WHBF

Station Profile

Nexstar Broadcasting Group acquired WHBF-TV, the CBS affiliate, from Citadel Communications on September 16, 2013. WHBF-TV signed on in July 1950, the fifth station in Illinois and the first outside Chicago. In its 63-year history, WHBF-TV has continued to improve and innovate, keeping pace with the ever-changing technology and growing Quad City community. The station has been a pioneer in positive community advocacy. In 2012, WHBF-TV became the seventh television station in the United States and the only television in the Quad Cities market to earn the designation of “Storm Ready” from the National Weather Service.

The station and its employees participate in affirmative, meaningful events and activities that help foster a positive self-image for all the Quad Cities which gave rise to the station’s tagline “Local 4 You”. In news, the station emphasizes “hyper-local” coverage and produces more than nearly 25 hours of News and Public Service programming each week. The station commitment is also reflected in the nearly $1 million in on-air inventory it devotes quarterly to local public service organizations and community events. That same local focus carries into sales, where the station provides unique solutions to advertisers’ needs, through traditional advertising, special projects, mobile opportunities, and web initiatives, created specifically to deliver results.

Since its inception, WHBF-TV has been an affiliate of CBS, America’s most watched television network. Syndicated fare includes Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, and The Drew Barrymore Show. The station also carries sports programming affiliated with regional sports interests like the Green Bay Packers and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. WHBF-TV also broadcasts Court TV on 4.2, Grit TV on 4.3, and Mystery TV on 4.4.

In 2018, WHBF launched LIVING LOCAL, a locally-produced, half-hour show designed to identify and illuminate for our viewers the lifestyle issues we all face. Hosts Brandy Auterson and Tristan Tapscott talk to local experts to enlighten and educate our viewers on the local solutions available to them.

Market Profile

Davenport, IA – Rock Island / Moline, IL is in the 104th largest DMA in the United States, with a population of approximately 644,800 and 301,920 television households, as reported by Nielsen Media.

Cable / ADS penetration in the market is estimated to be 79.5%; 39% wired and 40.5% ADS. Major employers include Arconic, Kraft and Exelon. The Quad Cities also serves as world headquarters for John Deere and home to the Rock Island Arsenal, a major military installation. The scenic Mississippi River joins Iowa and Illinois while Interstate 80 and Quad Cities International Airport provide transportation opportunities to either coast. The Quad Cities is home to the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic Golf Tournament, held annually in Silvis, IL and televised on the CBS television network. In 2013, Modern Woodmen Park, nestled along the Mississippi River, was voted best Minor League Ball Park in America in a USA Today poll.