Boston stations on cable in Maine but not in Rhode Island

[radiojay1]

I read the other post about the Boston stations being on cable in Maine, and I have seen that also when I was staying in Wells. Frustrates me even more with the fact that only Boston's PBS stations can be seen on RI cable TV. The really cool thing I noticed on Time Warner in southern Maine was the Radio Canada TV station from Sherbrooke, Quebec broadcasting in French. I am sure southern Maine has a lot of French Canadians, but so do we in Woonsocket, RI and the surrounding area. I used to love watching the Boston stations here on RI cable years ago, 4, 5, 7, 25, 27 (when it was WHLL) 38, 56, and even 68. I used to compare the newscasts between the Boston and Providence stations. Now Cox has removed them all, and instead of carrying New England Cable News, they have this pathetic excuse for an all news channel called the Rhode Island News Channel, which only broadcasts live news at the same time when WLNE ABC 6 is doing live news. After the live news, they then repeat that same newscast until the next live newscast. They call this news??? The "news" is already old when they air the first repeat of the newscast. I remember also when Cox Cable had WPIX 11 from NYC, and I would also watch their 10pm newscast sometimes. Mr. G the weatherman on 10pm news was great, and also the Yankee games on PIX at the time were great to see. Now they got Chicago's WGN on Cox Digital, and you can also see the Chicago news as well as White Sox and Cubs games, but they can't carry the Boston stations?

 

[Skynet74]

This is one of the reasons that I canceled my cable service a year ago. They nickle and dime you to death while they take your channels away! So I took myself off the cable grid and built my own internal antenna system in my home. Now in Rhode Island I get all the Boston stations. I'm watching Wheel Of Fortune on WBZ as I type this. Why would I not watch Wheel Of Fortune on my local Rhode Island station you ask? Because I get incredible satisfaction out of watching all my progrmas from out of market stations since I know how much they hate it... LOL. Afterall it is the local affilliates that caused the cable companies to block out out of market programming. Well I don't take kindly to people trying to tell me what stations I can and can not watch. Therefore Nobody controls my channels anymore other than ME! Best part of it is that I don't get a bill at the end of the month anymore either. 30 Digital Channels all for FREE. Just the way it should be.

 

[alg2468]

Hi Skynet, I fully agree with you! Bravo on putting up your own internal antenna system to get those stations in Boston - I have done the same for years, too. I think it is up to the local network affiliates to allow the local cable company to pick up network channels from out of market areas. Everything is based on market, it seems, and that's likely why most Providence stations give a weak signal to the northeast, because it is in the direction of Boston, which is not their market area, even though from the Rehoboth, MA transmitters Boston is much closer than Westerly distancewise. And vice versa, too, much of the Boston area gets only WSBE, the PBS station, on cable and satellite, and not the other network stations, whose over the air signals in the Boston area are hit or miss. Absolutely foolish if you ask me, because the Boston and Providence markets share a lot in common financially and economically, and the distance between the Rehoboth and Needham transmitter farms is less than 30 miles.

 

[formeraa]

When I was in college in Providence in the 80's, nobody wanted to watch the local Providence stations. The Providence stations had a reporter at the town meeting in Johnston, while the Boston stations were covering a political rally by Ted Kennedy. Believe me, Ted Kennedy would win every time!

We also subscribed to the Boston Globe, not the ProJo for the same reasons.

I wonder how much the news ratings would shrink if the cable companies offered Boston station in RI.

 

[necrat123]

Because I get incredible satisfaction out of watching all my progrmas from out of market stations since I know how much they hate it... LOL. Afterall it is the local affilliates that caused the cable companies to block out out of market programming.

Ah yes John, we're all in tears because YOU chose not to watch the stations. When I wake up in the morning, I let out a huge sigh simply because of that. It just ruins all of our days! (note: sarcasim) (oh and FYI , it's "programs" not progrmas)

FYI, typically stations request from cable operators "non network non syndicated duplication". Meaning all simultaneous network and syndicated programming is blocked. The cable operators decide to drop the channel instead of just installing the equipment to block it.
The cable operators would rather have cable channels on the system than broadcasters anyways. The situation here isn't unique and it isn't just being done by the Providence TV stations.

