• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Channel 57 25 years ago

R

RockIntern

Guest
Does anyone remember when Channel 57 became independent, and stopped the over the air pay version. They aired many old shows, Saturday was all Westerns, Wagontrain, Rifleman, Cheyene, Yancy Direnger, On Sundays they also showed many old sitcoms and variety programs. During the week they had a combo of new and old programming. Do you think they will revert back to this in the fall, is there still an audiance for this type of stuff....
 
Aren't they becoming the CW affiliate for Philadelphia?The day of the independent station is dead.
 
Nertz says: The day of the independent station is dead.Shawn's response: Tell that to WFMZ in Allentown.
 
In a major market, it seems one indy general entertainment station can prosper. This after the CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, CW and My stations. So with an indy, 7 stations (8 is stretching it) can work, where likely, 2 or more are duopolied up together. The rest of the commercial independents have to rely on pay for pray or home shopping.

So Two or three indy stations, after the big 6, probably would not happen.

WFMZ prospers with an Allentown niche, by doing local news, and only indy station - running sitcoms, might I add for the Philadelphia market. WTVE would have it a lot harder following a similar model.

In San Francisco, where there is KICU and KBWB - there is going to be consolidation as they won't all have enough product, and little reason to keep a sales dept as such -- watch KBWB go all infomercials.
 
For the most part, cable has killed the independents; they have the "TV Oldies" and movies independents used to run. What cable does NOT have however are the local hosts - local kiddie shows, local horror film hosts, local sprocket jocks, bowling for dollars, high school bowls....
 
fred flintstone said:
For the most part, cable has killed the independents; they have the "TV Oldies" and movies independents used to run. What cable does NOT have however are the local hosts - local kiddie shows, local horror film hosts, local sprocket jocks, bowling for dollars, high school bowls....
Click to expand...

Agree there. Cable has killed independents. Take for example some reruns. 7th Heaven reruns used to be on broadcast, but ABC Family bought exclusive rights. Numerous programs esp. rerun of current dramas now go straight to cable (TNT, for example), and the cable channels have exclusivity.

The cable networks (USA, FX, TNT) have some original programming filling some primetime on a few days - but it's a farce. Just a way Universal, Time Warner, Fox or whatever major studio that owns the cable network can justify passing cost increases for channels that are essentially rerun channels; and such original primetime programming could have gone on another co-owned channel by the same studio. Original programming from the studio that can't even make up 1 channel is spread across 5 or 6 channels.

Local sports rights have increased, because cable provided an outlet where teams could profit far more from subscriber subscription revenue.
 
Since I moved to Lansdale last August, I have found myself watching more of Channel 69's news. Sure, it's primarily the Lehigh Valley and Reading, but they are trying to position themselves as the suburban station. They doa fair share of coverage in Montgomery and Bucks counties. Also, the presentation seems to be "straight up reporting", or, dare I say, fair and balanced. They don't stoop to the tabloid coverage so popular with the big stations nowadays. Again.....just one man's opinions.
 
Just Think How Hard It Is To Program An Independent TV Station

I can imagine that an independent FULL POWER station has some advantages with what syndicated shows that they choose to air.

However, being an independent LOW POWER station is even more difficult.

I find myself fortunate to have only two (2) FP stations in the market I'm in. But, then you get to contend with their digital channels needing programming.

But, I have been able to snatch a lot of syndicated stuff away and get a lot of movie packages to show.

But, I have to agree with an earlier poster that LOCAL is the key. Local news, ballgames, Bowling for Dollars or Dialing for Dollars, Dance Contests, etc. Similar to the way stations did it in the 60's and 70's.

Mind you, trying to get a network affiliation.
 
Rockin Rob said:
Since I moved to Lansdale last August, I have found myself watching more of Channel 69's news. Sure, it's primarily the Lehigh Valley and Reading, but they are trying to position themselves as the suburban station. They doa fair share of coverage in Montgomery and Bucks counties. Also, the presentation seems to be "straight up reporting", or, dare I say, fair and balanced. They don't stoop to the tabloid coverage so popular with the big stations nowadays. Again.....just one man's opinions.
Click to expand...

Sadly, 69's news is the best content quality wise in the entire market.
 
The best part about 69 News…NO coverage of American Idol, Survivor, or Dancing/Skating/Eating with the Stars etc etc! In other words, no network selling of these shows made to appear as a ‘news story’! Just News/Sports/Weather and those 2 wacky commentary guys!
 
Yes!
Imagine what the Reading stations could do if they ever got rid of that "religious" crap.
 
Wfmz is an ok station showing some shows from the past. I agree though that their news broadcast isnt the best
 
Twenty years, maybe. Twenty-five years might be a stretch. I was a young lad back then (around 10), and I think 57 came about not long after Channel 48 went down the first time.

I may be wrong. Boy, were those the good ol' dys!

-Kingbill
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom