I'm not sure what the point of this is. GCU could easily air on 44 and the Suns could air on 3. GCU is not a major player in the college basketball world, especially when compared to ASU and UofA, and 44.2 is still a full-powered signal, piggybacked onto KPHO on RF 17. No harm would be done, and CBS would also be happy.
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GCU on 3, Suns on 5 & 44 again -- CBS can't be happy
- Thread starter KeithE4
- Start date
GCU paid for their time, same as the Suns. You may not like it, but anything that attracts a younger audience and has guaranteed time-buy revenue is ALWAYS going to win out over the CBS audience that is much older with a less exciting advertising base, figuring they'll tape the shows to watch tomorrow or catch it on P+.
checking the schedule for GCU, all home games not on national networks is on local TV
gculopes.com
GCU, Arizona’s Family partner for robust TV package - Grand Canyon University Athletics
Grand Canyon University and Gray Media announced a new television partnership that will establish Arizona's Family as the Official Home of GCU Athletics and ...
It doesn't matter whether or not I like it. It's between Gray and CBS, who I'm quite sure isn't pleased with their programming being bounced to overnights in Market #12. A contract is a contract, and Gray & CBS have a long-term deal that should be honored.
All I'm saying is that all three (GCU, the Suns, and CBS) can air on full-powered signals at the same time if Gray wanted to, even if CBS programming were to be moved to 44. Right now, KPHE/KAZF is pretty much a wasted resource, both in Phoenix and Flagstaff.
I'm not privy to the details of the affiliation contract between Gray and CBS, but there's no such principle as "pleased" when it comes to contracts. Either the affiliation contract allows for a certain number of preemptions for live sports, in which case those preemptions are part of the "long-term deal" which is indeed being "honored" - or the contract doesn't allow for those preemptions, in which case there would be a contractual remedy that would probably find both parties in court. And since we've seen no evidence of any court action, it's a reasonable conclusion that the contract does indeed allow preemptions, in which case there's no breach.
If CBS wants to try to find a better option for carriage in market 12, it can presumably make such an attempt whenever its current deal with KPHO is up. It's not going to go to KSAZ for obvious reasons, and Scripps has strong ties to ABC at KNXV, so the remaining options would involve either trying to dislodge NBC from KPNX or finding a smaller station with all the disadvantages that would bring.
If CBS wants to try to find a better option for carriage in market 12, it can presumably make such an attempt whenever its current deal with KPHO is up. It's not going to go to KSAZ for obvious reasons, and Scripps has strong ties to ABC at KNXV, so the remaining options would involve either trying to dislodge NBC from KPNX or finding a smaller station with all the disadvantages that would bring.
This morning on Good Morning Arizona they mentioned this and added that the Suns game tonight will be available on YouTubeTV since it is on CBS5 instead of 3TV. I think the of airing the Suns on Arizona's Family Sports is that it is also available in in Tucson and Yuma. Aside from YouTubeTV, considering 44.2 is on KPHO and I assume its Translators, I don't see much reason to air it on both 5 and 44 instead of just on 44 unless they are hoping to attract the viewers who were going to watch CBS Programming to the Suns game instead.
I'm honestly surprised they don't move the CBS Programming to a Subchannel in addition to airing it overnight. But I guess their contract allows them to preempt it to overnight.
I'm honestly surprised they don't move the CBS Programming to a Subchannel in addition to airing it overnight. But I guess their contract allows them to preempt it to overnight.
Yes, and it won't be blacked out, at least YTTV hasn't done so yet.
Right now, KAZF/32 airs 5th-tier diginets and infomercials on its subchannels. I think it would make much more sense to turn the KTVK and KPHO translators off and move that programming to KAZF, keeping PSIP 3.1 and 5.1. That way they could continue to air GCU, the Suns, and CBS programming as they wish, all on a full-powered signal. Not necessary to do this in Tucson or Yuma.
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OK, I'll buy that. I know NFL market stations preempt normal programming if their local team is playing on Thursday or Monday night (if the latter isn't airing on ABC). But that's usually one or two games a year. We're already talking three so far, and the NBA season is barely a month old.
I believe Gray and CBS just renewed their affiliation contract for another 10 years.
With the upcoming fustercluck that is sure to happen with the potential Nextstar (KAZT, locally)/Tegna (KPNX) buyout, NBC's future with KPNX may already be up in the air. Who knows? That's a mess for another thread.
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YTTV has no ability to "black out" specific programs. It's contracted to carry the entire program feed from the stations it retransmits.
At least tonight is the last scheduled time this season that the Suns will be on KPHO.
Not so fast. Tonight (2/2/26), Channel 3 is airing a GCU men's game, while 5, 12, and 44 are airing the Suns/Trailblazers game (local on 5 & 44, NBC's coverage on 12).
I believe it was reruns on CBS on Tuesday night so no big deal.
GCU is now a part of the Mountain West conference, which includes schools like UNLV and New Mexico