 

[jiminCT]

you might be even more frustrated to find that WGBH, WBZ, and WCVB all are on cable in various parts of eastern connecticut (Storrs has all three). The Boston stations are on cable all the way up into areas near White River Junction, VT as well. And...Western Mass, in Pittsfield (WCVB), North Adams (WBZ, WCVB), and Lee (WCVB). Look..a lot of Hartford area cable companies dont pick up all of the Springfield channels...which are only 30 miles from downtown Hartford. Rhode Island viewers are in a different media market...no grey matter.

 

[Skynet74]

Ah yes John, we're all in tears because YOU chose not to watch the stations. When I wake up in the morning, I let out a huge sigh simply because of that. It just ruins all of our days! (note: sarcasim) (oh and FYI , it's "programs" not progrmas)

Yes and if everybody does what I do, than I don't think you would find it so funny. You make it sound like the stations don't care if they lose viewers. To bad you are sadly mistaken. Every viewer counts. Even little ol' me. That's why local TV stations consistently deny Dish network and Direct TV subscribers the ability to receive out of market affiliates. When your station stamps rejection on 100 percent of the waiver applications you receive, something tells me that stations care a little more about keeping every viewer than your sarcastic remark would reflect. I don't even know who you are. But I do know that your response doesn't sound like someone I would want working for my television station. In your world you make it sound like viewers don't matter. Gee, what a great employee you must be. How do you know that I don't have a Nielsen diary in front of me? I've had one before and I may have one now. Think before you speak. By the way, aren't you a little more talented than to be a human spell checker? I guess you never heard of a typo before.

 

[necrat123]

Um John. I never said half the stuff you're saying in your post there bud. I never said viewers don't matter. What I said was directed at you and only you. You posted, puffing your chest up high, that you are sticking it to the stations in the market by watching Boston. You've said this a number of times and have repeatedly trashed the local stations in this market. Do stations like mine care about regular viewers? Yes. Do I care about someone on a internet message board who constantly bad mouths the market they live in? Nope.

Oh and FYI, most of the people I've spoken to on the phone re: dtv issues, etc., who live in Rhode Island, only care to watch the RI tv stations and didn't care about Boston. I'd say easily 95% of them said this. And of the ones who did want to watch Boston, they only really cared to watch WGBH out of there, they still wanted to watch the local news (6, 10, 12, 64).
So you're in the minority, despite the thoughts in your head that you represent everyone in the state.

That's all I am going to say on it. Carry on...

 

[MarcB]

Back in the day COX Cable of Meriden, Connecticut (serving Southington, Meriden, and Cheshire) used to offer WCBS, WNBC, WNYW, and WPIX. Now just WPIX is on their line-up. However my parents who live in Southington used to have Direct TV and WCBS, WNBC, and WNYW were part of the local channels they received. They were not on 2, 4, and 5 like the local Hartford-New Haven stations are however.

 

[Skynet74]

I never said viewers don't matter. What I said was directed at you and only you. Do I care about someone on a internet message board who constantly bad mouths the market they live in? Nope.

Well as a potential viewer I matter just as much as anybody. If I bad mouth a station it's because I think it needs to improve. You don't need to care about me. However you don't speak for anyone other than yourself. Bottom line is that your station needs me more than I need it. I can find the same exact programming on another station. I'm not losing out on anything. Meanwhile your whole business is based on getting viewers and not losing them. The station spends thousands and thousands of dollars a year on advertsing to do that very thing. So if I stop watching your channel, that is certainly not in the best interest of your TV station. So for you to post on a message board that I don't matter, well it is a bit ignorant.

