CBS getting an O&O in Atlanta as WUPA replaces WANF

[IM42A]

I'm pretty sure it was Gray that made the move. CBS was making a lot of money in fees from WANF to be an affiliate, and didn't have to do much work to get it. Aside from a dream of setting up a streaming OTT service in the largest market in the southeast, CBS probably had little motivation to take the affiliation from WANF and turn WUPA into an O&O. Especially at a time when their parent company is planning a merger, and their news department is in absolute chaos. Not to mention having to build a local news department from nothing in two months in a very competitive market. I don't think CBS wanted to make this move at this time.

Meanwhile, Gray, which has recently been building up a competitive news operation at WANF, has been paying millions of dollars for a CBS affiliation that apparently hasn't been paying off to their expectations. The network news department is a mess, and they no longer have rights to SEC sports. Without CBS, they save on paying for the network, and they can go after more lucrative local sports rights, which may become more abundant in the Atlanta market. They also can expand local programming, including news, where they collect 100% of the advertising money. They have some flexibility here.

The new CBS Atlanta operation is going to be a huge money pit for a long time, at the worst time possible. Sure, they can put on a happy face and spin it, especially when it comes to the new streaming news channel and a deeper presence in the South. But I highly doubt this was their intent.

I've been reading lots of ridiculous speculation and conspiracy theories on other boards about what this means for Seattle and Tampa Bay, where Paramount/CBS owns independent stations, but affiliate the network with other broadcasters. I really can't see Paramount/CBS wanting to take affiliations away from Tegna or Cox to create their own startup O&O operations on much weaker stations, when they could just merely sit back and collect the reverse comp money from the current, well-established affiliates.

If Gray thinks they can make a go of a news-intensive independent station in Atlanta (after the fashion of WJXT Jacksonville), more power to them, after all, it is the nation's seventh-largest TV market. From all I read, I just assumed that CBS dropped the bomb on them. And it's entirely possible that some of WANF's news talent may migrate over to WUPA, viewers like familiar faces doing their news, and a de novo news operation needs that. It's just awfully intrepid of CBS to think that they can create a viable news operation from scratch in a market where you have three legacy stations, and a newly-independent station that already has news and isn't going to back down from it. Gray also has formidable news resources, so if anyone can pull it off, they can.

 

[secondchoice]

When did the Commission allow virtual channels to switch to the "real" channel number?

 

[EricStein]

I'm pretty sure it was Gray that made the move. CBS was making a lot of money in fees from WANF to be an affiliate, and didn't have to do much work to get it. Aside from a dream of setting up a streaming OTT service in the largest market in the southeast, CBS probably had little motivation to take the affiliation from WANF and turn WUPA into an O&O. Especially at a time when their parent company is planning a merger, and their news department is in absolute chaos. Not to mention having to build a local news department from nothing in two months in a very competitive market. I don't think CBS wanted to make this move at this time.

Meanwhile, Gray, which has recently been building up a competitive news operation at WANF, has been paying millions of dollars for a CBS affiliation that apparently hasn't been paying off to their expectations. The network news department is a mess, and they no longer have rights to SEC sports. Without CBS, they save on paying for the network, and they can go after more lucrative local sports rights, which may become more abundant in the Atlanta market. They also can expand local programming, including news, where they collect 100% of the advertising money. They have some flexibility here.

The new CBS Atlanta operation is going to be a huge money pit for a long time, at the worst time possible. Sure, they can put on a happy face and spin it, especially when it comes to the new streaming news channel and a deeper presence in the South. But I highly doubt this was their intent.

I've been reading lots of ridiculous speculation and conspiracy theories on other boards about what this means for Seattle and Tampa Bay, where Paramount/CBS owns independent stations, but affiliate the network with other broadcasters. I really can't see Paramount/CBS wanting to take affiliations away from Tegna or Cox to create their own startup O&O operations on much weaker stations, when they could just merely sit back and collect the reverse comp money from the current, well-established affiliates.

NBC took a massive hit in Boston by starting their own O&O. Maybe the networks are realizing that all they need to distribute network programming is their own pass-through stations with small or no news departments, as the demand for linear TV is declining.

 

[Fighting Irish]

NBC took a massive hit in Boston by starting their own O&O. Maybe the networks are realizing that all they need to distribute network programming is their own pass-through stations with small or no news departments, as the demand for linear TV is declining.

