Back around 1986 the rumor mill starting buzzing with reports
that WSB was going back to NBC; WXIA had actually won a
sweeps period or two, powered by Cosby. Channel 2's then-
g.m., Andy Fisher, took a "what's done is done" attitude, indicating
that he wasn't taking his station out of the ABC column. I'm sure
ABC was grateful for that, given the ratings WSB gets nowadays!
As for WXIA, it obviously had no desire to leave NBC, having turned
down CBS when WAGA went to Fox in 1994. And I hardly think either
NBC or Gannett cares to be on analog UHF in Atlanta. As Broadcasting
magazine remarked about 11 Alive around the time NBC became number one,
"What started as a terrible insult [losing ABC to WSB] turned out to be the
best thing that ever happened to Channel 11."
And what happened to that rumor earlier this year that CBS wanted to buy
WAGA?
that WSB was going back to NBC; WXIA had actually won a
sweeps period or two, powered by Cosby. Channel 2's then-
g.m., Andy Fisher, took a "what's done is done" attitude, indicating
that he wasn't taking his station out of the ABC column. I'm sure
ABC was grateful for that, given the ratings WSB gets nowadays!
As for WXIA, it obviously had no desire to leave NBC, having turned
down CBS when WAGA went to Fox in 1994. And I hardly think either
NBC or Gannett cares to be on analog UHF in Atlanta. As Broadcasting
magazine remarked about 11 Alive around the time NBC became number one,
"What started as a terrible insult [losing ABC to WSB] turned out to be the
best thing that ever happened to Channel 11."
And what happened to that rumor earlier this year that CBS wanted to buy
WAGA?