KPRC Houston & WDIV Detroit

[e-dawg]

Any chances that Porst-Newsweek will sell these two station to NBC? Since NBC would love to have them being an O&O affiliate.

 

[KeithE4]

Any chances that Porst-Newsweek will sell these two station to NBC? Since NBC would love to have them being an O&O affiliate.

I'd be surprised if NBC would be interested since both cities are outside their "core" market interest (Northeast & California). The only stations they own now outside of those areas are in Chicago, Miami (a city some call "New York City's 6th borough"), and Dallas/Ft. Worth (76% ownership).

I don't think Detroit and Houston would fit into their plans (I'm guessing, of course). They'd be far more interested in Boston if they could get WHDH, and I've heard they've tried.

 

[KTN Corp]

I hope they make KPRC-TV an full O&O (not a majority like KXAS), the third O&O in Houston and it's only market #10. I only watch NBC programs on that station. I change the channel to KHOU-TV for news or KTRK when KHOU-TV doesn't have a newscast on. It's an automatic reaction by now. NBC has such a low (if not the lowest) O&O portfolio compared to the other networks. They are very picky and probably for good reason. Can't wait until KPRC-TV is an O&O--I'll start watching again for sure.

 

[Markxxx]

With digital a couple years away I don't think networks will be in a rush to buy stations. Especially if they aren't near the cap. The UHF discount will be gone once the transition is complete for the "big four" networks. Then the discount will be "gradually" eliminated for other station ownership groups. Whatever that means, kind of vauge.

 

[chuckydoll]

Local 2 and Local 4 are NOT for sale

General Electric has bigger things to deal with right now. NBC is currently 4th among the Big 4 in prime time.

That said, Local 2 in Houston and Local 4 in Detroit are legacy NBC affiliates. There is not a chance those stations get sold to anyone any time soon.

 

[Charles1]

Be careful waht you ask for

Given what happened to WVTM-13 in Birmingham under NBC/Universal's stewardship, why would anyone want the network to buy these stations? When NBC bought Channel 13 in '96, it was solidly the #2 news station in the Birmingham market. Ten years later, when the station was sold to Media General, it was a very weak #3 in the market, and in fact, trailed long-time doormat and laughingstock WIAT-42 at 5:00 p.m. Is this what Houston or Detroit would want?

 

[genius]

Chuckydoll is correct, NBC has bigger problems, and NBC just sold off four O&Os last year(WJAR, WNCN, WVTM, and WCMH). So the prospects of them buying anything at this point is slim.

As for NBC being bad managers, I worked at KCNC when it was an NBC O&O thought it was great. However, ever since NBC and Vivendi Universal came together, I hear everything went to hell. Not that it matters to either KPRC and WDIV, two stations I hear are also pretty shotty themselves.

 

[bpatrick]

Then I'm wondering what's happened to KCNC
since it became a CBS o&o. Else, why the
speculation that CBS wants to trade it for the
Meredith stations in Atlanta and Phoenix?

 

[KTN Corp]

Re: Local 2 and Local 4 are NOT for sale

That said, Local 2 in Houston and Local 4 in Detroit are legacy NBC affiliates. There is not a chance those stations get sold to anyone any time soon.

WDIV could be a good addition to Gannett's group to compete with E.W. Scripps in Detroit and Cleaveland and W*USA could come back to the Post-Newsweek fold as the flagship station. (Hopefully they can change the calls back to WTOP-TV--the * on the USA is tacky.)

Given what happened to WVTM-13 in Birmingham under NBC/Universal's stewardship, why would anyone want the network to buy these stations? When NBC bought Channel 13 in '96, it was solidly the #2 news station in the Birmingham market. Ten years later, when the station was sold to Media General, it was a very weak #3 in the market, and in fact, trailed long-time doormat and laughingstock WIAT-42 at 5:00 p.m. Is this what Houston or Detroit would want?

