WHIG-TV

What WHIG-TV does

WHIG-TV is an independent community television broadcast station headquartered at the Gateway Technology Center on the North Carolina Wesleyan University campus in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Founded in 1997 by philanthropist Herbert Greenberg and operated by RSS Media Marketing LLC, the station has provided over 25 years of continuous service to the Rocky Mount, Wilson, Nashville, Tarboro, and surrounding North Carolina communities. Distribution is delivered via Optimum Cable (Channels 17, 19, and 919) and over-the-air antenna (Channel 30), with programming that includes children's educational and informational content and the locally produced cooking show 'Cuisine with Jean.' The station operates as an FCC-licensed broadcaster (WHIG-CD), maintaining quarterly FCC filings and a publicly accessible public file.

The company's core offering is local broadcast television, supplemented by a broad suite of video production and media services. Production offerings include business promotional videos, event coverage (concerts, sporting events, graduations, family reunions, birthdays, conferences, and seminars), multimedia consulting, legacy media transfer (VHS and DVD-to-digital), and digital encoding and compatibility services. The underlying technology is a conventional television broadcast infrastructure with video production capabilities; no proprietary AI, software, or platform technology is disclosed. There is no mobile app, public API, or SDK offering, and the company's digital presence is centered on its corporate website (whigtv.com).

WHIG-TV operates a sales-led go-to-market motion, generating revenue through three primary streams: (1) advertising and air-time sales to local businesses seeking to reach community audiences, (2) production services fees for custom video work, and (3) programming sponsorships (e.g., Davenport Autopark sponsoring 'Cuisine with Jean'). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with packages customized to advertiser budgets and multi-year contract options. The company targets three primary customer segments — local SMBs, community/nonprofit organizations (churches and civic groups), and educational institutions — and is led by a small executive team comprising President Sandra Smith, Director of HR and Finance Brittany Smith Morris, and Production Director Robert Morris. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or external investment has been disclosed.

Name

WHIG-TV

Legal name

RSS Media Marketing LLC

Website

https://whigtv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WHIG-TV is an independent community television broadcast station in Rocky Mount, NC, serving local SMBs, churches, schools, and civic organizations with FCC-licensed broadcasting, video production services, and original community programming across eastern North Carolina since 1997.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational/Public-Service Broadcast Networks (MPABAAAE)

Keywords

• Community television broadcasting
• Local video production services
• Event video coverage
• Media format conversion
• Broadcast advertising sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Rocky Mount

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: WHIG-TV generates revenue by creating and marketing messages for businesses to increase their customer base and recognition in the community. The station offers affordable media solutions and various advertising opportunities including promotional content, music videos, and web-based promotional material.
2. Air-time Sales: Sale of broadcast air-time slots for programming and advertisements targeting the Rocky Mount area and surrounding communities.
3. Production Services: Fees charged for video production services including business promotional videos, concerts, sporting events coverage, graduations, family reunions, birthday events, multimedia consulting, conference lectures, and seminars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WHIG-TV is an independent community television broadcast station that transmits children's educational and informational programming 24/7 on an FCC-licensed signal reachable via cable and over-the-air antenna in the Rocky Mount, NC market. Beyond broadcasting, the station sells video production services for concerts, sporting events, graduations, family reunions, birthday celebrations, business and group promotionals, conferences, lectures, and seminars, along with multimedia consulting and media conversion services such as VHS-to-DVD transfers, encoding, and format compatibility work.

