WDAZ-TV
WDAZ-TV is a regional broadcast television station serving Grand Forks and the Red River Valley, owned by Forum Communications Company, delivering local news, weather, sports, and community programming to viewers in North Dakota and western Minnesota.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersFargo, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WDAZ-TV does
WDAZ-TV is a regional broadcast television station serving the Grand Forks area and the Red River Valley of North Dakota and western Minnesota. It is operated alongside sister station WDAY-TV (Fargo/Moorhead market) under common ownership by Forum Communications Company, a privately held Upper Midwest media conglomerate. The station delivers local news, StormTRACKER weather forecasting and severe weather coverage, regional sports content, and community programming. Distribution spans over-the-air broadcast, cable and satellite carriage (DIRECTV, DISH), and a digital streaming/OTT surface branded WDAY Plus. Sub-brands include StormTRACKER (weather vertical), WDAY Cares (community partnership program with local non-profits), and WDAY Deals (an e-commerce storefront for merchandise and promotional offers). The FCC broadcast license carries the regulatory authorization for spectrum use, and editorial operations are run by News Director Jeff Nelson under General Manager Joshua Rohrer.
Revenue is generated primarily through the sale of television advertising slots and sponsored content aired during broadcast programming, supplemented by subscription or registration-based access to certain digital content and viewer contests/promotions such as the StormTRACKER Rain Gauge giveaway. Pricing for advertising is not publicly disclosed and is handled through a local sales team led by General Sales Manager Jen Gion. The technology stack is conventional broadcast infrastructure layered on the OneCMS content management system from InterTech Media LLC that powers the website and digital content publishing. There is no evidence of proprietary software, AI/ML capability, or differentiated technology IP beyond the licensed CMS. The customer base is primarily local residents seeking regional news, weather, and sports, monetized via advertising and complemented by community and sponsorship partnerships such as the Keystone Wealth Partners financial advice show.
WDAZ-TV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WDAZ-TV
- Legal name
- Forum Communications Company
- Website
- https://wdaz.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WDAZ-TV is a regional broadcast television station serving Grand Forks and the Red River Valley, owned by Forum Communications Company, delivering local news, weather, sports, and community programming to viewers in North Dakota and western Minnesota.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WDAZ-TV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.) (MPABACAE)
Keywords
Where WDAZ-TV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fargo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WDAZ-TV business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Television Advertising: WDAZ-TV generates revenue through sale of television advertising slots, sponsored content, and promotional materials aired during broadcast programming.
- Subscription and Access Services: Certain content or services may require a subscription or registration. The company reserves the right to modify, restrict, or discontinue access at any time.
- Contests and Promotions: The station conducts viewer contests and promotions with prizes such as StormTRACKER Rain Gauges. Viewers participate by registering and winners are selected through email notification.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
WDAZ-TV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WDAZ-TV is a local broadcast television station serving the Grand Forks, North Dakota area, delivering local news, weather forecasts (StormTRACKER), sports coverage, and community programming. It operates as part of Forum Communications Company's broadcast network alongside WDAY-TV (Fargo, ND), distributing content over the air, via cable/satellite, and through online live streaming. The station also operates a companion e-commerce deals platform (WDAY Deals) and a community partnership program (WDAY Cares).
Product overview
WDAY-TV and WDAZ-TV are local broadcast television stations operated by Forum Communications Company, providing news, weather, sports, and community content to viewers in the Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota areas. The stations operate as a unified broadcast operation with shared news teams, StormTRACKER weather services, and complementary community programs including WDAY Cares partnerships and the WDAY Deals promotional platform. Programming includes local news broadcasts, sports coverage, weather forecasting, and viewer contests.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- StormTRACKER: Weather forecasting and tracking service operated by WDAY
- WDAY Cares
- WDAY Deals
Products and services
- WDAZ-TV Broadcasting Local broadcast television station serving the Grand Forks, North Dakota area, providing news, weather forecasts, sports coverage, and entertainment programming through over-the-air broadcasts, cable/satellite carriage, and online streaming for Red River Valley viewers.
- WDAY-TV Broadcasting Local broadcast television station serving the Fargo, North Dakota / Moorhead, Minnesota market, providing local news, weather, sports coverage, and community programming as the flagship station of Forum Communications Company's broadcast network alongside WDAZ-TV.
