What Bay News 9 does

Bay News 9 (now operating as Spectrum Bay News 9) is a regional 24/7 cable news television network headquartered at 700 Carillon Parkway in St. Petersburg, Florida. Founded in 1997, the station is owned and operated by Charter Communications as part of Spectrum Networks, a portfolio of 30+ local news and regional sports channels. It serves the Tampa Bay metropolitan area across a nine-county footprint (Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Hernando, Sarasota, and Citrus counties), delivering continuous local news, weather forecasting via the proprietary Klystron 9 radar and Sky 9 camera network, traffic information, sports coverage, and community event programming. Spanish-language coverage is provided through the Spectrum Noticias sub-brand.

The station's product surface includes the core 24/7 cable channel, the baynews9.com digital news platform, the Spectrum News mobile app (iOS/Android), the Hurricane Guide preparedness resource, and specialty verticals Spectrum Sports and Spectrum Noticias. Distribution is anchored by exclusive carriage on Charter/Spectrum cable systems, supplemented by the website, mobile app, social media (Facebook, X, Instagram), and RSS syndication. Following Charter's 2016 acquisition of Time Warner Cable, the station was rebranded to Spectrum Bay News 9 and integrated into the Spectrum Networks content-sharing ecosystem, including a content partnership with News 13 along the I-4 corridor.

Bay News 9 generates revenue through two primary streams: (1) local television advertising sold to Tampa Bay area SMBs and national advertisers seeking Tampa DMA reach, and (2) subscription revenue captured at the Charter/Spectrum cable bundle level (not separately reported). Pricing for advertising is not publicly disclosed and is handled through a direct sales contact. As a wholly-operated subsidiary of Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR), Bay News 9 has no independent investors, funding rounds, or external capital structure.

Name

Bay News 9

Legal name

Spectrum Bay News 9 (operated by Charter Communications)

Website

https://baynews9.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bay News 9 (Spectrum Bay News 9) is a Tampa Bay–area 24/7 regional cable news channel owned by Charter Communications, providing local news, weather, traffic, and sports coverage across nine Florida counties via cable, mobile app, and digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Cable News Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

News & Business Information Cable Networks (MPABAFAE), News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)

Keywords

• Cable news network
• Regional news broadcasting
• Broadcast advertising sales
• Local weather radar
• Digital news platform

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: Bay News 9 offers advertising solutions for local Tampa Bay businesses across online, mobile, and TV platforms. The station emphasizes reaching customers in specific neighborhoods where they live and work through targeted advertising placements.
2. Cable/Satellite Subscription: The station is distributed through Spectrum cable services as part of Charter Communications' portfolio of over 30 local news and regional sports networks, generating subscription revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bay News 9 is Tampa Bay's only 24/7 local cable news channel, delivering continuous coverage of local news, weather, traffic, politics, sports, and community stories across a multi-county regional audience. The station bundles this linear channel with a digital news platform (baynews9.com), the Spectrum News mobile app, and localized weather products built around the proprietary Klystron 9 radar and Sky 9 camera network, and sells targeted advertising to local Tampa Bay businesses across its TV, web, and mobile inventory.

Product overview

Spectrum Bay News 9 operates as a unified news and weather platform consisting of a 24/7 cable news channel (the core product), supported by the Klystron 9 Radar weather system, Sky 9 Weather Cameras, and the Spectrum News mobile app. The station's content is shared across over 30 local Spectrum News networks owned by Charter Communications. Specialty coverage includes Spectrum Sports for regional athletics, Spectrum Noticias for Spanish-language content, and the Hurricane Guide for emergency preparedness. The platform also offers RSS syndication feeds for content distribution. Bay News 9 shares content with News 13 as a regional partner along the I-4 corridor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spectrum News: Parent brand for local news operations under Charter Communications
• Klystron 9
• Spectrum Sports

Products and services

• Spectrum Bay News 9 (24/7 Local News Channel) Tampa Bay Area's only 24/7 local cable news channel, delivering continuous coverage of local news, weather, traffic, politics, sports, and community stories across a seven- to nine-county region including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Hernando, Sarasota, and Citrus counties; distributed through Spectrum cable services.
• Spectrum News Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that delivers Bay News 9 local news, weather forecasts, breaking news alerts, and live coverage to Tampa Bay area users on the go.
• Spectrum Sports (Tampa Bay) Regional sports coverage division providing local high school, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rowdies, USF Bulls, Florida Gators, and Florida State Seminoles content to Tampa Bay area viewers.
• Spectrum Noticias Florida 24/7 Spanish-language local news channel providing balanced news coverage tailored to Florida's Spanish-speaking community, operating alongside Spectrum Bay News 9 under the Spectrum Networks umbrella.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• News 13coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay News 9 partners with News 13 as the number one choice for news across the I-4 corridor, sharing content and collaborative coverage of regional news and events.
• Charter CommunicationscoreOthersSpectrum Bay News 9 is owned and operated by Charter Communications, sharing content with over 30 local news and regional sports networks in their portfolio.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spectrum News NY1: Charter/Spectrum's flagship 24/7 local cable news channel in New York City. Closest operational and structural analog to Bay News 9 within the same parent's portfolio.
• News 13 (Spectrum Networks): Sister cable news channel operated by Spectrum Networks covering the Orlando/Central Florida market along the I-4 corridor. Most directly comparable to Bay News 9 due to identical ownership, business model (24/7 local cable news plus weather), and content-sharing partnership.
• WFLA-TV (NBC affiliate, Tampa): Tampa Bay's local NBC affiliate producing daily news, weather, and sports for the same geography. Competes head-to-head with Bay News 9 for local viewers and advertisers across the same seven-county footprint.
• WTVT (FOX affiliate, Tampa): FOX-owned local broadcast station serving the Tampa Bay DMA. Competes with Bay News 9 in news/weather and benefits from similar local-TV ad budgets.
• WFTS (ABC affiliate, Tampa): ABC-owned local station in Tampa with 24/7 digital news and weather presence. Direct competitor for hyperlocal coverage and ad spend in the Tampa Bay DMA.
• WTSP (CBS affiliate, Tampa): Local CBS-owned station covering Tampa Bay with comparable news, weather, and sports formats. Direct in-market competitor for advertising share and audience attention.

Broad incumbents

• The Weather Channel: Nationwide weather-focused cable network with broad coverage and strong radar/digital presence. Competes with Bay News 9's Klystron 9 hyperlocal weather franchise, particularly during severe weather.
• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. owner of local TV stations, including several Tampa-area affiliates and stations in comparable Florida DMAs. Relevant as a competitor for local ad budgets and a benchmark for regional station valuations and economics.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Major U.S. broadcast station group with a national footprint of local news channels and growing OTT/streaming distribution. Comparable as a competitor for advertiser share and as a strategic reference for local news monetization.

Emerging players

• AccuWeather: Digital-first weather media and data provider with growing streaming/FAST and app distribution. Competes for weather audience attention and ad spend in Tampa Bay, especially outside Spectrum's cable footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bn9
• Facebookfacebook.com/bn9fans
• Instagraminstagram.com/baynews9
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bay-news-9

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 Bay News 9