15 years ago today

[Jul]

WCAU-TV and KYW-TV switched networks. Channel 10 switched to NBC from CBS, channel 3 switched to CBS from NBC.

 

[Irishfl]

Looking at it today its rather clear that ch3 benefited more then ch10 from the switch. CBS is #1 or near #1, while NBC is wishing they had the ratings of the early 80's. CBS invested money into ch3, and got them to compete for the first time since the 70's, and a new state of the art building. Ch10 on the otherhand was beat going HD by wfmz. Every cent ch10 makes is taken by NBC.

This is really not how it looked when the changed happen. Ch3 didn't even make a big deal out of it. They remained kyw3 for a few more years, and CBS was in the middle of its "old people network" image. Ch10 on the otherhand started the switch off with new graphics, name change, new news studio, and a special 1:00AM edition of news 10. Ch10 had everything going for it with the powerhouse that was mid-90's NBC. Friends, Seinfeld, even getting NFL football back.

 

[imhomerjay]

It's "clear" today, but if cycles repeat themselves, what's "clear" a few years down the road may be entirely different.

 

[ding12]

This is really not how it looked when the changed happen. Ch3 didn't even make a big deal out of it. They remained kyw3 for a few more years, and CBS was in the middle of its "old people network" image. Ch10 on the otherhand started the switch off with new graphics, name change, new news studio, and a special 1:00AM edition of news 10. Ch10 had everything going for it with the powerhouse that was mid-90's NBC. Friends, Seinfeld, even getting NFL football back.

That's not exactly accurate. When KYW became CBS, the station added back the noon newscast, and added a 5pm newscast (later Dr.Phil became the 5pm program, and the 5pm newscast became a 4pm newscast), but this was the right at the affiliation change.

For a period in the 90's, Westinghouse-KYW was running "Hunter" and "Designing Women" reruns in the afternoon, had no noon newscast, at a time had local news only from 6-6:30 in the evening aside from the AM and 11pm newscast, and was pre-empting NBC programs.

KYW has a local name and asociation with KYW 1060 and there was no immediate need to de-emphasize the KYW 3 moniker. WJZ 13/Baltimore still uses a Westinghouse moniker as of today. CBS became relevant to younger crowds with Survivor, King of Queens, Raymond, but that's to CBS programming's credit, not to KYW.

NBC 10 became strong with investment at the station level and a strong NBC lineup, but weakened more recently, primarily because the NBC disinvested in itself (at the network level, and support for its stations).

 

[Bill_W]

And... it's almost taken me this long not to want to turn on channel 10 for NBC and channel 3 for CBS. (I'm only 41). It was harder for my grandmother in Boston (channel 4 & 7 did the same thing, I think the same day). WBZ in Boston was owned by Westinghouse and was NBC at the time.

 

[Irishfl]

That's not exactly accurate. When KYW became CBS, the station added back the noon newscast, and added a 5pm newscast (later Dr.Phil became the 5pm program, and the 5pm newscast became a 4pm newscast), but this was the right at the affiliation change.

For a period in the 90's, Westinghouse-KYW was running "Hunter" and "Designing Women" reruns in the afternoon, had no noon newscast, at a time had local news only from 6-6:30 in the evening aside from the AM and 11pm newscast, and was pre-empting NBC programs.

KYW has a local name and asociation with KYW 1060 and there was no immediate need to de-emphasize the KYW 3 moniker. WJZ 13/Baltimore still uses a Westinghouse moniker as of today. CBS became relevant to younger crowds with Survivor, King of Queens, Raymond, but that's to CBS programming's credit, not to KYW.

NBC 10 became strong with investment at the station level and a strong NBC lineup, but weakened more recently, primarily because the NBC disinvested in itself (at the network level, and support for its stations).

Ding a few things. what I meant by ch3 not making a big deal about it was they didn't go on an all out get the blitz spreading the word that they would be CBS. They covered it on the news of course, but if you didn't watch ch3's news (which alot didn't) and tuned in once a week for "must see tv" Thursday you were in for a surprise. It was a your watching KYW-3 BTW we're a CBS affiliate now.

Ch10 months in advance was non-stop promoting the change. Airing promos of NBC fall shows during the middle of CBS programing. Got big stars from NBC shows to do tv promos, dressed up septa busses, had a live affiliate switch newscast at 1:00am, changed its entire image. Bottomline ch10 was a different channel after the switch. ch3 was the same, just airing CBS programing.

I know why they used KYW, instead of going cbs3 right away. I wish they still would use kyw.

Survivor didn't start airing until 2000, and CBS didn't start winning the ratings war until around that point. in 1995 ch3 who had Friends, Seinfeld, ER, and many more hits, had such jems as Cybill, The Nanny, Murphy Brown, & Murder, She Wrote. All decent shows, but nothing to what NBC had at the time.

