Macon TV station dumps ABC

[bpatrick]

You're correct about WSB and WTVM's digital
channels; however, they are on virtual channels
2 and 9, respectively, and that's how they identify
themselves.

Yes, but virtual channel numbers have no bearing on signal reception. WSB mapping to 2-1 does not give its channel 39 signal VHF reception characteristics.

- Trip

True enough, although it doesn't really matter; if ABC is going to
be on 24-2, WSB will still be blacked out when both are carrying
ABC programs, I'm sure. But signal issues aside, WSB's newscast
is "Channel 2 Action News," not "Channel 39 Action News," while
WTVM identifies itself as Newschannel 9, not Newschannel 11
(in those parts, 11 still means "11 Alive," and that's WXIA). I
concede your point all the same.

 

[bpatrick]

With the recent rift between WPGA and ABC, the FCC wouldn't allow WMAZ to carry one of the other three major nets on a sub-channel due to the station's dominance in the market. The station enjoys a 70 share sign-on to sign-off and consistently ranks near the top of CBS's best performing affiliates. This hasn't changed much in the last few years either. The feds uphold the eight independent voices in a market with the market leader typically locked out of a duopoly. Gannett, WMAZ's corporate parent, has duopolies in Atlanta, Denver and Jacksonville.

Duopoly rules limit the ability of one owner to control more than one license -- more than one transmitter -- in a market. The duopoly rules would prevent Gannett from owning both WMAZ and WPGA.

Those rules don't, however, limit the ability of one owner to carry more than one network on their one transmitter. As "daryll" notes, WMAZ used to do this in the analog days by interspersing ABC and CBS shows on their one signal. (and this at a time when duopolies were *never* permitted) Today, it would still be legal (but stupid!) for them to intersperse CBS and ABC shows on 13.1. But they now also have the technical ability to run the ABC shows separately on a second subchannel. And that would be perfectly legal.

Right. A company cannot have a duopoly with the top four stations in a market (WXIA
could not have one with WSB, WAGA, or WGCL, for example). But KBMT Beaumont, TX,
does exactly what you're saying; when KBTV moved from NBC to Fox, KBMT, an ABC
affiliate, began carrying ABC on 12-1 and NBC on 12-2. That is perfectly legal.

 

[jal41]

With the recent rift between WPGA and ABC, the FCC wouldn't allow WMAZ to carry one of the other three major nets on a sub-channel due to the station's dominance in the market. The station enjoys a 70 share sign-on to sign-off and consistently ranks near the top of CBS's best performing affiliates. This hasn't changed much in the last few years either. The feds uphold the eight independent voices in a market with the market leader typically locked out of a duopoly. Gannett, WMAZ's corporate parent, has duopolies in Atlanta, Denver and Jacksonville.

Duopoly rules limit the ability of one owner to control more than one license -- more than one transmitter -- in a market. The duopoly rules would prevent Gannett from owning both WMAZ and WPGA.

Before 1995, Gannett would have been barred from owning both WXIA and WMAZ due to overlap (Gannett acquired WMAZ as part of the MetroMedia acquision in 1995, as the rules were changing). Today...since Atlanta is a large market (9 commercial stations), Gannett can own both WXIA and WATL (one more duopoly might be possible). Macon..on the other hand...is small (5 commercial stations, so WMAZ owning a second station would not be possible, unless that station could qualify for an exemption as a failed station (which WPGA-TV could after losing ABC). LMA's, SSA's, and other alphabet-soup leases might still be OK though.

I suspect WGXA can't dump Fox until the current affiliation agreement expires, thus the subchannel. One problem is they only have a 10 PM weeknight news. Since WPGA-TV either had no news or outsourced news...I guess they don't see it as a problem.

I wonder if WPGA-TV might go after the CW or MyNetwork affiliations? I also wonder if an agreement will be cut to move Fox to WPGA-TV. Again...the owner is stupid for getting rid of ABC.

 

[jal41]

Another huge problem...unless a deal is cut, DirecTV and Dish Network subscribers will be without ABC service.

 

[tripinva]

I'm absolutely sure 24-2 will show up on satellite.

