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I Want My RTV!

M

MattParker

This came up in another thread: Why aren't Verizon FIOS, Comcast, DirecTV and Dish offering RTV (WFMZ-TV 69.3)? They carry the main channel but neither WFMZ sub-channel. Why is RTV? being blacked-out? The cable-satellite providers carry THIS (WPHL-TV 17.3). They have not added Antenna TV (WPHL-TV 17.2), which launched January 1st. But RTV has been around for a while and it's not being offered? What's the problem?
 
I have written to CRAPCAST a number of times on this issue with no response. I would think it would be a must carry rule, if they carry the main channel they should carry the subs.....WLVT's subs are carried the spanish and create, so why not RTV.
 
I've attempted to contact Verizon FIOS and - of course - ended up in voice menu hell.

I have tried to contact WFMZ (twice) and got no response.

I am not sure if "must carry" rules also apply to sub-channels. They were written before the switch-over to digital, so maybe there is some loop-hole. As noted, they don't care one of two 17.* sub-channels. The cable satellite providers don't carry all of WYBE's (35.*) sub-channels. DirecTV carries 35.2 but that's it for sub-channels on DirecTV.

I do recall reading a while back that stations are responsible for providing a microwave link to to the cable-satellite provider. So maybe WFMZ (and others) is dropping the ball here. Can anyone confirm this?

I haven't seen any of those "call your cable or satellite operator" to request a particular channel ads lately. Maybe they've realized cable-satellite operators have set things up so they are unreachable.
 
I am sure C-Cast carries most of the subs....I still am with them and they do carry most subs...which includes all of Channel 17's and also US which I think is Channel 10's sub. But they do not carry WGTW or ION's subs. Does anyone have a current list of all the subs receivable in the metro, it would be nice to see what cable or satellite does not carry. My complex does not allow outdoor antennas and I cannot receive any HD's with an indoor antenna and I am in Philly, go figure.
 
06.2 Infomercials
06.3 AccuWeather
10.2 NonStop
10.3 Sports
12.2 YCreate
12.3 YInfo
17.2 AntennaTV
17.3 This
17.4 Tango
23.2 NJN2 Duplicates 52.2
35.2 Mind
35.3 International
35.4
35.5
39.3 VMe
39.4 Create
48.2 Religion
48.3 Religion
48.4 Religion
48.5 Religion
51.2 NJN2 Duplicates 23.2
61.2 Qubo
61.3 IonLife
61.4
65.2 Spanish Language
62.2 Accuweather
69.3 RTV
 
Hey man thanks for the info I have been looking for this the past year...I noticed Channel 3, 29 and 57 have no subs....
 
No, they don't. It's curious. 10 and 12, for example, operate at 1080i on the main channel and they have subs. 29 operates at 720p and has no subs. So it doesn't seem to be about doing without subs to concentrate bandwidth on the main channel.

Since the companies that own the commercial major network stations are also operating cable channels, they may not want to put programming on the subs that will cut into their cable business. The "oldies" channels (Antenna, This, RTV) mostly run stuff that TV Land and Nick at Nite have passed on - or dropped 20 years ago. NBC used to run their own weather channel on one 10's subs - and dropped it after they acquired The Weather Channel. ABC used to put their World News Now channel on some subs (although not 6ABC) but they seem to have discontinued that, too. I would think that now that is has become difficult for a new channel to get itself added to cable-satellite-fiber optics line-ups, new channel operators might try getting cleared on subs.

Then again, as more and more programming is available on-demand or online, maybe nobody cares about subs much. At some point, the FCC is going to figure since few people are watching OTA TV, all the frequencies can be auctioned off and put to better use.
 
I have a rooftop antenna so I get them OTA and my TiVo recognizes the channels to record. I believe the DirecTV and Dish DVRs also support recording from the digital OTA channels.

I think WFMZ negotiated for the WFMZ-HD channel to be on Comcast, as that was more important for its purpose. Carriage of the RTV channel is more or less a "take it or leave it" situation -- not something WFMZ is going to go out of its way to make sure carriers carry it.

WPHL/Tribune has more clout given that Tribune has stations in many other markets, so I'd expect Antenna TV (17.2) to appear on Fios before RTV (69.3). Comcast already carries Antenna.
 
