The station is a full-powered NBC affiliate operating as an independent commercial property. As such, KOMU 8 is the only major network affiliate in the United States that acts as a university-owned commercial television station utilizing its newsroom as a working lab for students. Recognized throughout the broadcast industry as the premiere training ground for television journalists, KOMU 8’s newsroom creates a real-life lab experience for students attending The University of Missouri prestigious School of Journalism.