Can Any Station Owner Groups "force" a CW Affiliation

[Markxxx]

Just wondering if there were any owners of TV stations that had enough "pull" to, for lack of a better word "force" the CW to affilate with one of their TV stations.

I was thinking like E.W. Scripps basically said to ABC if you want WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit to stay ABC then take Channel 15 in Phoenix as an ABC station too.

I know it's just speculation but was just curious if anyone out there had enough clout to get the CW on it's other stations<P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>

 

[ccmfan]

> Just wondering if there were any owners of TV stations that
> had enough "pull" to, for lack of a better word "force" the
> CW to affilate with one of their TV stations.
>
> I was thinking like E.W. Scripps basically said to ABC if
> you want WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit to stay ABC then take
> Channel 15 in Phoenix as an ABC station too.
>
> I know it's just speculation but was just curious if anyone
> out there had enough clout to get the CW on it's other
> stations
>

I've wondered that as well, considering the situation in my area. Clear Channel owns WLMT 30 in Memphis and WJKT 16 in Jackson, TN, both of which are on UPN and both simulcast a lot of the time. It's probably certain that WLMT will end up with CW in Memphis since they also carry WB from 10 PM to Midnight and on Sunday nights, but in Jackson WB is on Charter Cable as part of their 100+ group of stations. I've read that it's likely that CW will stay on the WB 100+ cable stations in most areas, but since Clear Channel owns both 16 and 30 is it possible that CW could end up on 16 in Jackson?

If CW stays cable only, 16 will have 2 more hours of programming to fill, and if they go to 16, it will probably free up a channel on the cable to hopefully carry something else in its place.

 

[clichemoth]

> > Just wondering if there were any owners of TV stations
> that
> > had enough "pull" to, for lack of a better word "force"
> the
> > CW to affilate with one of their TV stations.
> >
> > I was thinking like E.W. Scripps basically said to ABC if
> > you want WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit to stay ABC then take
> > Channel 15 in Phoenix as an ABC station too.
> >
> > I know it's just speculation but was just curious if
> anyone
> > out there had enough clout to get the CW on it's other
> > stations
> >
>
> I've wondered that as well, considering the situation in my
> area. Clear Channel owns WLMT 30 in Memphis and WJKT 16 in
> Jackson, TN, both of which are on UPN and both simulcast a
> lot of the time. It's probably certain that WLMT will end up
> with CW in Memphis since they also carry WB from 10 PM to
> Midnight and on Sunday nights, but in Jackson WB is on
> Charter Cable as part of their 100+ group of stations. I've
> read that it's likely that CW will stay on the WB 100+ cable
> stations in most areas, but since Clear Channel owns both 16
> and 30 is it possible that CW could end up on 16 in Jackson?
>
>
> If CW stays cable only, 16 will have 2 more hours of
> programming to fill, and if they go to 16, it will probably
> free up a channel on the cable to hopefully carry something
> else in its place.
>

I'd think Sinclair would have this leverage as well, considering that they own WB/UPN duopolies in several markets and one of the two in some markets where Fox (which won't be operating any CW stations) owns the other and could play hardball to get the affiliation elsewhere.

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyone:

> I know it's just speculation but was just curious if anyone
> out there had enough clout to get the CW on it's other
> stations

Tribune does. Look at Indy as an example. WB (soon to be CW) on 4 while FOX is on 59. I would imagine that Tribune shackled FOX in Indy so they could land a VHF affiliate in Seattle (Q13). Meanwhile, WB in Seattle sits on 22.

Thoughts?

Cheers <P ID="signature">______________

http://patspodcast.blogspot.com/
Radio? Uhh.....What's THAT?? </P>

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyone:

> I've wondered that as well, considering the situation in my
> area. Clear Channel owns WLMT 30 in Memphis and WJKT 16 in
> Jackson, TN, both of which are on UPN and both simulcast a
> lot of the time. It's probably certain that WLMT will end up
> with CW in Memphis since they also carry WB from 10 PM to
> Midnight and on Sunday nights, but in Jackson WB is on
> Charter Cable as part of their 100+ group of stations. I've
> read that it's likely that CW will stay on the WB 100+ cable
> stations in most areas, but since Clear Channel owns both 16
> and 30 is it possible that CW could end up on 16 in Jackson?

