Ottawa: Rogers to replace WPBS with WTVS in August

[azumanga]

This week, Rogers Cable announced that it will be replacing Watertown, New York PBS station WPBS-TV with Detroit's WTVS, effective August 18:

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2009/07/17/ottawa-pbs-rogers-cable-members-funding.html

WPBS, however, announced that it will not be going down without a fight:

http://www.wpbstv.org/RogersCable-July2009.htm

 

[mimo]

70% of WPBS's pledges during the funding drive come from Ottawa. They also produce local shows for us, as they know who their audience is. I don't blame them for trying to fight this. I think it's a stupid move. I don't think Rogers cares that this move will probably force the channel off the air after it loses 70% of it's audience.

 

[mjlarochelle]

London is also losing WQLN, which has been carried on cable there for at least 30 years. In addition, London is losing WICU and WJET. WICU has been on cable in London for 57 years, and provides NBC programming when WDIV Detroit is pre-empting for Detroit Auto Show specials and other local specials. Likewise WJET has been on cable in London for a long time, providing ABC programming when WXYZ in Detroit is showing Matlock marathons.

WQLN will be replaced by WTVS as well, but WTVS will be on Cable 62. No word on what happens to Cable 8, but I'm suspecting CTS might move up there from Cable 16 since Toronto has it on Cable 9, and Sun TV might finally move onto basic cable.

WUAB, oddly enough, is staying put. Probably because there is no other MyNetworkTV affiliate on basic cable.

 

[azumanga]

WUAB, oddly enough, is staying put. Probably because there is no other MyNetworkTV affiliate on basic cable.

Though it is already practically a useless channel -- do they still show alot of infomercials during the day? Better off Rogers dumping WUAB than WQLN.

 

[jiminCT]

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that..

A) WTVS paid Rogers off for carriage...

B) Someone USA right-winger wants to get rid of WPBS (and told Rogers to cut them off)...and if Rogers can purge WPBS...70% of their pledge drive money goes up in smoke and they get crippled to the point where they collapse and become a commercial TV station (maybe NBC). The right wingers typically do not like PBS.

 

[sum-guy]

Why are these changes happening on Aug 18?

Isin't that the date of the changes to the various A-channel stations as well?

 

[sum-guy]

Since I don't subscribe to digital cable, I thought I'd ask.

Are these various Erie and PBS channels that are going to be removed from analog cable in London and Ottawa - are they currently also available on digital TV cable service - and will they continue to be?

(does this only affect analog service?)

 

[w9wi]

B) Someone USA right-winger wants to get rid of WPBS (and told Rogers to cut them off)...and if Rogers can purge WPBS...70% of their pledge drive money goes up in smoke and they get crippled to the point where they collapse and become a commercial TV station (maybe NBC). The right wingers typically do not like PBS.

WPBS can't flip to commercial, their channel is reserved for non-commercial operation. The FCC does not remove these reservations unless a commercial station in the same place can be flipped to non-commercial.

 

[mimo]

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that..

A) WTVS paid Rogers off for carriage...

B) Someone USA right-winger wants to get rid of WPBS (and told Rogers to cut them off)...and if Rogers can purge WPBS...70% of their pledge drive money goes up in smoke and they get crippled to the point where they collapse and become a commercial TV station (maybe NBC). The right wingers typically do not like PBS.

B is unlikely. There's no way Rogers would listen to a foreign national telling it what to air on it's own service. Especially one that isn't a customer.

A report on our right wing talk station said WPBS gets only 30% of it's funds from Ottawa, but they still mentioned how to contact Rogers if you want to try to keep it on the dial. I'm guessing August 18th is a Monday, and if my memory serves me right, changes to cable lineups in Canada always happened on a Monday in the past.

 

[azumanga]

I'm guessing August 18th is a Monday, and if my memory serves me right, changes to cable lineups in Canada always happened on a Monday in the past.

August 18 is on a Tuesday this year.

 

[sum-guy]

For those of you following this subject, you might want to also look here:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=957156

 

[Tincap]

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that..

A) WTVS paid Rogers off for carriage...

B) Someone USA right-winger wants to get rid of WPBS (and told Rogers to cut them off)...and if Rogers can purge WPBS...70% of their pledge drive money goes up in smoke and they get crippled to the point where they collapse and become a commercial TV station (maybe NBC). The right wingers typically do not like PBS.

B is unlikely. There's no way Rogers would listen to a foreign national telling it what to air on it's own service. Especially one that isn't a customer.

A report on our right wing talk station said WPBS gets only 30% of it's funds from Ottawa, but they still mentioned how to contact Rogers if you want to try to keep it on the dial. I'm guessing August 18th is a Monday, and if my memory serves me right, changes to cable lineups in Canada always happened on a Monday in the past.

We have a 'right wing' talk station in Canada? LOL!

Mr. Fybush, (of NERW fame) quoting WPBS, reports that the Ottawa area makes up "23% of its membership base and about $300,000 of the station's annual revenue."

BG

 

[mimo]

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that..

A) WTVS paid Rogers off for carriage...

B) Someone USA right-winger wants to get rid of WPBS (and told Rogers to cut them off)...and if Rogers can purge WPBS...70% of their pledge drive money goes up in smoke and they get crippled to the point where they collapse and become a commercial TV station (maybe NBC). The right wingers typically do not like PBS.

B is unlikely. There's no way Rogers would listen to a foreign national telling it what to air on it's own service. Especially one that isn't a customer.