- WDAY Deals Online deals and promotional platform offering local discounts, special offers, and station merchandise (including Championship Game DVDs) to viewers in the Red River Valley market.
Companies that use WDAZ-TV
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WDAZ-TV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WDAZ-TV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Keystone Wealth PartnersminorJohn Hagensen hosts 'Rethink Your Money with Keystone Wealth Partners' show on WDAY. The show provides financial advice content to viewers. John Hagensen is described as a 'reformed broker turned fiduciary' and manages over a quarter billion dollars for clients. Keystone Wealth Partners is a sponsor with airtime on the station.
- Local Non-Profits and CharitiescoreWDAY Cares is a community partnership program where WDAY partners with local non-profits and charities to promote and raise awareness of local events and causes. The program facilitates media partnerships, sponsorships, and PSA placements for qualifying community organizations.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
WDAZ-TV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TEGNA: Operator of a portfolio of network-affiliated local TV stations producing local news and digital content, comparable in advertising-driven model and multi-platform distribution strategy.
- Graham Media Group: Mid-sized U.S. broadcaster operating network-affiliated local TV stations with strong local-news focus and digital extensions, comparable in regional-market positioning and advertising-centric model.
- Forum Communications Company: WDAZ's parent conglomerate operating sister stations (WDAY, KBMY, KMCY), radio stations, and the Inforum news outlet across the Upper Midwest — comparable as a broader regional broadcast platform encompassing WDAZ.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Large U.S. broadcaster with extensive network-affiliated station portfolio and significant local news production capabilities across regional markets.
- Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. owner of local TV stations and operator of competing affiliates in many regional markets, providing a benchmark for network-affiliate broadcast economics and digital strategy.
- Gray Television: Major owner/operator of network-affiliated local TV stations across small and mid-sized U.S. markets, with comparable revenue model (advertising-driven) and digital-streaming extensions.
Regional players
- KFYR-TV: NBC-affiliated local TV station serving Bismarck, North Dakota — comparable regional network-affiliate broadcaster in the broader North Dakota market, although not in the same DMA as WDAZ.
Direct peers
- KVLY-TV: NBC-affiliated local TV station operating in the same Fargo/Grand Forks DMA as WDAZ, providing comparable local news, weather, and sports coverage with overlapping advertiser pool and audience.
- KVRR-TV: FOX-affiliated local TV station serving the Fargo/Grand Forks region, competing directly with WDAZ for the same local ad budgets and viewer attention across news and weather content.
- KXJB-TV: CBS-affiliated local TV station in the Fargo/Grand Forks DMA offering parallel news, weather, and sports coverage, competing for the same regional advertiser set as WDAZ.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WDAZ-TV social profiles
Digital presenceWDAZ-TV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WDAZ-TV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
WDAZ-TV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WDAZ-TV 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 WDAZ-TV
What does WDAZ-TV do?
WDAZ-TV is a local broadcast television station serving the Grand Forks, North Dakota area, delivering local news, weather forecasts (StormTRACKER), sports coverage, and community programming. It operates as part of Forum Communications Company's broadcast network alongside WDAY-TV (Fargo, ND), distributing content over the air, via cable/satellite, and through online live streaming. The station also operates a companion e-commerce deals platform (WDAY Deals) and a community partnership program (WDAY Cares).
Is WDAZ-TV a public or private company?
WDAZ-TV is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WDAZ-TV founded?
WDAZ-TV was founded in 1983. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WDAZ-TV based?
WDAZ-TV is headquartered in Fargo, United States, in the North America region.
How does WDAZ-TV make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Television Advertising is the primary driver. The others are subscription and Access Services and contests and Promotions.
Who are WDAZ-TV's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are TEGNA, Graham Media Group, Forum Communications Company, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Nexstar Media Group and Gray Television. KFYR-TV is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are KVLY-TV, KVRR-TV and KXJB-TV.
Does WDAZ-TV have an API?
No public API is recorded for WDAZ-TV.
What industry is WDAZ-TV in?
WDAZ-TV's product category is Television Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAE, Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.). Its NAICS code is 51612 and its SIC code is 4833.