Best/Worst Network Affiliate Switchn

[spencerkarter85]

My best network affiliate switch of all time is:

KYW 3/Philly NBC to CBS (1995)
WCAU 10 CBS to NBC

My worst network affiliate switch of all time is:

WCIV 4/Charleston, SC NBC to ABC
WCBD 2 ABC to NBC

What's your best and worst affiliate switches.

 

[KML0224]

Best/Worst Network Affiliate Switches

The only one I saw as a negative was when WPXT-TV channel 51 of Portland, ME switched from FOX to WB in 2001. It left the Portland/Poland Spring market without an over-the-air FOX station for at least 1 1/2 years. As a result, an arrangement was made to have Super Bowl XXXVI from FOX air on WGME-TV (CBS) channel 13 from Portland. It was a lucky coincidence that the New England Patriots happen to be in the game. The WGME management insisted that the agreement was reached BEFORE it was know that the Patriots would be there. Today, their FOX affiliate is WPFO-TV channel 23 of Waterville, ME. That station was previously a PAX affiliate known as WMPX-TV.

Here in Hartford/New Haven, the old WBNE-TV (WB) channel 59 of New Haven became WCTX-TV (UPN), switching affiliations with WTXX-TV channel 20 of Waterbury. That occurred on January 1, 2001. Today, channel 59 is a MY affiliate while channel 20 became WCCT-TV, a CW affiliate.

Unlike the switch in Portland/Poland Spring, our network switches got little attention.

 

[landtuna]

In Phoenix it was the "Massacre of 1994":

KTVK (3) ABC to estrogen-fueled indie
KPHO (5) Great indie to C(BS)
KSAZ (10) C(BS) to Fox
KNXV (15) movie-based indie to ABC

 

[cwf1701]

Detroit was pure chaos. and if the switches in Toledo and Flint is taken into consideration, the list would be like this;

WJBK (2) from CBS to FOX
WNEM (5) From NBC to CBS
WTVG (13) from NBC to ABC
WNWO (24) from ABC to NBC
WEYI (25) From CBS to NBC
WKBD (50) from FOX to temporary IND to UPN
WGPR (62) from Bottom of the Barrel IND to CBS

 

[ajc_trw]

In Phoenix it was the "Massacre of 1994":

KTVK (3) ABC to estrogen-fueled indie
KPHO (5) Great indie to C(BS)
KSAZ (10) C(BS) to Fox
KNXV (15) movie-based indie to ABC

But KNXV was the FOX affiliate till then. I remember watching FOX 15 in Wickenburg off-air and was happy when it moved to 10 because the picture was clearer.

 

[landtuna]

In Phoenix it was the "Massacre of 1994":

KTVK (3) ABC to estrogen-fueled indie
KPHO (5) Great indie to C(BS)
KSAZ (10) C(BS) to Fox
KNXV (15) movie-based indie to ABC

But KNXV was the FOX affiliate till then. I remember watching FOX 15 in Wickenburg off-air and was happy when it moved to 10 because the picture was clearer.

I had forgotten (probably because there wasn't much Fox programming in the early days) but KNXV was a Fox affiliate from 1986-1995 and carried both Fox and ABC from 94-95.

 

[azumanga]

WGPR (62) from Bottom of the Barrel IND to CBS

Practically still bottom-of-the-barrel nevertheless.

 

[blue67ccm]

I always thought WRAL-TV/Raleigh-Durham was the benefactor of one of the best switches of all-time when they left ABC for CBS in 1985. They had survived the ABC growing pains of the '60s and enjoyed its heyday in the mid-late 70s to early 80s, and was always a strong local news presence. With WTVD being bought by then Cap Cities, thus becoming an ABC O&O, moving CBS to WRAL only made them stronger (better shows on CBS again by then, the NFL, NCAA Basketball, and later the Winter Olympics and Dave).

Losing the NFL didn't hurt WRAL like it hurt other CBS stations and they still are the dominant force in that market, which has always had a higher production quality value than similar markets through the decades. It's one of the best stations in the nation, and has been for a very long time.

 

[cd637299]

In Miami/West Palm Beach, on 1/1/89, was a massive switch, with SIX stations either changing affiliation OR signing on for the first time.

I don't think CBS got what they bargained for, when they bought former indie (later Fox) WCIX 6, whose tower was near Homestead, far south of the big boys on the Dade/Broward county line. They could not cause interference with Orlando's 6 or WPTV 5 in West Palm.

OTOH, WSVN 7 losing NBC (to WTVJ, then on 4) was likely the best thing that ever happened to them, with its large news presence. They grabbed Fox.