A report on our right wing talk station said WPBS gets only 30% of it's funds from Ottawa, but they still mentioned how to contact Rogers if you want to try to keep it on the dial. I'm guessing August 18th is a Monday, and if my memory serves me right, changes to cable lineups in Canada always happened on a Monday in the past.

We have a 'right wing' talk station in Canada? LOL!

Mr. Fybush, (of NERW fame) quoting WPBS, reports that the Ottawa area makes up "23% of its membership base and about $300,000 of the station's annual revenue."

BG

Yes, we have 2 right wing talk stations in Canada, CFRA 580 in Ottawa is one and CHQR 770 in Calgary is the other. CFRA is very proud of it's right wing slant...and had recently introduced a new fearture in it's afterno0n drive show after the bottom of the hour news called "the Right Side" which disucsses issues with Conservative politicians and writers.

 

[Tincap]

Yes, we have 2 right wing talk stations in Canada, CFRA 580 in Ottawa is one and CHQR 770 in Calgary is the other. CFRA is very proud of it's right wing slant...and had recently introduced a new fearture in it's afterno0n drive show after the bottom of the hour news called "the Right Side" which disucsses issues with Conservative politicians and writers.

They may think they're 'right wing', but they pale in comparison to the American conservative talkers (not to mention the Assies). Don't forget that even Lowell Green was once a card carrying Liberal...but, he knows what brings in the ratings. Having said that, the CBC does need a counter-balance, which is why CFRA (and I suspect CHQR) do so well.

BTW, they had Rick Chairelli on the 'Lunch Bunch' today, who is trying to whip up support in keeping WPBS on Rogers Cable in Ottawa. I wish him well, as the loss of WPBS would be a loss for Ottawa viewers...it really is a 'local' station.

BG

 

[mimo]

Yes, we have 2 right wing talk stations in Canada, CFRA 580 in Ottawa is one and CHQR 770 in Calgary is the other. CFRA is very proud of it's right wing slant...and had recently introduced a new fearture in it's afterno0n drive show after the bottom of the hour news called "the Right Side" which disucsses issues with Conservative politicians and writers.

They may think they're 'right wing', but they pale in comparison to the American conservative talkers (not to mention the Assies). Don't forget that even Lowell Green was once a card carrying Liberal...but, he knows what brings in the ratings. Having said that, the CBC does need a counter-balance, which is why CFRA (and I suspect CHQR) do so well.

BTW, they had Rick Chairelli on the 'Lunch Bunch' today, who is trying to whip up support in keeping WPBS on Rogers Cable in Ottawa. I wish him well, as the loss of WPBS would be a loss for Ottawa viewers...it really is a 'local' station.

BG

I've heard the American hosts, I lived in the states for many years and even Lowel Green pales compared to Rush Limbaugh et al. I had NO idea he was once a card carrying Liberal. I've only been in Ottawa since late 2005.

CHQR being in very conservative Alberta does well, but before they went talk in 1992, the only option was CBC 1010, Or if you had a go0d enough radio, CJCA out of Edmonton. CBC still pulls in great numbers in Calgary

I've been impressed with CFRA's coverage with effort to help keep WPBS on the air on Ottawa. They had one of their reporters at a Bell office sometime after the news broke and she mentioned there were about 20 people in line trying to sign up for tv service when they heard that it was being dropped. I'm hoping that there will be enough of a push to keep WPBS on the cable system. I rarely watch it, but I hear great things they do to programme to Ottawa. Some people even seem to think it's a Canadian channel. Since they get a large portion of their funding from us, they might as well programme to the audience. It's obvious the audience here loves them.

 

[FreddyE1977]

regarding American "right wingers".....

Years ago, I met a gentleman who came into my place of business. (I still have his business card, he was the
GM for a television station in Canada). He was clearly no fan of Mr. Mulroney, nor many other people in the Canadian government
for that matter.

So in the midst of delivering an anti-Mulroney diatribe, he turns to me and says "Do you know what I admire about your
country, young man? When you get a leader in there who's just no good, who is screwing everything up and ruining
the country, one of you has the guts to go pick up a gun AND SHOOT HIM!"

I stood there, dumbfounded, waiting for Mounties to drop down out of the ceiling and grab him. Can just imagine what
his editorials must have sounded like!

Now THAT's hardcore!!

 

[Tincap]

regarding American "right wingers".....

Years ago, I met a gentleman who came into my place of business. (I still have his business card, he was the
GM for a television station in Canada). He was clearly no fan of Mr. Mulroney, nor many other people in the Canadian government
for that matter.

So in the midst of delivering an anti-Mulroney diatribe, he turns to me and says "Do you know what I admire about your
country, young man? When you get a leader in there who's just no good, who is screwing everything up and ruining
the country, one of you has the guts to go pick up a gun AND SHOOT HIM!"

I stood there, dumbfounded, waiting for Mounties to drop down out of the ceiling and grab him. Can just imagine what
his editorials must have sounded like!

Now THAT's hardcore!!

So, you met a Canadian leftist, who sounds more like an American 'right winger'...you really must've been confused by our politics after that encounter!

Actually, atleast 2 of the last 3 presidential shootings were committed by folks on the political left (I don't quite know where Hinckley stands...but then, nether does he, I suppose...), so you'd think that they'd be the big pushers of gun rights...as guns do seem to come in quite handy as a political tool in the US.

BG