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Gray and Channel 2

IM42A said:
Somewhere along the same lines, how did WVFX Clarksburg get by with keeping their 10.x PSIP data? They began as analog OTA channel 46, then were assigned to digital RF channel 10, and took up both branding themselves as "Fox 10" and using channel 10 as their PSIP channel. Finally they ended up on RF 13, but still have 10 as their PSIP channel to this day.

Another example of "just sort of not following the rules"? Seems as though they'd be forced to revert to PSIP 46.
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I doubt there is anything hing illegal here. Some folks can work the rules.

Somehow there was a way to change your PSIP when the first digital conversation happened if there wasn't a local station on that channel. You would lose the folks looking for your old "channel" but everyone had to rescan their TV and 10 would show up before 46. IIRC virtual channels are on the FCC website so they had to know about it. Somebody figured it out. If they were not following the commission rules the competition would have filed something with the FCC. There are lawyers and engineers that deal with the commission daily. They are expensive but you have to deal with them if you are in the OTA business.
 
secondchoice said:
I doubt there is anything hing illegal here. Some folks can work the rules.

Somehow there was a way to change your PSIP when the first digital conversation happened if there wasn't a local station on that channel. You would lose the folks looking for your old "channel" but everyone had to rescan their TV and 10 would show up before 46. IIRC virtual channels are on the FCC website so they had to know about it. Somebody figured it out. If they were not following the commission rules the competition would have filed something with the FCC. There are lawyers and engineers that deal with the commission daily. They are expensive but you have to deal with them if you are in the OTA business.
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They probably just wanted a lower channel number (and it would fall between 5 and 12 in this case) and saw a way to get it.
 
IM42A said:
They probably just wanted a lower channel number (and it would fall between 5 and 12 in this case) and saw a way to get it.
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I would. Anything under 13 usually shows up on cable systems before 46. I never thought of the falling between 5 and 12. Somebody was really smart.
 
secondchoice said:
I would. Anything under 13 usually shows up on cable systems before 46. I never thought of the falling between 5 and 12. Somebody was really smart.
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Lower channel numbers are inherently desirable both for marketing purposes and placement "on the dial".

I always thought that WYMT (Hazard KY) should have been able to go with channel 12, to match their OTA channel number at the time. I don't think there is anyplace in eastern Kentucky that would have gotten both WYMT and WKRC (the nearest channel 12 to Hazard) OTA. If WVFX was able to do it with impunity, WYMT might have been able to get by with it as well. WOAY going with their digital OTA channel number of 50 was beyond bizarre.
 
IM42A said:
Lower channel numbers are inherently desirable both for marketing purposes and placement "on the dial".

I always thought that WYMT (Hazard KY) should have been able to go with channel 12, to match their OTA channel number at the time. I don't think there is anyplace in eastern Kentucky that would have gotten both WYMT and WKRC (the nearest channel 12 to Hazard) OTA. If WVFX was able to do it with impunity, WYMT might have been able to get by with it as well. WOAY going with their digital OTA channel number of 50 was beyond bizarre.
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WYMT hasn't marketed with their channel number in … 25 years? (Nor has WKYT.) There would have been no measurable benefit remapping as channel 12.
 
Nathan Obral said:
WYMT hasn't marketed with their channel number in … 25 years? (Nor has WKYT.) There would have been no measurable benefit remapping as channel 12.
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That is true, they haven't. I just thought a VHF-like channel number could have helped them in marketing (one syllable instead of the six in WYMT, or five if you say it fast).

WYMT has done a remarkable job in establishing a first-rate news operation that covers a large area in Kentucky and even neighboring Virginia.
 
BarryATL said:
I don't think Gray is losing money on the Atlanta news operation. They do more stations newscasts from Atlanta and just have a local stringer in the small towns. Meaning they are running several news operations and all of the digital from the Atlanta operation. Their digital is better than any station in the market. I am assuming that is the same for the small markets they are in.
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What national digital is out of Atlanta? Local News Live, their FAST channel is run out of DC.
 
Firebird61 said:
If Gray is going after all of the Cox TV stations, either Fox or CBS could pick up WPCH/17 as a duopoly for their respective Atlanta stations. Charlotte may be a bit trickier with WBTV (NBC), WSOC (ABC), and WAXN (Ind). Other than Atlanta and Charlotte, Gray and Cox do not appear to compete in the other markets.

Radio is probably sold off separately, either as a package or per market.
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WBTV is a CBS affiliate. WCNC is NBC in Charlotte.
 


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