Money hungry CBS 46 presents a wonderful evening of paid programming

[jal41]

This coming Saturday, CBS 46 is preempting local 6PM news and the first hour of CBS primetime to bring you paid programming. Apparently, a half-hour of paid programming will air at 6, followed by CBS Evening News at 6:30, Billy Graham at 7, and Feed the Children for a full hour at 8.

You can tell WGCL is running out of money quickly. Alignment with the devil (earlier post) and other things are telling me the station's bank account is almost dried up. Meredith needs to sell what is left of the station before it is too late.

I suspect the news department (the largest drain on any station monetarily) may be shut down soon.

 

[bpatrick]

After reading that, I again raise the question:
How long before CBS goes looking for a new
affiliate?

 

[troone]

Wouldnt you think WATL36 would be a no-brainer for CBS? The station already has news (though it would be funny watching the crew pull down the NBC peacock for the CBS eye at 1059pm, considering the news is done on the same set!)

Gannett would support it. HD is there. Dont know if the MY affiliation is month-to-month or long term.

 

[Network 23]

Why CBS Is Unlikely to Leave WGCL Anytime Soon

How long before CBS goes looking for a new
affiliate?

Wouldnt you think WATL36 would be a no-brainer for CBS?

If the last twelve years of Atlanta TV history are any indication, it'll be a very long time before CBS and WGCL part ways. Furthermore, I think it's actually a no-brainer that CBS and WATL do not want each other right now and, for all that I can tell, may have never wanted each other.

In fact, since New World made the deal that switched WAGA to Fox, quite a few opportunities for WATL and CBS to come together, for CBS to desert WGNX/WGCL for another Atlanta UHF station, or even for CBS to buy Channel 46 have come and gone:

1994 -- Due to the New World deal, Fox put WATL up for sale. CBS could have tried to turn WATL into one of its O&Os; CBS could have lobbied any of the would-be non-network owners of WATL to make the station Atlanta's new home of the Eye network; or any of the bidders for WATL could have decided on its own to bring the Atlanta CBS affiliation to WATL. Apparently, none of those things happened.

(The Wikipedia article about WATL claims that, prior to CBS's aborted purchase of WVEU and eventual affiliation of WGNX, the Eye network offered its Atlanta affiliation to WATL, but WATL management refused to let CBS onto the station. That said, I have absolutely no idea how true this claim is, as I've never seen it anyplace else.)

1999 -- Tribune sold WGNX to Meredith and upgraded its control over WATL from an LMA to full-fledged ownership. CBS could have tried to pre-empt Meredith and buy WGNX itself, or CBS could have attempted to acquire WATL from its first post-Fox owner, Qwest Broadcasting, and then make a deal with Tribune to swap WATL's WB affiliation for WGNX's CBS affiliation. Neither of those things happened.

2000 -- Viacom, five or so years removed from turning independent WVEU into UPN O&O WUPA, merged with CBS. At this point, Viacom could have transformed WUPA into a CBS O&O station and forced WGCL and WHOT to fight for a "table scraps" affiliation with UPN. That did not happen, probably out of respect for Meredith and its seemingly warm relationship with CBS.

2006 -- This year, CBS has had at least three good chances to replace WGCL with WATL. When CBS and Warner Bros. agreed to replace UPN and The WB with The CW, CBS could have yanked its affiliation from WGCL and offered it to WATL as an "olive branch" to help Tribune be more comfortable with WUPA getting The CW. Then, when Tribune chose to sell WATL, CBS could have tried to beat out Gannett for ownership of the station. Finally, once WATL was firmly in Gannett's hands, CBS could have tried to convince Gannett to choose the Eye network over the Tribune-negotiatied MyNetworkTV affiliation for WATL, or Gannett could have independently decided to scuttle the MyNet deal and attempt to lure CBS to WATL. Obviously, none of those things happened.

Gannett would support it.

How can we know for sure? Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems that Gannett has a much better relationship with NBC than with CBS. Besides, even if Gannett were willing to bring WATL into the CBS fold, CBS might be hesitant to get on Meredith's bad side and/or play second fiddle to NBC in Gannett's Atlanta duopoly.

