Broadcasting And Cable.com Article On Independent Stations

[Joseph_Gallant]

This week (February 20th-26th), Broadcasting and Cable magazine's cover story is about independent stations, the ranks of which will soon swell thanks to the WB/UPN merger that will create the CW network and leave numerous current WB and UPN affiliates as independent stations.

This is a link to that article (registration may be required), which I found to be quite informative.

 

[mjlarochelle]

> This week (February 20th-26th), Broadcasting and Cable
> magazine's cover story is about independent stations, the
> ranks of which will soon swell thanks to the WB/UPN merger
> that will create the CW network and leave numerous current
> WB and UPN affiliates as independent stations.
>
> This is a link to that article (registration may be
> required), which I found to be quite informative.
-----------
That is one excellent article, and it proves that independent stations CAN be local powerhouses, instead of degenerating into stations like WADL, WOAC, or WWBI.<P ID="signature">______________
From WNBC-TV New York this is Liiiiive at Fiiiiive!</P>

 

[Mark_Ericson]

WOAC

> That is one excellent article, and it proves that
> independent stations CAN be local powerhouses, instead of
> degenerating into stations like WADL, WOAC, or WWBI.

Just pointing out that WOAC does happen to be a Shop-at-Home O&O, so to expect anything but all-shopping-all-the-time is wishful thinking.

- Trip<P ID="signature">______________
Visit my website, www.rabbitears.info! It's eventually going to be your one resource for television info! Digital television, histories, and technical information for the entire USA from one source!</P>

 

[Markxxx]

Re: WOAC

> > That is one excellent article, and it proves that
> > independent stations CAN be local powerhouses, instead of
> > degenerating into stations like WADL, WOAC, or WWBI.
>
> Just pointing out that WOAC does happen to be a Shop-at-Home
> O&O, so to expect anything but all-shopping-all-the-time is
> wishful thinking.
>
> - Trip
>
Part of the thing a lot of people fail to realize is that TV and Radio and even Music have become "simply another business."

I loved to read about old time radio. It suffered a similar thing that TV is going thru now. In 30s and 40s, station owners not only wanted to make a profit but they wanted respectablity. You ACTUALLY have VPs at NBC Radio refusing "ads" worth millions (big bucks then) because they were about "personal products"

The directors wanted quality too. Even at the expense of rating. If a sales manager couldn't fill a spot, the radio director would schedule "cultural" shows. Orson Wells tells how he achieved his fame, simply by supplying a low rated product that was "affluent" and cultural.

Now if a TV station always have time because they throw infomercial in them.

The is NO insentive to do anything but make a profit.

And to some extent the actors have priced themselves out of the market. George Burns tells how he got HUGE stars because the movie producers INSISTED that they go on his radio show (that usually ranked in the top 5). And Burns would let the stars promote it on his show.

Now stars are loathe to do any promotion for products unless directly paid for it.

And as Radio gave way to TV you saw a noticable decline in pop music. I mean has anyone written any standards lately? Since the 50s how many "standards" do we hear. A few by the Beatles but really.

Radio gave it's power to the youth. And the youth could influence the market. Jo Stafford gives a pretty good description in an interview on the decline of "Tin Pan Alley" and the songwriter.

The fact is TV is going thru what Radio went thru years ago. It's become another business. Make the MOST money for the least investment. Sure, as there are in other industries, there will always be a small niche market for upscale. The is always a Saks 5th Avenue. But we really do 99.9% of shopping at WalMart<P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>

 

[OldAkronite]

Re: WOAC

> Just pointing out that WOAC does happen to be a Shop-at-Home
> O&O, so to expect anything but all-shopping-all-the-time is
> wishful thinking.

Not only that, WOAC was never really destined to be a "local independent powerhouse", at least within the entire Cleveland/Akron (Canton) TV market.

Channel 67 started life as a local independent station focusing on its COL, Canton. It even had local news briefs with the perpetually snickering Scott Davis. (Or maybe his face just looked that way when he smiled.) It was pretty much Canton-only, as they never made any effort to even target Akron. Part of the problem there - the station's signal was pretty anemic at first.

WOAC really didn't cover the entire market until a signal upgrade and tower move, which happened after Shop At Home bought the place. So, its future was pretty much set as a full-market shopping channel.

WOAC relocated its tower from near North Canton's Belden Village Mall, north to the eastern Akron suburb of Brimfield...just south of Kent at the I-76/Rt. 43 interchange. It's in the same neighborhood as WNIR/100.1 and WAOH-LP/29. WOAC-DT's 1000KW digital stick is - even as I type this - under construction and testing.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>