Holston Valley Broadcasting Corp.

What Holston Valley Broadcasting Corp. does

Holston Valley Broadcasting Corp. (HVBC Group) is a privately held regional broadcast media company headquartered at 222 Commerce St, Kingsport, Tennessee, serving the Tri-Cities market of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. Founded in 1965, the company operates 2 over-the-air television stations (WKPT-TV Channel 19 and WAPK-CD Channel 36) with a combined 12 digital subchannels carrying network content from MeTV, Cozi TV, Laff, ION Mystery, Start TV, Movies!, Story Television, MeTV Toons, Grit, Bounce, and Heroes & Icons. On the radio side, HVBC operates 4 FM stations (94.3 ESPN TriCities, 95.9 WRZK/The Hog classic rock, 98.5 WTFM adult contemporary, 102.7 WVEK classic hits) and 3 AM frequencies (1400, 1490, 1590) under the ESPN TriCities sports brand. The company also produces local Tri-Cities news content through the WTFM News Department, distributed across its owned radio and TV platforms.

The underlying technology consists of over-the-air broadcast TV and FM/AM radio transmission infrastructure with ATSC 3.0 capability, augmented by mobile apps on iOS and Android, individual station websites, and carriage agreements with cable operators (Charter, Comcast, BVU, Scott County Cable, Shentel, BTES, IMC-TV) and satellite providers (DirecTV, Dish Network) extending distribution reach across the region. The core technology differentiators are multi-platform broadcasting scale, a local news production operation, and digital subchannel programming breadth.

HVBC's revenue model is entirely advertising-based, with two revenue streams: television advertising sales across WKPT-TV and WAPK-CD subchannels, and radio advertising sales across its FM and AM stations. The go-to-market approach is sales-led, executed by a team of account executives led by President Kim Mitchell, Vice President/Sales Manager Scott Gray, and General Sales Manager Tiffany Hickman. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, varying by station, time slot, frequency, and package, with billing on a monthly cadence. The primary customer segment is local and regional SMB advertisers in the Tri-Cities market, with national network programming partners (MeTV, ESPN, Cozi TV, etc.) serving as content distribution counterparties.

Name

Holston Valley Broadcasting Corp.

Legal name

Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation

Website

https://hvbcgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Holston Valley Broadcasting Corp. is a privately held regional broadcaster in Kingsport, Tennessee, operating 2 TV stations with 12 digital subchannels and 7 radio stations (4 FM, 3 AM) serving local SMB advertisers across the northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia Tri-Cities market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Media

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ), Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Local radio broadcasting
• Broadcast advertising sales
• Television subchannel programming
• Local news production

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingsport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising Sales: Sale of advertising inventory on TV stations WKPT-TV (channel 19) and WAPK-CD (channel 36) including all subchannels. Advertisers can place commercials on air reaching over-the-air, cable, and satellite viewers in the Tri-Cities market.
2. Radio Advertising Sales: Sale of advertising inventory across radio stations including FM 94.3 ESPN TriCities, FM 95.9 WRZK, FM 98.5 WTFM, and FM 102.7 WVEK, plus AM frequencies. Revenue generated through on-air commercial placement and sponsorships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Holston Valley Broadcasting Corp. operates over-the-air television and radio broadcast stations serving the Tri-Cities market (northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia), delivering free broadcast content to consumers via 4 FM and 3 AM radio stations plus 2 TV stations carrying 12 digital subchannels. The company monetizes this local audience reach primarily by selling on-air television and radio advertising inventory to local and regional advertisers through a dedicated direct sales team.

Product overview

Holston Valley Broadcasting Corp. operates a multi-platform broadcasting portfolio consisting of 4 radio stations (ESPN TriCities, WRZK/The Hog, WTFM, WVEK) and 2 TV stations (WKPT-TV and WAPK-TV) serving northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. WKPT-TV broadcasts 8 sub-channels including Cozi TV, MeTV, Laff, Ion Mystery, Start TV, Movies!, Story Television, and MeTV Toons. WAPK-TV broadcasts 4 sub-channels including MeTV HD, Grit, Bounce, and Heroes & Icons. The company also operates a local news division (Tri-Cities Local News) and provides TV/radio advertising sales services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ESPN TriCities: AM radio station featuring ESPN sports programming for the Tri-Cities area.
• WRZK (The Hog)
• WTFM
• WVEK (Classic Hits 102.7)
• WKPT-TV
• WAPK-TV

