I've noticed a lot of small markets signing off mostly VHF/some UHF stations that have been on the air for up to 50 years with a big four affiliate (CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox) and replacing them with a lesser known network (CW, Me-TV, Heroes and Icons, etc.). One that comes to mind would be Tallahassee, in which former Fox KTLH moved to WTWC-DT2 and replaced with Me-TV. I know there are others like I know a former CBS station on channel 4 shut off and replaced with Heroes and Icons but I can't remember any others at the moment.
-
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
Feder: CW moving from WGN to WPWR
- Thread starter mvcg66b3r
- Start date
Sinclair, to me, may be the "Grim Reaper" of TV stations. Either putting them off the air due to Sinclair acquiring the TV station's owner and unable to have an LMA for some reason or making them have another small network. If only someone else took the TV stations. WBNB was a different case, they were taken OTA because of a hurricane. If only Gray could bring WBNB back. Then an affiliation switch would happen in USVI. Puerto Rico doesn't need the 4 networks. They are already happy having only WKAQ and Univision, since they are mainly a Spanish-speaking territory. Also, the station you talked about was actually WTLH (the K was a typo), and KXJB. If only the FCC wasn't so strict about LMAs, then some stations would have been "saved" from being OTA or using a fail-safe affiliate like ION or H&I. The duo of WCFT/WJSU had this as well, including WCIV when Albritton merged with Sinclair. Also, people may think that CW may go the way of FOX and become part of the Big 4 affiliates, making it the Big 5, joining with the original 3 (CBS, ABC, and NBC) along with FOX. By the way (BTW), KXJB/KRDK is notable for it's tall tower, along with it's former sister, KVLY, which is more famous for being once known as the "tallest tower in the world", maybe taller than the Sears Tower, 1WTC, and the late Twin Towers at it's time (when the KVLY tower was topped out in the 70s).
Last edited:
The reason you are seeing this is because the FCC is cracking down on JSA's/LMA's...basically forbidding them. That is why owners have to be "creative" with how they work with the programming when they buy stations or companies. Buy the programming from the station they "cant" own and move it to their own station. Then sell the station to someone else or move a non big 4 onto the main. Thats the thing. You can't own 2 of the top 4 in the same market. But there are workarounds for that
-2 of the top 4 stations in the market owned by same people on different RF stations? NOPE
-2 of the top 4 stations in the market owned by same people on same RF station? YUP
-2 of the top 4 stations in the market owned by same people with 1 on a full power and 1 on a LP? YUP
As for the "workaround" I think Gray Broadcasting was kinda the first one to figure out the "loophole". Back late 2013-early 2014 when they bought Hoak Media it gave them 3 duopolies
Lincoln/Grand Island, NE with KOLN/KGIN (CBS) and KHAS (NBC)
Western ND with NBC and FOX
Fargo/Grand Forks area with KVLY NBC and KXJB CBS (which Hoak was running)
When the FCC cracked down on these Hoak figured "well lets move it to a sub of a station we own"
So they shut down KHAS and moved NBC to a sub of KGIN/KOLN AND their co-owned KSNB. This one was real sneaky as they bought KSNB under a "failing station" waiver and put My Network on it. Once they owned it fully they put NBC on that. The reason for the subchannel too is because KSNB is on RF4 and between Lincoln and Grand Island so an outdoor antenna is needed. KHAS was sold and is now Sonlife.
In Western ND they kept NBC (Hoak owned all the NBC's in ND) and moved FOX to a sub. The former Fox station was sold and now is Heroes and Icons (yes on a -1)
In Fargo they kept KVLY (for the reason above) and moved CBS (downconverted to 720p) to a sub. They sold KXJB to a guy who renamed it KRDK and is now loaded up with diginets (10 of them) This move benefited Fargo OTA folks the most as they went from 11 OTA stations to now 23 now (ABC and FOX have added subs since then too)
The other way they have done it is to buy a low powered station from someone (which does not count towards FCC rules). In Wausau, WI they bought a LP and moved FOX to the LP station (they also have it in SD on their CBS station too)
Sinclair has done this in other areas too. Buy the rights to programming, move it to their own station, then in most areas sell it to Howard Stirk Holdings who runs the stations. Sinclair still has some "pull" as they will put Sinclair stations like Comet on those stations.
