KCCI Des Moines
KCCI Des Moines is a Hearst-owned CBS affiliate television station (Channel 8) founded in 1955, delivering local news, weather, sports, and political coverage to viewers in the Des Moines and Central Iowa market across broadcast, web, mobile, and streaming channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What KCCI Des Moines does
KCCI Des Moines operates KCCI-TV (Channel 8), a local broadcast television station serving the Des Moines metropolitan area and Central Iowa. Founded in 1955 and owned by Hearst Television Inc., the station functions as a CBS affiliate distributing network programming alongside locally produced news, weather, sports, and political coverage. Its editorial scope emphasizes Iowa-specific coverage including the Iowa State Fair, RAGBRAI, the Iowa State Capitol, and the Iowa Caucuses, supported by a dedicated Storm Team 8 weather operation and an investigative unit (KCCI Investigates).
The product portfolio spans a flagship linear newscast (KCCI 8 News), the kcci.com web platform, iOS and Android mobile applications, a documentary-style video offering (Stitch), the Matter of Fact political program, and social video distribution on YouTube, Facebook, and X. Distribution reaches viewers through over-the-air broadcast, cable and satellite carriage (including DirecTV and Dish Network), the kcci.com digital site, and the Hearst-owned Very Local streaming platform. Operational technology centers on broadcast infrastructure and weather radar systems; no AI/ML, proprietary software platforms, or APIs are disclosed in available data.
Revenue is generated from two primary streams: television advertising (a mix of local spot sales and national advertising handled by Hearst Television) and footage licensing of an extensive digitized news archive to third-party producers. Pricing for ad inventory is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. With 11–50 employees, KCCI is a sub-scale operating unit within the larger Hearst Television portfolio, and its customer base is dual-sided — Central Iowa viewers (audience) and local/national advertisers (paying customers).
KCCI Des Moines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KCCI Des Moines
- Legal name
- Hearst Television Inc.
- Website
- https://kcci.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1955
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KCCI Des Moines is a Hearst-owned CBS affiliate television station (Channel 8) founded in 1955, delivering local news, weather, sports, and political coverage to viewers in the Des Moines and Central Iowa market across broadcast, web, mobile, and streaming channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KCCI Des Moines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Television Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)
- 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
- Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)
Keywords
Where KCCI Des Moines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Moines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
KCCI Des Moines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Television Advertising: KCCI generates revenue through local and national television advertising. Local businesses purchase ad slots during news broadcasts and programming, while Hearst Television handles national advertising sales across the broadcast network.
- Footage Licensing: KCCI and Hearst Television license historical and current video footage from their extensive archive to third parties for documentaries, productions, and other commercial uses. The archive contains tens of thousands of digitized news stories spanning decades.
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
KCCI Des Moines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KCCI Des Moines (KCCI-TV, Channel 8) is a Hearst-owned CBS-affiliated local television station that produces and distributes local news, weather forecasts, sports coverage, political reporting, and community journalism across broadcast television, a digital website, mobile apps, and streaming/social platforms for the Des Moines and Central Iowa market. Its offering includes dedicated weather services (Storm Team 8), investigative reporting (KCCI Investigates), political programming (Matter of Fact), and documentary video content (Stitch), with revenue generated from local and national advertising sales and footage licensing.
Product overview
KCCI Des Moines operates as a local television news station (KCCI-TV, Channel 8) owned by Hearst Television, offering a multi-platform news and entertainment portfolio. The core product is the KCCI 8 News broadcast delivering local and national news coverage. The station extends its reach through the KCCI.com website platform and KCCI News mobile applications for iOS and Android. Supporting products include the KCCI Weather Team 8 weather service with radar and forecasting tools, the Stitch video content platform featuring documentary-style storytelling, the Matter of Fact political news show, and the KCCI Investigates investigative journalism unit. Content is distributed across television, web, mobile apps, and social media channels including YouTube.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- KCCI 8 News
- KCCI.com
- KCCI News App
- KCCI Weather Team 8
- Stitch
- Matter of Fact
- KCCI Investigates
Companies that use KCCI Des Moines
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
KCCI Des Moines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
KCCI Des Moines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Hearst TelevisioncoreKCCI is owned and operated by Hearst Television, a major broadcast company. Hearst Television provides national advertising sales, technical infrastructure, content syndication, and operational support for KCCI and its sister stations.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KCCI Des Moines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tegna: Major US broadcast group with strong portfolio of Big Four affiliates in mid-sized markets, comparable to KCCI's positioning in Des Moines as a politically important regional station.