So I think its understandable that at the time most people would think ch10 was getting the better end of the switch, and for about 5 years that was true, but then NBC started airing all junk, CBS got good, NBC started losing money, and although ch10 makes millions, and could be run topnotch if independently owned, NBC took every cent, thus ch10 started losing talent, and an awful cycle was created inwhich ch10 was airing infomercials during the middle of the day for a while, and CBS3 was wasting money signing every big name local talent to a large contract.

However, as another poster pointed out "clearly" the state of ch10 and 3 could switch again. Only thing that is certain is ch6 will still be beating them both. j/k

 

[ding12]

Keep in mind NBC wanted a station in Philadelphia. NBC sold stations in Denver, Salt Lake City and a change in Miami, and didn't want FOX to have a VHF Ch.10, which would thus leave NBC left to pick up 29 or affiliate. NBC basically entered Philadelphia by buying WCAU, and wanted to make a splash.

CBS already owned a station in Philadelphia and was just trading in for KYW, and selling WCAU.

The one to look at is Fox 29. Fox has slowly built up Ch.29. Fox dealt with the cards it had (a UHF station). 29 now has newscasts in the mid-day, and a 5-6:30pm newscast, just like a VHF network station elsewhere.

Meanwhile, NBC has been irregular with Ch.10, at times making some dumb programming moves. Running Deal or No Deal, with a Paid programming at 12:30 last year was a big waste in the lineup, and what was up with a 4pm newscast converted to a lifestyle show back to a 4pm newscast.

I think the "CBS 3" was done (within the last 5-10 years or so) to identify KYW with CBS, as it's an important market (#4) to CBS. In Baltimore, WJZ remains as just "WJZ 13". Likely because it's a less important market (#26?) and 30-40% (Columbia, Annapolis) receive WUSA anyways or KYW (Elkton), so over there, it made more sense to stick with the local identity of the station.

 

[Bill_W]

I think the "CBS 3" was done (within the last 5-10 years or so) to identify KYW with CBS, as it's an important market (#4) to CBS. In Baltimore, WJZ remains as just "WJZ 13". Likely because it's a less important market (#26?) and 30-40% (Columbia, Annapolis) receive WUSA anyways or KYW (Elkton), so over there, it made more sense to stick with the local identity of the station.

Up in Boston, WBZ-TV was flipped to CBS4 and then back to WBZ-TV. Bolston is a top 10 market. It seems like the old Westinghouse stations would use call letters as IDs. Maybe because of the AM stations and now some FM stations again all sharing the same call letters.

 

[Sammi Brie]

Keep in mind NBC wanted a station in Philadelphia. NBC sold stations in Denver, Salt Lake City and a change in Miami, and didn't want FOX to have a VHF Ch.10, which would thus leave NBC left to pick up 29 or affiliate. NBC basically entered Philadelphia by buying WCAU, and wanted to make a splash.

I highly suggest watching KCNC's September 1995 "The Big Switch" special which dealt with the topic at hand WITHOUT making up lame excuses like WBZ and WAGA did at the time. And I quote: "NBC didn't really have much of a choice [in trading with CBS]. The network absolutely had to make sure people in a major city like Philadelphia would be able to see NBC programming. So they traded." CBS said what it wanted, and it quite clearly wanted KCNC; KUTV; and channel 4 Miami. (CBS pretty much knew its days on KMGH were numbered because McGraw-Hill I think by that point may have announced that they were flipping their remaining two stations to ABC.) The rest was all peripheral...and I don't quite know why they wanted KUTV, either.

 

[fybush]

CBS said what it wanted, and it quite clearly wanted KCNC; KUTV; and channel 4 Miami. (CBS pretty much knew its days on KMGH were numbered because McGraw-Hill I think by that point may have announced that they were flipping their remaining two stations to ABC.) The rest was all peripheral...and I don't quite know why they wanted KUTV, either.

KUTV and KCNC had come into the NBC family when GE bought NBC. KUTV just came along for the ride with KCNC - though it's also not hard to imagine that CBS might have wanted a Salt Lake affiliate less inclined to preemptions than KSL-TV.

 

[Sammi Brie]

CBS said what it wanted, and it quite clearly wanted KCNC; KUTV; and channel 4 Miami. (CBS pretty much knew its days on KMGH were numbered because McGraw-Hill I think by that point may have announced that they were flipping their remaining two stations to ABC.) The rest was all peripheral...and I don't quite know why they wanted KUTV, either.

KUTV and KCNC had come into the NBC family when GE bought NBC. KUTV just came along for the ride with KCNC - though it's also not hard to imagine that CBS might have wanted a Salt Lake affiliate less inclined to preemptions than KSL-TV.

Actually, VS&A Communications Partners had owned 88% of the station until NBC bought it in 1994.

 

[fybush]

Actually, VS&A Communications Partners had owned 88% of the station until NBC bought it in 1994.

Follow the money. VS&A is (was?) a private equity firm, and somewhere along the way GE Capital was involved in this transaction.