Simply put, if the Atlanta CBS affiliation were to leave WGCL and/or move to WATL, it would've happened by now -- and frankly, IMO, the only way we'll ever see CBS switch stations in Atlanta again would be one of three very unlikely scenarios:

1. WXIA has a nasty falling-out with NBC.
2. WSB has a nasty falling-out with ABC.
3. The FCC turns Fox into the next RKO General and forces it to sell WAGA.

 

[bpatrick]

Your points are probably well-taken, but there is a precedent of
sorts for an NBC11/CBS36 duopoly. In Jacksonville, Gannett owns
NBC affiliate WTLV/12 and ABC affiliate WJXX/25. And while the
majority of Gannett's stations are NBC affiliates, I count six CBS
affiliates to three ABC:

CBS WFMY Ch. 2 Greensboro, NC
WUSA Ch. 9 Washington, DC
WTSP Ch. 10 Tampa/St. Petersburg
KTHV Ch. 11 Little Rock
WMAZ Ch. 13 Macon, GA
WLTX Ch. 19 Columbia, SC

ABC KXTV Ch. 10 Sacramento
WZZM Ch. 13 Grand Rapids, MI
WJXX Ch. 25 Jacksonville, FL

Also, just because a station is owned by Meredith does not mean
it's automatically going to be a CBS affiliate; cases in point WSMV
(NBC) Nashville and WHNS (Fox) Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville.
I'm also not sure that the loss of WGCL's CBS affiliation would be
a major blow to either CBS or Meredith (it would be more so to
Meredith).

The scenario I most wish would happen is that Time Warner separate
Channel 17 and TBS Superstation. Have TBS on cable nationally
(including Atlanta), but make 17 a strictly-Atlanta station again...then
go after the CBS affiliation.

Some people have argued in favor of CBS's buying Channel 2. I think
ABC would pay any price to keep it in the fold. And I think also that
11 has reupped with NBC until 2015 or thereabouts.

Well, maybe as you say, CBS will stay on 46, but heaven knows I'd
rather be affiliated with CBS than with MyNetwork, but that's just
my two cents.

 

[Network 23]

Your points are probably well-taken, but there is a precedent of sorts for an NBC11/CBS36 duopoly. In Jacksonville, Gannett owns NBC affiliate WTLV/12 and ABC affiliate WJXX/25.

I'm quite aware of the WTLV/WJXX situation, but two things that seem to discourage its being a precedent for Gannett, NBC, and CBS in Atlanta are:

1. WJXX was already an ABC affiliate when Albritton sold it to Gannett in 1999 (eleven years after Gannett bought WTLV and, ironically, switched WTLV's affiliation from ABC back to NBC). A similar operation in Atlanta, OTOH, would require Gannett to change an existing Big Three VHF / minor network UHF duopoly into a Big Three VHF / Big Three UHF one -- and force the rescheduling or cancellation of many hours of programming on WATL in order to fit a Big Three network's schedule.

2. We should keep in mind that ABC and CBS may have some glaringly different standards for affiliation. While Jacksonville proves that the Alphabet network doesn't mind having a UHF affiliate within a duopoly with another Big Three network's VHF affiliate, I know of nothing that suggests that CBS would be equally accepting of such an arrangement. (CBS has, however, tolerated duopolies and LMA setups in which an Eye network UHF affiliate partners with another Big Four network's UHF outlet, as demonstrated in part by Clear Channel's Jacksonville TV duopoly.)

And while the majority of Gannett's stations are NBC affiliates, I count six CBS affiliates to three ABC:

CBS WFMY Ch. 2 Greensboro, NC
WUSA Ch. 9 Washington, DC
WTSP Ch. 10 Tampa/St. Petersburg
KTHV Ch. 11 Little Rock
WMAZ Ch. 13 Macon, GA
WLTX Ch. 19 Columbia, SC

ABC KXTV Ch. 10 Sacramento
WZZM Ch. 13 Grand Rapids, MI
WJXX Ch. 25 Jacksonville, FL

Also, just because a station is owned by Meredith does not mean it's automatically going to be a CBS affiliate; cases in point WSMV (NBC) Nashville and WHNS (Fox) Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville. I'm also not sure that the loss of WGCL's CBS affiliation would be a major blow to either CBS or Meredith (it would be more so to Meredith).