Product overview

WHIG-TV is an independent community television broadcast station operating as a single-product broadcast media company. The station serves the Rocky Mount, NC area with television broadcasting as its core offering, supplemented by a comprehensive suite of video production and media services including promotional videos, event coverage (concerts, sporting events, graduations, conferences), and media format conversion services (VHS/DVD transfers, encoding, compatibility). The station also produces original programming content including the 'Cuisine with Jean' cooking show. Distribution is provided through cable providers (Optimum) and over-the-air antenna broadcasts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Television Broadcasting 24/7 over-the-air and cable broadcast of children's educational and informational programming to the Rocky Mount, NC market on an FCC-licensed Channel 7 signal.
• Broadcast Advertising Sales Sale of on-air advertising spots to local businesses and organizations wanting exposure to the WHIG-TV audience.
• Business Promotionals Custom-produced promotional video content for local businesses, designed for broadcast and web use.
• Group Promotionals Promotional video production tailored for groups, churches, civic organizations, and similar collectives seeking on-air or web presence.
• Event Coverage - Concerts Multi-camera on-location video coverage of concert events, with editing and broadcast/web delivery for the event organizer.
• Event Coverage - Sporting Events On-location video coverage of sporting events, including editing and broadcast/web distribution for leagues, schools, and organizers.
• Event Coverage - Graduations Video production and broadcast coverage of school and institutional graduation ceremonies.
• Event Coverage - Family Reunions Video production and coverage of family reunion gatherings for families and reunion organizers.
• Event Coverage - Birthday Celebrations Video production and coverage of birthday celebrations and milestone personal events.
• Conference Lectures & Seminars Coverage Video production and broadcast coverage of conference lectures and seminars for educational and professional organizations.
• VHS-to-DVD Transfer Service Conversion of VHS and other legacy videotape media to DVD format for individuals and organizations needing media preservation or format migration.
• Encoding & Compatibility Services Video encoding and format compatibility services ensuring client media works across target playback platforms and distribution channels.
• Multimedia Consulting Consulting on multimedia strategy, production planning, and content distribution for clients seeking expert guidance on media projects.
• "Cuisine with Jean" Original Programming In-house produced original cooking show airing on WHIG-TV, featuring local culinary content for the Rocky Mount viewing audience.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Davenport AutoparkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDavenport Autopark is a sponsor for the Cuisine with Jean cooking show segment on WHIG-TV. This represents a local advertising/sponsorship relationship where Davenport Autopark supports programming content in exchange for brand visibility.
• North Carolina Wesleyan CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Carolina Wesleyan College hosts WHIG-TV's offices and studios at the Gateway Technology Center on their campus. The station operates at the front of the university campus, suggesting a mutually beneficial relationship providing broadcasting infrastructure to the station while potentially offering educational opportunities for students.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gray Television: Major U.S. local broadcast group with stations across multiple states. Operates in similar business model — local TV advertising, regional production, FCC-regulated broadcast — though at vastly larger scale than WHIG-TV.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Large U.S. broadcast group operating local TV stations across many DMAs. Comparable in the broad sense of operating local broadcast stations with local ad sales and production, though Sinclair operates at scale across many markets versus WHIG-TV's single-market focus.
• WRAL-TV: Capitol Broadcasting's flagship NBC affiliate in Raleigh-Durham, with a regional reach that extends into WHIG-TV's broader NC service area. Comparable as a local-TV advertising and production operator, though at substantially greater scale and with network programming.

Direct peers

• WUNC Public Radio: NPR member station serving central and eastern North Carolina. Comparable as a noncommercial, education/mission-driven broadcaster operating in WHIG-TV's broader NC market, though radio versus TV distribution.
• PBS NC: North Carolina's statewide PBS member network offering educational and informational programming. Directly comparable to WHIG-TV's FCC-licensed, education-focused community broadcasting mission, though operating at a much larger scale.

Regional players

• WITN-TV: NBC affiliate serving eastern North Carolina (including the Rocky Mount/Greenville DMA). Comparable as a regional TV broadcaster in the same geographic area with local news and advertising, though a full-power network affiliate versus WHIG-TV's independent Class A license.
• WNCT-TV: CBS affiliate serving eastern North Carolina including Greenville and surrounding markets. Comparable as a broadcast television station with local advertising sales and regional production operating in WHIG-TV's adjacent market.

Others

• MetroNet (cable/streaming local content): Fiber/cable provider offering PEG (public, educational, government) channel carriage similar to how Optimum carries WHIG-TV. Comparable as a distribution channel partner for community broadcasters.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/whigtv

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 WHIG-TV