WICS-TV
WICS-TV (NewsChannel 20) is the ABC-affiliated local broadcast television station licensed to Springfield, Illinois, serving the Springfield-Decatur-Champaign DMA with local news, weather, sports, and network programming via over-the-air, cable, and digital streaming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSpringfield, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WICS-TV does
WICS-TV is a local broadcast television station licensed to Springfield, Illinois, operating under the "NewsChannel 20" brand as the ABC network affiliate for the Springfield-Decatur-Champaign market in Central Illinois. The station delivers scheduled linear programming — network ABC content, local news, weather, and sports — over licensed over-the-air spectrum, with additional distribution via cable/satellite systems and owned digital channels including a live streaming feed and an over-the-air digital subchannel. The underlying technology stack comprises broadcast transmission infrastructure, a weather radar system, the BLOX Digital content management platform for the newsroom website, and live streaming delivery for the Watch Live product.
The station's product surface extends beyond linear broadcast into mobile and social: the Storm Team Weather App delivers branded forecasting to smartphones, while NewsChannel 20 maintains editorial presence on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram for short-form clip distribution. Feature content such as the Route 66 Road Trip series supports brand differentiation and audience engagement. Sister-station relationships with WRSP (Champaign) and WICD extend the content pool and transmitter footprint across the DMA, enabling shared production economics.
The business model is the standard local-TV dual-revenue structure: primary revenue comes from local and regional advertising sales to small and mid-sized businesses in Central Illinois, supplemented by retransmission consent fees paid by cable and satellite distributors carrying the ABC affiliate signal. The customer base is split between end consumers (viewers, reached free over-the-air or via cable) and advertiser buyers (local SMBs, regional brands, and political advertisers during cycles). No digital subscription or paywall is evident across the disclosed properties.
WICS-TV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WICS-TV
- Legal name
- WICS-TV
- Website
- https://wics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WICS-TV (NewsChannel 20) is the ABC-affiliated local broadcast television station licensed to Springfield, Illinois, serving the Springfield-Decatur-Champaign DMA with local news, weather, sports, and network programming via over-the-air, cable, and digital streaming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WICS-TV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Television Broadcasting
- NAICS
- 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 WICS-TV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Springfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WICS-TV business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Advertising Revenue: Local broadcast television generates revenue primarily through advertising sales to local and regional businesses, including direct broadcast spots, digital advertising on the website, and sponsorship opportunities for news segments and features.
- Broadcast Distribution: Over-the-air television broadcast reaching households in Central Illinois through traditional TV reception and live streaming services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
WICS-TV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WICS-TV (NewsChannel 20) is a local ABC-affiliated television station that broadcasts local news, weather, sports, and community feature programming to Central Illinois viewers. The station distributes content through over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite, website live streaming, and mobile applications, generating revenue primarily through advertising sales to local and regional businesses.
Product overview
NewsChannel20 is a local television news broadcasting station serving the Springfield, Illinois area. The offering consists of a primary broadcast news product delivering local, national, and world news via live television, online streaming (Watch Live), and digital platforms. Supporting features include a dedicated weather service with radar maps and the Storm Team Weather App, sports coverage, and special feature series such as Route 66 Road Trip. The station also provides content through social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NewsChannel20 Broadcast News The primary television news broadcasting brand providing local, national, and world news coverage to the Springfield, Illinois area. Delivers news content across multiple platforms including live television, website, and social media. Targeted at Central Illinois viewers and supported by advertising revenue from local businesses.
- Watch Live (Live Streaming) Live streaming video service allowing viewers to watch NewsChannel20 broadcasts in real-time online via the website and mobile applications. Provides digital access to broadcast content for Central Illinois viewers.
- Storm Team Weather App Dedicated weather mobile application providing real-time weather forecasts, radar imagery, weather guarantees, and storm alerts for Central Illinois viewers. Operates as a standalone mobile application available to the public.
