Breaking: Ion files for bankruptcy

[vchimpanzee]

Would not be surprised in the least if many of the owned and operated TV stations get sold.

Wonder who would get them? My guess ( as far as the Washington, DC's area channels 60 & 66 ) would be TBN.

Even time I hear the word "PAX" as in PAX-TV, reminds me of a rather bizarre incident involing WWPX-PAX 60 in Martinsburg, WV and a disc jockey on Martinsburg's then-WKMZ-FM 97.5.

Just before PAX went on the air in 1998 with reruns like Here's Lucy, The Hogan Family and The Love Boat, the WKMZ jock went on the air one night talking about the "reruns" PAX 60 will be airing when they go on the air in a few weeks. Well someone at PAX 60 calls up the the jock and WKMZ airs the call live. A buddy of mine still has the aircheck.

PAX: "...boy am I MAD..DAMN MAD..GET IT RIGHT....PAX TV WILL NOT BE AIRING RERUNS..how DARE you say PAX will be airing reruns"

WKMZ: "..wait a damn minute....what about Here's Lucy? The Love Boat? Eight is Enough? Alice?..PAX airing those?"

PAX:.."why yes we are"

WKMZ: "Here's Lucy and Alice and the others...they are OLD shows..shows that had aired before..so if PAX is airing them..does that make them reruns?"

PAX.."..well we at PAX don't consider them reruns..or even old shows...we consider them family entertainment...but they aren't reruns..please be more correct when you talk about us on the radio".

Needless to say as a result of this" exchange", PAX even before day one was already considered a joke. At least in Martinsburg, West Virginia anyway.

My Network is advertising "Twilight Zone" episodes as all new.

What they don't tell you is that the episodes aired previously on UPN.

It was a very good show, but I don't have time to watch and I'm relieved if there aren't any new ones.

 

[MarcB]

I do agree Ion in a lot of places, people aren't even aware of it, or think it's all infomericals.

That's also why it's gonna be hard to get people to watch The Retro Television Network in Boston. It's on Arthur Liu's WMFP Channel 62.1 and 62.2 WMFP has been primairly shopping or infomercials since the day they signed on (aside when they ran NBC programming that wasn't cleared by then NBC affiliate WBZ/4).

People will continue to think of Channel 62 as all infomercials.

 

[MarcB]

Wonder who would get them? My guess ( as far as the Washington, DC's area channels 60 & 66 ) would be TBN.

I don't think TBN would buy them. I recall reading on DCRTV last year or (late 2007) that Channel 60 was put up for sale because ION said they didn't need it anymore. If TBN hasn't bought it in the more than a year it's been for sale, it's doubtful that they actually will. (Watch 5 months from now I'll end up eating my words).

 

[FreddyE1977]

I have noticed that DirecTV recently added Ion West to my lineup of local channels (I don't have an Ion broadcast affiliate here, and it defaults to Ion West that whenever I select Local from the menu). Probably the only way I'd know that anything other than infomercials was on. Strangely, I am in the Eastern time zone, and Ion East feed is still down in my entertainment tier (??)

 

[NHRadio]

I live in the Boston DMA and am mostly happy with WMFP. There's a lot of buzz about it...lots of word of mouth. Most people I've talked to think it's a brand new station. Few people knew about it before, and even fewer cared about it so it's got the advantge of having nowhere to go but up.
Multicultural finally did something smart.

That's also why it's gonna be hard to get people to watch The Retro Television Network in Boston. It's on Arthur Liu's WMFP Channel 62.1 and 62.2 WMFP has been primairly shopping or infomercials since the day they signed on (aside when they ran NBC programming that wasn't cleared by then NBC affiliate WBZ/4).

People will continue to think of Channel 62 as all infomercials.

 

[ShawnHill1]

I have noticed that DirecTV recently added Ion West to my lineup of local channels (I don't have an Ion broadcast affiliate here, and it defaults to Ion West that whenever I select Local from the menu). Probably the only way I'd know that anything other than infomercials was on. Strangely, I am in the Eastern time zone, and Ion East feed is still down in my entertainment tier (??)