Chances are, though, that Gannett, Meredith, or any other owner of affiliates of multiple TV networks will have its "most favored" network(s) and its "least favored" network(s). Likewise, it shouldn't surprise anyone if a network has its "most favored" affiliate owner(s) and its "least favored" affiliate owner(s). I could go into quite a bit of detail as to why I think Gannett and NBC might be on each other's "most favored" lists, and why the same may hold and true for Meredith and CBS, but I'll save it for another post.

The scenario I most wish would happen is that Time Warner separate Channel 17 and TBS Superstation. Have TBS on cable nationally (including Atlanta), but make 17 a strictly-Atlanta station again...then go after the CBS affiliation.

If only because of MLB's byzantine rules for superstation telecasts, that scenario will probably have to wait until (W)TBS no longer shows Braves games anywhere outside of the Atlanta DMA. (AFAIK, once TBS's new national MLB contract kicks in, plain old Braves telecasts on the superstation will no longer air nationally, but will still be carried within the same region that gets Braves games on FSN South and SportSouth.) Even then, Channel 17 would almost surely have to undergo a major onscreen (or even offscreen) rebuilding in order to make a Big Three affiliation work -- an even more thorough overhaul than a WATL co-owned with WXIA would need to accommodate a Big Three network.

Some people have argued in favor of CBS's buying Channel 2. I think ABC would pay any price to keep it in the fold. And I think also that 11 has reupped with NBC until 2015 or thereabouts.

When, if ever, will anyone have a chance to buy WSB-TV? The tremendous sentimental value alone will likely keep that station in Cox's hands for years (if not decades) to come. Furthermore, I don't see anything that would cause Cox to end Channel 2's ties to ABC in the foreseeable future, as the Alphabet network strikes me as being the most station-friendly of the Big Four.

When and if WSB-TV gets put on the market, however, I think that ABC would not bid for it unless CBS and/or NBC did so first. The fact that ABC has had no new O&O TV stations since Disney bought it almost eleven years ago, and only two new O&Os since its 1985 merger with Capital Cities Communications, suggests a company with a very conservative, very defensive approach to acquisitions in even the largest of TV markets.

Well, maybe as you say, CBS will stay on 46, but heaven knows I'd rather be affiliated with CBS than with MyNetwork, but that's just my two cents.

The way Meredith is running WGCL nowadays should make WATL easy for a network to choose over WGCL. Likewise, in the areas of corporate prestige, program quality, and viewer and advertiser support, CBS should be easy for a station to pick over MyNetworkTV. Unfortunately, contractual obligations, demographic compatibility issues, the network's business relationships, the station's owner's business relationships, etc. can all have a way of complicating the issue enough that either a network or a station must settle for a less desirable, less obvious choice.

 

[bpatrick]

I don't question the logic of anything you've said here; after all,
nobody said we can't toss around ideas and disagree in a reasonable
manner.

Here, in sum, is what I think:

1. 11 is out as a CBS affiliate; I recall reading last year that
it had reupped with NBC until 2015.

2. I said that some people (some who have posted to this board)
would like to see CBS buy Channel 2. I did not say this was
going to happen; if the possibility existed, I think ABC would
up Channel 2's comp significantly enough to keep it in the fold
(and Channel 2 has been Cox's flagship since, when, Truman
was President?).

If ABC did want to buy a Cox station, I think it would be WFTV
Orlando, since Disney World is there...but I'm not holding my
breath.

3. 17 as a CBS affiliate is something I would LIKE to see. That
doesn't mean, from a practical standpoint, that it will ever be.

4. I'm not aware of how ABC and CBS differ on the issue of their
status in a duopoly situation (is CBS willing to take a backseat?).
Again, I'm merely tossing out an idea that may or may not work
in the real world.