- Local Advertising Sales Advertising sales services to local and regional businesses in Central Illinois. Includes direct broadcast spots, digital advertising on the website, and sponsorship opportunities for news segments and features. Targeted at SMB advertisers seeking to reach Central Illinois consumers.
Companies that use WICS-TV
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WICS-TV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
WICS-TV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ABC NetworkcoreWICS-TV operates as an ABC affiliate, carrying ABC network programming and contributing local news content to the ABC network ecosystem.
- WRSP (Sister Station)coreCo-branded news coverage with WRSP (Fox Illinois affiliate) on shared news stories in the Champaign area, with journalists filing stories for both stations.
- WICD (Sister Station)coreRelated television station under the same ownership, also serving Central Illinois markets. FCC information and applications linked on the NewsChannel20 website.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WICS-TV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WICD (ABC affiliate): ABC-affiliated sister station under common ownership with WICS-TV serving overlapping Central Illinois markets. It shares news operations and FCC filings and is the closest operational and structural comparable.
- WCIA-TV: CBS-affiliated television station based in Champaign, Illinois, operating in the same Central Illinois market as WICS-TV. It is the most direct local competitor for viewers, advertisers, and news coverage in the shared DMA.
- WRSP-TV: Fox-affiliated sister station co-located with WICS-TV's news operations in Champaign. It shares journalists filing stories for both stations and serves the same Central Illinois DMA under a co-branded news model.
- WEEK-TV: NBC-affiliated television station serving the Peoria-Bloomington market in central Illinois. Operates a comparable mid-sized-market local broadcast model with similar network affiliation economics and audience scale.
- WMBD-TV: CBS-affiliated television station in the Peoria DMA, providing similar mid-market local broadcast coverage in Illinois. Competes for regional advertisers and shares comparable audience reach characteristics.
Broad incumbents
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: One of the largest U.S. television broadcast operators with a portfolio of local stations. As a likely operator of WICS-TV under common ownership with WRSP and WICD, it serves as the broad incumbent comparable for station-group operating economics.
- TEGNA: Major U.S. local broadcast television group with stations in mid-to-large markets. Comparable in network affiliation economics, local news focus, and digital transformation initiatives at the station level.
- Nexstar Media Group: The largest U.S. owner of local television stations, operating across numerous markets. Comparable to WICS-TV in station operations, network affiliation economics, and advertising sales structure, but at vastly greater scale.
- E.W. Scripps Company: Diversified local broadcast operator running ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox affiliates across U.S. markets. Comparable in affiliate station economics, local news production, and the strategic shift toward digital revenue streams.
- Gray Television: Multi-market local television broadcaster operating stations across mid-sized U.S. markets. Comparable in operating model, market focus on mid-sized DMAs, and revenue mix of network affiliate advertising.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
WICS-TV social profiles
Digital presenceWICS-TV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WICS-TV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
WICS-TV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WICS-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 WICS-TV
What does WICS-TV do?
WICS-TV (NewsChannel 20) is a local ABC-affiliated television station that broadcasts local news, weather, sports, and community feature programming to Central Illinois viewers. The station distributes content through over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite, website live streaming, and mobile applications, generating revenue primarily through advertising sales to local and regional businesses.
Is WICS-TV a public or private company?
WICS-TV is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was WICS-TV founded?
WICS-TV was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WICS-TV based?
WICS-TV is headquartered in Springfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does WICS-TV make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising Revenue is the primary driver. The others are broadcast Distribution.
Who are WICS-TV's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WICD (ABC affiliate), WCIA-TV, WRSP-TV, WEEK-TV and WMBD-TV. Broad incumbents are Sinclair Broadcast Group, TEGNA, Nexstar Media Group, E.W. Scripps Company and Gray Television.
Does WICS-TV have an API?
No public API is recorded for WICS-TV.
What industry is WICS-TV in?
WICS-TV'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 51612 and its SIC code is 4833.