Then in 1995, 4 & 6 switched networks again, 4 to CBS (again), and 6 to NBC. 6 used two UHF channels in Broward to help their coverage; I believe ch 58 was already there when relaying 6, but NBC added ch 19.

All is well now in digital-land, where 6 can now have a comparable signal (using RF 31).

cd

 

[Charles1]

How about CBS moving from Channel 6 to Channel 58 in Milwaukee? At least initially CBS was stuck on the most insignificant UHF station in the market.

Other markets where a Big Three station came out on the way short end of the stick in the Great Fox swap:
St. Louis (KTVI-2 to KDNL-30, ABC); Greensboro-Winston-Salem (WGHP-8 to WXLV-45, ABC); Atlanta (WAGA-5 to WGNX [WGCL]-46, CBS). All of those could be argued as the being bad switches.

Another station that caught the worst of everything would have to be WNAL-44 in Gadsden, AL. Until WBRC-6 switched from ABC to Fox in '96, it was a semi-satellite of WTTO-21 in Birmingham, serving as the Fox affiliate for eastern and northeastern Alabama. Initially, Channel 44 landed on its feet, becoming the CBS affiliate for the area. After WBMG-42 in Birmingham upped its power and the Anniston/Gadsden market was collapsed into the Birmingham market, WNAL was sold and became WPXH, the Pax affiliate for central Alabama. The only problem is, Channel 44's OTA signal was barely watchable in Birmingham.

 

[charlestondxman]

WCIV was stuck with this switch. Albritton bought 33/40 in Tuscaloosa/Anniston, along with the new ABC in Jacksonville, WBSG to grab the ABC affiliation for those markets after New World got WBRC and flipped it to FOX. Part of their agreement was to flip WCIV to ABC, as that was their last NBC in the group.

WCIV definitely has not benefited from it. You already had the 800-pound gorilla of WCSC, They got ABC at pretty much a bottom for that network, while NBC was at the top of its game when it picked up WCBD. Channel 4 had an established anchor team (Jim McElroy, Vanessa Hill), but both left soon after the ABC switch.

They had trouble getting a team, and has always gotten the leftovers from the other Albritton stations. They have been stuck in a deep #3 for most of the time since the switch.

Charleston is one of the strongest CBS markets in the country with Live 5, and almost all of their shows are tops in the market. Even The Early Show, a couple years ago, was near #1. GMA had a few hundred people when they last visited 9 years ago. The Early Show visited after the Charleston fire, and they had to close large parts of downtown.

WCBD was not a well-run station at the switch, but just before it added a 5pm news, and moved Oprah to 4 from 5. They actually beat WCSC in that slot. They still had a quonset hut studio until 2002, but MG upgraded it. They even flirted for #1, but MG fired all their expensive talent and now it is a distant #2. They did get the advantage for the switch.

 

[Marckd]

Phoenix was done in several rounds - initially it was chaotic. Phoenix was before the switch a market with a great selection of local independents - 15 KNXV had an excellent independent schedule of cartoons, old sitcoms, recent sitcoms, movies, and Fox programming a couple hours a day and the syndicated Fox Kids - 5 KPHO had a similar format minus Fox with the same kind of shows but of course different particular ones. They were planning to be a WB affiliate in 1995 - KUTP had a mix of cartoons and recent sitcoms but also movies and talk shows as well. KUTP was to be a UPN affiliate in 1995 but for all intents and purposes all three stations were basically independents being each network covered only a few hours a day at most - All three stations were serving well. The Big 3 were fine - some preemptions but in moderation. Then the affiliation switches caused tons of chaos and were done in stages causing many shows not to be seen - but eventually things worked out well and a new station signed on in the end to fill a hole.

Phase 1 - September 1994
3 KTVK ABC to ABC minus several shows which moved immediately to KNXV
5 KPHO Ind. to CBS with a wierd mix of syndicated shows for a CBS station (cartoons at 5 to 7 AM for example)
10 KSAZ CBS to Independent - News intense format with low rate talk shows, some movies, and drama shows
15 KNXV Fox to Fox/ABC - While running Fox and traditional independent fare - some shows like Good Morning America adn Loving moved there in September due to channel 3 preparing to become an independent

Channels 12 and 45 unaffected

Phase 2 December 1994
3 KTVK ABC to ABC/Independent/Fox Kids - in preparation for affiliation switched to complete in January - KTVK dumped Saturday morning cartoons, Mike & Maty, ABC News in the evenings, and various other ABC shows and added Fox Kids Saturday and Sunday mornings, and more local offerings began
10 KSAZ Ind. to Fox - basically the same schedule as an independent with Fox programs in prime time and sports on the weekends added - shows like Jeopardy and Wheel would soon move to KTVK - ironic that as weak as KSAS was at the time they had no room for Fox Kids which went to KTVK early.
15 KNXV Fox/ABC to Independent/ABC - Now became an independent with Several hours of ABC shows a day mixed in. Also dropped Fox Kids and picked up ABC Satuirday morning cartoons as well. Added all of ABC News programs at this point. KTVK still ran the soaps except for Loving which was on KNXV - and prime time and sports.