@Gunsmoke: I left WPHA off my earlier list.
38.2
38.3
38.4
38.5
WBPH channel 60 has a sub-channel active but currently there is nothing but a black screen on it.
60.2

@ding12: "Clout" doesn't matter under must-carry rules. WFMZ's problem is that they are in Allentown and need to provide some kind of link to Comcast's, Verizon's and other cable systems' headend. 69.1 (HD) is carried on Service Electric and RCI cable systems in the Lehigh Valley. Comcast and Verizon only carry 69.1 in standard definition. Apparently carriage of sub-channels is not required. But it is still up to WFMZ (or any other station) to get usable signals to the cable systems. Verizon, at least, appears to have allocated channel positions for at least some of the missing sub-channels. It's up to the station to get the signal to them.
 
So what you are saying is, if FMZ would go to C-cast Philly and provide 69-2-3 to them, they would carry it, or would they deny the request. C-cast does carry 69 in HD on channel 271. I noticed Tango Traffics music is in pure stereo, I listen to them when I go to bed LOL, just connect the converter box outlets to my stereo system and away I go :).
 
gunsmoke said:
So what you are saying is, if FMZ would go to C-cast Philly and provide 69-2-3 to them, they would carry it, or would they deny the request. C-cast does carry 69 in HD on channel 271. I noticed Tango Traffics music is in pure stereo, I listen to them when I go to bed LOL, just connect the converter box outlets to my stereo system and away I go :).
Click to expand...

I did a little Googling and apparently cable systems are required to carry only one "channel" from a station under "must-carry." Major network affiliates generally waive "must-carry" and want cable systems to pay them. Stations are required to deliver a usable signal to the cable system's headend (wherever that is). For the two satellite providers, that means their distribution centers (one or both is in Colorado).

From what I can see, Comcast carries sub-channels from public television stations plus This from WPHL-17. Verizon carries those plus sub-channels from channels 6, 10 and 61.

I'd like to see the major network affiliates carry the West Coast network feeds on sub-channels (with the computer putting in the local spots that ran during the East Coast feed on the main channel). This would give a second opportunity to watch shows live or to record them on Tivos with can only record two shows at a time or other DVRs which can only record one show at at time. It seems like most stations aren't doing nearly as much as they could with the sub-channels.
 
Head end refers to the location where all the signals are combined and processed for distribution. There are less head ends today, with cable companies using fiber between head end locations. For example in the Salisbury, Maryland market, the two commercial stations WMDT and WBOC have fiber feeds to Comcast, Mediacom and Verizon. WBOC is also the site for DirecTV, which takes the WBOC feeds CBS and Fox as well as the WMDT feeds ABC and CW. I do work for the RTV affiliate, a LD station in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He has a deal with Comcast to provide his commercials, as they also do for Verizon Fios (through Spotlight). They are going to provide the feed to WBOC so DirecTV can put of the feed. We not yet got the feed working yet, but hope to have it available soon. Dish network does not carry any locals, but they say they do. The give WHAG for NBC out of Hagerstwon, Md., while DirecTV provides NBC10 from Philly which makes a look more sense. Hope that helps explain head ends.
 
ka3kza said:
Head end refers to the location where all the signals are combined and processed for distribution. There are less head ends today, with cable companies using fiber between head end locations. For example in the Salisbury, Maryland market, the two commercial stations WMDT and WBOC have fiber feeds to Comcast, Mediacom and Verizon. WBOC is also the site for DirecTV, which takes the WBOC feeds CBS and Fox as well as the WMDT feeds ABC and CW. I do work for the RTV affiliate, a LD station in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He has a deal with Comcast to provide his commercials, as they also do for Verizon Fios (through Spotlight). They are going to provide the feed to WBOC so DirecTV can put of the feed. We not yet got the feed working yet, but hope to have it available soon. Dish network does not carry any locals, but they say they do. The give WHAG for NBC out of Hagerstwon, Md., while DirecTV provides NBC10 from Philly which makes a look more sense. Hope that helps explain head ends.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. Any idea what the case is with WFMZ channel 69 and their HD3 RTV channel?
 
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