• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WGCL CBS46 plans to have a 3pm newscast

Why is CBS all the way up the TV dial at Channel 46? When Fox Television acquired NFL rights in 1994, it sent several markets into a realignment of network affiliations. CBS lost its long-time affiliation with WAGA Channel 5 in Atlanta, as well as in places like Detroit and Milwaukee.

Those stations didn't want to be without pro football so they affiliated with Fox and that left CBS scrambling for new affiliations. In Atlanta, it meant affiliating with Channel 46, in Milwaukee with Channel 19 and in Detroit CBS was forced off Channel 2. The network had to buy a station at Channel 62.

Of course, when TV broadcasting switched from analog to digital, these channel numbers simply became factors in branding. Few TV stations today are really on the channel they say they are. But since everyone knew these stations by their analog channel positions, they've kept them for advertising reasons. WGCL is really on Channel 19. WSB-TV is really on 32. WXIA is really on 10. But I'm sure most viewers have no idea.
 
In Milwaukee, CBS is on 58. CBS went with 46 because they were the only other station with a news division. They've spent the last 28 years trying to reinvent themselves in that department but they continue to trail the more established 2, 5 and 11.
 
Last edited:
It could have been worse. CBS could have wound up on Channel 69, which
it bought and operates as a CW station. They reached a down-to-the-wire
deal with 46. And don't forget: CBS moved from Channel 2 to Channel 62
in Detroit.
 
With all the changes Channel 46 is making, including new call letters, why not swap channel positions with co-owned Channel 17? CBS 17 sounds more credible and moves it closer to 2, 5, and 11 on the TV dial.
 
Firebird61 said:
With all the changes Channel 46 is making, including new call letters, why not swap channel positions with co-owned Channel 17? CBS 17 sounds more credible and moves it closer to 2, 5, and 11 on the TV dial.
Click to expand...
Cable position or streaming position that may vary on a case by case basis. I do not know how much relevance channel number have today. But I seen stations not emphasize their historical OTA channel numbers due to cable reasons and now marketing their streaming apps reasons.
 
On Comcast here, the OTAs are on most channel spots that don't match their virtuals (Ch. 46 is on 9 for SD, 233 and 809 for HD). The closest is in the 1000 range, where the last two digits are those of the stations' virtual.
 
Ccook55 said:
On Comcast here, the OTAs are on most channel spots that don't match their virtuals (Ch. 46 is on 9 for SD, 233 and 809 for HD). The closest is in the 1000 range, where the last two digits are those of the stations' virtual.
Click to expand...
This is true. And all of the local channels on Comcast are still in the same position they were in back in the early 90s. The old GCTV cable locals inside the perimeter and in DeKalb were on 16-25 to avoid the ingress from the off-air VHF signals of 2,5,8,11 but these eventually moved to where they are now post-fiber conversion in the late 90s.
 
bpatrick said:
It could have been worse. CBS could have wound up on Channel 69, which
it bought and operates as a CW station. They reached a down-to-the-wire
deal with 46. And don't forget: CBS moved from Channel 2 to Channel 62
in Detroit.
Click to expand...
Paramount should sell the Atlanta and Tampa stations to Fox or Atlanta station to Cox Apollo and Tampa station to Tegna
 
I'm quite aware that WAGA is one of Fox's best o&os. I was responding to a poster's idea of selling Channel 69 to Fox. I wish it would happen but realistically it won't.
 
bpatrick said:
I'm quite aware that WAGA is one of Fox's best o&os. I was responding to a poster's idea of selling Channel 69 to Fox. I wish it would happen but realistically it won't.
Click to expand...
IMHO CBS (Viacom) will hold on to 69 as a "safety channel" after Channel 5 leaving CBS to become Fox. I seriously doubt 46 will leave CBS but who have thought 5 would leave CBS?
 
bpatrick said:
I'm quite aware that WAGA is one of Fox's best o&os. I was responding to a poster's idea of selling Channel 69 to Fox. I wish it would happen but realistically it won't.
Click to expand...
I meant to a duopoly and change to MNTV away from WXIA's sister station WATL. CW might end up to either WPCH or WATL. If WATL joins CW, WPCH either remains indie or move Telemundo Atlanta into a full power station while dropping all of the syndies from WANF and WPCH while moving to WUPA and WATL.
 
Technically, Telemundo is on a full power station. WANF retransmits it on their subchannel tier (RF 19.8, 47.1 virtual).
 
Also this is the first day that Peachtree TV now airs a 10pm newscast competing against The ATL's 3 hour priemetime news block and WAGA's 2 hour late news block
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom