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Baltimore, Regis & Kelly

R

rch66

In Baltimore, WBAL 11 (NBC) delays 'Live with Regis & Kelly' and airs it at 10am. However, in all the other Hearst NBC markets that have Regis rights, Regis airs at 9am, followed by the last hour of Today program, which is a lower rated hour of programming.

When it's 9am - you expect Regis to be one of the stations, but not if your stuck in the Baltimore market.

Does Hearst do the 10am Regis in Baltimore, because they figure WJLA 7 (ABC) from D.C. is on a lot of the market's cable systems, so they'll just do an alternative approach? (Note: over 40% of the cable HH in Baltimore market receive out of market signals as well - WJLA for the most part, and WPVI in Cecil County)

The way I understand it, the major NBC stations that have Regis rights (including WHDH 7(NBC) in Boston, WESH 2(NBC) in Orlando, KCRA 3(NBC) in Sacramento), can air the last Today hour at 10am, because their Regis rights were there before NBC wanted to add the 3rd hour. KPNX (NBC) in Phoenix airs Regis at 10, but it's not as much a concern, as with the time zone, everything is delayed there. Atlantic City's WMGM was an exception, because it was a submarket station, like Hagerstown's WHAG 25. WMGM lost 'Regis & Kelly' after Today show expanded, giving WPVI exclusivity. Disney, through it Buena Vista arm, influenced that to get it off a rival WMGM. If WJLA was Disney owned, I'm sure WHAG would have lost it as well.

Scripps has the "Regis & Kelly" rights for Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnatti ABC affiliates, and even in Cincinnati it competes against a Hearst NBC.

Wouldn't Scripps have the leverage to attain the 'Regis & Kelly' rights for WMAR? Disney should favor WMAR, as it would strengthen WMAR as an ABC affiliate and strengthen ABC's network programs on WMAR. Scripps needs a way to strengthen WMAR, as it fairs pretty poorly against WBAL and WJZ. Plus, it makes sense to have the live program to be live, atleast in the eastern markets, also, though they may view WBAL's 10am to be a better clearance than WMAR at 9am, or atleast initially. If WMAR were to build a better syndicated lineup, and improve their newscast, and it's not too far of a stretch, they wouldn't be so far behind - anything can happen with effort.

In San Diego, KUSI (Ind.) has the rights for 'Regis & Kelly'. Has McGraw-Hill's KGTV (ABC) ever tried buying the rights away from them? Their co-owned WRTV (ABC) Indianapolis, IN, which ranks as a larger market, has the rights for it, giving KGTV some leverage in the matter.

In Providence, the same thing happens as in Baltimore. Regis is delayed, b/c of the NBC Today show 3rd hour. Has Freedom's WLNE (ABC) ever pursued the rights for 'Regis and Kelly'? Freedom's CBS station in West Palm Beach has "Regis and Kelly'
 
rch66 said:
In Baltimore, WBAL 11 (NBC) delays 'Live with Regis & Kelly' and airs it at 10am. However, in all the other Hearst NBC markets that have Regis rights, Regis airs at 9am, followed by the last hour of Today program, which is a lower rated hour of programming.

The way I understand it, the major NBC stations that have Regis rights (including WHDH 7(NBC) in Boston, WESH 2(NBC) in Orlando, KCRA 3(NBC) in Sacramento), can air the last Today hour at 10am, because their Regis rights were there before NBC wanted to add the 3rd hour. KPNX (NBC) in Phoenix airs Regis at 10, but it's not as much a concern, as with the time zone, everything is delayed there. Atlantic City's WMGM was an exception, because it was a submarket station, like Hagerstown's WHAG 25. WMGM lost 'Regis & Kelly' after Today show expanded, giving WPVI exclusivity. Disney, through it Buena Vista arm, influenced that to get it off a rival WMGM. If WJLA was Disney owned, I'm sure WHAG would have lost it as well.

And WESH is a Hearst-Argyle station. Sister station WYFF/4 Greenville, SC, runs Regis at 9 and the last hour of the Today show at 10.
But another sister station, WXII/12 Winston-Salem, NC, runs all three hours of Today together (7-10) and shows Regis at 10.

WMAR has a long history of trailing WBAL and WJZ; I remember back when ABC was number one in the late '70s, and
CBS was number two, WMAR (then-CBS) was in third (no surprise, WJZ was number one) in prime time, one reason
(aside from frequent pre-emptions for Orioles games) CBS moved to WBAL in 1981.

In San Diego, KUSI (Ind.) has the rights for 'Regis & Kelly'. Has McGraw-Hill's KGTV (ABC) ever tried buying the rights away from them? Their co-owned WRTV (ABC) Indianapolis, IN, which ranks as a larger market, has the rights for it, giving KGTV some leverage in the matter.

In Providence, the same thing happens as in Baltimore. Regis is delayed, b/c of the NBC Today show 3rd hour. Has Freedom's WLNE (ABC) ever pursued the rights for 'Regis and Kelly'? Freedom's CBS station in West Palm Beach has "Regis and Kelly'
Click to expand...
 
rch66 said:
In Baltimore, WBAL 11 (NBC) delays 'Live with Regis & Kelly' and airs it at 10am. However, in all the other Hearst NBC markets that have Regis rights, Regis airs at 9am, followed by the last hour of Today program, which is a lower rated hour of programming.

When it's 9am - you expect Regis to be one of the stations, but not if your stuck in the Baltimore market.

Does Hearst do the 10am Regis in Baltimore, because they figure WJLA 7 (ABC) from D.C. is on a lot of the market's cable systems, so they'll just do an alternative approach? (Note: over 40% of the cable HH in Baltimore market receive out of market signals as well - WJLA for the most part, and WPVI in Cecil County)

The way I understand it, the major NBC stations that have Regis rights (including WHDH 7(NBC) in Boston, WESH 2(NBC) in Orlando, KCRA 3(NBC) in Sacramento), can air the last Today hour at 10am, because their Regis rights were there before NBC wanted to add the 3rd hour. KPNX (NBC) in Phoenix airs Regis at 10, but it's not as much a concern, as with the time zone, everything is delayed there. Atlantic City's WMGM was an exception, because it was a submarket station, like Hagerstown's WHAG 25. WMGM lost 'Regis & Kelly' after Today show expanded, giving WPVI exclusivity. Disney, through it Buena Vista arm, influenced that to get it off a rival WMGM. If WJLA was Disney owned, I'm sure WHAG would have lost it as well.

Scripps has the "Regis & Kelly" rights for Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnatti ABC affiliates, and even in Cincinnati it competes against a Hearst NBC.

Wouldn't Scripps have the leverage to attain the 'Regis & Kelly' rights for WMAR? Disney should favor WMAR, as it would strengthen WMAR as an ABC affiliate and strengthen ABC's network programs on WMAR. Scripps needs a way to strengthen WMAR, as it fairs pretty poorly against WBAL and WJZ. Plus, it makes sense to have the live program to be live, atleast in the eastern markets, also, though they may view WBAL's 10am to be a better clearance than WMAR at 9am, or atleast initially. If WMAR were to build a better syndicated lineup, and improve their newscast, and it's not too far of a stretch, they wouldn't be so far behind - anything can happen with effort.

In San Diego, KUSI (Ind.) has the rights for 'Regis & Kelly'. Has McGraw-Hill's KGTV (ABC) ever tried buying the rights away from them? Their co-owned WRTV (ABC) Indianapolis, IN, which ranks as a larger market, has the rights for it, giving KGTV some leverage in the matter.

In Providence, the same thing happens as in Baltimore. Regis is delayed, b/c of the NBC Today show 3rd hour. Has Freedom's WLNE (ABC) ever pursued the rights for 'Regis and Kelly'? Freedom's CBS station in West Palm Beach has "Regis and Kelly'
Click to expand...

The only problem here is that Hearst-Argyle has a long-term deal with Buena Vista, which is why you won't see "Regis & Kelly" going anywhere, even if WBAL airs the show at 10AM.

I don't know if anything will strengthen WMAR at this point, and the only way that will happen if Scripps were to merge with another company (or put new management in at WMAR) that can turn around their weakest performers.

As for KGTV-10/San Diego, actually, they used to air "Regis & Kelly"(when it was "Regis & Kathy Lee") but decided not to renew it in 1995 because of ratings and financial reasons.

In the case of WLNE, I don't see that station picking up that show, but WPRI-12 could pursue it if WJAR decides to drop the program.
 
It was reported in Broadcasting and Cable that WUTB My24 will be airing WTTG FOX 5's (D.C.) morning program beginning in September, as Fox notes an interest in D.C. news in Baltimore areas. I assume they mean areas like Columbia, MD - that BTW, already get D.C. channels on Comcast. It's only their co-owned DirecTV that isn't providing any D.C. channels there. Dish provides Channels 4, 7 and 9 into parts of Baltimore market.

Allbritton's newschannel is carried by Fios in parts of Baltimore market, but not on Comcast, who is intent on pushing a newsless CN8.

The main problem with Baltimore is it's in D.C.'s shadow. The local Baltimore residents who watch OTA, are used to the lower dial of fuzzy D.C. stations (Channels 4, 5 upto 9), and a clear picture on 11 and 13. Channel 2 was just a bad location - low VHF - considerably larger antenna needed, and at the end or beginning but separated by the other Baltimore stations, by 4 D.C. stations. Not to mention the changes from affiliations, and with ABC also available by WJLA - which everyone outside of Baltimore city/county and maybe Harford, but within Baltimore DMA, just watches WJLA 7 (ABC). Cecil County gets Philadelphia TV, and the eastern counties can get WMDT 47.

But, back on Ch.24- the Fox 5 morning program just makes WUTB seem less salable. I'd thought Fox could have sold the station to Scripps (who could have duopolied with WMAR to strengthen the two as atleast the 2 stations combined equals one station) , Hearst-Arygle or even now CBS could have duopolied it as well. H-A and CBS have MyNetwork affiliates, and three, have duopolies elsewhere.

Here's a wild thought: Hearst and Scripps, some time in the future, consider a trade of affiliations for WBAL and WMAR, given that ABC's network lineup is currently topping NBC's (and that Hearst and Disney are tight) Disney/ABC would be happy to move to stronger station, NBC would still have WRC 4 which would be even stronger because WBAL wouldn't be there. WMAR would just fill in as secondary station in the area, like WHAG, plus NBC could claim the Salisbury market exclusively (that WBAL would be dropped and WMAR is already dropped there). By claiming full exclusivity, they'd get the retrans revenue and be able to start a localized station there (like how ABC does in Monterey, CA etc., ) The only one upset would probably be WJLA.

Scripps has NBC affiliates in Kansas City and few other markets, and at this point, a network change might help WMAR. Not that it helped them in the past, but NBC's strong programs including Today show could help. The only problem is its easier to stick with the status quo, and that WBAL would have to add a network hour at 3pm of General Hospital that would conflict with Dr.Phil. NBC has one less network hour in the day while WBAL has an extensive syndicated lineup with Oprah, Dr.Phil, Ellen and Regis & Kelly. Just a thought. I'm surprised Hearst hasn't shown interest in purchasing WUTB.

Would the FCC permit Allbritton purchasing WMAR?
 
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