What KDKA-TV does

KDKA-TV is a local broadcast television station licensed to serve the Pittsburgh designated market area (DMA), operating under the call letters KDKA since its founding in 1949 and currently branded as CBS News Pittsburgh. The station is owned and operated by CBS Broadcasting Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global, which provides it with affiliation access to the CBS network's national programming, news resources, and streaming infrastructure. KDKA-TV's core product is its linear broadcast signal delivering breaking local news, the First Alert Weather forecast service, and KDKA Investigations, an investigative journalism unit, supplemented by a KDKA+ sub-channel, dedicated sports programming covering the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, Pitt, and Riverhounds, lifestyle shows such as Pittsburgh Today Live and Talk Pittsburgh, and the Weather Watcher Network community engagement initiative.

Underlying technology consists of conventional over-the-air broadcast infrastructure (VHF/UHF transmission) combined with digital streaming through CBS News and Paramount+, plus a mobile application providing push notifications and on-demand video. Distribution is multilayered: direct over-the-air reception, mandatory carriage on cable (e.g., Xfinity) and satellite (DirecTV, Dish) providers, and self-serve digital streaming via Paramount+. The station maintains active social media presences across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for top-of-funnel audience engagement.

KDKA-TV generates revenue almost exclusively from advertising — primarily local and regional commercial airtime sold against its Pittsburgh-market audience, with cyclical upside from political advertising in election years. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; content is free to viewers. The station serves a single, geographically concentrated customer segment: residents of southwestern Pennsylvania (and adjacent portions of West Virginia and Ohio) seeking localized news, weather, sports, and investigative reporting. As an O&O within Paramount Global's portfolio, KDKA-TV does not raise independent funding and reports within consolidated corporate financials.

Name

KDKA-TV

Legal name

CBS Broadcasting Inc.

Website

https://kdka.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

KDKA-TV is a CBS-affiliated local broadcast television station serving the Pittsburgh DMA, owned by CBS Broadcasting Inc. (a Paramount Global subsidiary). It delivers local news, First Alert Weather, sports coverage, and investigative journalism to southwestern Pennsylvania viewers via over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite, and streaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

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

Rolling News & Breaking News Channels (MPABAIAH)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Local news programming
• Weather forecasting
• Investigative journalism
• Sports broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: KDKA-TV generates revenue primarily through television advertising, with businesses purchasing commercial airtime to reach the station's Pittsburgh-area viewers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KDKA-TV is a CBS-affiliated local television station that broadcasts breaking local news, First Alert Weather coverage, and investigative journalism to the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The station distributes content via over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite carriage, digital streaming through CBS News and Paramount+, and a mobile application, with a secondary KDKA+ channel providing additional programming.

Product overview

KDKA-TV (CBS Pittsburgh) operates as a CBS-affiliated local television station serving the Pittsburgh market. The station's core product is its broadcast television service delivering breaking local news, First Alert Weather, and investigative journalism. Key products include the main KDKA-TV broadcast channel and KDKA+ sub-brand for additional programming. Supporting features include First Alert Weather (the weather forecasting brand with dedicated meteorologists), KDKA Investigations (investigative journalism unit), Pittsburgh Today Live (morning/daytime talk program), and Weather Watcher Network (community weather reporting initiative). The station also offers a mobile application for news and weather access. Content spans local news, weather, sports (including Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, Pitt coverage), politics, health, entertainment, and business reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KDKA-TV (CBS Pittsburgh) KDKA-TV is a CBS-affiliated local television station serving the Pittsburgh market, providing breaking local news, First Alert Weather coverage, and investigative journalism under the CBS News Pittsburgh brand. Content is freely available to viewers via over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite, and digital streaming.
• KDKA Plus (KDKA+) KDKA Plus TV is a secondary channel offering additional programming and content distinct from the main KDKA-TV schedule, with its own TV schedule page.
• First Alert Weather First Alert Weather is KDKA-TV's weather forecasting service providing local weather updates, forecasts, and severe weather alerts, featuring the First Alert Weather Team.
• KDKA Investigations Investigative journalism unit producing in-depth investigative reports on local issues, government, consumer matters, and community concerns for Pittsburgh-area viewers.
• Pittsburgh Today Live KDKA-TV's morning and daytime local talk and lifestyle program covering news, community stories, cooking segments, and entertainment for Pittsburgh-area audiences.
• Weather Watcher Network Community engagement program inviting Pittsburgh-area viewers to share weather observations, photos, and storm reports to help monitor local weather conditions and support First Alert Weather coverage.
• CBS News Pittsburgh Mobile App Mobile application providing KDKA-TV viewers with access to local news, weather, live streaming, push notifications for breaking news, and on-demand video content.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 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 core.

• CBS NewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDKA-TV operates as a CBS-affiliated station, part of the CBS News network. The affiliation provides access to CBS national news coverage, special reports, and network programming while maintaining local editorial control for Pittsburgh-specific content.
• Paramount+coreTechnology or IntegrationKDKA-TV content is available for streaming through Paramount+, the CBS-owned streaming platform. This partnership extends the station's reach beyond traditional broadcast to digital-first viewers.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KDKA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/CBSPittsburgh
• Facebookfacebook.com/CBSPittsburgh
• Instagraminstagram.com/CBSPittsburgh
• TikToktiktok.com/@cbspittsburgh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kdka-tv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 KDKA-TV