It was pretty dumb of NBC to start a new station in Boston. But they never had good relations with Sunbeam Television, which owned WHDH in Boston and former NBC affiliate WSVN in Miami.

 

[NYAZSporty]

3 Falcons games will air on WUPA good news for WUPA AND CBS

It won't be the first sporting event involving a local team that'll be showcased on WUPA as the WNBA's Atlanta Dream will host the New York Liberty on August 23rd & that's a CBS game.

 

[deejaywestbrook]

Some stations have switched their virtual channel number to their actual broadcast channel in the digital era. But seeing as WUPA's digital broadcast channel is Ch. 36, that would not be feasible, due to WATL's long-established virtual channel 36.

Wouldn't it be possible for Atlanta's low power station, WUVM which is on channel 4 convert to a full power station and become Atlanta's "CBS 4".... And just have Aztec America programming move to Channel 69?

Having a major big three Network like CBS on channel 69, in a top 10 market is a little embarrassing! 🤔

 

[EricStein]

Wouldn't it be possible for Atlanta's low power station, WUVM which is on channel 4 convert to a full power station and become Atlanta's "CBS 4".... And just have Aztec America programming move to Channel 69?

Having a major big three Network like CBS on channel 69 and a top 10 market is a little embarrassing! 🤔

Channel numbers don't matter in the digital age. FOX didn't mind moving up to channel 69 in San Diego (which, at the time, was a heavily cabled market, and the station still brands using its cable channel number), and that was almost two decades ago.

 

[Firebird61]

Wouldn't it be possible for Atlanta's low power station, WUVM which is on channel 4 convert to a full power station and become Atlanta's "CBS 4".... And just have Aztec America programming move to Channel 69?

Having a major big three Network like CBS on channel 69, in a top 10 market is a little embarrassing! 🤔

WUVM has been airing Defy TV for quite some time. Defy airs reruns of Pawn Stars, Counting Cars, Storage Wars, and other reality type shows.

 

[MarkW]

I'm surprised this didn't happen much sooner, to be honest.

 

[secondchoice]

I'm surprised this didn't happen much sooner, to be honest.

I am surprised it happened at all.

CBS had an affiliate with an owner that has spent serious money improving their local news. Now CBS has to start a new news team from scratch * which will probably cost more for the first couple of years than what they got out of the 46 relationship. The sales team will need beefing up. There is a difference selling third or fourth tier programming verses the #1 OTA in America. For a while I bet there will be a lot of per inquiry commercials on CBS Atlanta for a couple of years.

* I know this will NEVER NEVER NEVER happen but now that the AJC and Cox really are separated, CBS could buy The AJC and solve their Atlanta newsgathering issue quickly. Just hire a couple of camera crews , part time Weather Channel weather person(s) or let TWC do the weather and studio newsreaders.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Wouldn't it be possible for Atlanta's low power station, WUVM which is on channel 4 convert to a full power station and become Atlanta's "CBS 4".... And just have Aztec America programming move to Channel 69?

Having a major big three Network like CBS on channel 69, in a top 10 market is a little embarrassing! 🤔

So? This isn't the era of Analog TV when channel 69 was a big deal then. The reality here is that Paramount will simply label WUPA-TV as CBS News Atlanta that's it as part of the move to promote Paramount+ and CBS News apps on their TV's.

 

[RadioRonnie285]

Will Atlanta News Now add more news?

 

[IM42A]

Wouldn't it be possible for Atlanta's low power station, WUVM which is on channel 4 convert to a full power station and become Atlanta's "CBS 4".... And just have Aztec America programming move to Channel 69?

Having a major big three Network like CBS on channel 69, in a top 10 market is a little embarrassing! 🤔

Would it be possible for CBS to buy WUVM, thereby getting access to the channel 4 PSIP data, and have WUVM share spectrum with full-power WUPA, migrating, as you suggest, Azteca America programming to channel 69.1?

I'm sure HC2/Innovate would charge CBS a pretty penny for what would amount to nothing more than getting the right to call CBS Atlanta "CBS4". (I'm assuming WYFF Greenville is far enough away, that there'd be no conflict in using the same PSIP channel number.)