5 KPHO, was already a CBS station by now so they were unaffected at this point and phase. 45 KUTP and 12 KPNX also were unaffected staying independent and NBC stations.


Phase 3 January 1995
3 KTVK ABC/Ind to WB/Fox Kids - Took WB Network but since they only had a couple hours a week KTVK ran that Saturday nights and when WB added a night they ran that Sunday - They took Wheel and Jeopardy from KSAZ and ran that in the 7 PM Prime time hour. They ran Fox Kids earlier in the afternoon with Oprah still in teh same spot. Took a bunch of syndicated shows like sitcoms and cartoons and ran those weekends. Most came from KNXV. Their plan was to manage a new sign on station that Fall and move most of these shows there.
5 KPHO -Now dropped cartoons - added more newscasts and became a more traditional CBS affiliate - Did still run some sitcoms though.
15 KNXV Ind/ABC to ABC - Now a traditional ABC affiliate - added as much news as KTVK had run prior to losing ABC. Still kept a couple high rated sitcoms - sold most opf their inventory to KTVK - Some of it they sold to KUTP - a couple shows went to KSAZ.
45 KUTP Ind to Ind/UPN - mostly unaffected but did take UPN as scheduled. Took a couple hours a day worth of syndicated shows from KNXV to mix into schedule as well.

KSAZ unaffected - completed their format transition back in December - Also 12 KPNX was unaffected except for losing American Journal to KTVK - Other than that KPNX remained virtually the same through all this.

Phase 4
KTVK WB/Fox Kids to Independent - Moved WB programs to new sign on 61 KASW ans well as most older sitcoms and movies and cartoons. KTVK kept running some of this on weekends. Fox Kids also eventually omed to KASW.
61 KASW Signed on September 1995 and was managed by KTVK - a traditional independent competing with 45 KUTP - Basically older sitcoms, older cartoons, old movies, WB shows, Fox Kids, and Kids WB. Played the role of KPHO prior to all these switches. While KNXV's role was divided between KSAZ and KUTP.

Eventually KSAZ got stronger shows once Fox bought them but Fox kids remained on KASW till that ended nationally.

 

[KeithE4]

Going back a few decades, the 1979 network swap between WRTV/6 (NBC to ABC) and WTHR/13 (ABC to NBC) Indianapolis was a win-win for both. The sale of Channel 13 (then-WLWI) by Crosley/AVCO to Dispatch certainly didn't hurt, though. Neither did the improvement of NBC's programming in the '80s.

 

[Marckd]

Actually I think Atlanta was a better switch - CBS moved to WGNX but WGNX's classic independent fare moved to Channel 69 WVEU becoming WUPA so Atlanta Viewers gained a new choice out of these switches. Same in Detroit - The CBS station would become a Fox Independent (I consider Fox stations independent due to the fact Fox is only a couple hours a day). ABC and NBC affiliates were inaffected. The Fox Fox station becomes a WB independent but keeps its same lineup munus prime time Fox shows. They even kept Fox Kids so they do not change significantly. Then you had WTBS with their independent schedule that was available nationally anyway. But 69 was a station noone watched and now was running many of the shows CBS would bump from 46 WGNX - So we actually gained more in Atlanta than we lost.

In Detroit NBC and ABC affiliates were unaffected. 2 WJBK would go from a CBS station with tons of shows missing to basically a news intensive independent with Fox in prime time and sports weekend afternoons. 50 WKBD remained virtually the same with their cartoons and sitcoms minus Fox Prime time and sports but they would keep Fox Kids as well. They got UPN. 20 WXON also remained virtually unchanged addin WB in prime time and Kids WB eventually. So both independent stations remained the same mostly. The gain was also ran WGPR 62. They went from virtually infomercials, wierd religious shows,a nd some low budget entertainment (if you want to call it that) to CBS programs and syndicated talk shows. They became WWJ TV and at least had a viabloe schedule - so we went from 5 choices to 6. 38 WADL remained very weak till a couple years back - Today they run alot of classic TV shows.