 

[Bill_W]

When I was younger and my Grandmother was alive and living on the South Shore about 1/2 way beteen Boston and Providence, her cable system had ALL of both city's stations on cable. I'm pretty sure that the Comcast system that is in her town only has Boston now. I'm not sure what Fios has there.

 

[BRNout]

When I was younger and my Grandmother was alive and living on the South Shore about 1/2 way beteen Boston and Providence, her cable system had ALL of both city's stations on cable. I'm pretty sure that the Comcast system that is in her town only has Boston now. I'm not sure what Fios has there.

Depending on what town your grandmother lived in, it's possible that some Providence market stations are still offered there. For example, the system serving Abington, Plymouth and D(el)uxbury still offer WJAR, WLNE and WSBE. However, I am sure that's not as many as before - thanks much to the cable reform act of 1996.

 

[pqgeorge]

When I was younger and my Grandmother was alive and living on the South Shore about 1/2 way beteen Boston and Providence, her cable system had ALL of both city's stations on cable. I'm pretty sure that the Comcast system that is in her town only has Boston now. I'm not sure what Fios has there.

Depending on what town your grandmother lived in, it's possible that some Providence market stations are still offered there. For example, the system serving Abington, Plymouth and D(el)uxbury still offer WJAR, WLNE and WSBE. However, I am sure that's not as many as before - thanks much to the cable reform act of 1996.

Where I live (Whitman, MA), up until a couple of years ago, WPRI (Channel 12) and WNAC (Channel 64) were available on our cable system. WPRI is gone, WNAC is available but only on the digital tier (requiring a box). WJAR, WLNE and WSBE are still on the cable. But WLWC/28 (licensed to New Bedford, MA) has never made it to this system. Prior to the Copyright Tribunal Rule of 1983, this system (under Continental Cablevision ownership) had all of the Providence and Boston stations. But in addition, we also had WPIX/11 (NYC), WOR-WWOR/9 (NYC/NJ), WGN/9 (Chicago), CKSH/9 (Sherbrooke, QC). All of these "Super Stations" are now history. We don't even get "WGN/America" (now THAT I would love to get). Let's face it, cable isn't cutting it anymore. We pay more, we get less. And now the FCC wants to take even more frequencies from the broadcasters for broadband use "for the good of our kids" (yeah...really now!). The free OTA days are fading fast. Considering all of the hoopla about the "digital transition" we just went through (less than a year ago and paid for it too), something here really doesn't jibe with me. I actual subscribe to cable. But I also watch OTA to get all of the Boston AND Providence stations (especially WJAR 10.2, The Retro Television Network, not available on this system). We do get WMFP 62.1 OTA and on cable, but they are only running RTV half time, the rest is those lousy infomercials.

 

[DToTheJ]

Even "TBS" no longer exists as a "superstation."

These days, there are far fewer "superstations." (One of them being in my signature - *cough* cheap plug *cough... ;D )

 

[Bill_W]

Even "TBS" no longer exists as a "superstation."

These days, there are far fewer "superstations." (One of them being in my signature - *cough* cheap plug *cough... ;D )

The only reason that was done is so they could show MLB playoffs. Now they're not ota in Atlanta. That appears to be the only reason they separated the two (TBS from WTBS, now peachtree tv).

 

[RBW]

I lived in southern Maine for about 20 yrs... until the late 90's. I had antenna reception & cable. I never quite thought the York area as being covered on TV, as far as news or anything like that... so I ALWAYS watched the Boston stations for general programming, network stuff and news etc. When I had just the antenna, it always seemed as if Boston came in clearer than Portland! Ch 8 (WMTW) came in weird. PBS from Biddeford (ch 26) was never clear! And I never much cared for the news presentations from Portland. I would watch Portland weather from time to time. That was it.

It seemed like a unique area for cable though. As others have pointed out, we always got the "majors" from Boston & Portland. I could switch back to my antenna if I wanted to watch ch. 25, 56 or 68... which cable didn't get. With or without cable, I always enjoyed having the option of choosing at least 2 different channels for each major network. And with PBS, we got 3. NH (11) MA (2) and ME (26). Southern ME cable never delivered much from NH except for 11. It didn't get WMUR 9, or WNDS 50, or 21 (when they were IND or CBS for a spell) or ch. 60 when it came on-air. I DID get all those with the antenna though.

