Boston stations on cable in Maine but not in Rhode Island

[KML0224]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't WPXT-DT channel 51 a CW affiliate and vice versa?

Anyways, back when I lived in Old Orchard Beach, they were served by Continental Cablevision. The head end was on Industrial Park Road in Saco near I-195.

Lastly, is that who serves Old Orchard Beach today? Did you type in "04064" for the zip code?

 

[BRNout]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't WPXT-DT channel 51 a CW affiliate and vice versa?

You're right, I transposed the "networks" - then again, both are pretty much interchangeable to me! WPXT and WPME have now managed to boot 38 and 56 from cable systems in southern and central ME. WSBK's days as a UPN affiliate, when combined with Syndex, managed to lose them coverage in at least 3/4 of the areas that they previously served in New England and New York. Now that they're an indie, an argument could be made that they offer programming that differs from the fare offered by local broadcasters. But what's done is done and it's too late now. Besides, what would CBS gain from fighting that fight now?

Anyways, back when I lived in Old Orchard Beach, they were served by Continental Cablevision. The head end was on Industrial Park Road in Saco near I-195.
Lastly, is that who serves Old Orchard Beach today? Did you type in "04064" for the zip code?

Yes, I looked at both OOB zip codes - plus from my previous visits there I know it's the Biddeford system that they have (as opposed to the Saco one).All of southern and most of mid-coast Maine is under the Time-Warner umbrella now, that includes this system and has been the case for several years now. Continental Cablevision is a blast from the past, they were bought up by T-W long ago. For that matter, I don't know if there are any Comcast systems anywhere in Maine now. Time-Warner has a lock on most of Maine.

 

[KML0224]

Wasn't Comcast in the Moody section of Wells, near the Ogunquit town line? I once lived in Wells, but that was 1974-77. I doubt they even had cable TV service back then.

 

[wpxt]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't WPXT-DT channel 51 a CW affiliate and vice versa?

Yes KML WPXT-DT is The CW while WPME-DT is MyTv.

Now BRNout Comcast is still in Maine. Berwick and South Berwick get Comcast from Dover, NH. Eliot and Kittery get Comcast from Portsmouth, NH. I also found out that Brunswick has Comcast and serves neighboring Durham, Topsham, Harpswell, Bath, West Bath, Phippsburg, Pownal, Lisbon Falls and possibly more.

I guess Comcast is still found in Maine.

 

[RBW]

I'm unfamiliar w/Comcast. When I lived in S. Berwick (about `96-`97 I believe) I think it was Media One we had. I recall TV Guide serviced the area with that particular edition. Then prior to that in York, I guess it was TW (since it had been New England Cablevision prior to that).

Also back in an earlier post, I recalled that Ch. 56 had been long-bumped from York cable. And it seemed unfair to me that Continental (Kittery, Portsmouth etc.) could still get it on cable.

When I stayed in Ogunquit a couple summer's ago, I thought it strange that WBZ & WCVB had their "regular" spots on the cable dial, but ch.7 was way up at "cable" twenty-something I think. Don't remember where WGBH was.

 

[BRNout]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't WPXT-DT channel 51 a CW affiliate and vice versa?

Yes KML WPXT-DT is The CW while WPME-DT is MyTv.

Now BRNout Comcast is still in Maine. Berwick and South Berwick get Comcast from Dover, NH. Eliot and Kittery get Comcast from Portsmouth, NH. I also found out that Brunswick has Comcast and serves neighboring Durham, Topsham, Harpswell, Bath, West Bath, Phippsburg, Pownal, Lisbon Falls and possibly more.

I guess Comcast is still found in Maine.

The Brunswick system is news to me and I appreciate you pointing that one out to me. Interesting because it's surrounded by Time-Warner systems and I thought it went away as part of a system swap that they did a couple of years back.

On the far southern ME systems, you got me on a technicality because I wasn't thinking of those as "Maine" systems because they cross the border from bases in New Hampshire - where Comcast has a heavy presence. I was aware of those, but didn't think to place that 'asterisk' in my comment because I dismissed those as being based out of state. But you're absolutely right, there are a number of towns in southern and SW ME that have service from Comcast.

 

[KML0224]

New York City TV stations have an influence here in Connecticut once you're at or near the Hartford/New Haven County line. Southington, CT (Hartford County) gets WCBS-TV (CBS) channel 2, or at least I think they do. New Britain, which has always been a different cable system from them, carried WWOR and WPIX in the super station days, but never WCBS. I think we had WNEW-TV channel 5 in their pre-FOX days.

 

[masscarnage99]

I have to say one annoying thing about Time Warner here in the Ossipee area of New Hampshire is that they offer only one Boston station being WHDH but it is blacked out with a message saying that they can not show it due to a duplication request from WCSH more times then not which means even during non network programming someone is not on the ball down at the office to hit the switch. I don't understand this whole thing either cause when I was living in Biddeford Maine there was never a message blacking out WHDH there and you would think there would be considering that is part of WCSH's home market.

 

[BRNout]

I have to say one annoying thing about Time Warner here in the Ossipee area of New Hampshire is that they offer only one Boston station being WHDH but it is blacked out with a message saying that they can not show it due to a duplication request from WCSH more times then not which means even during non network programming someone is not on the ball down at the office to hit the switch. I don't understand this whole thing either cause when I was living in Biddeford Maine there was never a message blacking out WHDH there and you would think there would be considering that is part of WCSH's home market.

That's weird - did they get rid of WBZ and WSBK? It sure wouldn't shock me and that's sad. I thought they were on that system too...at least a few years ago. NH has always done better with Boston stations than ME has, the biggest exception being the Berlin/Gorham T-W system (which has Portland signals + WMUR & WENH).

 

[necrat123]

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,

IIRC, the TW system serving York just dropped a number of Boston stations from the lineup. I recall seeing an article where they were dropped and several of the local hotel owners were upset, due to the number of people who travel and want to watch the Boston news at night while relaxing in their hotels.

When all is said and done, cable operators would rather not carry ANY broadcasters, and simply put the channels that people can't get free anywhere else, or have the bandwidth to sell. Which is why you see less and less broadcast TV stations on the cable systems, in some cases the bare minimum of in-market signals. (I've seen cases where Cable companies petitioned the FCC and dropped "local" stations that were simply just shopNBC affiliates or something of the ilk, due to the low viewership.)

 

[BRNout]

IIRC, the TW system serving York just dropped a number of Boston stations from the lineup. I recall seeing an article where they were dropped and several of the local hotel owners were upset, due to the number of people who travel and want to watch the Boston news at night while relaxing in their hotels.

You're right, all that's left from Boston on the "York County system" are WHDH and WCVB. No WBZ, WGBH and no WSBK anymore. Given the former regional dominance of some of these stations, this is a development that tells you in no uncertain terms that nothing in television is sacred!