 

[secondchoice]

Would it be possible for CBS to buy WUVM, thereby getting access to the channel 4 PSIP data, and have WUVM share spectrum with full-power WUPA, migrating, as you suggest, Azteca America programming to channel 69.1?

I'm sure HC2/Innovate would charge CBS a pretty penny for what would amount to nothing more than getting the right to call CBS Atlanta "CBS4". (I'm assuming WYFF Greenville is far enough away, that there'd be no conflict in using the same PSIP channel number.)

That's a lot of moving pieces and expenses for a non problem. If you are viewing OTA like I do, when you are on Channel 2, simply push the down channel on the remote. You get channel 69 and it's .2 .3 or how ever many subchannels they are running. If you read the TV manual you can tune out the .2 .3 etc. I have only channels 2,5,8,11,17,30,36,46, and 69. None of that .2 or .3 crap.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Call letters don't really matter unless it's tied to branding. The FCC is mentally stuck in the last century by not allowing Older TV stations using their "real" channel number. That being said that "real" channel number can change in the next repack.

The FCC's purpose in using virtual (their former) channel numbers was to avoid confusion among viewers. I agree with that and am pretty sure the stations do, also.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Will Atlanta News Now add more news?

They're saying they will, and I wonder whether it will turn into a money pit. WANF gets poor ratings with CBS prime time, which is top-rated in most other markets. Are they going to do better with more news? One thing for sure: It's going to cost them a pretty penny.

 

[IM42A]

That's a lot of moving pieces and expenses for a non problem. If you are viewing OTA like I do, when you are on Channel 2, simply push the down channel on the remote. You get channel 69 and it's .2 .3 or how ever many subchannels they are running. If you read the TV manual you can tune out the .2 .3 etc. I have only channels 2,5,8,11,17,30,36,46, and 69. None of that .2 or .3 crap.

A lot of viewers prefer the subchannels to the main x.1 channels, especially when it is well-curated nostalgia TV such as MeTV or Catchy Comedy.

I could live on those two channels alone.

 

[BarryATL]

They're saying they will, and I wonder whether it will turn into a money pit. WANF gets poor ratings with CBS prime time, which is top-rated in most other markets. Are they going to do better with more news? One thing for sure: It's going to cost them a pretty penny.

Back when CBS left WAGA and they switched to FOX, WAGA almost doubled the number of weekly news hours. They advertised they largest news operation in Georgia.

WANF has stated they do 40 hours per week of news now and they will go to 60+. This is a long game. WANF will have to be willing to go a couple of years before they see a return on investment.

Gray already has a great digital presence. I am wondering if they will continue to move into the digital area.

 

[crainbebo]

Fun fact: This I believe is only the 2nd time a station on channel 69 (real or virtual) has been an affiliate of a big 3 network. In the '70s there was a short-lived channel 69 NBC affiliate in Fredericksburg VA (WHFV). It was saturated by WRC and WWBT, lost money quickly, went into debt, and was shut off in 1975.

 

[IM42A]

Fun fact: This I believe is only the 2nd time a station on channel 69 (real or virtual) has been an affiliate of a big 3 network. In the '70s there was a short-lived channel 69 NBC affiliate in Fredericksburg VA (WHFV). It was saturated by WRC and WWBT, lost money quickly, went into debt, and was shut off in 1975.

Exactly right. If I were going to pick a place to fire up a major network affilate, Fredericksburg, Virginia would be very low on the list. They have fairly easy reception from both Washington and Richmond, and more intrepid commuters treat Fredericksburg as a bedroom community of DC (don't know about Richmond). Some workers in the DMV go to heroic lengths to have halfway-affordable homes with lawns and some open space, when I lived there, I chose a more humble abode so that I wouldn't have to drive all that distance.

Charlottesville, OTOH, is just far enough from both cities to make reception either difficult (Richmond) or impossible (DC), and they have a thriving small market there that, for some odd reason, stands distinct from the nearby Harrisonburg market. (WHSV's NBC presence, fueled by strategically-placed translators as well as being parked on 3.2, is basically a semi-satellite, if not a full satellite, of WVIR.) A single market, with newscasts more oriented towards their cities of origin (think Greenville and Spartanburg SC, or Charleston and Huntington WV, would be beneficial for all players. A separate Spartanburg or Huntington market would be almost as preposterous as Parkersburg or Zanesville (two markets that could easily merge and be fairly viable).