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Grey applies to move WSHM-LD Springfield to Boston

Fenway1912

Fenway1912

What is Grey cooking up?


On December 18, 2025, Gray Media filed a major modification application with the FCC, indicating that wants to relocate WSHM-LD's transmitter 73.1 miles (117.6 km) east across the state to the combined candelabra tower site in Needham on physical channel 23. The station would change its city of license to Boston to give Gray a presence in Greater Boston, which would require the consolidation of the CBS schedule and affiliation for Springfield onto a WGGB subchannel

 
Silly question, based on the years my family (all but me) lived near Amherst MA in the 1980s: Doesn't WFSB/3 cover the Springfield market anymore, since digital took over? I know that they set up an LPTV in Springfield to be a separate CBS affiliate for the area, but was it ever really necessary?

And for what purpose, other than to have a Boston station on its roster, will WSHM serve? They'll have to be an independent, so what programming would they air?
 
There's a pretty comprehensive answer in this week's NERW...

*There’s a new TV station coming to the Boston market, assuming the FCC approves an application from Gray Television to move WSHM-LD across MASSACHUSETTS from Springfield to Boston.

It’s part of a major change window the FCC recently opened to low-power TV stations, allowing them to change channels and locations in ways that they can’t normally do as minor moves, which in this case will take WSHM from channel 20 on Mount Tom north of Springfield to channel 23 on the Cedar Street tower in Needham.

The move would come with programming changes at both ends; in Springfield, WSHM has been “CBS 3” since 2003, originally as an analog LPTV station on channel 67 and later on digital as virtual channel 33. As part of Gray’s “Western Mass News” operation, we’d expect WSHM’s CBS feed to be moved to a subchannel of the main Gray station there, ABC/Fox affiliate WGGB (Channel 40/RF 26), though in that heavily cable-dependent market, few are watching the over-the-air signal anyway.

Meanwhile in Boston, we suspect Gray is plotting a local sports channel, similar to ones it’s been building everywhere from Las Vegas and Phoenix to Connecticut, where it runs WWAX-LD (Channel 27) in Hartford. Who’d show up on such a channel? Probably not the biggest Boston sports teams, since the Red Sox own NESN and also control Bruins rights, but if other markets are any indication, Gray could be angling for rights to Celtics and a slew of minor league and college sports, too.
 
fybush said:
There's a pretty comprehensive answer in this week's NERW...

*There’s a new TV station coming to the Boston market, assuming the FCC approves an application from Gray Television to move WSHM-LD across MASSACHUSETTS from Springfield to Boston.

It’s part of a major change window the FCC recently opened to low-power TV stations, allowing them to change channels and locations in ways that they can’t normally do as minor moves, which in this case will take WSHM from channel 20 on Mount Tom north of Springfield to channel 23 on the Cedar Street tower in Needham.

The move would come with programming changes at both ends; in Springfield, WSHM has been “CBS 3” since 2003, originally as an analog LPTV station on channel 67 and later on digital as virtual channel 33. As part of Gray’s “Western Mass News” operation, we’d expect WSHM’s CBS feed to be moved to a subchannel of the main Gray station there, ABC/Fox affiliate WGGB (Channel 40/RF 26), though in that heavily cable-dependent market, few are watching the over-the-air signal anyway.

Meanwhile in Boston, we suspect Gray is plotting a local sports channel, similar to ones it’s been building everywhere from Las Vegas and Phoenix to Connecticut, where it runs WWAX-LD (Channel 27) in Hartford. Who’d show up on such a channel? Probably not the biggest Boston sports teams, since the Red Sox own NESN and also control Bruins rights, but if other markets are any indication, Gray could be angling for rights to Celtics and a slew of minor league and college sports, too.
Click to expand...
I would not rule out the Bruins as NESN is dropping in value, and Jacobs could sell his 20% stake. The team is very unhappy with how NESN 360 streaming is performing.

The Revolution is locked in with Apple, the Red Sox with NESN, and with NBC/Comcast going all in with the NBA, I can't see that changing.
 
Fenway1912 said:
What is Grey cooking up?


On December 18, 2025, Gray Media filed a major modification application with the FCC, indicating that wants to relocate WSHM-LD's transmitter 73.1 miles (117.6 km) east across the state to the combined candelabra tower site in Needham on physical channel 23. The station would change its city of license to Boston to give Gray a presence in Greater Boston, which would require the consolidation of the CBS schedule and affiliation for Springfield onto a WGGB subchannel

Click to expand...

I am very very curious as to what Gray will do with it. But with other affiliations already taken, its nothing but Independent or 24-hour sports.
 
KeithE4 said:
Silly question, based on the years my family (all but me) lived near Amherst MA in the 1980s: Doesn't WFSB/3 cover the Springfield market anymore, since digital took over? I know that they set up an LPTV in Springfield to be a separate CBS affiliate for the area, but was it ever really necessary?

And for what purpose, other than to have a Boston station on its roster, will WSHM serve? They'll have to be an independent, so what programming would they air?
Click to expand...
It probably wasn't necessary for reception purposes, but I'd say Springfield-area viewers preferred to have local news on their CBS affiliate.
 
IM42A said:
It probably wasn't necessary for reception purposes, but I'd say Springfield-area viewers preferred to have local news on their CBS affiliate.
Click to expand...
Nope, that had nothing to do with it. See below...

KeithE4 said:
Silly question, based on the years my family (all but me) lived near Amherst MA in the 1980s: Doesn't WFSB/3 cover the Springfield market anymore, since digital took over? I know that they set up an LPTV in Springfield to be a separate CBS affiliate for the area, but was it ever really necessary?
Click to expand...
Yes. It gave them the ability to air the Patriots in Springfield and Jets in Hartford, and sell both separately. That was the primary reason for the change.
They added a low-budget newscast when it launched, which still had included elements from WFSB. It never made a dent in the ratings however, as WWLP has been the long, very dominant station in that market. (Still is...)
 
necrat said:
Nope, that had nothing to do with it. See below...


Yes. It gave them the ability to air the Patriots in Springfield and Jets in Hartford, and sell both separately. That was the primary reason for the change.
They added a low-budget newscast when it launched, which still had included elements from WFSB. It never made a dent in the ratings however, as WWLP has been the long, very dominant station in that market. (Still is...)
Click to expand...
Makes sense. I wasn't aware of that.
 


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