What WQOW-News 18 does

WQOW-News 18 is a privately held local television station headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, broadcasting over-the-air on digital Channel 18.1 as the ABC network affiliate for the Eau Claire Designated Market Area. Founded in 1980 and operated under Allen Media Broadcasting (a subsidiary of Allen Media, LLC, headquartered in Atlanta), the station serves the Chippewa Valley region of western Wisconsin with local news, weather, sports, and community programming. Its sub-channel lineup — Court TV on 18.4 and Justice Network on 18.5 — expands the product surface using minimal incremental content investment, and ABC network affiliation is the core content contract that underpins the station's prime-time and sports offerings.

The station's product portfolio spans broadcast television, a BLOX Digital-powered website (wqow.com), native iOS and Android mobile applications, a website livestream, authenticated ABC.com streaming, email newsletters (breaking news, morning and afternoon weather), weather and traffic cameras, and on-demand video. Its 18 Storm Track Weather franchise is the most differentiated product, combining interactive radar, Storm Prediction Center data, HRRR model forecasts, severe-weather alerts, and dedicated meteorologist-led segments such as the 'Daybreak' morning show. Distribution covers over-the-air broadcast, regional cable and satellite carriage, and digital platforms, while community engagement programs — Tools for Schools, Jefferson Awards, Positively Chippewa Valley, and Multiplying Good — anchor the station's local brand.

WQOW's revenue model rests on three streams: local television advertising sold to small and medium-sized businesses in the Eau Claire DMA, recurring carriage and retransmission fees from cable and satellite providers, and digital advertising across its website, apps, and social channels. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base is bifurcated: local viewers (a free, ad-supported audience) and regional SMB advertisers seeking hyperlocal reach, with the Allen Media Broadcasting parent enabling shared ad inventory, ad-sales infrastructure, and digital media synergies across its Weather Group Television, Entertainment Studios Digital Media, Sports.TV, and Allen Media Digital siblings.

Name

WQOW-News 18

Legal name

Allen Media, LLC

Website

https://wqow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WQOW-News 18 is a privately held, ABC-affiliated local television station serving Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the Chippewa Valley region with local news, weather, sports, and community programming across broadcast, cable, mobile, and digital channels under Allen Media Broadcasting ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Local news programming
• Weather forecasting
• High school sports coverage
• Community journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Eau Claire

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: Local businesses advertise on WQOW through traditional commercial spots during news programming, sports coverage, and syndicated shows. The station also features sponsored content sections.
2. Subscription/Carriage Fees: WQOW generates revenue through cable and satellite carriage agreements with providers, earning fees for distribution of the broadcast channel and sub-channels.
3. Digital Advertising: Website advertising including display ads, sponsored content, and native advertising opportunities across the wqow.com digital platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WQOW-News 18 is a local broadcast television station (Channel 18, ABC affiliate) that produces and distributes hyperlocal news, weather, sports, and community programming for the Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley region of western Wisconsin. Its commercial offering bundles over-the-air and digital newscasts, an OTT livestream, mobile apps, email alert subscriptions, and the 18 Storm Track Weather forecasting service, monetized primarily through television and digital advertising plus cable/satellite carriage fees.

Product overview

WQOW-News 18 is a local television news station serving Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the Chippewa Valley region. The offering consists of the WQOW 18 News Website as the primary digital platform, supplemented by 18 Storm Track Weather for meteorological content, mobile applications for iOS and Android, live streaming via the WQOW 18 News Livestream (including ABC Network and sub-channels Court TV and Justice Network), email newsletter alerts, and community-focused programs including Tools for Schools, Jefferson Awards, and Positively Chippewa Valley. Sports coverage includes WIAA Sports Live broadcasts, while video content spans on-demand programming, recipes, and The American Athlete series. The station also provides weather cameras and traffic cameras for real-time monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WQOW 18 News Website The primary digital news platform (wqow.com) providing local news, weather, sports, health watch, entertainment, and community coverage for Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the surrounding Chippewa Valley area.
• 18 Storm Track Weather Dedicated local weather forecasting service featuring interactive radar, severe weather alerts, forecasts, weather cameras, and traffic cameras for the viewing area.
• WQOW Mobile Apps Native mobile applications on iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) providing on-the-go access to WQOW news, weather, and live streaming for viewers in the Chippewa Valley.
• WQOW 18 News Livestream Live streaming service allowing viewers to watch WQOW 18 News broadcasts online, including the 18.1 ABC Network main channel and sub-channels 18.4 Court TV and 18.5 Justice Network.
• WQOW Email Alert Subscriptions Subscription-based email alert service delivering breaking news, latest headlines, morning weather forecasts, and afternoon weather forecasts to subscribers in the Chippewa Valley.
• WIAA Sports Live Live broadcast and coverage of Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) high school sports events for the local Wisconsin market.