Just before they added Ion's west feed recently, they also added back our local Ion station, KPXN. Outside of the primetime schedule, the Ion feeds do often differ in programming. One example, I was flipping around last night around 11pm my time...Ion East was airing something from its Life subchannel, Ion West was airing a music informercial, while KPXN had a different paid program.

 

[ansky212]

I live in the Boston DMA and am mostly happy with WMFP. There's a lot of buzz about it...lots of word of mouth. Most people I've talked to think it's a brand new station. Few people knew about it before, and even fewer cared about it so it's got the advantge of having nowhere to go but up.
Multicultural finally did something smart.

Multicultural also owns WSAH in the NYC DMA (Bridgeport, CT). I wonder if there is any chance they would convert WSAH to an RTN affiliate? Currently it's just infomercials.

 

[NHRadio]

If WSAH has decent cable coverage in NYC it might be worth a shot. It would allow RTN to charge more for network spots...if they ever sell any. A win-win for them and Multicultural. Maybe they could sell MFP and SAH as a combo.

Multicultural also owns WSAH in the NYC DMA (Bridgeport, CT). I wonder if there is any chance they would convert WSAH to an RTN affiliate? Currently it's just infomercials.

 

[MarcB]

Multicultural also owns WSAH in the NYC DMA (Bridgeport, CT). I wonder if there is any chance they would convert WSAH to an RTN affiliate? Currently it's just infomercials.

I was wondering the same thing on the New England TV board, but it won't do me any good. WSAH is not carried on cable in Bristol (or most other towns in Hartford County or Tolland or Windham for that matter). The only time I'd get to see RTN if WSAH flips would be when visiting my parents in Southington. WSAH is on COX Digital Channels 75 and 73.

I do get This TV, but it pales in comparison to RTN. Yeah my COMCAST system carries This TV (Channel 246) and my parent's system - COX does not.

 

[KyDXIn]

My Network is advertising "Twilight Zone" episodes as all new.

What they don't tell you is that the episodes aired previously on UPN.

It was a very good show, but I don't have time to watch and I'm relieved if there aren't any new ones.

When did "new" become "new to us"?

 

[vchimpanzee]

My Network is advertising "Twilight Zone" episodes as all new.

What they don't tell you is that the episodes aired previously on UPN.

It was a very good show, but I don't have time to watch and I'm relieved if there aren't any new ones.

When did "new" become "new to us"?

Well, I know NBC did that. And if I hadn't seen it, it was new to me. But that rarely happens any more, because I don't dare take chances. That's why I have so many VCRs and why I just turned on TiVo to replace the two I lost.

 

[vchimpanzee]

There was a movie I wanted to watch on Ion in the mountains. But there was no Ion, despite what the TV Guide Channel said.

At least this made possible my opportunity to hear good music on the government channel while I waited for something else to statt.

Though all this was made possible because the My Network station was airing STUPID MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL! Who puts MINOR league baseball on broadcast TV?

 

[kenrayc]

Though all this was made possible because the My Network station was airing STUPID MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL! Who puts MINOR league baseball on broadcast TV?

KFSN Fresno has the Fresno Grizzlies on their secondary digital station 30-2. Triple A for the S.F. Giants.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Though all this was made possible because the My Network station was airing STUPID MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL! Who puts MINOR league baseball on broadcast TV?

A station that doesn't have MLB, or a market that has a really popular local team? Stations in Mobile and Montgomery, AL have done special telecasts of their local Baybears and Biscuits games, usually a home opening season game or just one special game carried live in place of Saturday night reruns. (It should be noted that these are Big Four affiliates too, and not a CW/My/Ion station).

Sports programming with a local interest, and likely on the cheap. Why not?

 

[azumanga]

Sports programming with a local interest, and likely on the cheap. Why not?

Not to mention it truly "fulfills the public interest".

 

[crainbebo]

Maybe Ion should try to put back reruns of "Shop Till You Drop", "Beat the Clock", and my favorite, "Supermarket Sweep"! Change the logo back to the red, white and blue PAX logo, and leave Ion alone! The only game show on Ion is "Family Feud".

-crainbebo