It is already at the bottom, it won't make a difference.

As for NBC being bad managers, I worked at KCNC when it was an NBC O&O thought it was great. However, ever since NBC and Vivendi Universal came together, I hear everything went to hell. Not that it matters to either KPRC and WDIV, two stations I hear are also pretty shotty themselves.

Why not let NBC have a try? The O&O graphics packages, music, and set is much better than the small-market package, music, and set that KPRC-TV is using now. (Well, at least the embarrassingly outdated newsroom set is gone and replaced with a more conventional studio set. It took 13 years to do this?) Houston is now in the big-leagues; it should act like it!

 

[snoman]

I hope they make KPRC-TV an full O&O (not a majority like KXAS), the third O&O in Houston and it's only market #10. I only watch NBC programs on that station. I change the channel to KHOU-TV for news or KTRK when KHOU-TV doesn't have a newscast on. It's an automatic reaction by now. NBC has such a low (if not the lowest) O&O portfolio compared to the other networks. They are very picky and probably for good reason. Can't wait until KPRC-TV is an O&O--I'll start watching again for sure.

I agree. When the Hobby family sold it to Post-Newsweek, it's gone down hill ever since. They used to be the top rated news station in the market, with Ron Stone and Doug Johnson. Now, they are a distant third and in fourth in some time periods. They have stopped the flashy, "Hard Copy", In Your Face styled newscasts. They have slowed things down a bit and tried to do a more conventional styled newscast, but I think they are trying to close the barn door after the horse got out. At a station I used to work at, there was a sign in the break room that read "It takes a long time to earn a viewer's trust, and seconds to lose one." It is very true.

The only problem I have with NBC O&O's, is they cut a lot of corners. They run their Master Control out of a hub in Florida. My parents live in Connecticut and they get both WNBC/New York and WVIT/Hartford. There are times that there is excess black, they cut into programming... lots of mistakes. It's very sloppy. However, the news is better quality. Not to mention, KPRC has a bad habit of preempting programming for local or other programming. It gets tiresome. That's the good thing about KTRK, KRIV, KTXH, and KHCW, is that doesn't happen (not that preempting anything on MY TV Network or THE CW wouldn't be an improvement). But, it would definitely improve KPRC.

 

[chuckydoll]

Another Rip Van Winkle post

WDIV could be a good addition to Gannett's group to compete with E.W. Scripps in Detroit and Cleaveland and W*USA could come back to the Post-Newsweek fold as the flagship station. (Hopefully they can change the calls back to WTOP-TV--the * on the USA is tacky.)

Gannett owns the Detroit Free Press and is not about to sacrifice any revenue just to please some Rip Van Winkle wannabe. Besides, the Free Press is part of a joint operating agreement.

The Washington Post Co. is not about to sacrifice any revenue from its namesake newspaper just to please some Rip Van Winkle wannabe.

Bonneville International now owns WTOP radio and will not allow those call letters to be used on a TV station.

Maybe this Rip Van Winkle wannabe ought to wake up and live in the real world, not live as if John F. Kennedy were still alive.

 

[KTN Corp]

The only problem I have with NBC O&O's, is they cut a lot of corners. They run their Master Control out of a hub in Florida. My parents live in Connecticut and they get both WNBC/New York and WVIT/Hartford. There are times that there is excess black, they cut into programming... lots of mistakes. It's very sloppy. However, the news is better quality. Not to mention, KPRC has a bad habit of preempting programming for local or other programming. It gets tiresome. That's the good thing about KTRK, KRIV, KTXH, and KHCW, is that doesn't happen (not that preempting anything on MY TV Network or THE CW wouldn't be an improvement). But, it would definitely improve KPRC.

Forgot about the Master Controls. But the trade-off is better news and no-preemptions. I waited 5 years for Passions to clear on KPRC-TV. Isn't WNBC the #1 or 2 station in NYC? How about KNBC, WMAQ, etc.?