Late 1970's NBC affiliate switches question?

[genius]

Just curious as this happened several years before I got into TV, but did any of the stations who jumped from NBC to (usually)ABC because of NBC's ratings wooes later regret that decision by the late 80s? Were the GMs only thinking in the short-term? I know WBAL in Baltimore who switched to CBS at that time would end up switching back to NBC as part of the whole Scripps and Westinghouse deals/mess.

 

[bpatrick]

There have been a few which went back to NBC,
most recently (I think) WDTN/2 Dayton, OH in 2004.

Most of the ones that went to ABC and back to
NBC were in medium and smaller markets:

WTLV Jacksonville, FL
WSAV Savannah, GA
WJHG Panama City, FL
KCEN Temple-Waco, TX
KOMU Columbia-Jefferson City, MO
KTVE Monroe, LA/El Dorado, AR

The bigger ones, like WSB, KSTP, WRTV, WSOC, and
KGTV seem perfectly happy with ABC, although I think
KSTP and WRTV did take a ratings hit at the expense
of (respectively) KARE and WTHR, I think the prevailing
wisdom was well expressed by WSB g.m. Fred Barber when
he made the switch in 1980: "We're not thinking about the
November ratings book (he made the switch on Labor Day,
September 1); we're thinking about where we're going to
be in 10 years."

 

[LKellerIII]

"Just curious as this happened several years before I got into TV, but did any of the stations who jumped from NBC to (usually)ABC because of NBC's ratings wooes later regret that decision by the late 80s?"

Channel 10 in San Diego (it was KOGO when I was a kid, but I'm not sure what the call letters are now) switched from NBC to ABC during the huge ratings of the Happy Days - Kotter - Love Boat era, grabbing ABC away from XETV-6 in nearby Tijuana. I'm not sure why, but poor pathetic NBC didn't move to Channel 6 - it ended up on UHF channel 39, which was NOT a good thing in the mid 70s before many people had cable. XETV remained independent until it affiliated with Fox in the 80s.

I don't know if Channel 10 regretted it by the "Must See TV" 80s, but they never went back.

 

[MikeSFNM]

There have been a few which went back to NBC,
most recently (I think) WDTN/2 Dayton, OH in 2004.

Most of the ones that went to ABC and back to
NBC were in medium and smaller markets:

WTLV Jacksonville, FL
WSAV Savannah, GA
WJHG Panama City, FL
KCEN Temple-Waco, TX
KOMU Columbia-Jefferson City, MO

I believe WBRZ channel 2 in Baton Rouge abandoned NBC for ABC back then. It has not reverted. I recall one of the WBRZ honchos at the time saying they were fed up with poor-performing NBC programs. Interestingly, the parent station, WJBO 1150 AM, was BR's original NBC radio affiliate.
KTVE Monroe, LA/El Dorado, AR

The bigger ones, like WSB, KSTP, WRTV, WSOC, and
KGTV seem perfectly happy with ABC, although I think
KSTP and WRTV did take a ratings hit at the expense
of (respectively) KARE and WTHR, I think the prevailing
wisdom was well expressed by WSB g.m. Fred Barber when
he made the switch in 1980: "We're not thinking about the
November ratings book (he made the switch on Labor Day,
September 1); we're thinking about where we're going to
be in 10 years."

 

[chuckydoll]

The big 70's station switches

Some of the bigger switches were covered on this board earlier this year.

In San Diego NBC could not go to XETV even if it wanted to. XETV dropped ABC when the FCC denied a required cross-border permit in the early 70's.

In the Twin Cities NBC went to WTCN-11, which wound up fourth behind newly indie KMSP-9.

 

[LKellerIII]

"In San Diego NBC could not go to XETV even if it wanted to. XETV dropped ABC when the FCC denied a required cross-border permit in the early 70's."

I never knew that - which explains it - thanks, Chucky. I assume that means that ABC was not so much grabbed up by Channel 10 - but that Channel 10 took ABC because it was already available.

 

[bpatrick]

Re: The big 70's station switches

Some of the bigger switches were covered on this board earlier this year.

In San Diego NBC could not go to XETV even if it wanted to. XETV dropped ABC when the FCC denied a required cross-border permit in the early 70's.

In the Twin Cities NBC went to WTCN-11, which wound up fourth behind newly indie KMSP-9.

I suspect WTCN was already fourth, since it had been an indie.
It took a few years, and an ownership change to Gannett, to
make the station competitive, and while it has always had problems
in daytime and at 5 and 6, its 10 PM newscasts trailed WCCO but
beat KSTP in the "Must See TV" era at NBC. And I haven't seen
KSTP trying to get back with NBC, nor NBC trying to dump KARE.

Keep in mind, too, that (usually) the big winner in these switches
was the one that stayed put, normally the CBS affiliate. In the
words of WCCO's famous ad with the CBS stars: "You Know Where
To Find US!"

 

[LKellerIII]

"Keep in mind, too, that (usually) the big winner in these switches was the one that stayed put, normally the CBS affiliate. In the words of WCCO's famous ad with the CBS stars: 'You Know WhereTo Find US!'"

I guess it's a bit off-topic, but it reminds me of the colossal "early prime-time" blunder made in the early 90s in San Francisco by both the NBC and CBS affiliates. They were convinced they could get higher late news ratings at 10:00, and change the viewers prime-time viewing habits. Both stations lost ratings, KRON (the NBC affiliate) lost Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy because King World (syndicators) insisted they run between 7:00 and 8:00 when KRON was suddenly running prime time shows.

By doing nothing, the ABC O&O came up the big winner, with the only prime-time network shows at 10:00, the only late news at 11:00 - and picked up Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune in the bargain.