- Trip

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

Another huge problem...unless a deal is cut, DirecTV and Dish Network subscribers will be without ABC service.

Doesn't Direct TV in Macon air KABC-TV out of LA ? Dish carries WLS-TV from Chicago as well as KABC from LA. Im not in Macon so I can't verify this info.

 

[bpatrick]

I have DirecTV and have both WABC and KABC,
although it's my choice to have them; my local
ABC station is WTVD, which I added when the
digital switchover took place (DirecTV let me
keep NY and LA).

While both would provide ABC for Macon, they're
not going to give viewers Georgia news, so WMAZ
(CBS) will probably continue its winning ways.

Besides, I thought the move of ABC to WGXA's
subchannel was a done deal.

 

[BarryATL]

WGXA could do what WJCL (ABC) and WTGS (FOX) in Savannah does. Forget all of the duopbly stuff... basically, WGXA is going to operate two signals/stations even though both will be on the same digital signal. In Savannah the ABC and FOX affiliates operate the same way although it is actually two seperate transmitters. Same building, same news staff, etc. The Savannah news staff does a 10 PM newscast on WTGS-Fox and then does an 11 PM newscast on WJCL-ABC. I would think WGXA would do the same thing. That would be the best way to get more bang for your buck.

 

[Radio1360]

WGXA could do what WJCL (ABC) and WTGS (FOX) in Savannah does. Forget all of the duopbly stuff... basically, WGXA is going to operate two signals/stations even though both will be on the same digital signal. In Savannah the ABC and FOX affiliates operate the same way although it is actually two seperate transmitters. Same building, same news staff, etc. The Savannah news staff does a 10 PM newscast on WTGS-Fox and then does an 11 PM newscast on WJCL-ABC. I would think WGXA would do the same thing. That would be the best way to get more bang for your buck.

I should know, having lived in Savannah myself. Also, when there's a breaking story (Like the floods that happen in Savannah in 1995 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999), the both stations would carry live simulcast of the event. Same here in Atlanta as well. WXIA-TV Channel 11 (NBC) and WATL-TV Channel 36 (MyN) operate on two separate transmitters though both on the same digital signal. As for WPGA-TV calling it quits with ABC, this may well be the beginning of the end of that age-old advice that says: "If you don't like what you see on TV, you can always change the channel". For the people of Macon/Perry, GA., this station did it for them.

 

[bpatrick]

With the recent rift between WPGA and ABC, the FCC wouldn't allow WMAZ to carry one of the other three major nets on a sub-channel due to the station's dominance in the market. The station enjoys a 70 share sign-on to sign-off and consistently ranks near the top of CBS's best performing affiliates. This hasn't changed much in the last few years either. The feds uphold the eight independent voices in a market with the market leader typically locked out of a duopoly. Gannett, WMAZ's corporate parent, has duopolies in Atlanta, Denver and Jacksonville.

Duopoly rules limit the ability of one owner to control more than one license -- more than one transmitter -- in a market. The duopoly rules would prevent Gannett from owning both WMAZ and WPGA.

Before 1995, Gannett would have been barred from owning both WXIA and WMAZ due to overlap (Gannett acquired WMAZ as part of the MetroMedia acquision in 1995, as the rules were changing). Today...since Atlanta is a large market (9 commercial stations), Gannett can own both WXIA and WATL (one more duopoly might be possible). Macon..on the other hand...is small (5 commercial stations, so WMAZ owning a second station would not be possible, unless that station could qualify for an exemption as a failed station (which WPGA-TV could after losing ABC). LMA's, SSA's, and other alphabet-soup leases might still be OK though.

I suspect WGXA can't dump Fox until the current affiliation agreement expires, thus the subchannel. One problem is they only have a 10 PM weeknight news. Since WPGA-TV either had no news or outsourced news...I guess they don't see it as a problem.

I wonder if WPGA-TV might go after the CW or MyNetwork affiliations? I also wonder if an agreement will be cut to move Fox to WPGA-TV. Again...the owner is stupid for getting rid of ABC.