CW will go on 16 as well.

> If CW stays cable only, 16 will have 2 more hours of
> programming to fill, and if they go to 16, it will probably
> free up a channel on the cable to hopefully carry something
> else in its place.

What COULD go in its place?

Obviously I don't know the Jackson, TN market as well as you do, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that it would be surprising if 16 DID NOT end up with the CW IMO.

More thoughts?

Cheers
<P ID="signature">______________

http://patspodcast.blogspot.com/
Radio? Uhh.....What's THAT?? </P>

 

[ccmfan]

> Hi everyone:
>
> > I've wondered that as well, considering the situation in
> my
> > area. Clear Channel owns WLMT 30 in Memphis and WJKT 16 in
>
> > Jackson, TN, both of which are on UPN and both simulcast a
>
> > lot of the time. It's probably certain that WLMT will end
> up
> > with CW in Memphis since they also carry WB from 10 PM to
> > Midnight and on Sunday nights, but in Jackson WB is on
> > Charter Cable as part of their 100+ group of stations.
> I've
> > read that it's likely that CW will stay on the WB 100+
> cable
> > stations in most areas, but since Clear Channel owns both
> 16
> > and 30 is it possible that CW could end up on 16 in
> Jackson?
>
> CW will go on 16 as well.
>
> > If CW stays cable only, 16 will have 2 more hours of
> > programming to fill, and if they go to 16, it will
> probably
> > free up a channel on the cable to hopefully carry
> something
> > else in its place.
>
> What COULD go in its place?
>
> Obviously I don't know the Jackson, TN market as well as you
> do, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure
> out that it would be surprising if 16 DID NOT end up with
> the CW IMO.
>
> More thoughts?
>
> Cheers
>

My guess is that that one of the local access channels (currently on channels 19
and 22) could be moved to channel 2 where WB currently is, and another cable channel ciuld be put in the place of the old local channel.

 

[RockManAC]

> but in Jackson WB is on
> Charter Cable as part of their 100+ group of stations. I've
> read that it's likely that CW will stay on the WB 100+ cable
> stations in most areas

Not likely, is.

-A<P ID="signature">______________

</P>

 

[bpatrick]

> > > Just wondering if there were any owners of TV stations
> > that
> > > had enough "pull" to, for lack of a better word "force"
> > the
> > > CW to affilate with one of their TV stations.
> > >
> > > I was thinking like E.W. Scripps basically said to ABC
> if
> > > you want WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit to stay ABC then take
>
> > > Channel 15 in Phoenix as an ABC station too.
> > >
> > > I know it's just speculation but was just curious if
> > anyone
> > > out there had enough clout to get the CW on it's other
> > > stations
> > >
> >
> > I've wondered that as well, considering the situation in
> my
> > area. Clear Channel owns WLMT 30 in Memphis and WJKT 16 in
>
> > Jackson, TN, both of which are on UPN and both simulcast a
>
> > lot of the time. It's probably certain that WLMT will end
> up
> > with CW in Memphis since they also carry WB from 10 PM to
> > Midnight and on Sunday nights, but in Jackson WB is on
> > Charter Cable as part of their 100+ group of stations.
> I've
> > read that it's likely that CW will stay on the WB 100+
> cable
> > stations in most areas, but since Clear Channel owns both
> 16
> > and 30 is it possible that CW could end up on 16 in
> Jackson?
> >
> >
> > If CW stays cable only, 16 will have 2 more hours of
> > programming to fill, and if they go to 16, it will
> probably
> > free up a channel on the cable to hopefully carry
> something
> > else in its place.
> >
>
> I'd think Sinclair would have this leverage as well,
> considering that they own WB/UPN duopolies in several
> markets and one of the two in some markets where Fox (which
> won't be operating any CW stations) owns the other and could
> play hardball to get the affiliation elsewhere.
>
To get back to the original question, Burnham Broadcasting switched
three NBC affiliates (KHON/2 Honolulu, WALA/10 Mobile, and WLUK/11
Green Bay) and one ABC affiliate (WVUE/8 New Orleans) to Fox several
years ago. Likewise, with the switch of WCIV/4 Charleston, SC from
NBC to ABC, and WCFT/33 Tuscaloosa and WJSU/40 Anniston, AL from
CBS to make Birmingham's "ABC33/40" the same year, Allbritton had
all of its stations with ABC. McGraw-Hill also switched two CBS
affiliates, KMGH/7 Denver and KERO/23 Bakersfield, CA, to ABC. So
it's not out of the question that a station group could switch all
of its stations to CW.

