• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

My TV Network

I don't think that ION allows its affiliates to broadcast syndicated content.
Click to expand...


Quite the contrary, outside of 6-11pm everynight, it's all "Local Programming" time. The infomercials shown on the national feed are just filler. The individual stations can program what ever they wish, be it local based infomercials (which most of the do here and there) or any other type of programming. So far the only ION station I've seen putting any effort into programming their station 24/7 is the Las Vegas outlet, KVMP-TV 41 Cable 12

http://www.kpvm.tv/
 
Re: ION and My Network TV

RadioFanBoy said:
So far the only ION station I've seen putting any effort into programming their station 24/7 is the Las Vegas outlet, KVMP-TV 41 Cable 12

http://www.kpvm.tv/
Click to expand...

This station is NOT an ION O&O. ION O&O's are cheap barebones operations, who rent small offices in strip shopping centers (In the case of WPXA Atlanta, which is located in Marietta next to Six Flags WhiteWater and a block from the Big Chicken) or smaller office buildings. They run local infomercials to pay the local staff (usually less than 10 people). They run infomercials because they don't have the money to purchase programming at the local level. (When Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers games aired on WPXA a couple of years ago, the teams paid WPXA, which is the reverse of what usually happens).

And now that the RHI deal has kicked in, there will be more lowbrow and inferior-grade programming on ION.

As for My Network TV, I said it many times and I will say it again. The network was created because Keith Rupert Murdoch was mad that he would be without programming for 10 TV stations. It was spite. My Network TV will be dead in a couple of years. It seems to me that the expenses (telenovelas are expensive, reality TV is cheap) outweigh the income (Affilaites get 9 minutes of commercial time per hour, MNTV gets 5. Plus, MNTV is recieving no compensation from the affiliates, so the 5 minutes per hour is the only source of revenue).

In the meantime, it will save stations, especially ones in duopoly situations, money by not having to acquire expensive programming (plus plentiful local ad time). That is why there have not been any defections as of yet.
 
Re: ION and My Network TV

My question is how is it that ION can stay afloat when they seem to be a much more low budget network than My Network TV?

Here in Atlanta, WPXA broadcasts 4 digital channels (the main ION feed, Qubo, ION Life, and Worship). I understand that ION does this for all of their O&O stations. PAX was a pioneer in multiplexing their digital signals but it seems like a waste just to show infomercials and old reruns. Qubo and ION Life sound interesting but I don't receive WPXA's digital signal. Also, the ION affiliates seem to be very weak and second rate. WPXA's transmitter is located about 40 miles from Atlanta and the signal doesn't cover the area's southern and eastern suburbs very well.

MNTV seems to have some more established affiliates like WATL in Atlanta, WWOR in New York, KCOP in LA, and WPWR in Chicago. Most of these stations have syndicated programming and local news. Murdoch seems to have all of the pieces in place to make MNTV a successful network especially if cross-branding and promotion with Fox, FX, MySpace, Sky UK, and other music and entertainment brands.

I would be surprised if MNTV folded before ION did. I know that NBC invested in ION (PAX at the time) several years ago. This allowed PAX affiliates to share local news resources with NBC affiliates, and NBC helped PAX produce original programming. This doesn't seem to be happening anymore as there are no original progams on ION and no local news. Is NBC keeping ION on life support or is ION just a sitting duck waiting for someone else to come along and buy them out?
 
Re: ION and My Network TV

louisNatl said:
My question is how is it that ION can stay afloat when they seem to be a much more low budget network than My Network TV?

Here in Atlanta, WPXA broadcasts 4 digital channels (the main ION feed, Qubo, ION Life, and Worship). I understand that ION does this for all of their O&O stations. PAX was a pioneer in multiplexing their digital signals but it seems like a waste just to show infomercials and old reruns.
Click to expand...

That's just it, by having very little overhead and running infomercial, which are cash cows, they can make a profit. Remember an infomercial is a highly targeted show that is marketed TO the station. There is no sales or market plan needed because the infomercial people do that in advance. Within 1/2 hour of the show the infomerical people can tell by the call volume whether or not that show is a winner and needs to be rerun and they buy time. No selling by the TV station. All the leg work is done by the infomercials themselves. Some stations even have deals were they get a small percentage of the sales. Not common but it does happen to some station.

These rimshot stations depend on cable coverage and "must carry" to be seen.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom