The Network Affiliation Changes Thread (main networks, subchannels, etc.)

[Tim from Springfield IL]

I decided to start a catch-all thread on the main National TV board for any news/discussion regarding network affiliation changes (including subchannel changes) occurring nationally. (Also speculation regarding potential affiliation switches can go here).

In Raleigh/Durham, it's official that NBC and CBS will be switching stations on Feb. 29--NBC going to WRAL-5.1 and CBS to WNCN-17.1. Interesting article concerning the switch:

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/techflash/2016/01/wral-out-at-cbs-wncn-in.html?ana=twt

And for those who missed it in the last few weeks--it is official that NBC is starting a Boston O&O and thus will be leaving WHDH-7.1. However, it doesn't seem clear from the stories I've read if NBC is moving to WNEU-60.1 or elsewhere starting next year.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/techflash/2016/01/wral-out-at-cbs-wncn-in.html?ana=twt

 

[frankberry]

This would be a market-by-market issue in most cases.
I suggest that you start a new thread in each market (or State) where the affiliation changes occur.
Since the great affiliation shift in 1994 (and I worked for New World Communications when they started the whole thing), not many groups have attempted an across-the-board affiliation change for all of their properties.

 

[KML0224]

Then there was the Group W swaps of 1994-95 in Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Group W needed to have all of their affiliates be CBS, I think because of them buying CBS. (They already had CBS in Pittsburgh and San Francisco.)

Imagine if the Raleigh/Durham situation happened in DMA #30, Hartford/New Haven? A strong dominant CBS affiliate for many years (WFSB-TV channel 3 of Hartford) and an NBC station which was third most of the time in a two-VHF market (WVIT-TV channel 30 of New Britain/Hartford). It's quite unlikely going to happen here since NBC owns WVIT-TV.

I know Media General is involved in the Springfield/Holyoke, MA DMA to our north. They own or control 3 of the "big 4" affiliates there. The exception is WWLP-TV channel 22 of Springfield.

 

[ChocoMingo]

I fear this may cause a new "big switch", and it's all Comcast's fault. However, I understand WRAL-WNCN switch isn't related, but Comcast wants to be in more big markets and it's going to cause a new "BIG SWITCH" like what happened in the mid-90's, and that we don't want and history can't repeat itself twice. Same goes for the WHDH switch, which also happened to WSVN in 1986, when they had to give up NBC in 1989 (Fun Fact: Taylor Swift was born in 1989, as everyone knows now because of her album).

By the way, I have a petition to save WHDH from change.org, it's right here:
https://www.change.org/p/nbcuniversal-keep-whdh-as-nbc-so-people-don-t-get-cable-next-year?recruiter=349982928&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

 

[K.M. Richards]

By the way, I have a petition to save WHDH from change.org, it's right here:
https://www.change.org/p/nbcuniversal-keep-whdh-as-nbc-so-people-don-t-get-cable-next-year?recruiter=349982928&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

You've mentioned that in the WHDH thread as well, and my comment there still applies.

 

[TVCOOL]

I signed that petition.

 

[JeeperOne]

By the way, I have a petition to save WHDH from change.org, it's right here:
https://www.change.org/p/nbcuniversal-keep-whdh-as-nbc-so-people-don-t-get-cable-next-year?recruiter=349982928&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

I don't think is neccessary because UNLESS Comcast is pulling out of Boston AS A CABLE PROVIDER, there's NO WAY Comcast/NBC can buya station in Boston (Or quite frankly anywhere else for that matter). The merger with Comcast KILLED that (And DOJ will remind them of that fact too)

But whatever trips your trigger I guess.....

Cheers & 73

 

[KeithE4]

I don't think is neccessary because UNLESS Comcast is pulling out of Boston AS A CABLE PROVIDER, there's NO WAY Comcast/NBC can buya station in Boston (Or quite frankly anywhere else for that matter). The merger with Comcast KILLED that (And DOJ will remind them of that fact too)

Comcast is the big cable company in Chicago, and they weren't forced to sell WMAQ-TV or CSN when they acquired NBC. I'm pretty sure they've already looked into that issue.

