13 WREX is a local news and weather app for the Rockford, IL market that differentiates itself through its 'Storm Track 13' weather tools. While it maintains a high iOS rating, it faces a significant scale disadvantage compared to its primary rival, WIFR News, and is currently hampered by critical technical failures in its notification system. The app is positioned as a free, ad-supported distribution channel for Allen Media Broadcasting's local content.
Product velocity
Unknown
Daily rank 🇺🇸
—
News
Sentiment
4.5
291 reviews
Nemesis
WIFR News
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
For Residents of the Rockford, Illinois and Southern Wisconsin area who require timely local news, severe weather alerts, and regional sports updates.
Key features
Includes interactive radar, alert room, map room, and school/non-school closing information
Comprehensive reporting on news, crime, business, and education specific to the Rockford and Stateline area
Access to 13 WREX live broadcasts and on-demand video content
How much does it cost?
The app serves as a free distribution channel likely monetized through in-app advertising and driving traffic to the broadcaster's primary website.
Velocity
Who built it?
Allen Media Broadcasting
13+ apps tracked · News
WAAY StormTracker
Island Weather - KITV4
WIAA Sports Live
WTVA Weather
9 StormTrack
WTVA 9 News
Storm Alert Wx 7
27StormTrack
Action News Now Breaking News
WLFI-TV News Channel 18
WAAY TV ABC 31 News
Storm Team 10 - WTHI WeatherUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads frustrated. Users appreciate customization.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Customization
Unlock 1 more frustration theme, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for 13 WREX
How's the News market?
The rivals identified
By Gray Television Group, Inc.
WIFR (CBS) is the primary direct competitor in the Rockford, IL market, offering a near-identical feature set including local news, 'First Alert' weather, and live broadcasts.
- Significantly higher user adoption with over 1.3k ratings compared to WREX's ~200
- Dedicated 'First Alert' weather branding that competes directly with WREX's Storm Track 13
- More frequent technical updates addressing stability and notification reliability
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for 13 WREX
Where is it heading?
- Upset user base due to broken notification links—a core product function.
- Persistent technical debt (94% download bug) indicates lack of QA in recent releases.
- Recent updates focused only on 'bug fixes' with no new feature investment to counter WIFR's scale.
The SWOT
- Storm Track 13 weather branding
- High iOS rating (4.6) among core users
- Home page customization features
- Community engagement tools like 'Ask The Expert'
- Expanding news coverage to North and West Rockford areas
- Improving notification reliability to regain market share from WIFR
- Leveraging community engagement to build a more loyal user base than aggregators
Next best moves
Fix notification deep-linking architecture
+ 2 more prioritized movesFeature gaps
Standardized stable app templates (available in WIFR/Gray Television but missing here) +2
Bottom line
13 WREX has a strong brand in 'Storm Track 13' weather, but it is currently losing the technical battle to WIFR News. If I were the PM, I would halt all feature development to fix the broken notification-to-story pipeline, as this technical friction is sabotaging the app's primary value as a real-time news source.
Unlock 4 critical frictions, 3 market threats, 2 more prioritized moves and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeReport last updated