KRON 4.2

[1069_KIFR]

I do know that ABC likes to be situated at Channel 7

NBC likes the Channel 4 spot

CBS Likes the Channel 2 spot.

Most likely for uniformity and people traveling tune to those channels first.

Though its not 100%, but Networks they try for those channels

In a very limited number of major markets.

Overall... in the analog days:

More ABC stations were on channel 13 than any other channel. (19)
More CBS stations were on channel 3. (21 stations)
More Fox stations were on channel 11. (8)*
More NBC stations were on channel 6. (19)

* I didn't check UHF. It's possible some UHF channel has more than 8 Fox affiliates.

To look at it from a different angle...

More channel 2 stations were NBC affiliates than any other network. (16 stations)
More channel 3 stations were NBC. (16)
More channel 4 stations were NBC. (17)
More channel 5 stations were CBS. (17)
More channel 6 stations were NBC. (19)
More channel 7 stations were ABC. (18)
More channel 8 stations were ABC. (16)
More channel 9 stations were ABC. (15)
More channel 10 stations were CBS. (17)
More channel 11 stations were CBS. (15)
More channel 12 stations were CBS. (19)
More channel 13 stations were ABC. (19)

The NETWORK Owned and Operated prefer to be on: NBC 4, CBS 2, ABC 7, FOX 5. That is their preference but not always possible.

 

[w9wi]

That I'll buy but again only for the largest markets:

There are more ABC O&Os on channel 7 than any other channel: LA, San Francisco, Chicago, and NYC
There are more CBS O&Os on channel 2 than any other channel: LA, Chicago, NYC, and Pittsburgh*
There are more Fox O&Os on channel 5 than any other channel: Washington, Atlanta*, and NYC
There are more NBC O&Os on channel 4 than any other channel: LA, Washington, and NYC

* These stations were put on the air on these channels by someone else & later purchased by the network.

=====

FWIW, the list I posted was based on network affiliations as of the end of analog in summer 2009.

 

[1069_KIFR]

And that was an impressive list, that you researched.

 

[LKellerIII]

But in 1995 Florida the NBC Station WTVJ moved from Channel 4 to Channel 6. and the CBS station in Florida moved from channel 6 to Channel 4 under the WFOR calls.

Yeah, that happens - but probably less so now than in prior decades. I recall that in the mid 70s, San Diego's Channel 10 (KOGO in those days, IIRC) dumped low rated NBC to become an ABC affiliate (those were the highly rated Happy Daysdays). ABC, for its part, was happy to get off XETV 6, broadcasting from Tijuana. NBC went to a UHF channel - 39, I think, and XETV became an independent.

The NBC channel called themselves "7/39", the "7" being their cable allocation in that area.