- Nexstar Media Group: Largest US TV station operator by audience reach and political advertising revenue; operates hundreds of network affiliates including in similarly sized Midwest markets, providing a public-market benchmark for affiliate-station economics.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Largest US TV station operator by station count; competes in similar mid-market DMAs with comparable network-affiliate business models, making it the most direct industry-scale benchmark for KCCI's revenue and valuation.
- Gray Television: Operates a large portfolio of mid-market network affiliates, including in Midwest DMAs with similar news-driven, politically active audiences — a comparable benchmark for local affiliate economics.
- Hearst Television (sister stations): KCCI's parent operates ~30+ local broadcast stations nationwide (e.g., WCVB Boston, WBAL Baltimore, KCRA Sacramento); sister stations use the same newsroom systems, sales infrastructure, and syndicated content, making them direct operational and economic benchmarks.
Direct peers
- WOI-DT (ABC affiliate, Des Moines): ABC network affiliate serving Des Moines and Central Iowa, competing head-to-head with KCCI for local news viewers, political coverage of the Iowa Caucuses, and local ad spend.
- WHO-TV (NBC affiliate, Des Moines): Directly competes with KCCI as another major-network affiliate in the Des Moines DMA, serving the same Central Iowa audience with comparable local news, weather, and sports coverage.
- KDSM-TV (FOX affiliate, Des Moines): FOX-affiliated local station in the Des Moines market, competing for the same viewer base and advertiser dollars in the Central Iowa DMA.
Others
- Very Local (Hearst streaming): Hearst Television's owned streaming platform that already distributes KCCI content; an adjacent, enabling platform relevant to KCCI's digital distribution and long-term OTT monetization strategy.
Regional players
- We Are Iowa (WOI/LOCAL 5 digital): Digital news brand tied to the Des Moines ABC affiliate; competes for the same digital/streaming audience as kcci.com in Central Iowa and reflects the multi-platform peer dynamic KCCI operates in.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KCCI Des Moines social profiles
Digital presenceKCCI Des Moines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KCCI Des Moines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
KCCI Des Moines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KCCI Des Moines 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 KCCI Des Moines
What does KCCI Des Moines do?
KCCI Des Moines (KCCI-TV, Channel 8) is a Hearst-owned CBS-affiliated local television station that produces and distributes local news, weather forecasts, sports coverage, political reporting, and community journalism across broadcast television, a digital website, mobile apps, and streaming/social platforms for the Des Moines and Central Iowa market. Its offering includes dedicated weather services (Storm Team 8), investigative reporting (KCCI Investigates), political programming (Matter of Fact), and documentary video content (Stitch), with revenue generated from local and national advertising sales and footage licensing.
Is KCCI Des Moines a public or private company?
KCCI Des Moines is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was KCCI Des Moines founded?
KCCI Des Moines was founded in 1955. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KCCI Des Moines based?
KCCI Des Moines is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.
How does KCCI Des Moines make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Television Advertising is the primary driver. The others are footage Licensing.
Who are KCCI Des Moines's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tegna, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Gray Television and Hearst Television (sister stations). Direct peers are WOI-DT (ABC affiliate, Des Moines), WHO-TV (NBC affiliate, Des Moines) and KDSM-TV (FOX affiliate, Des Moines). Very Local (Hearst streaming) is listed as an others. We Are Iowa (WOI/LOCAL 5 digital) is listed as a regional player.
Does KCCI Des Moines have an API?
No public API is recorded for KCCI Des Moines.
What industry is KCCI Des Moines in?
KCCI Des Moines's product category is Local Television Broadcasting. 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 MPABACAJ, Local News & Weather Stations. Its NAICS code is 516120 and its SIC code is 4833.