 

[ShawnHill1]

Hell, at least half of the markets where NBC owns a station, Comcast is the dominant TV provider in those respective markets, or at least is a major presence--Philadelphia (WCAU), Washington (WRC), San Francisco Bay Area (KNTV), the aforementioned Chicago, Miami (WTVJ), Hartford (WVIT). New York City is split mostly between Time Warner and Cablevision, with Comcast sprinkled in some areas, while both Los Angeles (KNBC) and Dallas/Fort Worth (KXAS) is mostly split between TWC and Charter with other providers spread around, and San Diego (KNSD) is a TWC/Cox split.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Comcast is the big cable company in Chicago, and they weren't forced to sell WMAQ-TV or CSN when they acquired NBC. I'm pretty sure they've already looked into that issue.

It's called grandfathering. Doesn't mean the FCC and DOJ wouldn't prohibit creating more such cross-ownership situations.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

In Philadelphia, Comcast already had the cable systems and WCAU, it later bought Telemundo affiliate WWSI and made it an O&O (despite being a rimshot to Philly).

 

[KML0224]

Comcast is in most of greater Hartford, but not all. Some towns have COX (i.e. Newington, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Manchester, Meriden and Southington) while some also have Frontier, who took over landline phone, DSL internet and some TV service from AT&T. Here in New Britain, CT it's Comcast and then Frontier. WVIT-TV (NBC) channel 30 of New Britain/Hartford, as mentioned, is an O&O affiliate (the only one in this market).

Then we'll have the mess that is NBC next year in the Boston/Worcester (Manchester) DMA.

 

[JeeperOne]

Comcast is the big cable company in Chicago, and they weren't forced to sell WMAQ-TV or CSN when they acquired NBC. I'm pretty sure they've already looked into that issue.

Except NBC owned WMAQ prior to the merger with Comcast. That won't apply in Boston (If it does, I think a number of people would be FLOORED)

Cheers & 73

 

[JeeperOne]

It's called grandfathering. Doesn't mean the FCC and DOJ wouldn't prohibit creating more such cross-ownership situations.

Nor does it mean the FCC and/or DOJ will allow Comcast/NBC to buy WHDH since it isn't an O&O (And wasn't at the time of the merger either)

Besides, what if Sunbeam isn't interested in selling ?? Do you REALLY think NBC will be dumb enough to shoot itself in the foot by moving to Channel 60 ?? I don't think so.....

Cheers & 73

 

[KeithE4]

Nor does it mean the FCC and/or DOJ will allow Comcast/NBC to buy WHDH since it isn't an O&O (And wasn't at the time of the merger either)

Besides, what if Sunbeam isn't interested in selling ??

All businesses are for sale... for the right price. That being said, they haven't shown any interest in selling WHDH. Yet.

Do you REALLY think NBC will be dumb enough to shoot itself in the foot by moving to Channel 60 ?? I don't think so.....

Cheers & 73

Would a PSIP channel number change be possible, say, to Channel 14.x? I'm not sure what the rule or FCC policy is regarding that. Looks like 2 thru 13 are all taken within 100 miles of Boston, and that would be the next lowest number.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Would a PSIP channel number change be possible, say, to Channel 14.x? I'm not sure what the rule or FCC policy is regarding that. Looks like 2 thru 13 are all taken within 100 miles of Boston, and that would be the next lowest number.

Generally speaking, the only time a station is allowed to have a PSIP which is a virtual channel number other than the former analog number is when overlapping signals cause tuners to have trouble locking in on the "right" channel. In those cases the FCC decides what PSIP number is to be used by the "younger" of the two stations.

This has actually resulted in a Channel 1 PSIP allocation, for KAXT-CD in the San Francisco Bay Area (COL San Jose); there, a low-power Class A station co-existed on channel 22 in the analog days with full-power KRCB-TV to the north (COL Cotati, up by Sonoma), but under digital there was enough overlap to cause a problem. The usual "fallback" is for the younger of the two stations to use its actual broadcast channel (42) as the PSIP, but that wasn't possible in this case because in-between the two was KTNC-TV in Concord, which was entitled to use its analog channel 42 for PSIP.

