Loss of WCAU causes a stir in Ocean County

[JerseyShor]

From the Beach Haven Times on 12/6/06:

Cable change concerns Island
Posted by the Times-Beacon Newspapers on 12/6/06
BY NICHOLAS HUBA
STAFF WRITER

Residents on Long Beach Island are concerned that the loss of a television station could have an effect on their safety.

Islandwide, municipalities are passing resolutions asking Comcast to put Channel 10 back on the basic cable system. Right now the only way to get the station is through digital cable.

Officials have said that most of the people on Long Beach Island get their weather and news from Philadelphia stations.

Last week, governing bodies in Harvey Cedars, Ship Bottom and Long Beach Township passed resolution asking Comcast to put the station back.

[EDIT]



[EDIT-post truncated because originating material is copyprotected. Unauthorized use of copyrighted content is in violation of Radio-Info's TOS. PLEASE PROVIDE LINK(S) TO CITED MATERIAL.]

 

[Jul]

Link: http://www.timesbeacon.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061206/BEACON04/612060385/1042

 

[JerseyShor]

Even more Comcastic headlines...

http://www.thesandpaper.net/SandPaper Pages/sandpaper_page26.htm

 

[rch66]

If Comcast wanted to save bandwith, why not move worthless CN8 to digital cable?

They own it. Comcast dropping NBC 10 while favoring newsless CN8; Comcast keeping CSN Philly exclusive from satellite (and thus an inherent monopoly).

Comcast's makes us think "It's Your Call" - it's not our call. It's Comcast's call.

Is Fios planning to compete in Southern Ocean County? BTW, Fios has attained CSN Philly rights. Maybe Fios would offer NY, all Philly and WMGM-TV unlike Comcast there.

 

[Jul]

They own it. Comcast dropping NBC 10 while favoring newsless CN8; Comcast keeping CSN Philly exclusive from satellite (and thus an inherent monopoly).

Comcast's makes us think "It's Your Call" - it's not our call. It's Comcast's call.

CSN should be on satellite. All the other CSN's are, why they can't do it in Philly. NBC 10 should be on all cable systems in the Philly TV market.

 

[amfmsw]

But isn't the affected area part of the New York ADI?

 

[Nertz!]

Yes. So this is a moot point.
I think I would be happier with WNBC, since they have a very good newscast.

 

[imhomerjay]

Comcast keeping CSN Philly exclusive from satellite (and thus an inherent monopoly)
....

BTW, Fios has attained CSN Philly rights.

Even if the monopoly argument had been true--and a study of economics shows that's not the case as there are at least two other choices for getting pay TV service--with Fios having CSN, that argument is outdated now.

 

[BRNout]

Yes. So this is a moot point.
I think I would be happier with WNBC, since they have a very good newscast.

The problem with this point of view is that NBC-10 actually reports on stories that affect southern Ocean County and the weather there. WNBC, on the other hand, is hard pressed to report on anything that's more than 25 miles from 30 Rock.

The Philly stations definitely do a much better job of news and weather coverage along the Jersey shore thanks to the cultural connection between that area and metro Philadelphia. Frankly, I find that the New York stations' newscasts, while very slick, generally lack any local focus beyond the 5 boroughs of New York and immediately adjacent areas. The Philly stations are more "normal" (i.e. more like other major market stations around the US) when it comes to covering an entire metro area.

The whole Ocean County situation is interesting, because many viewers clearly have been disenfrancised by being lumped into the New York DMA - thanks to a densely populated area at the north end of the county. It goes to show that the concept of cementing viewing habits based on DMA has many faults. This is a fine example of that.

A better idea would be to allow exceptions where specific counties between metro areas can be split when appropriate. OR, classify counties that have split 'loyalties' between DMAs as being "gray areas" where the rules are more flexible. I know that station owners would bristle at this one - but perhaps this is a case where government chould actually do something for the public good.

 

[rch66]

Comcast keeping CSN Philly exclusive from satellite (and thus an inherent monopoly)
....

BTW, Fios has attained CSN Philly rights.

Even if the monopoly argument had been true--and a study of economics shows that's not the case as there are at least two other choices for getting pay TV service--with Fios having CSN, that argument is outdated now.

It does hold true. Satellite TV penetration in the Philadelphia market has been flat, under 10% while in the rest of the nation it's greater.

Fios hasn't sold any TV subscriptions yet, and isn't competing in Philadelphia. Not outdated.

 

[rch66]

Yes. So this is a moot point.
I think I would be happier with WNBC, since they have a very good newscast.

KTLA has a good newscast too. Not local however.

The Philadelphia stations are significantly viewed and have historical carriage in Ocean County.

In addition, Philadelphia market station WMCN-DT, licensed to Atlantic City, recently gained carriage through a market-modification petition on basis of proximity. To top the argument, the Philadelphia signals provide news coverage of the county, sometimes extending to southern Monmouth. While not providing strong news coverage of those the areas(because the county lies in NY DMA), the Philadephia stations do report inclement weather and emergencies in the area, unlike the NY stations. The Philadelphia market stations have a claim on cable in southern Ocean County. NBC however has been passive; Comcast didn't technically drop the channel - they moved NBC10 to a higher programming package level.

 

[imhomerjay]

It does hold true. Satellite TV penetration in the Philadelphia market has been flat, under 10% while in the rest of the nation it's greater.

Fios hasn't sold any TV subscriptions yet, and isn't competing in Philadelphia. Not outdated.