5. 46 had to make radical changes in switching from an independent
to an affiliate (so did Charlotte's Channel 36 back in '78 when it
went to NBC). It can be done on WTBS or WATL. Whether either
would want to is a different story.

So it's very possible--even probable--that you're right on all counts.
It's just a doggone shame that CBS has such a lousy affiliate in Atlanta;
even NBC wasn't hurt as badly when it went to 11.

 

[ShawnHill1]

3. 17 as a CBS affiliate is something I would LIKE to see. That
doesn't mean, from a practical standpoint, that it will ever be.

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I faintly remember this as a youngster, but didn't Turner once attempt buy CBS in the mid-80s? If so, I think eventually during the Big Affiliation switches of the mid-90s, logically CBS would have ended up on WTBS, and that station as we know it would dramatically change.

By the way, I'm not from Atlanta (in fact, never visited the city, but always wanted to), but I do interestingly enjoy reading up on what's going on in other markets. Over the last few years, I've been reading up on the misfortunes of WCGL and its status in Atlanta television. It seems like the majority of people in the Atlanta area aren't too fond of that station.

 

[bpatrick]

I think Turner wanted to buy CBS News (and "become Dan Rather's boss,"
is the way I remember him putting it), but I don't think he wanted the
whole network (just as he wanted the MGM film library but not the whole
studio).

Although I've seen WGCL a few times since it's been with CBS, I lived
in the market when WAGA was the CBS affiliate. And to paraphrase
the late Lloyd Bentsen, "WGCL, you're no WAGA." (If you don't get
the reference, it's when Bentsen told Dan Quayle that he was "no
Jack Kennedy" in their 1988 Vice-Presidential debate.)

 

[jal41]

Big problem with a CBS/WATL tie-up - it would more than likely be against FCC rules.

FCC rules state you cannot own two station that are the top four performers in your market. The situation in Jacksonville is odd because WJXT 4, an independent, is a top four performer. WATL affiliating with CBS would make the station a top 4 performer.

WTBS is now starting to air a split schedule from the superstaion. Megan Mullaly airs nationally at 6 AM now, but locally airs at 8 AM. TBS and WTBS will be split up, but CNN has its microwave licenses for its bueraus tied to the WTBS license. Arrangements would have to be made to undo that, and then I suspect WTBS will be sold. ABC or CBS could be potential buyers.

WSB-TV would go with any network (other than NBC) if the $$$ is presented. They would likely go with CBS if the terms are right. I think that a CBS and WSB-TV paring would be perfect, seeing the demos for CBS and WSB's news tend to be the oldest (personal observation). WSB-TV will never be for sale unless Cox Enterprises is for sale.

WXIA is very tight with NBC. Gannett was the only other TV station group to participate in operating the Pax stations from 2000-2004, often moving offices in with the NBC station. If WRC-TV Washington was not owned by NBC, I am sure WUSA would be the NBC affiliate.

Turner wanted to by CBS in the early 90's - to prop up CNN. Today, CNN anchors are contributing to CBS. I still wonder if CBS and Time Warner will merge CBS's news division and CNN into a JV along with the CW. (Given how Couric is doing). Under that situation, a CBS/WTBS alliance may be possible.

In 1994, WGNX was the better fit because they had a news department, whereas WATL and WVEU did not. Another Detroit almost happened here, where CBS bought WGPR, and changed the callsign to WWJ-TV (hoping the three-letter heritage callsign of a sister radio station, and the former callsign of WDIV 4 would help). A news department was brought in from sister WKBD 50, then soon closed. The cable system carries them on Channel 15 (outside of the 2-13 spectrum, which generally is not a good sign). Today, the station is distancecast (along with WKBD) from another city. WUPA is now in the same boat, distancecast from Norfolk. I am sure if 69 were CBS, the same fate would have happened.

It seems to me that WGCL is on the verge of shutting it's newsroom down. If you saw a preacher on Saturday night, and it is not Billy Graham (in this case it was Morris Cerrullo), that tells me the station is bleeding drip dry. They need to sell, because if the newsroom is shut down, the value of the station will dramatically go down in value.

If Rich Noonan sues, it is over for WGCL. (By the way, Rich has started his own production company.)