 

[RobertMoore]

> > but in Jackson WB is on
> > Charter Cable as part of their 100+ group of stations.
> I've
> > read that it's likely that CW will stay on the WB 100+
> cable
> > stations in most areas
>
> Not likely, is.
>

True, but in places like Boise and Anchorage(where both markets have a full powered UPN outlet on VHFs), it could be a different story, so expect them to be favored as possible CW affils.

 

[RobertMoore]

> I'd think Sinclair would have this leverage as well,
> considering that they own WB/UPN duopolies in several
> markets and one of the two in some markets where Fox (which
> won't be operating any CW stations) owns the other and could
> play hardball to get the affiliation elsewhere.

Funny that you mentioned Sinclair. They do have some competion for the CW in Buffalo(Against LIN's WNLO-23), Syracuse(With Raycom's WSYQ-14), Greensboro(With Pappas' WTWB-20) and possibly San Antonio(with Belo's KBEJ-2).

It should be noted that LIN, Raycom, Pappas and Belo also owns UPN and WB affils in markets where Sinclair doesn't compete in, so they'll want something out of this deal with The CW as well.

 

[RockManAC]

> True, but in places like Boise and Anchorage(where both
> markets have a full powered UPN outlet on VHFs), it could be
> a different story, so expect them to be favored as possible
> CW affils.

I'm just going off what I heard through the front office @ work. We were told our WB 100+ station was staying and the UPN (digital/cable station) was not getting the affiliation.

-A<P ID="signature">______________

</P>

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I think we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[dave73]

> I think we'll just have to wait and see.
>
In Chicago, WGN automatically got CW since WGN is owned by Tribune. WPWR has to figure out a programming schedule now that they're losing their network affiliation. I however have always had the impression the people running WGN at the local level always wanted to be an independent, because they want to carry the Cubs, Sox, Bulls, and I believe the Blackhawks games, but end up working out an agreement to have them aired on WCIU instead because of network obligations.

 

[stevebaxley]

We have the same problem here in the lansing/Jackson Michigan market:

The WB is on cable 15 known as WB5
UPN is on WHTV UPN18

now here is the thing, both used to be housed at our loacl ABC affiliate WLAJ
but as of late January , the UPN station (whihch is owned by vulcan ventures subsid Spartan TV inc.) just moved from the WLAJ Studios (WLAJ owned by Freedom..BTW) to the WLNS TV Studios (WLNS Owned by Young Broadcasting)

so now the question, with UPN18 nopw under the spell of a CBS station, and CBS owning 50% of the new network, who will "THE CW" line up with , and will the cable net remain on air ?

 

[The_Outsider]

> We have the same problem here in the lansing/Jackson
> Michigan market:
>
> The WB is on cable 15 known as WB5
> UPN is on WHTV UPN18
>
> now here is the thing, both used to be housed at our loacl
> ABC affiliate WLAJ
> but as of late January , the UPN station (whihch is owned by
> vulcan ventures subsid Spartan TV inc.) just moved from the
> WLAJ Studios (WLAJ owned by Freedom..BTW) to the WLNS TV
> Studios (WLNS Owned by Young Broadcasting)
>
> so now the question, with UPN18 nopw under the spell of a
> CBS station, and CBS owning 50% of the new network, who will
> "THE CW" line up with , and will the cable net remain on air
> ?
>


One would think that in those situations, they would go with the OTA station, as going with a lot of cable only and digital subcarriers will not grow the network where they need it to be. Those methods of distribution should be a last resort it there oer no other options or if the OTA option is not viable.