I'm in eastern NY now, and our locals here are "just locals". I would imagine though if I was back in Maine, that reception NOW with everything DTV wouldn't be quite the same as it was back in the 80's.

 

[wpxt]

RBW how well did the Boston signals come in in Southern Maine?

 

[KML0224]

I lived in Old Orchard Beach from Monday, September 2, 1985 (Labor Day) to Saturday, June 20, 1987. Our little 13" Curtis Mathes TV with 12 little thumb wheel presets had it's own VHF telescoping rods and two separate UHF screws which a snap-on bowtie could attach to. Soon afterwards, I attached an Archer indoor VHF/UHF antenna to the TV, when space permitted. I swear if the wind blew hard enough, the UHF reception would flutter in and out with it. I could never properly receive WMEA-TV (PBS) channel 26 from Biddeford and WPXT-TV (FOX) channel 51 from Portland was only good if the wind was light. Very strange, but true!

The attached Archer antenna was quite good with VHF-low reception. I never had problems with WCSH-TV (NBC) channel 6 of Portland. At least two nights a week, I'd get a weak signal from both WBZ-TV (NBC) channel 4 and WCVB-TV (ABC) channel 5 of Boston. I would only get a weak signal from WNEV-TV (CBS) channel 7 of Boston about once a week. WENH-TV (PBS) channel 11 of Durham, NH was always weak and I could never receive WCBB-TV (PBS) channel 10 of Augusta properly. One night during enhanced VHF reception (not the same "skip" I'd get from the south or midwest), I had a weak signal from WLNE-TV (CBS) channel 6 of New Bedford, MA and even the audio from WFSB-TV (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford!

As for cable, I never had it in those two years living in Old Orchard Beach. When I made a visit to the town in September of 1989, I distinctly remember then-Continental Cablevision of Saco/Old Orchard carrying channels 4, 5, 7, 38 and 56 from Boston/Cambridge. They even carried CKSH-TV (SRC) channel 9 of Sherbrooke, PQ. The home market stations at that time were channels 6, 8, 13, 26 and 51. Why such good over-the-air coverage? Simple! No WB, UPN, CW, ION and, most importantly, Syndex hadn't become law yet! (That took effect on January 1, 1990.)

 

[RBW]

RBW how well did the Boston signals come in in Southern Maine?

Very well I'd say. No problems for VHS. UHF varied as you can imagine. WSBK was probably the best. 25,56 & 68 had good & bad days.

 

[BRNout]

As for cable, I never had it in those two years living in Old Orchard Beach. When I made a visit to the town in September of 1989, I distinctly remember then-Continental Cablevision of Saco/Old Orchard carrying channels 4, 5, 7, 38 and 56 from Boston/Cambridge. They even carried CKSH-TV (SRC) channel 9 of Sherbrooke, PQ. The home market stations at that time were channels 6, 8, 13, 26 and 51. Why such good over-the-air coverage? Simple! No WB, UPN, CW, ION and, most importantly, Syndex hadn't become law yet! (That took effect on January 1, 1990.)

A quick check of Time Warner's 'Biddeford' system lineup (OOB's system) indicates - in addition to all the Portland locals - that they still carry Boston channels 4, 5, and 7 plus 11 from NH. CKSH is also prominently carried on channel 2 (it remains on a number of cable systems in NH and ME). Gone now are WGBH, 38 and 56. WPME (CW) and WPXT (My) saw to that. As is generally the case now, HD signals are limited to in-market channels, so no Chronicle in HD.

The odd system around there is the one which covers Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. Only 1 Boston channel (WHDH-7) is offered. Meanwhile, the T-W systems to the north (Biddeford) and south (York) offer 4, 5 and 7. Those folks get screwed for some reason.