New Digi-Net Set to Debut in January

[Carmine5]

For those of you who watch TV via an antenna (count me among them), Tribune Broadcasting will be launching Antenna TV, a classic TV network starting this January. The network is just for digital sub-channels.

Here is some of the line-up: Three's Company, All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Benny Hill, Maude, The Nanny, Married with Children, Too Close for Comfort, The Partridge Family, Dennis the Menace, The Donna Reed Show and The Three Stooges. Antenna TV will also show movies in daytime.

Read the full press release here:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/456533-Tribune_Launching_Classic_TV_Multicast_Network.php

Could be good.

 

[tripinva]

I wonder if this will show up on the Local TV stations as well, given their close partnership with Tribune.

- Trip

 

[dhett]

Sounds good, I hope one of my locals picks it up, although I'm sure my neighbor and curmudgeon-in-chief landtuna won't like it. ;D ;D ;D

 

[DToTheJ]

Antenna TV, a classic TV network...

I give it 12-18 months before:

A. They start showing shows like "Fresh Prince" and "Just Shoot Me"
B. They condense the name of the network to "ATV"
C. All of the above

 

[Mediafrog+]

The Tribune station here in Houston (KIAH) currently has NBC Universal Sports on its .2. Wonder if this new service would replace it or become a .3 ?

 

[azumanga]

Many of these shows come from the Sony Pictures library, which once sold rights to at least some of its shows to .2 Network. As they now struck a deal with this newcomer with deeper pockets, this may be more evidence that .2 Network is dead.

As for "Fresh Prince", I don't see it airing on Antenna TV, mainly because it's a Warner Bros.-owned program.

 

[EricStein]

Many of these shows come from the Sony Pictures library, which once sold rights to at least some of its shows to .2 Network. As they now struck a deal with this newcomer with deeper pockets, this may be more evidence that .2 Network is dead.

As for "Fresh Prince", I don't see it airing on Antenna TV, mainly because it's a Warner Bros.-owned program.

Tribune has "deeper pockets?" They're struggling to get out of Chapter 11, and the Zell/Michaels team may be ousted before the end of the year. Great idea, but we'll see if it launches with a new guard in place.

 

[gregg75]

Universal Sports is probably what put them in chapter 11. Sports in general are current, who wants to watch a swim meet from 2006 again? A horse race from 2007?

I like the idea and hope they do it. There are many shows not currently airing and that gold needs to be mined. Thumbs up Tribune for taking the RTV retro tv concept one step higher.

 

[Carmine5]

I wonder if this will show up on the Local TV stations as well, given their close partnership with Tribune.

- Trip

According to Sean Compton, president of programming for Tribune Broadcasting:

“The Tribune group will be on board in all 19 markets," he added." We’re making it available to the rest of the country in non-Tribune markets for a barter-only clearance.

So Antenna TV will be on all Tribune stations and then made available to any other stations who want it on a barter basis, but not in Tribune's markets.

This should be interesting for Tribune's KTLA channel 5 in Los Angeles. Their main signal is 1080i and 5.2 which airs This TV is broadcasting in 480i (and exhibiting a slight bit of digital artifacting in the process, but not bad). So for them to squeeze in Antenna TV (5.3) will mean dropping the resolution of their main channel down to 720p, like Ion Television. For all intents and purposes 720p looks just as good and I'd much rather have the additional programming choice.

 

[ajc_trw]

I wonder if this will show up on the Local TV stations as well, given their close partnership with Tribune.

- Trip

According to Sean Compton, president of programming for Tribune Broadcasting:

“The Tribune group will be on board in all 19 markets," he added." We’re making it available to the rest of the country in non-Tribune markets for a barter-only clearance.

So Antenna TV will be on all Tribune stations and then made available to any other stations who want it on a barter basis, but not in Tribune's markets.

This should be interesting for Tribune's KTLA channel 5 in Los Angeles. Their main signal is 1080i and 5.2 which airs This TV is broadcasting in 480i (and exhibiting a slight bit of digital artifacting in the process, but not bad). So for them to squeeze in Antenna TV (5.3) will mean dropping the resolution of their main channel down to 720p, like Ion Television. For all intents and purposes 720p looks just as good and I'd much rather have the additional programming choice.

I can see WPHL-17 in Philadelphia do this as they're already 720p (MyNetwork) but I see KTLA dropping ThisTV before sacrificing quality for a third sub-channel. I've lived my entire adult life in the L.A. area and know KTLA is a leader in quality broadcasting. Unless something has changed in which :'(!

Besides, KNBC and WCAU are both 1080i NBC stations that run HD, Weather and Universal sports. So doing additional subchannels with 1080i is possible, and IMHO stupid. :-X

 

[tripinva]

So for them to squeeze in Antenna TV (5.3) will mean dropping the resolution of their main channel down to 720p, like Ion Television.

