Cable Carriage of Local Stations on Channel Numbers Other than Their OTA Numbers

[fybush]

As I've mentioned before, the slickest solution to this issue, at least using 1983-era technology, was what the old American Cablevision in the city of Rochester used to do: they had the two-piece Hamlin converters with the slider across the front to change channels. But instead of going from 2-36, these boxes went from 3-37, because they had custom dial slides that were marked one channel higher than what the box was really tuning to. (Call it remapping, 1983 style!)

So when the box was displaying "8," it was really tuned to 7...and so there was no ingress issue on "8", "10" and "13."

The tradeoff, of course, was that anyone who had an early cable-ready TV had to subtract one channel from what was listed in the guide - and that "9", "11" and "14" on the system (really RF channels 8, 10 and 13) had to be sacrificed for text services, where the ingress didn't much matter.

But for 1983...well, it was the height of technical sophistication.

 

[fybush]

Getting back on topic...

The stations started identifying themselves exclusively by their cable channel placement numbers around early-to-mid-90s.

Not everywhere! Out west, most stations are still imaged with their OTA channel number, despite their cable position. I would say 90%.

I believe the original poster was referring specifically to Fort Myers stations - that's one of a handful of markets (Palm Springs comes immediately to mind as another) where cable-channel branding is nearly universal.

 

[gr8oldies]

Time Warner had moved WDTN Channel 2 to Channel 9 (dropping WCPO Channel 9 in Cincinnati) becasue of interference from the air signal. Within the last couple of months after the digital conversion, 2 (which now is really digital 50) is back on 2. I keep looking for them on 9 and end up with EWTN.

 

[Joey1986]

Getting back on topic...

The stations started identifying themselves exclusively by their cable channel placement numbers around early-to-mid-90s.

Not everywhere! Out west, most stations are still imaged with their OTA channel number, despite their cable position. I would say 90%.

I believe the original poster was referring specifically to Fort Myers stations - that's one of a handful of markets (Palm Springs comes immediately to mind as another) where cable-channel branding is nearly universal.

Yeah, for example, in Palm Springs, KPSP-LP channel 38 (CBS) is on cable channel 2 (hence its KPSP Local 2 branding). KESQ channel 42 (ABC) is on cable channel 3 (NewsChannel 3 HD). KMIR channel 36 (digital 46, NBC) is on cable channel 6 (KMIR 6). KPSE-LP channel 50 is on cable channel 13 (My13 Palm Springs). KDFX-CA channel 33 is on cable channel 11 (Fox 11). KCWQ-LP channel 2 (CW) is on cable channel 5 (Palm Springs CW 5).

 

[kenrayc]

Getting back on topic...

The stations started identifying themselves exclusively by their cable channel placement numbers around early-to-mid-90s.

Not everywhere! Out west, most stations are still imaged with their OTA channel number, despite their cable position. I would say 90%.

I believe the original poster was referring specifically to Fort Myers stations - that's one of a handful of markets (Palm Springs comes immediately to mind as another) where cable-channel branding is nearly universal.

Yeah, for example, in Palm Springs, KPSP-LP channel 38 (CBS) is on cable channel 2 (hence its KPSP Local 2 branding). KESQ channel 42 (ABC) is on cable channel 3 (NewsChannel 3 HD). KMIR channel 36 (digital 46, NBC) is on cable channel 6 (KMIR 6). KPSE-LP channel 50 is on cable channel 13 (My13 Palm Springs). KDFX-CA channel 33 is on cable channel 11 (Fox 11). KCWQ-LP channel 2 (CW) is on cable channel 5 (Palm Springs CW 5).

KKFX 24 in Santa Barbara has always branded them self as Channel 11 in the Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo Market because of the heavy cable penitration in that area.In other word that market relize on cable more than 75 percent.

 

[kenrayc]

KCOY 12 CBS is on cable ch.10 in Santa Maria but in SLO is ch 12 and in Atascadero is on ch 2, and KSBY 6 NBC is on cable 4 in San Luis Obispo and all cities in the county because of bleed from the OTA signal. KEYT 3 ABC is always on 3 in SLO county but in Santa Barbara is on ch8..

 

[JayR]

Getting back on topic...

The stations started identifying themselves exclusively by their cable channel placement numbers around early-to-mid-90s.

Not everywhere! Out west, most stations are still imaged with their OTA channel number, despite their cable position. I would say 90%.

I believe the original poster was referring specifically to Fort Myers stations - that's one of a handful of markets (Palm Springs comes immediately to mind as another) where cable-channel branding is nearly universal.

Thank you Scott. I should have been more clear with my post when referring to "the stations" as those from the Fort Myers market. Anywho...

WINK TV (CBS affiliate formerly on analog channel 11) does not refer to itself by its cable channel; it's just "WINK."

 

[Gridlock Joe]

In Houston, Comcast carries KPRC/2 on cable 12, partly because of ingress when the systems were built, partly because KPRC wanted 12 as channel placement to put them between KHOU/11 and KTRK/13 on the cable dial.
KNWS/51 is carries on cable 2.