What WISC-TV does

WISC-TV is a CBS-affiliated broadcast television station headquartered at 7025 Raymond Road in Madison, Wisconsin, owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media through its legal entity Evening Telegram Company. Founded in 1956 and operating as Channel 3 on the over-air dial, the station distributes via a multi-platform footprint that includes linear broadcast, the channel3000.com digital news site, the Channel3000+ over-the-top streaming service, dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications, a Roku channel store app, the Madison Magazine lifestyle publication (print and digital), and active profiles on at least eight social platforms including Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Bluesky. Its programming centers on local news, weather (proprietary 'First Warn Weather' system with radar, alerts, weathercams, and a dedicated app), local sports coverage (Wisconsin Badgers, Packers, Brewers, Bucks, and high school), investigative journalism via News 3 Now Investigates, and community segments such as 'In the 608' and 'For the Record.'

The company's core technology stack combines traditional broadcast infrastructure with digital news publishing, video on-demand streaming, and a weather data integration platform; no AI/ML capabilities, proprietary models, or developer-facing APIs are disclosed. Underlying infrastructure is operated by its wholly owned subsidiary Television Wisconsin, Inc., which in March 2026 filed FCC applications for three digital television translators (W25GK-D Madison, W22FR-D Janesville, W31FS-D Baraboo) to extend broadcast reach beyond the core DMA.

WISC-TV's revenue model is advertising-led. Top-line streams include traditional broadcast television advertising (local spot ads, sponsored segments), digital advertising on channel3000.com (display, native content, digital video pre-roll), tailored/privacy-enabled advertising delivered via partner networks using cookies and browsing activity, and recurring subscription revenue from Madison Magazine. Serving both end consumers (Madison-area residents seeking local news and weather) and B2B customers (local and regional advertisers and political campaigns), the business operates as a hybrid-segment local media property. Pricing for advertising and subscriptions is not publicly disclosed; rates are quote-based and vary by time slot, audience reach, and placement type.

Name

WISC-TV

Legal name

Evening Telegram Company d/b/a Morgan Murphy Media

Website

https://channel3000.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WISC-TV is a CBS-affiliated broadcast television station headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, owned by Morgan Murphy Media. Operating as Channel 3000 and News 3 Now, it distributes local news, weather, and sports across broadcast TV, streaming (Channel3000+), mobile apps, social media, and Madison Magazine to Madison-area residents and advertisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

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 industries

News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK), Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Television news
• Weather forecasting
• Digital news platform
• Lifestyle magazine

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: Traditional broadcast television advertising including local spot ads, sponsored segments, and promotional inventory sold to local and regional businesses.
2. Digital Advertising: Online advertising across channel3000.com including display ads, native content, sponsored articles, and digital video pre-roll.
3. Madison Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions for Madison Magazine lifestyle publication.
4. Privacy-Enabled Advertising: Tailored advertising services using cookies and browsing activity data delivered through business partners to target users with relevant ads based on interests.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WISC-TV (Channel 3000 / News 3 Now) is a CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station serving Madison and South Central Wisconsin. It delivers local news, weather forecasting (First Warn Weather), sports coverage, investigative reporting, and lifestyle content through over-the-air broadcast, the Channel3000+ streaming platform, mobile applications, OTT devices, and the affiliated Madison Magazine print/digital publication.

Product overview

WISC-TV (Channel 3000) is a local television news station in Madison, Wisconsin, operated by Morgan Murphy Media. The company's product portfolio centers on its core Channel 3000 news platform, which distributes content across multiple channels including a website (channel3000.com), over-the-top streaming via Channel3000+, mobile applications for iOS and Android, and an OTT app for Roku. Supporting products include Madison Magazine (a lifestyle publication), the First Warn Weather App and weathercam network for weather coverage, and email newsletter/alert services. The offering is a multi-platform media distribution model rather than a unified SaaS product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Madison Magazine: Lifestyle and entertainment magazine publication covering Madison, Wisconsin events, dining, arts, and local features

Products and services

• Channel 3000 / WISC-TV News Local television news station and website covering Madison, Wisconsin and surrounding areas, providing local news, national/world news, weather, sports, politics, crime, education, health, entertainment, and lifestyle content for Madison-area residents.
• Channel3000+ Streaming

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

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WKOW-TV: ABC affiliate serving the Madison, Wisconsin DMA. Head-to-head competitor of WISC-TV in the same Madison market, competing for local news viewers, advertisers, and political ad share.
• WMTV (NBC15): NBC affiliate serving Madison and South Central Wisconsin. Direct competitor to WISC-TV for the same audience and local advertiser dollars across broadcast and streaming.

Regional players

• WBAY-TV: CBS affiliate serving the Green Bay/Appleton market in northeastern Wisconsin. Comparable network-affiliated CBS station operating under similar broadcast-plus-OTT-plus-mobile model in the broader Wisconsin region.
• WISN-TV: ABC affiliate serving the larger Milwaukee market. Comparable local TV station in Wisconsin with similar multi-platform distribution (broadcast, app, OTT streaming) targeting local news and advertising.
• WITI (Fox6): FOX affiliate serving Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin. Comparable network-affiliated local TV station with a strong news brand and digital/streaming extensions in an adjacent Wisconsin DMA.

Broad incumbents

• Sinclair Broadcast Group: One of the largest U.S. broadcast TV station groups, operating dozens of network affiliates across the country. Represents the broader incumbent station-group business model that WISC-TV operates within, though at meaningfully greater scale.
• Nexstar Media Group: The largest U.S. television station operator following its acquisition of Tribune Media. Provides scale benchmark for how affiliate station economics and ad inventory aggregation work in mid-sized DMAs like Madison.
• Gray Television: Large U.S. broadcast station group operating numerous network affiliates. Comparable as a strategic operator model that aggregates local TV stations, competes in ad sales, and invests in digital extensions.
• Tegna: Major U.S. broadcast station group after its station spin-off. Comparable as a network affiliate group with significant investment in digital news platforms — relevant for understanding how pure-play broadcast groups monetize OTT/digital alongside linear TV.

Others

• Morgan Murphy Media: Family-owned parent company of WISC-TV operating multiple television stations across Wisconsin and other states. Directly comparable as the strategic owner/operator; not a competitor but a structural analog for privately-held small broadcast group economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wisctv_news3
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/Channel3000
• Facebookfacebook.com/channel3000
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisc-tv
• Instagraminstagram.com/channel3000
• TikToktiktok.com/@channel3000_wisc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 WISC-TV