including NBC/ABC affiliates in mid-sized markets; comparable in station count, newsroom investment, and digital product strategy.
- Scripps (E.W. Scripps Company): Operates local ABC/NBC/CW affiliates and was an early mover in local OTT streaming, making it a peer for WTOL 11+ type streaming distribution strategies.
Emerging players
- Toledo Blade (toledoblade.com): Dominant regional newspaper covering the Toledo DMA; competes with WTOL for local news audience attention and digital advertising share, complementing rather than replacing broadcast reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WTOL social profiles
Digital presenceWTOL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WTOL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
WTOL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WTOL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WTOL
What does WTOL do?
WTOL is the CBS-affiliate local television station (WTOL 11) serving Toledo, Ohio and the surrounding northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan regions. The station produces and distributes local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism through over-the-air broadcast TV, the WTOL 11+ free streaming service on Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and the wtol.com website. WTOL also sells advertising slots on its broadcast and digital platforms to local and regional businesses.
Is WTOL a public or private company?
WTOL is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WTOL founded?
WTOL was founded in 1950. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is WTOL based?
WTOL is headquartered in Toledo, United States, in the North America region.
How does WTOL make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Television Advertising is the primary driver. The others are digital Advertising and streaming Subscriptions/Advertising.
Who are WTOL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WTVG, WNWO NBC 24 and WUPW Fox 36. Broad incumbents are TEGNA (other station portfolio), Sinclair Broadcast Group, Nexstar Media Group, Gray Television, Hearst Television and Scripps (E.W. Scripps Company). Toledo Blade (toledoblade.com) is listed as an emerging player.
Does WTOL have an API?
No public API is recorded for WTOL.
What industry is WTOL in?
WTOL's product category is Local Broadcast Television. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAE, Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.), with a secondary code of MPABAHAK, News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels. Its NAICS code is 516120 and its SIC code is 4833.