Local 12
Local 12 (WKRC-TV) is a CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station owned by Sinclair, Inc., serving the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Tri-State market with news, weather, sports, and investigative programming distributed over-the-air, via cable/satellite, and through digital streaming and mobile apps.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Local 12 does
Local 12 (legal name WKRC-TV, operating under Sinclair, Inc.) is a CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, serving the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Tri-State market. Founded in 1949 and aligned with CBS since 1997, the station produces and distributes local news, weather, sports, investigative reporting, and entertainment programming. Its core technology stack consists of FCC-licensed over-the-air broadcast transmission infrastructure combined with cable and satellite carriage (including DirecTV and Dish Network) and a digital distribution layer comprising the local12.com website, iOS and Android mobile applications, a dedicated Weather Authority App, a SchoolWatch Portal, and authenticated live streaming. Branded sub-units include Local 12 Investigates, Good Morning Cincinnati, The Weather Authority, and The Script sports program.
The station's product portfolio spans five named offerings: the core WKRC-TV broadcast product, the Local 12 mobile app, the Weather Authority app, the SchoolWatch Portal, and Watch Live streaming. Local 12 maintains an active presence across Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, and distributes an email newsletter. Core partnerships include the CBS Network affiliation and ownership by Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: SBGI), one of the largest U.S. television broadcasting companies. Two community-level commercial partnerships are disclosed: with Hoxworth Blood Center (announced 2025-11-17) for ongoing donor-recognition programming, and with the Cincinnati Cyclones (announced 2026-07-04) for community blood drives at Heritage Bank Arena.
Local 12 generates revenue almost exclusively through advertising — both local and national placements across news, sports, weather, and entertainment programming — distributed across broadcast, cable/satellite, and digital streaming surfaces. Viewers access content free over-the-air or through third-party pay-TV and digital platforms; the station does not charge end users. The target customer base is a horizontal general-audience segment in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region seeking local news, weather, sports coverage, and community information. The station is privately held at the operating level; the parent Sinclair, Inc. is publicly traded on NASDAQ under ticker SBGI. No revenue, headcount, M&A, funding, or leadership-change data is disclosed at the station level in the source material.
Local 12 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Local 12
- Legal name
- Sinclair, Inc.
- Website
- https://local12.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Local 12 (WKRC-TV) is a CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station owned by Sinclair, Inc., serving the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Tri-State market with news, weather, sports, and investigative programming distributed over-the-air, via cable/satellite, and through digital streaming and mobile apps.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Local 12 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Broadcast Television
- NAICS
- 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)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Local TV Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAA)
Keywords
Where Local 12 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cincinnati
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Local 12 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Advertising Revenue: Local broadcast television generates primary revenue through local and national advertising placements across news, sports, weather, and entertainment content programming.
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Local 12 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Local 12 (WKRC-TV) is a CBS-affiliated local television station that produces and broadcasts local news, weather forecasts, sports coverage, and investigative journalism for the Cincinnati metropolitan area and Northern Kentucky Tri-State region. Content is distributed free of charge to viewers through over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite carriage, digital streaming, and mobile applications, with revenue generated primarily through advertising placements.
Product overview
Local 12 (WKRC-TV) operates as a unified local media platform comprising a CBS-affiliated broadcast television station and its digital properties. The core offering includes local news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming distributed across broadcast TV, a mobile app, and a weather-specific app. Additional modules include the SchoolWatch portal for school closing information and live streaming capabilities. The station serves the Cincinnati metropolitan area and surrounding Tri-State region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Local 12 Investigates: Investigative journalism unit of Local 12 focusing on in-depth investigative reporting
- Good Morning Cincinnati
- The Weather Authority
- The Script
Products and services
- WKRC-TV / Local 12 Broadcast Television Local CBS-affiliated television station serving the Cincinnati area, providing local news, weather, sports, entertainment, and investigative reporting content distributed free over-the-air and via cable/satellite.
- Local 12 Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android devices delivering news, weather updates, and video content to Cincinnati-area viewers on-the-go.