Multimedia, the company out of Greenville, SC; not Metromedia (many of whose stations were the nucleus of Fox), owned WMAZ. Gannett acquired it, KSDK St. Louis, and WBIR Knoxville in that sale (and WBIR switched from CBS to NBC around that time), IIRC; also, if IIRC, Gannett also got WLWT Cincinnati but sold it to Hearst-Argyle. Parenthetical note: it was also about the time Gannett acquired WTLV Jacksonville from Harte-Hanks and switched it from ABC back to NBC.

 

[daryll]

Multimedia flipped WBIR to NBC in late 1988. The sale of Multimedia to Gannett was announced in July 1995. WTLV and WFMY were sold to Gannett in the summer of 1988 and the TLV-12 switch back to NBC occurred this same year. After buying Multimedia, Gannett kept their newspaper in Cincinnati instead of WLWT.

WPGA is now identifying themselves as Macon TV. All mentions to ABC are dropped except for their tie-in with The Telegraph newspaper and the Kenny and Charles Show.

BTW, take a look at FCC Commissioner Michael Copp's comments regarding duopolies on the FCC website. He's got this issue on his radar and is pushing for serious review.

 

[bpatrick]

I had forgotten that it was Multimedia that switched
WBIR to NBC, although I remember it was in 1988.
But as I pointed out on my earlier posting on this,
Gannett switched WTLV the same year, after acquiring
it and WFMY from Harte-Hanks (WFMY stayed with CBS,
and is the Eye Network's second-oldest affiliate in the
South, after Charlotte's WBTV).

 

[daryll]

WBIR didn't miss a beat and performed very well for NBC after the switch.

WFMY holds the distinction of having aired The Andy Griffith Show at least once per week since the show debuted on CBS on 10.03.60. They jumped on the syndication rights when the show left the network in '68 and haven't looked back. Do they still sandwich it between their early evening newscasts?

 

[jal41]

Multimedia, the company out of Greenville, SC; not Metromedia (many of whose stations were the nucleus of Fox), owned WMAZ. Gannett acquired it, KSDK St. Louis, and WBIR Knoxville in that sale (and WBIR switched from CBS to NBC around that time).

My bad. The names are easy to mix up. I knew WMAZ's owner at the time was the same company who's syndication arm syndicated Phil Donahue and Sally Jesse Raphael (that part was sold to whoever owned Universal Studios at the time).

 

[bpatrick]

WBIR didn't miss a beat and performed very well for NBC after the switch.

WFMY holds the distinction of having aired The Andy Griffith Show at least once per week since the show debuted on CBS on 10.03.60. They jumped on the syndication rights when the show left the network in '68 and haven't looked back. Do they still sandwich it between their early evening newscasts?

Sure do; he's on at 5:30 and beats the newscasts on WGHP and WXII.

 

[electroboy73]

Just read the local article in the Macon Telegraph. (disgusted) [EDIT-inflammatory content] I mean what is this, 1973?! Oh and by the way....(to the president of WPGA-58).....

ABC IS CURRENTLY THE NUMBER ONE NETWORK IN THE NATION!.......[EDIT-inflammatory content]

 

[upstate29651]

Electroboi, go away. Seriously. The owners of the station made a business decision. Period.

G

 

[bpatrick]

That sounds odd...dumping a network because of soap operas.

I understand WGXA 24, which was the area's ABC affiliate from 1982-1995, will start a new digital subchannel for ABC. I suspect Fox is too valuable for them to do an affiliation swap. I also suspect Cox cable customers in the area may get unfiltered WSB-TV as their ABC service in lieu of the new subchannel.

I wonder if Macon would be better served with WSB-TV as the default ABC station, as is the case in Albany and Southwest Georgia?

From what I read it isn't just the soaps but ABC's lineup in general that
the station's owner finds too raunchy; hence, dumping the network and
making 58-1 (at least) an independent.

Now when do we get the next wave of NBC affiliate defections?

 

[kilamanjero]

I have a feeling a lot of people will be more likely to watch WSB if it is available to them over a digital subchannel...

 

[bpatrick]

Except that WGXA is putting ABC on its digital
subchannel.