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NBC Boston channel speculation.

Garrett said:
But, that's exactly what Universal is attempting to do. I forget where I saw the link, Newsweek or the WSJ or something. But indeed, that is what they are a step closer to doing.
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Keep in mind that the percentage cable penetration in the Boston Market is in the mid eighties. NBC could still stay with CH 60 and get great market coverage via Comcast even with a weak signal and still be attractive to advertisers.
 
Former said:
Keep in mind that the percentage cable penetration in the Boston Market is in the mid eighties. NBC could still stay with CH 60 and get great market coverage via Comcast even with a weak signal and still be attractive to advertisers.
Click to expand...

STATION VENTURE OPERATIONS, LP has just filed to purchase WTMU-LP.
Rebroadcast Certification. For applicants proposing translator rebroadcasts who are not the licensee of the primary station, the applicant certifies that written authority has been obtained from the licensee of the station whose programs are to be retransmitted Yes No
N/A
Primary station proposed to be rebroadcast:
Facility ID Number Call Sign City State
51864 WNEU MERRIMACK NH

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101737576&qnum=5030&copynum=1&exhcnum=1
 
http://www.fybush.com/nerw-20160919/

Monday midday update: We're told the FCC suspended CP expiration dates for low-power stations as part of the DTV repack, which explains why the signal could be activated now - and Monday morning, Comcast filed a $100,000 deal to buy WTMU-LP from ZGS, with new calls WBTS pending.
 
Tonight I am receiving a signal here in Darlington, RI- but pixillated - from a channel on DTV 46-1, 46-2 and 46-3, which maps to 60-1 WNEU-HD, 60-2 Xitos, and 60-3 Cozi. I suspect this is possibly the new station from Needham for NBC Boston, which is now relaying WNEU from Merrimack, NH. If this station is to service the Boston/Worcester/Southeast MA/Cape Cod areas, they need to put out a much more powerful signal (now at 11.3 Kw from Needham), which I suspect will come before January 2017.
 
alg2468 said:
Tonight I am receiving a signal here in Darlington, RI- but pixillated - from a channel on DTV 46-1, 46-2 and 46-3, which maps to 60-1 WNEU-HD, 60-2 Xitos, and 60-3 Cozi. I suspect this is possibly the new station from Needham for NBC Boston, which is now relaying WNEU from Merrimack, NH. If this station is to service the Boston/Worcester/Southeast MA/Cape Cod areas, they need to put out a much more powerful signal (now at 11.3 Kw from Needham), which I suspect will come before January 2017.
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It is the new station. It is licensed as a low power station, and there isn't much chance they could be granted a power increase (WTMU-LP). Possibly Comcast / NBCU could swap the WNEU / WTMU combo with another station like WMFP, but it is much more likely they will just concede the over-the-air viewers to WJAR.
 
channel99 said:
Possibly Comcast / NBCU could swap the WNEU / WTMU combo with another station like WMFP, but it is much more likely they will just concede the over-the-air viewers to WJAR.
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What would the incentive be for wmfp to swap for two stations that hardly cover the DMA when they could probably get a better outcome from the auction and going black?
 
RogerWilco said:
What would the incentive be for wmfp to swap for two stations that hardly cover the DMA when they could probably get a better outcome from the auction and going black?
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I doubt it would happen, but the possibility exists. WMFP obviously only really cares about must-carry so they can effectively sell free cable access to SonLife, and would still have must-carry if there was a swap. The starting reverse auction value of WMFP was around $425 million and WNEU around $300 million, but if that ratio holds, and the overall numbers drop, it might not prevent a deal.

But I agree - I don't see it as very likely now. Before adding WTMU, to get reasonable coverage, Comcast NBCU might have paid $100 million to get WMFP (or perhaps WBPX), far less than they had offered Ansin for WHDH, but now they are probably satisfied with covering most of the market directly - with WJAR's signal providing NBC to the rest.

But Comcast never misses a good opportunity -so if they come across the right deal...
 
Comcast...they always uses the opportunity to find loopholes to their promises, like a low power station being the primary NBC station in a large market like Boston, which nobody has ever done. I don't think that counts, but according to what Comcast thinks, they think it's good enough.
 
I was outside of the Copley Place/Back Bay Station this weekend with my portable 3.5" RCA pocket TV (same as the Auvio model at Radio Shack), and could not pull in WBTS-LD operating on RF 46, even after a rescan to add channels. However, the TV did pick up a signal - although weak - from Providence channels 6 and 10.
 
I've always thought NBC/Comcast would half-ass the OTA coverage in Boston, rely on cable / satellite penetration and the potent signal from WJAR to fill in the OTA holes especially south of 128.
 
Has channel 60's power been boosted? When I did a scan to get WBZ, etc. back, I got channel 60 for the first time ever. Not perfect, but better than some other channels.
 
If Comcast didn't care about OTA, they'd let NBC Boston be a cable channel. They must be still looking for a "whole market" solution.

Even if only 5% of the southern Boston audience is OTA, that's enough for their spot rates to take a dip. NBC would just be giving up news viewers in southern Boston to WCVB, WHDH, WBZ and WFXT.

Even though the Providence station's signal might provide NBC to the area, it won't make up the money for any OTA loss. Providence ad-buyers aren't going to pay extra for part of Boston.
 
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