Cleveland also was more of a wash - WJW 8 went from CBS to Fox with a news intensive independent schedule - 19 WOIO simply took CBS shows and kept stronger syndicated shows, moving a few to partner 43 WUAB which would remain an independent taking both UPN and WB in 1995. They eventually stuck with UPN in 1998. The big winner was 55 WBNX. They went from being a station withy infomercials, low budget shows, and religion to a traditional independent. Initially they took weaker shows from WOIO (but still very viable choices), and Fox Kids and began to get ratings. They then began to buy stronger shows and surpassed WUAB eventually. They got WB shows in 1998 and eventually became the top rated WB station in the country - So in cleveland the viable choices went from 5 to 6.

Sad to say today noone has much of a selection off the air. Today its just talk and reality and some sitcoms and some infomercials and plenty of news. Today too many stations are programed like KSAZ, WJW, WJBK, KTVK, etc. Its surprising that when news intensive Fox stations began springing up in 1995 now are the norm for Fox statioons and now independents as well.

 

[Markxxx]

Going back a few decades, the 1979 network swap between WRTV/6 (NBC to ABC) and WTHR/13 (ABC to NBC) Indianapolis was a win-win for both. The sale of Channel 13 (then-WLWI) by Crosley/AVCO to Dispatch certainly didn't hurt, though. Neither did the improvement of NBC's programming in the '80s.

I heard the Minneapolis swap at about the same time was also a win-win. KMSP went from miserable ABC to very strong independent. WTCN went from so-so independent to strong NBC and KSTP went from NBC to strong ABC.

 

[KeithE4]

I heard the Minneapolis swap at about the same time was also a win-win. KMSP went from miserable ABC to very strong independent. WTCN went from so-so independent to strong NBC and KSTP went from NBC to strong ABC.

Being owned by Metromedia, I'm surprised that WTCN was considered a "so-so independent." Or had Gannett bought the station by the time it switched to NBC?

 

[Markxxx]

I heard the Minneapolis swap at about the same time was also a win-win. KMSP went from miserable ABC to very strong independent. WTCN went from so-so independent to strong NBC and KSTP went from NBC to strong ABC.

Being owned by Metromedia, I'm surprised that WTCN was considered a "so-so independent." Or had Gannett bought the station by the time it switched to NBC?

You're correct, WTCN really was only a so-so when compared to how strong an independent KMSP became. It probably just looks that way as KMSP was such a wash out as an ABC station it came back so strong as an independent. In fact later on KMSP dropped FOX as it wasn't up to KMSP's ability to program independently. KMSP later went with UPN the sold to FOX and became a FOX O&O later.

 

[bpatrick]

Metromedia still owned Ch. 11 in Minneapolis-St. Paul at the time
of the switch; from what I gather the station's real ratings gains
have been under Gannett.

Louisville: became a truly three-way competition when WLKY
was forced to go from ABC to CBS, which had been one of the
Eye Network's best markets under WHAS. Still is, with WLKY,
while ABC was able to move from Ch. 32 to much-stronger Ch. 11.

Dallas/Ft. Worth: repeats the Minneapolis situation in a way; although
I wouldn't call KTVT anything but a strong independent it hasn't done
too badly as a CBS o&o. In fact, I don't think WFAA is as dominant as
it once was, but that's due to other factors as well, like the breakup of
its legendary news "front four" of Tracy Rowlett, Iola Johnson, Troy Dungan,
and Verne Lundquist.

 

[aznyin]

WTTV (4, UPN) & WNDY (23, WB), both in Indianapolis, swapping affiliates in 1998. Loved WNDY-TV and it was lost from where I lived in Lafayette because the cable system there didn't carry UPN for some legal, technical reason. (It would be added in 2000).

 

[radiorob2.0]

We're going through a wild ride where I live, Evansville, Indiana. The owner of WTVW, a Fox affiliate for fifteen years and ABC prior, had a falling out with Fox. A deal was made with WEVV to place Fox on their subchannel. WTVW becomes a full independent as "Local 7".

Fox in this part of the country, for the most part, is now available on air only. Many cable systems only offer 44.2 digital only and not part of the basic cable package. It has gone as far as WEVV demanding Fox programming from adjacent markets signals be blocked on basic cable line ups if "Fox 44" isn't on the basic package. Direct TV customers receive "Fox 44" however a deal between Dish Network and WEVV stalemates so Dish customers are without Fox.