I know it's TV but WCNC???

[The danimal]

After 12 years of calling itself NBC6 or WCNC, they are now Channel 36 again!

Any thoughts on this or the new imaging?

To me, it all looks very 'small market'.

 

[quadraphonic]

[cue rumor mill]Maybe they're changing networks?[/rumor mill]

 

[raedizzle2008]

After 12 years of calling itself NBC6 or WCNC, they are now Channel 36 again!

Any thoughts on this or the new imaging?

To me, it all looks very 'small market'.

What? They're all of a sudden channel 36 again? Who'd have thunk it, LOL! ;D


I was told that WCNC started calling themselves "NBC6" due to the placement of said station on cable channel 6 in most of the station's viewing area on cable, which makes sense as very few people in recent memory seem to refer to a TV channel by its over-the-air channel number (unless it coincides with its cable channel). Of course, whatever few "Neanderthals" that still rely upon OTA reception may wonder why a station technically on 36 would call themselves "NBC6", but anyway. And as of February 17, when all analog TV ceases to exist (save some low-power "translators", I guess), what's WCNC going to do, take their digital signal and put it on channel 36, if they're allowed to do so? Is that why they're going ahead and calling selves 36 on-air to get ready for that moment, or what? :-\

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I never liked the NBC6 thing, contrary to popular belief not everyone has cable. I had a feeling something was up when I saw them moving away from 6 on the website and on air and a return to calling it WCNC.

The digital signal won't be moved to from 22 to 36. Digital tuners do a translation so the users sees 36. Even we neanderthals know that!

I'd like to see the stations go by their new channel numbers but I doubt that will happen.

 

[eacalhoun1]

I always loathed the the "Channel 6" or "NBC6" slogan WCNC used for several years. Remember the billboards which--it seemed they were changed every few weeks--showing the "birth" of a new station? At first it was an egg; then the egg cracked; then the egg opened up and "NBC6" appeared. I felt like the emphasis on Channel 6 and the squelched mention of "36" was very misleading. For the ones viewing WCNC over-the-air (OTA) at that time, how many of them tried to re-tune to analog channel 6? Or, for newcomers to the area using OTA? My favorite slogan they ever used was just prior to this and I thought it rolled off the tongue quite well: "WCNC...TV36...Cable 6". As far as the DTV transition, WCNC along with most Charlotte stations will remain at their current channel location...thus, WCNC-DT will remain at channel 22 which is "mapped" to the familiar analog channel 36 on digital tuners. WYFF-DT, Greenville will actually migrate to channel 36 after February. You can view this information here: http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=59

What I don't understand is how WBTV-DT Channel 23 and WCNC-DT Channel 22 don't have issues being on adjacent channels.

Eric

 

[ncradioeng]

Adjacent TV channels are common with DTV as long as the transmitters are close to each other and have about the same power. The reason is the signal ratio between the two stations would be low and does not change since the receiver would always be the about the same distance from each station. What would be a problem is a high ratio (one station a lot stronger than the other) on adjacent channels as would happen if the stations were separated by more than several miles or had vastly different power levels.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Adjacent TV channels are common with DTV as long as the transmitters are close to each other and have about the same power. The reason is the signal ratio between the two stations would be low and does not change since the receiver would always be the about the same distance from each station. What would be a problem is a high ratio (one station a lot stronger than the other) on adjacent channels as would happen if the stations were separated by more than several miles or had vastly different power levels.

This is why WTVI is on DTV-11. Originally they applied for 24 but their transmitter site is too far from WBTV-DT-23. I wish all the stations were on UHF. The nice thing about UHF is the smaller antennas dute to the higher frequencies.

 

[DigitalSky]

Hi Guys, new here... And I was looking for a place just like this to discuss WCNC's new look so I'm glad I found it.

Firstly, I have to agree with some of you who say that WCNC's rebranding looks very "small-market" and outdated. I was watching yesterday and nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the '36' logo back on the screen - honestly thought I'd never see the day. I went up to the TV screen and it looked bad, the '36' logo looked blotchy and stretched out compared to the rest of the graphics. I think the new news theme they are using is a variation of "The Tower/NBC" (someone correct me if wrong). I think I'm glad they dropped the wordy "Carolinas' News Connection," but still have my doubts about "NewsChannel 36." And yes, because of PSIP Digital Channel 22 will show up as 36.

Anyway, I took 2 photos of my TV screen, one zooming in on the logo and time/temp, the other the full screen. Interestingly enough, there is no more peacock logo with the number, it only appears with the words "NewsChannel."

 

[raedizzle2008]

I wish all the stations were on UHF. The nice thing about UHF is the smaller antennas dute to the higher frequencies.

But the not-so-nice "trade-off" for your UHF nicety is the lesser distance that UHF waves typically travel compared to their VHF counterparts. That's why many commercial stations, particularly those affiliated with the "original three" (CBS, NBC, ABC), tend to dislike broadcasting on UHF. UHF is often seen as just inferior to VHF.

 

[w00t]

That does look extremely small market. It looks like the WNBC big market package with a small market logo shoehorned in.