- Weather Authority App Dedicated weather application providing forecasts, radar maps, weather cameras, and climate data for the Cincinnati region.
- Watch Live Streaming Live video streaming service for watching Local 12 broadcasts and weathercasts online via local12.com/watch.
Companies that use Local 12
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Local 12 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Local 12 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Cincinnati CyclonesminorPartnership with Cincinnati Cyclones minor league hockey team for community blood drives. The station promotes and covers blood donation events hosted at Heritage Bank Arena, featuring segments on donor stories and community health initiatives.
- Hoxworth Blood CenterminorOngoing community health partnership featuring the 'Donor of the Week' segment highlighting blood donors. The station runs sponsored content promoting blood donation drives and Hoxworth Blood Center community events.
- CBS NetworkcoreLocal 12 operates as the CBS affiliate in Cincinnati, receiving national network programming including NFL games, major events, and CBS Evening News, while contributing local content to the network.
- Sinclair Broadcast GroupcoreOwned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the largest television broadcasting companies in the United States. Sinclair operates local stations across multiple markets and provides corporate infrastructure support.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Local 12 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Gray Television Stations: Gray Television operates a large portfolio of local TV stations that overlap with Local 12's business model, content mix, and reliance on network affiliation and local advertising.
- Nexstar Media Group Stations: Nexstar is the largest U.S. local TV broadcaster and operates comparable network-affiliated stations that compete with Sinclair-owned stations like Local 12 in many DMAs.
- Hearst Television Stations: Hearst Television operates network-affiliated local stations with the same broadcast-plus-digital strategy as Local 12, anchored by local news and premium network content.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group Sister Stations: Other Sinclair-owned local TV stations (e.g., WBFF, KOMO, WTTE) share the same corporate parent, business model, and operational playbook as Local 12, providing directly comparable operating benchmarks.
- Tegna Stations: Tegna operates a portfolio of network-affiliated local TV stations similar to Local 12, with the same advertising-driven business model and comparable distribution and content strategies.
Direct peers
- WXIX-TV: WXIX-TV is the FOX-affiliated local television station in Cincinnati, directly competing with Local 12 for local news viewers and regional advertising dollars.
- WLWT: WLWT is the NBC-owned local television station serving the Cincinnati DMA, directly competing with Local 12 for local news, weather, and sports audiences and the same local advertising budgets.
- WCPO-TV: WCPO-TV is the ABC-affiliated local television station in Cincinnati, competing head-to-head with Local 12 across news, weather, and sports content and the Cincinnati ad market.
- WSTR-TV: WSTR-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated local station in the Cincinnati market, providing additional direct competition for Local 12 in the same DMA.
Regional players
- WCET (CET): WCET is the PBS member station serving Cincinnati, representing the public/nonprofit local broadcasting alternative in the same DMA as Local 12.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Local 12 social profiles
Digital presenceLocal 12 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local 12 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Local 12 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local 12 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 Local 12
What does Local 12 do?
Local 12 (WKRC-TV) is a CBS-affiliated local television station that produces and broadcasts local news, weather forecasts, sports coverage, and investigative journalism for the Cincinnati metropolitan area and Northern Kentucky Tri-State region. Content is distributed free of charge to viewers through over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite carriage, digital streaming, and mobile applications, with revenue generated primarily through advertising placements.
Is Local 12 a public or private company?
Local 12 is a private company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Local 12 founded?
Local 12 was founded in 1949. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Local 12 based?
Local 12 is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.
How does Local 12 make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising Revenue.
Who are Local 12's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Gray Television Stations, Nexstar Media Group Stations, Hearst Television Stations, Sinclair Broadcast Group Sister Stations and Tegna Stations. Direct peers are WXIX-TV, WLWT, WCPO-TV and WSTR-TV. WCET (CET) is listed as a regional player.
Does Local 12 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Local 12.
What industry is Local 12 in?
Local 12's product category is Local Broadcast Television. 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 MPABACAA, Local TV Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains). Its NAICS code is 516120 and its SIC code is 4833.