What WTVR-TV does

WTVR-TV is a local broadcast television station headquartered at 3301 West Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia, operating continuously since 1948 as a CBS network affiliate branded as "CBS 6." The station serves the Richmond, Virginia designated market area (DMA) and surrounding Central Virginia communities, including Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Hanover County, and the Tri-Cities area. It is wholly owned and operated by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), a publicly traded local media company that acquired the station in 2015. Core content verticals include local news (with an investigative "Crime Insider" series and "CBS 6 Gives" community program), weather (anchored by an in-house "Weather Authority" team with Skytracker radar), sports (including Virginia sports and World Cup coverage), and lifestyle/morning programming (Virginia This Morning, Eat It, Virginia).

The station's product surface spans a free-to-air VHF/UHF broadcast signal, cable and satellite carriage (excluding a June 2026 DirecTV carriage loss), the wtvr.com news website with live streaming, native iOS and Android applications, the dedicated Storm Shield weather app integrated with National Weather Service data, and an extensive social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, Blue Sky, Threads). Video delivery is handled via the UpLynk CDN, and the station aggregates national content through partnerships with Scripps News Group and the Associated Press. Underlying technology is conventional broadcast and digital media infrastructure with no disclosed AI/ML components; weather forecasting is explicitly positioned as human-verified meteorologist expertise.

WTVR-TV's revenue model is primarily advertising-driven across broadcast airtime and digital channels (display, pre-roll, sponsored content), supplemented by a small subscription-based weather alert notification service. Advertising is sold to local businesses, regional advertisers, and national brands, with quote-based pricing tied to time slot, reach, and placement — no public rate card. The station does not publish station-level revenue, and a secondary customer segment includes government and public agencies utilizing the station for emergency broadcast and public safety communications.

Name

WTVR-TV

Legal name

WTVR-TV

Website

https://wtvr.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WTVR-TV is a CBS-affiliated local television station in Richmond, Virginia, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It delivers local news, weather, sports, and community programming to the Richmond DMA via broadcast, web, and mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Television news programming
• Weather forecasting services
• CBS affiliate station
• Digital news platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

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: Traditional broadcast advertising including local spot ads, network advertising, and sponsored segments. The station sells airtime to local businesses, regional advertisers, and national brands reaching the Richmond DMA audience.
2. Digital Advertising: Website display advertising, pre-roll video ads, sponsored content, and digital marketing services on wtvr.com and mobile applications.
3. Communication Services Subscriptions: Optional subscription-based communication services for weather alerts and notifications via text messages, with automatic renewal terms as described in terms of use.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

WTVR-TV operates as a CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station serving the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area and surrounding Central Virginia communities. The station distributes local news, weather forecasting, sports coverage, and community programming through over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite carriage, a digital news website (wtvr.com), and native iOS/Android mobile applications, supplemented by national content from CBS Network and Scripps News Group partnerships.

Product overview

WTVR-TV operates as a local broadcast television station serving the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area as a CBS affiliate. The station's product portfolio centers on its WTVR CBS 6 broadcast channel, complemented by the WTVR.com digital platform and native mobile applications for iOS and Android. The core offering includes local news, weather forecasting (enhanced by the Storm Shield weather app), and sports coverage, supplemented by national content through Scripps News partnership. Key programming includes Virginia This Morning, the investigative Crime Insider series, consumer advocacy through Don't Waste Your Money, and community initiatives such as CBS 6 Gives and Building Better Minds. Live streaming and video-on-demand capabilities are delivered via UpLynk's CDN infrastructure. The station operates under The E.W. Scripps Company corporate umbrella, which provides shared technology infrastructure and content syndication through the Scripps News Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WTVR CBS 6 Broadcast Channel
• WTVR.com Digital News Platform Official website and digital news platform delivering breaking news, weather updates, sports coverage, and local community content with video streaming and live TV capabilities for Richmond-area audiences.
• WTVR Mobile App (iOS/Android) Native mobile news applications for iOS and Android devices providing real-time news alerts, weather forecasts with interactive radar, live streaming, and push notification capabilities for local audiences.
• Storm Shield Weather App Weather alert and forecasting mobile application providing severe weather warnings, interactive radar imagery, and location-based weather data sourced from the National Weather Service for Central Virginia users.
• Live Stream and Video-on-Demand Live television streaming and video-on-demand service allowing viewers to watch newscasts, weather updates, and special programming in real-time through the website and mobile app.
• Weather Alert Communication Services Optional subscription-based communication services providing weather alerts and notifications via text messages with automatic renewal terms for local subscribers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CBS NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWTVR operates as a CBS affiliate, broadcasting CBS network programming including national news, primetime shows, sports events (NFL, NCAA basketball), and entertainment content. The affiliation provides access to CBS national news coverage and branded content.
• National Weather Service (NWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationWeather data sourced from National Weather Service automated stations and COOP stations for Storm Shield app integration. NWS maintains the index of weather stations providing precipitation, temperature, and severe weather data.
• Scripps News GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent partnership for national and international news coverage. WTVR aggregates and rebroadcasts Scripps News Group content including investigative reporting, health coverage, and breaking national news.
• Associated Press (AP)coreTechnology or IntegrationNews content licensing agreement with Associated Press for news articles, photos, graphics, audio, and video material. AP materials subject to AP Terms and Conditions.
• The E.W. Scripps CompanycoreOthersParent company owning and operating WTVR-TV along with other Scripps television stations. Scripps provides corporate resources, advertising sales support, and operational infrastructure.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WEWS-TV: WEWS is a Scripps-owned ABC affiliate in Cleveland, operating under the same parent company as WTVR-TV with comparable local news, weather, and digital platform operations across broadcast and digital.
• WWBT: WWBT is the NBC-affiliated local television station serving the same Richmond, Virginia DMA as WTVR-TV. Direct head-to-head competitor for local news viewers, advertising dollars, and CBS/NBC sports rights in the market.
• WRIC-TV: WRIC is the ABC-affiliated local television station in Richmond, Virginia, competing directly with WTVR for local news audiences, weather viewership, and advertiser share in the same DMA.
• WXYZ-TV: WXYZ is a Scripps-owned ABC affiliate in Detroit, sharing corporate infrastructure, content syndication, and digital platform architecture with WTVR-TV.
• WGAL: WGAL is a Scripps-owned NBC affiliate serving the Lancaster-Harrisburg, Pennsylvania market, operating with the same corporate infrastructure, content syndication, and digital platforms as WTVR-TV.

Broad incumbents

• Nexstar Media Group: Nexstar is the largest U.S. owner of local television stations and a national broadcast peer to E.W. Scripps, competing for retransmission fees, network affiliations, and local advertising scale.
• Tegna: Tegna is a major owner of local TV stations and digital properties in mid-sized U.S. markets, operating with a similar station-group model focused on local news, weather, and community content.
• Gray Television: Gray Television owns and operates a large footprint of local broadcast TV stations across mid-sized U.S. markets, directly comparable to Scripps's local-station portfolio including WTVR.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Sinclair operates one of the largest portfolios of local TV stations in the U.S. and is a broad incumbent peer for Scripps in local broadcast operations, sports content, and advertising sales.

Others

• The E.W. Scripps Company: Scripps is the publicly traded parent company of WTVR-TV (NASDAQ: SSP). It is not a direct competitor but the corporate parent and most relevant benchmark for the station's operating economics, station-group synergies, and portfolio strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cbs6
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WTVRCBS6
• Facebookfacebook.com/cbs6wtvr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wtvr-tv
• Instagraminstagram.com/cbs6

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 WTVR-TV