Why? Plenty of stations are doing 1080i + 2 480i. It may not look particularly pretty, but they're doing it. I know because I'm watching one right now.

Tribune already does it on WPIX in New York.

- Trip

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I would imagine that Tribune stations like KTLA and WTTV that are now carrying This TV would drop This in favor of Antenna TV. It wouldn't make a lot of sense to have two classic TV subchannels broadcast by a single parent station.

 

[intx]

The B&C article indicates they plan to keep This TV in the markets where they have it. Says the 2 are complementary.

 

[Robnoxious]

This is something I was hoping KTLA would have done in house when I discovered multicasting. What with KTLA's heritage of running most of these shows during the mid mornings and weekdays, they could have called it Classic KTLA and used the 60+ years of old KTLA station idents to give it that extra retro flair. Maybe even throw in some old Pete Ellis Dodge and Federated Group ads for additional nostalgia.

I know I can't be the only one that would be tickled pink to see something like this. Looking forward to Antenna TV but it'll be interesting to see which shows get clearance to air in certain markets that might be airing on other locals (All In The Family airing on KDOC and Married With Children which has never left FOX O&Os KTTV ever since it ended springs to mind).

 

[ShawnHill1]

This is something I was hoping KTLA would have done in house when I discovered multicasting. What with KTLA's heritage of running most of these shows during the mid mornings and weekdays, they could have called it Classic KTLA and used the 60+ years of old KTLA station idents to give it that extra retro flair. Maybe even throw in some old Pete Ellis Dodge and Federated Group ads for additional nostalgia.

I know I can't be the only one that would be tickled pink to see something like this. Looking forward to Antenna TV but it'll be interesting to see which shows get clearance to air in certain markets that might be airing on other locals (All In The Family airing on KDOC and Married With Children which has never left FOX O&Os KTTV ever since it ended springs to mind).

Knowing KDOC's current programming strategy, All in the Family will stay put as long as the contact allows...they're already running other shows that already run simultaneously elsewhere in the market (Frasier, Law & Order SVU, My Wife & Kids, Cold Case Files, Saved by the Bell, Everyone Hates Chris). As for Married...with Children, KTTV and KCOP have downgraded its timeslot (3am double-run on KCOP, and weekends only on KTTV), but in much the same way they've been tied to "I Love Lucy" and "The Simpsons", the Fox L.A. duo may keep the Bundys for as long as possible.

 

[Neel]

Even if KTLA picks it up, let's see how long cable will take to add this subchannel. I would like this channel, but people like me can't get any channels with an antenna and have to rely on cable or satellite 100%.

 

[dave73]

So for them to squeeze in Antenna TV (5.3) will mean dropping the resolution of their main channel down to 720p, like Ion Television.

Why? Plenty of stations are doing 1080i + 2 480i. It may not look particularly pretty, but they're doing it. I know because I'm watching one right now.

Tribune already does it on WPIX in New York.

- Trip

If you think about it, PBS station WTTW is running their main channel in 1080i along with 3 480i channels. They're doing alright with it. WLS-TV running 2 720p channels on the otherhand can't seem to handle it. The main channel may look alright, but Livewell HD however looks like crap. It depends on how each station handles running an HD channel (most Tribune stations are 1080i, due to many stations being CW affiliates) and any subchannels.

 

[txchipk]

This is something I was hoping KTLA would have done in house when I discovered multicasting. What with KTLA's heritage of running most of these shows during the mid mornings and weekdays, they could have called it Classic KTLA and used the 60+ years of old KTLA station idents to give it that extra retro flair. Maybe even throw in some old Pete Ellis Dodge and Federated Group ads for additional nostalgia.

I know I can't be the only one that would be tickled pink to see something like this. Looking forward to Antenna TV but it'll be interesting to see which shows get clearance to air in certain markets that might be airing on other locals (All In The Family airing on KDOC and Married With Children which has never left FOX O&Os KTTV ever since it ended springs to mind).

Knowing KDOC's current programming strategy, All in the Family will stay put as long as the contact allows...they're already running other shows that already run simultaneously elsewhere in the market (Frasier, Law & Order SVU, My Wife & Kids, Cold Case Files, Saved by the Bell, Everyone Hates Chris). As for Married...with Children, KTTV and KCOP have downgraded its timeslot (3am double-run on KCOP, and weekends only on KTTV), but in much the same way they've been tied to "I Love Lucy" and "The Simpsons", the Fox L.A. duo may keep the Bundys for as long as possible.

In Dallas, Belo managed KFWD is adding "Sanford & Son" and "All In the Family" to its weekday morning line-up September 13. So, that would also conflict if ATV is going to air those nationally and be on a subchannel of Tribune's KDAF.