Segments2 records

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Allen Media BroadcastingcoreOthersWQOW-News 18 is owned and operated by Allen Media Broadcasting. Allen Media Broadcasting also owns multiple television stations and digital media properties including Weather Group Television, Entertainment Studios Digital Media, Sports.TV, and Allen Media Digital. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
• BLOX DigitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationWQOW's website and content management system is powered by BLOX CMS from BLOX Digital. This platform handles all digital content delivery, article publishing, video hosting, and website functionality for the station.
• ABC NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWQOW operates as the ABC affiliate for the Eau Claire market (Channel 18.1), carrying ABC network programming including national broadcasts, prime-time entertainment, and sports coverage. The station also provides ABC.com streaming access for authenticated viewers.
• Court TVsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWQOW sub-channel 18.4 carries Court TV programming, providing legal news and courtroom coverage to viewers in the Eau Claire market.
• Justice NetworksecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWQOW sub-channel 18.5 carries Justice Network programming, offering true crime and legal content to viewers.
• Discover WisconsinminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWQOW carries Discover Wisconsin programming, a regional travel and lifestyle show showcasing Wisconsin destinations and communities.
• CNNsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationWQOW sources national and international news content from CNN and CNN Newsource, including syndicated articles, video content, and wire stories from correspondents like Joe Yogerst.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• WDIO-DT (Duluth): WDIO is the ABC affiliate serving Duluth, Minnesota, with spillover coverage into northwestern Wisconsin. It shares the ABC network programming relationship and similar small-market broadcast economics with WQOW.
• WKBT CBS La Crosse: WKBT is the CBS affiliate covering the La Crosse–Eau Claire region of western Wisconsin. It competes with WQOW for overlapping audience share and local advertising dollars across adjacent DMAs.
• WXOW La Crosse: WXOW is an ABC-affiliated sister station under Allen Media Broadcasting, operating in the adjacent La Crosse–Eau Claire market. It shares parent ownership, content partnerships, and operational playbooks with WQOW, making it a highly comparable regional peer.
• Weigel Broadcasting: Weigel Broadcasting is a Chicago-based operator of local and regional stations including MeTV and other sub-channels. It is comparable as a similarly-sized regional broadcast group with multi-channel distribution strategies analogous to WQOW's ABC/Court TV/Justice Network lineup.

Broad incumbents

• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Sinclair is one of the largest U.S. local TV station operators, owning dozens of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates nationwide. It competes with Allen Media-owned stations like WQOW for syndicated programming, network affiliation economics, and regional ad sales.
• Nexstar Media Group: Nexstar is the largest U.S. television station operator with extensive ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX affiliate holdings. Its scale, advertising platform (Nexstar Digital), and network relationship economics represent the broad-incumbent benchmark for stations like WQOW.
• Gray Television: Gray Television operates a large portfolio of local TV stations across small and mid-sized U.S. markets. Its focus on mid-market affiliates makes it a structural comparable to WQOW's operating model and audience profile.
• TEGNA: TEGNA owns a portfolio of local broadcast affiliates and digital properties (including VERIFY, Premion). Its mix of broadcast and digital advertising assets parallels WQOW's traditional-plus-digital revenue strategy.

Direct peers

• WEAU 13 News: WEAU is the NBC affiliate serving the same Eau Claire DMA as WQOW. It is the most direct local competitor, competing for the same advertisers, audiences, and weather/news viewership in western Wisconsin.

Others

• Allen Media Broadcasting: Allen Media Broadcasting is WQOW's direct parent company and operator of multiple local TV stations and digital media properties. It is comparable as the strategic and operational framework within which WQOW operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wqow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWZ6ll839N3RC2J5Uqlxg9g
• Facebookfacebook.com/wqownews18
• Instagraminstagram.com/wqownews18
• TikToktiktok.com/@wqowtv18

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 WQOW-News 18