Products and services

• ESPN TriCities Radio

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESPN (ESPN TriCities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorESPN radio programming distributed through FM 94.3 and AM frequencies 1400, 1490, 1590, serving sports fans in the Tri-Cities market with national and local sports content.
• MeTV (Memorial Entertainment Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClassic TV entertainment programming on WKPT-TV subchannels 19.2 and 19.8 (MeTV Toons), and WAPK-CD channel 36.1 (HD), featuring shows like M*A*S*H, I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, and westerns.
• Cozi TVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClassic sitcom and drama programming on WKPT-TV channel 19.1, featuring shows like Frasier, Roseanne, The Office, and Little House on the Prairie.
• Laff TVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorComedy network featuring sitcoms on WKPT-TV subchannel 19.3.
• ION Television / ION MysteryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorION Mystery crime drama programming on WKPT-TV subchannel 19.4.
• Grit NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAction and adventure programming on WAPK-CD subchannel 36.2.
• Bounce TVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfrican American broadcast network on WAPK-CD subchannel 36.3 featuring original series, movies, and off-network programming. Founded by Ambassador Andrew Young and Martin Luther King III.
• Start TVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrime drama programming on WKPT-TV subchannel 19.5.
• Movies! NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClassic movie programming on WKPT-TV subchannel 19.6.
• Story TelevisionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDocumentary and history programming on WKPT-TV subchannel 19.7.
• Heroes & Icons (H&I)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAction and adventure programming on WAPK-CD subchannel 36.4 featuring Star Trek marathons and dramatic series.
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission)coreOthersRegulatory partnership for broadcast licensing. Company holds FCC licenses for WKPT-TV, WKPT-CD, WOPI-CD, WAPW-CD, WAPK-CD, WKIN-CD, WKPZ-CD, and multiple radio stations.
• Charter SpectrumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCable carriage agreement for Cozi TV on channel 182 and MeTV on channel 183/703 (HD) in Tri-Cities service area.
• DirecTVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite carriage for Cozi TV (channel 20) and MeTV (channel 36) in the Tri-Cities regional market.
• Dish NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite carriage for Cozi TV (channel 19 HD) and MeTV (channel 36) reaching satellite subscribers in the region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sinclair Broadcast Group: One of the largest US operators of local TV broadcast stations and a multi-station broadcaster of network and diginet programming. Directly comparable operating model of owning and operating network-affiliated TV stations with subchannels, monetized through local ad sales.
• iHeartMedia: Largest US radio broadcaster, operating AM and FM stations in local markets with an ad-supported model. Direct functional comparison as a multi-station owner-broadcaster selling local advertising across markets.
• Nexstar Media Group: Largest US television broadcaster, operating local network-affiliated TV stations generating revenue primarily through spot advertising. Same core business model of monetizing local broadcast audiences via regional ad sales and affiliate relationships.
• Saga Communications: Owns and operates radio stations and TV stations in smaller US markets, focusing on local ad sales. Comparable as a smaller-market multi-station broadcaster with similar revenue model and geographic profile.
• E.W. Scripps Company: Operates local TV stations and radio networks across the US, monetized through advertising. Direct comparable as a multi-station local broadcaster with news content and ad-led revenue.
• Townsquare Media: Owns and operates local radio stations across mid-sized US markets, monetized predominantly through local and regional ad sales. Comparable as an operator of multiple station groups selling bundled local ad inventory.
• Gray Television: Operates local TV stations in mid-sized US markets with a focus on local news and advertising sales. Comparable business model of running network-affiliated TV stations with local content and ad-driven revenue.
• Bahakel Communications: Family-owned operator of local TV stations and radio properties in small and mid-sized US markets. Directly comparable as a privately held regional broadcaster monetized through local ad sales and network affiliation.
• Cumulus Media: Major US radio broadcasting operator running large station groups in mid-sized and small markets. Comparable as a multi-format radio group monetized through local ad sales, including AM properties.
• Emmis Communications: Operates local radio stations in mid-sized US markets, monetized through advertising. Comparable operator of multi-station broadcast portfolios serving regional audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holston-valley-broadcasting-corp.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Holston Valley Broadcasting Corp.