I'm happy to see them using their real channel number because IMO they never should have stopped. But that said, does this not confuse the heck out of the viewers? Rebranding is one thing but a perceived channel change is a whole other thing.

 

[eacalhoun1]

While I do like the return of WCNC's reference to "36" (should've never been abandoned), does anyone think WCNC is "grasping at straws"? Why don't TV stations like to look at -- what I think -- is the REAL problem: Their incompetence in firing good, longtime, well-liked (so it seems) personalities like Chuck Howard, Terri Bennett, John Snyder. I will even go back so far as to say Alicia Booth. And what about Chris Clackum? Was he fired or did he quit on his own? I know Chris is now an NBC reporter.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I wish all the stations were on UHF. The nice thing about UHF is the smaller antennas dute to the higher frequencies.

But the not-so-nice "trade-off" for your UHF nicety is the lesser distance that UHF waves typically travel compared to their VHF counterparts. That's why many commercial stations, particularly those affiliated with the "original three" (CBS, NBC, ABC), tend to dislike broadcasting on UHF. UHF is often seen as just inferior to VHF.

In general you're right....but. Take Channel 3 for example. They couldn't even get a signal here on the east side of Charlotte. It's really horrible. On rabbit ears almost no signal, not watchable at all. Digital 23 no problem. UHF stations combated UHF's problems with more power and it seems to work. Digital is also quite different than analog. We'll just have to see how it all works out.

 

[jtudor]

I wish all the stations were on UHF. The nice thing about UHF is the smaller antennas dute to the higher frequencies.

But the not-so-nice "trade-off" for your UHF nicety is the lesser distance that UHF waves typically travel compared to their VHF counterparts. That's why many commercial stations, particularly those affiliated with the "original three" (CBS, NBC, ABC), tend to dislike broadcasting on UHF. UHF is often seen as just inferior to VHF.

In general you're right....but. Take Channel 3 for example. They couldn't even get a signal here on the east side of Charlotte. It's really horrible. On rabbit ears almost no signal, not watchable at all. Digital 23 no problem. UHF stations combated UHF's problems with more power and it seems to work. Digital is also quite different than analog. We'll just have to see how it all works out.

I wonder why that is, could it be due to the signal from WWAY in Wilmington, or some directionality in the WBTV antenna?

I grew up in Avery County, much further from either the current WBTV tower or the original location on Spencer Mountain. WBTV was the only station with a watchable signal on a consistant basis at my home. We did get a great signal from WSOC tv when they first went on the air, but when they moved we lost that signal. We were able to get a snowy picture from WCYB TV in Bristol TN and a ghosty picture from WSPA in Spartanburg.

Still that is a lot further from the WBTV site than east Charlotte is, and WBTV came in like gangbusters.

 

[amfmradio1]

"Carolinas' News Connection" was a good moniker for WCNC - there was a significance to their call letters.

IMHO, "NewsChannel36" (which is the channel they are actually on) is a better moniker - & now a competing factor against WBTV & WSOC - a lot of stations around the country are monikering themselves as "NewsChannel" - such as "NewsChannel8" - WTNH/New Haven CT.

They also have to individualize themselves in these days of competition (even they are local news channels)from the 24/7 news networks such as CNN, Fox News, Headline News, etc.

 

[yugoidar]

IMHO, "NewsChannel36" (which is the channel they are actually on) is a better moniker - & now a competing factor against WBTV & WSOC - a lot of stations around the country are monikering themselves as "NewsChannel" - such as "NewsChannel8" - WTNH/New Haven CT.

As "Breaking News" seems to be the latest consultant buzz phrase, maybe they should call the station "Breaking NewsChannel 36". That way they could one up WBTV. They seem to be focused on just how much "breaking news" they can shoehorn into each newscast. Enough, already!

 

[DigitalSky]

I wonder if eventually they will switch back to "NewsChannel 36 Cable 6" LOL.

 

[BIG APE]

: Gosh, I wish they would go back to 1953 when they came on the air as WAYS-TV..(Showing Age!) or maybe go back to the Turner Era as WRET ..Seems like I recall them also being WCTU and WPCQ..The station has a jeweled history of swapping networks and owners..Wonder how many sets had UHF when they were WAYS-TV.. WCNC.."Carolina News Connection"....I think not..."The Framers" said Charlotte, NC CNC..BIG APE/BIG WAYS

 

[wncc]

I think CNC means Channel Number Confusion

 

[amfmradio1]

'CNC - Carolinas' News Channel!

 

[jtudor]

I wonder if eventually they will switch back to "NewsChannel 36 Cable 6" LOL.

Back when they started the Cable 6, I was moonlighting for them as a news stringer.

They put a lot of time and effort into getting all (but one I think) of the cable systems in their coverage area to put them on Channel 6 instead of being on a different channel in each town. It was a great move at that time in the era of more and more people abandoning antennas and switching to cable.

Being on channel 6 in most areas also simplified answering the question I was asked most by local people while I was shooting video: "What Channel is this going to be on on my cable?"

At that time they were still using Channel 36 Cable 6 on the air, But later they dropped almost all if not all reference to 36 on the air. I thought that was a bad move, but my opinion did not count ;D