I referenced the KAXT matter in my comments to the FCC on the KVNV request to continue using "channel 3" even though its signal overlapped two other stations which were entitled by grandfathering to keep that PSIP number:
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/v...yw1Bk0yMSK!1451776194!741182017?id=7522294966

I know, more than you wanted to know ...

 

[vchimpanzee]

WLXI Greensboro NC, which was analog channel 61 and is now digital channel 43, uses 43 as its PSIP.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

From the Virgin Islands: WSVI lost its ABC affiliation on Dec. 31; it's now airing ION Television.

In a separate press release also issued on Wednesday, Innovative apologized for the recent abrupt switch that occurred when WSVI-Channel 8, the local ABC affiliate, was replaced with ION TV. Innovative said it did not receive timely notification of the switch and was unable to provide the mandated 30-day notification to its customers. The company was not officially apprised of the changes to WSVI-Channel 8 until December 31, 2015, according to the release.

“The company has worked closely with Lilly Broadcasting to acquire an ABC affiliate and that was achieved on January 5, 2016. ABC is currently on Channel 56 on St. Croix and Channel 4 in St. Thomas-St John until the channel realignment takes place on January 15, 2016 when ABC will air on Channel 14 in both districts,” said Graciela Rivera, vice president of Cable TV Services. “I want to thank our technical team for working quickly to resolve this matter. Once again, we sincerely apologize for any confusion this may have caused our valued customers.”

http://viconsortium.com/business/in...hannel-8-permanent-realignment-coming-jan-15/

DAVID LAMPEL-RUN WSVI-TV CHANNEL LOSES ITS ABC AFFILIATION, JUST IN TIME FOR THE BOWL GAME

Speculation that ABC would yank its affiliation with WSVI-TV Channel 8 has been rife since at least 2011.

And confirmation that it has finally happened came in the form of the programming that is being scrolled on Innovative Cable TV – there is no ABC programming scheduled for today.

For football fans, that includes the 2016 Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl between Michigan and Florida scheduled to kick off this afternoon at 2 p.m. local time.

WSVI-TV Channel 8 CEO David Lampel, a New York City resident, did not immediately return a request for information about the loss of affiliation with ABC.

Sources said that the current affiliation agreement between ABC and WSVI-TV officially ended at midnight on December 31, 2015 – which was last night.

Sources have also told the Virgin Islands Free Press that corporate ABC headquarters in New York had determined to move the ABC affiliation away from the Lampel-owned WSVI-TV at least two months ago if certain specific obligations were not fulfilled.

A source inside WSVI-TV said that the ABC affiliation for the Virgin Islands has been given to a company with staff in Richmond, Virginia and San Juan, Puerto Rico but that the transition to the new, more community-dedicated ownership would not take place in time for viewers to see their favorite bowl games on ABC/ESPN today.

Lampel is a radio disc jockey legend in New York. But his critics have argued that he had no previous experience running a television station prior to a heading up a group that took over the management of WSVI-TV about 20 years ago under the name Alpha Broadcasting.

Viewers of WSVI-TV have complained that the quality of the programming, including the production quality of its commercials and news programs, have greatly diminished under the stewardship of Lampel, especially in the last 10 years. Channel 8 has the lowest-rated news program in the territory.

But if you’re really desperate to see the 2016 Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, Channel 124/ESPN-U on Innovative Cable TV will be running the big football game at 1 a.m. Virgin Islands time on Jan. 2, 2016.

http://vifreepress.com/2016/01/davi...c-affiliation-just-in-time-for-the-bowl-game/

 

[JeeperOne]

All businesses are for sale... for the right price. That being said, they haven't shown any interest in selling WHDH. Yet.

But unless my limited understanding of the rules & regs is wrong, Comcast/NBC won't be on the list of buyers as long as it's in town as a cable company

Cheers & 73

 

[harrisburgpatv2]

Some slight changes in the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Lancaster-York market...........WLYH-TV, which has been CW since the CW began in 2006 (and was UPN for 11 years before that), is no longer CW. The channel moved to sister station WHP-TV as digital subchannel 21.3 (21.1 is the main channel, CBS 21, and 21.2 is MyTV Central PA) and rebranded as The CW Central PA (on WLYH it was CW15).

WLYH is now independent with their subchannels each moving up one - GRIT is now 15.1 and Comet is now 15.2.