The fact that one business hasn't been successful doesn't mean there's a government-sanctioned monopoly, which is the only type that's illegal. There are three--and in parts of the area four, soon to be five--ways to get pay television service--thus, by definition, none of them are monopolies . MTV is MTV. HBO is HBO. USA is USA. It doesn't matter who delivers it. Burgers are burgers, whether they're flame broiled or fried. A wire hooks into the back of your TV giving you the same pictures. Whether the other end of that wire is attached to a telephone pole or a satellite dish is irrelevant.

A free market economy shouldn't mean businesses can't have some content that sets them apart.
One provider has one type of exclusive content, a different provider has something else that's exclusive. It's not the Constitutional role of the government to be meddling in private business matters for what is a non-essential, voluntary service. I'm all in favor of a wide interpetation of "providing for the general welfare of the United States," but the things governments are injecting themselves into is obscene.

 

[8638]

Yes. So this is a moot point.
I think I would be happier with WNBC, since they have a very good newscast.

The problem with this point of view is that NBC-10 actually reports on stories that affect southern Ocean County and the weather there. WNBC, on the other hand, is hard pressed to report on anything that's more than 25 miles from 30 Rock.

The Philly stations definitely do a much better job of news and weather coverage along the Jersey shore thanks to the cultural connection between that area and metro Philadelphia. Frankly, I find that the New York stations' newscasts, while very slick, generally lack any local focus beyond the 5 boroughs of New York and immediately adjacent areas. The Philly stations are more "normal" (i.e. more like other major market stations around the US) when it comes to covering an entire metro area.

The whole Ocean County situation is interesting, because many viewers clearly have been disenfrancised by being lumped into the New York DMA - thanks to a densely populated area at the north end of the county. It goes to show that the concept of cementing viewing habits based on DMA has many faults. This is a fine example of that.

A better idea would be to allow exceptions where specific counties between metro areas can be split when appropriate. OR, classify counties that have split 'loyalties' between DMAs as being "gray areas" where the rules are more flexible. I know that station owners would bristle at this one - but perhaps this is a case where government chould actually do something for the public good.

Very well stated. On the rare occasion that I watch a New York newscast, I always feel as if I'm watching news from another country. Rarely is there any mention of Ocean County...unless someone does a shoot'em up in Toms River; then, and only then, does the NY media come south.

When I watch WCAU's news, Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz (love those bow ties!!) or Doug Kammerer have the Toms River temperature on their regional map. The closest any NY operation gets is Belmar.

One more point vis a vis DMA's: I find it very interesting that here in central Ocean County, I am considered New York DMA, when I cannot receive half of that market's stations clearly. Channels 7, 9, 11 and 13 have not covered their licenses fully since 9/11, and seem to be making no effort to even try. WABC-TV is the absolute worst signal, totally unviewable. Pretty miserable for a flagship station. I'm grateful for a clear, consistently viewable WPVI.

An interesting thread, this.

 

[Bill_W]

It does hold true. Satellite TV penetration in the Philadelphia market has been flat, under 10% while in the rest of the nation it's greater.

Fios hasn't sold any TV subscriptions yet, and isn't competing in Philadelphia. Not outdated.

The fact that one business hasn't been successful doesn't mean there's a government-sanctioned monopoly, which is the only type that's illegal. There are three--and in parts of the area four, soon to be five--ways to get pay television service--thus, by definition, none of them are monopolies . MTV is MTV. HBO is HBO. USA is USA. It doesn't matter who delivers it. Burgers are burgers, whether they're flame broiled or fried. A wire hooks into the back of your TV giving you the same pictures. Whether the other end of that wire is attached to a telephone pole or a satellite dish is irrelevant.

A free market economy shouldn't mean businesses can't have some content that sets them apart.
One provider has one type of exclusive content, a different provider has something else that's exclusive. It's not the Constitutional role of the government to be meddling in private business matters for what is a non-essential, voluntary service. I'm all in favor of a wide interpetation of "providing for the general welfare of the United States," but the things governments are injecting themselves into is obscene.

Congress did get involved. When Comcast wouldn't carry MASN, Congress made sure they did so that they could watch the National games. Comcast refused to carry MASN because Comcast SportsNet MidAtlantic is going to lose the Orioles to MASN soon. Congress could have also told Comcast to allow DirecTv and Dish to buy CSN-Philly by ending the fiber loophole in the law but, they didn't. You can't watch a Phillies game on satellite but, your elected official can watch a Nats game on Comcast down in DC!

 

[Jul]

Congress did get involved. When Comcast wouldn't carry MASN, Congress made sure they did so that they could watch the National games. Comcast refused to carry MASN because Comcast SportsNet MidAtlantic is going to lose the Orioles to MASN soon. Congress could have also told Comcast to allow DirecTv and Dish to buy CSN-Philly by ending the fiber loophole in the law but, they didn't. You can't watch a Phillies game on satellite but, your elected official can watch a Nats game on Comcast down in DC!

It's a joke that thousands of satellite viewiers in Philly can't watch CSN. We, the people need to change it now so CSN can be on satellite

 

[eatspaste]

Residents on Long Beach Island are concerned that the loss of a television station could have an effect on their safety.

Islandwide, municipalities are passing resolutions asking Comcast to put Channel 10 back on the basic cable system. Right now the only way to get the station is through digital cable.
[EDIT]

So this is where all of the people live that channel 10 scares into watching everytime a non-real weather event almost doesn't hit the area!