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Network Affiliation

N

notalkallstatic

I was wondering if anyone could give me some numbers on how much a station has to pay to become an affiliate of:

CBS:

NBC:

ABC:

FOX:

America One:

Just very curious...thanks for your help!
 
They don't pay.
They get paid. It's called network compensation for running network spots. It's not much. Mainly, network programming allows stations to get more for remaining local avails.
 
fred flintstone said:
They don't pay.
They get paid. It's called network compensation for running network spots. It's not much. Mainly, network programming allows stations to get more for remaining local avails.
Click to expand...

Most don't, you're right. I can't recall if there may be one or two stations that are actively paying reverse-compensatong to the network for the right to carry programming. However, both NBC and CBS tried this with two of their stronger affiliates and lost out big. WJXT-4-Jacksonville, FL refused to pay reverse-compensation, lost their CBS affiliation and are doing quite well as an independent.

Similar situation for KRON-4-San Francisco a year or so before: after NBC lost the bidding war for the station in 1999, when the de Young family sold its Chronicle Publishing Co. assets, to Young Broadcasting, (the newspaper went to Hearst) NBC informed Young that they would require reverse-compensation. Young balked and took the station independent (which, unlike WJXT, hasn't worked out so well). Granite Broadcasting (then owner of KTNV-11-San Jose, which had just lost its secondary ABC affiliation) stepped up and promised to pay an ungodly amount of reverse-compensation ($300+ million per year, IIRC) with the stipulation that if Granite defaulted on any payments, NBC could exercise its right to take control of the station. Well, Granite defaulted (on the first payment, no less) and NBC got an O&O in market 5.
 
Wasn't reverse compensation also one of the reasons that some stations balked at picking up CW affiliation last year?
 
Yes, it can turn into an open market bidding war.

Numbers are never set in stone. The vary greatly from market to market and everything is up for grabs each time the affiliation agreement comes up for renewal. Which is why, from time to time, stations in a market end up playing musical networks.
 
Tim-In-Houston said:
I can't recall if there may be one or two stations that are actively paying reverse-compensatong to the network for the right to carry programming.
Click to expand...

WPBF-25 in Palm Beach signed on in January 1989 as an ABC affiliate with "reverse compensation".

The late-80's affiliate shakeup in Miami spilled into the Palm Beach DMA. CBS was moving to WCIX-6, which barely covered Dade and Broward counties. CBS signed longtime ABC affiliate WPEC-12 to fill the coverage hole in Palm Beach County. Start-up WPBF was willing to pay ABC to carry ABC programs; I assume WTVX-34 -- which had been CBS for over 20 years -- was not. Once the FCC enacted its nonduplication and syndex rules WPBF was assured of carriage from Boca Raton to Vero Beach.

Tim-In-Houston said:
Similar situation for KRON-4-San Francisco a year or so before: after NBC lost the bidding war for the station in 1999, when the de Young family sold its Chronicle Publishing Co. assets, to Young Broadcasting, (the newspaper went to Hearst) NBC informed Young that they would require reverse-compensation. Young balked and took the station independent (which, unlike WJXT, hasn't worked out so well). Granite Broadcasting (then owner of KTNV-11-San Jose, which had just lost its secondary ABC affiliation) stepped up and promised to pay an ungodly amount of reverse-compensation ($300+ million per year, IIRC) with the stipulation that if Granite defaulted on any payments, NBC could exercise its right to take control of the station. Well, Granite defaulted (on the first payment, no less) and NBC got an O&O in market 5.
Click to expand...

WJXT struggled for its first 1-2 years as an indie. CBS again had to work hard to get a replacement affiliate in WTEV-47.

KNTV was actually the primary ABC affiliate for Salinas/Monterey, thanks to a transmitter atop Loma Prieta. After NBC took over KNTV the network had to get an FCC waiver to move the transmitter closer to San Francisco.
 
stationi said:
notalkallstatic said:
I was wondering if anyone could give me some numbers on how much a station has to pay to become an affiliate of:

America One:
Click to expand...

America One is free to stations as long as they carry a minimum number of hours.
Click to expand...

I know in May 2006, Urban America Television (which was like A1) folded, and most of the affiliates switched to either A1 or went indy.


How is America One doing? Are they holding their own or are they slowly sinking?
 
notalkallstatic said:
How is America One doing? Are they holding their own or are they slowly sinking?
Click to expand...

America One is in a better position than UATV. America One has several full-power affiliates and recently America One's parent company bought KTBU in Houston for $30 million. Plus America One also features a sports heavy primetime which has more appeal than public domain content.
 
stationi said:
notalkallstatic said:
I was wondering if anyone could give me some numbers on how much a station has to pay to become an affiliate of:

America One:
Click to expand...

America One is free to stations as long as they carry a minimum number of hours.
Click to expand...

That explains WMKE in Milwaukee. They are a low power station that is viewable to the north of downtown.
 
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