Thats why the Nexstar/Media General sale is taking so long to be officially approved. There were some conflicts that Nexstar has to take care of first.
Independence Day (for WGN-TV) is coming in 10 days! I wonder what's going to happen (besides the obvious switchover).
BTW, off topic, but, by the time Nexstar/MG sale gets approve, WFLA's Max Defender 8 will be up and running, BEATING BHN/Spectrum-owned, Bay News 9's Klystron 9 and Atlanta's WSB-TV Klystron Radar as well! (I wonder where Max Defender 8 is, since I know Klystron 9 is in 66th St N. in Pinellas Park) and the original 3 MG trio will reunite again (WCWJ/WFLA/WCBD), only difference is that WCBD is now NBC, and WCWJ (obvious call letter changes from WJKS) is now CW. The only one that survived all changes was WFLA, still with NBC, still has the WFLA call letters (except during the 80s), and still on Channel 8.
And that WCWJ is going to Graham Media Group, not to M.G.
Nope I don't know and please forgive me if somebody has already posted but WGN TV announced that they are replacing the CW programming week day programming with 1 hour repeats of Two and a Half Men and 1 hour repeats of Last Man Standing. And that of course when no Chicago sports broadcasts such as Chicago Bulls basketball, Chicago Blackhawks hockey, or Chicago Cubs or Chicago White Sox baseball. While it is too late this baseball season to air more Cubs or White Sox games, but certainly in the fall they could air more Chicago Bulls or Chicago Blackhawks hockey games, even if the are both scheduled to play in the same night, and Comcast Sports Net Chicago might not even have to be forced to air one of the games on Comcast Sports Net +. It would seem obvious that WGN TV would replace CW programming with more newscasts. But don't they already air enough newscast already, and they have more news then our local CBS, NBC, or even ABC stations.
Looking at zqp2it there are various programs between 7-9 where CW was starting 9/1
I see an hour of Friends
Something called "Chicago's Best"
a 100 year history of Wrigley Field
an hour more of 2 1/2 men
Sportsfeed
So it looks like the 7-9 slot varies. The 2-3 (where Bill Cunningham was) looks like more of Maury
I am more familar with Chicago's Best it is a very local tv show that they don't even air outside of Illinois, that they got check out a lot of restaurants and even stadiums that they deem to be Chicago
s Best that viewer's can go on their Facebook page and tell them where they think they should go. But U guess they must have changed it, you can see their segments either online at http://www.chicagosbesttv.com , or on http://www.youtube.com
s Best that viewer's can go on their Facebook page and tell them where they think they should go. But U guess they must have changed it, you can see their segments either online at http://www.chicagosbesttv.com , or on http://www.youtube.com
But, why? They are alone with no other Media General station in Jacksonville. Why is WCWJ being sold to Graham Media? WPLG is not there, that I know, because WPLG is owned by Warren Buffett!
But they do have WJXT, the 1,000-ton pound gorilla in the market in which there could be more local news provided there.
I know this thread is only slightly related to WGN America. But seriously, what a waste. Terrible shows around the clock. Movies are weak. Just a waste of a national cable channel. I loved them when they had Cubs baseball, and Chicago local news. Nowdays, I spend absolutely zero time with this channel, (except for the fraction of a second when I click by).
Agreed. The channel was watchable when it had WGN-TV News, Sports and Content including its specials. Now... forget it.
I did watch Superstation WGN (That's how I like to call it) for a long time to watch the news at 9pm there and sometimes watch the Cubbies and White Sox and other sports too.
- Status