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NBC Boston channel speculation.

NBC owns WVIT-TV channel 30 of New Britain/Hartford. Granted, their news division is a lot stronger now than in the past. With that, they're still not the #1 station in the market. Most often, it's Merideth-owned WFSB-TV (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford. The news winner in certain day parts seems to be Tribune-owned WTIC-TV (FOX) channel 61 of Hartford.

Plus, wouldn't WBZ, WCVB and WFXT cry foul, since they'd have wider cable coverage than they do? What about syndication and network duplication on out-of-town cable systems?
 
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What would NECN do beside airing NBC programming and NECN news with the extra airtime on weekends? Replay NBC programs to fill airtime?
 
well WBZ is a CBS O/O s getting them to give up Channel 38 is out. WCVB does not have a second signal, but they have a HD2 with ready to go both in MA and NH..drop ME TV and put NBC on the HD2?

Cox isn't giving up Fox, 56 is owned by Ansin/Sunbeam so that is not an option

Now WBIN, as much as Binnie is trying to be a NH alternative (especially news) to WMUR, is carried on a lot of cable systems in the Boston metro area, and might be an option for NBC trying to maintain clearances in the market.

Channel 62 will air anything if the check is good..... I don't hear much about 68 these days so lets leave them out of the equation, ditto 27.

Since NBC is owned by COmcast, the big dog in CATV around here, they will make space for NBC somewhere, it just works out better if they are on a "must carry" OTA and they get onto Verizon, RCN, and the other cable operators systems without having to negotiate for space.
 
MRBIboredop said:
well WBZ is a CBS O/O s getting them to give up Channel 38 is out. WCVB does not have a second signal, but they have a HD2 with ready to go both in MA and NH..drop ME TV and put NBC on the HD2?

Cox isn't giving up Fox, 56 is owned by Ansin/Sunbeam so that is not an option

Now WBIN, as much as Binnie is trying to be a NH alternative (especially news) to WMUR, is carried on a lot of cable systems in the Boston metro area, and might be an option for NBC trying to maintain clearances in the market.

Channel 62 will air anything if the check is good..... I don't hear much about 68 these days so lets leave them out of the equation, ditto 27.

Since NBC is owned by COmcast, the big dog in CATV around here, they will make space for NBC somewhere, it just works out better if they are on a "must carry" OTA and they get onto Verizon, RCN, and the other cable operators systems without having to negotiate for space.
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As much as it pains me to say it.... NBC is not going to buy WHDH - they are actually wanting to sell stations (Miami and Hartford have been rumored to be up for sale).

I don't see NBC moving the affiliation to NECN or even more drastic a subchannel of their owned WNEU-Merrimack, NH.

In short there are not many options.. CBS owns WBZ and WSBK. Hearst is partners with Disney (owners of ABC) so WCVB (and WMUR) is (are) out (I would even say on a subchannel - and yes I do know Hearst owns NBC affiliates). Cox and Fox have a long term affiliation agreement so WFXT is probably out. WLVI is owned by Sunbeam Television just like WHDH is so it would not be an option.

To me, as much as NBC hates Sunbeam Television (and the feeling from Sunbeam is probably mutual - can you say Miami) there really is not a good option other than WHDH for NBC. Unless there is a weird deal where NBC moves to 25 and Fox to 7 there is not a place for NBC to go. I can't see them on a subchannel in the eighth largest market. (maybe in the future but not right now.)

CBS bought channel 62 in Detroit after losing the affiliation due to the New World/Fox deal. I am sure most of us have learned how bad that has turned out... I can't see NBC buying 62 or 68 and having to build a major market O&O.
 
Beantown Breakup - NBC Actually Leaving WHDH?

Speculation that NBC would yank its affiliation with WHDH has been going on for months, with a 2016 deadline looming. And NBC has made no secret that it would love an owned and operated NBC affiliate in Boston.

Sources have told New England One that preparations are being made to move the NBC affiliation away from an Ed Ansin-owned WHDH-TV. Additionally, a source inside WHDH has told New England One that NBC has decided not to renew its agreement with WHDH.

At this point, NBC holds all the cards in the affiliation switch. It already owns New England Cable News as well as WNEU-TV, Telemundo Boston. Of course the best outcome for NBC would be in forcing Ansin to sell WHDH, but that isn't very likely as the station already has a contingency plan in place to swap the CW affiliation over to WHDH if they lose NBC.

So what is likely?

While it is speculation at this point, and is not confirmed, NBC would move the NBC affiliation to WNEU-TV 60 which is now the home of Telemundo Boston, and could easily move Telemundo to a digital sub-channel. The downside of this is reception... the WNEU transmitter is located in Goffstown, NH and the signal is not strong in the entire Boston market. However, most people watch TV via cable, so this not might affect a lot of people.

NBC is already quietly building its news team for the new station.

Pete Bouchard, who resigned from WHDH-TV on Tuesday, would be a part of that new team.

Also unconfirmed, we've been told from various sources that Maria Stephanos has been hired to be the main anchor and face of NBC Boston. However, Maria's agent Lisa Hall tells New England One that she has not yet "made any decisions about where she is going next. For now, she is enjoying her time off with her family."
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http://www.newenglandone.com/news/l...antown-breakup-nbc-actually-leaving-whdh.html

Here's WNEU's coverage map:
http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=616149&map=Y

WNEU does have a translator in Boston, but it's analog only.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTMU-LP
 
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Looks like I'll be eating crow on this one. I guess NBC really, really wants an O&O in Boston badly enough to blow up what has been a mutually beneficial relationship, rocky though it has been at times. I guess WHDH can shift the CW affiliation from co-owned WLVI while going all-out on news.
 
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I believe that WNEU will blow up its analog translator and move the Telemundo programming to Channel 7. Wouldn't that be a surprise? I can almost imagine watching Telemundo's coverage of the 2018 World cup on Channel 7!
 
i could see them pulling the affiliation sooner possibly by july when the olympics are on. I only say this because it would create stability early instead of a fresh start on Jan 1st.
 
You'd have to wonder if NBC could swap Ch. 60 for either 48 or 62... pleasing regulators by staying at one station in the Boston market, while instantly solving the signal problem. Does NBC still have a stake in ion?
 
Ed Ansin

Anyone think that Channel 7 owner, Ed Ansin, will eventually sell the station to NBC/Comcast?
 
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