Why exactly did KOVR and KXTV in Sacramento swap affiliations in 1995? Was the switch instigated by one of the stations or one of the networks involved (CBS and ABC)?
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Question about the 1995 KOVR-KXTV affiliation swap
- Thread starter SteveRichards
- Start date
whonigs said:
It was a little more complicated than that. ABC approached Belo (which then owned KXTV) after KOVR changed hands for the fourth time. The network, rocked by affiliate swaps in more than 2 dozen other markets prompted by FOX's move to affiliate with or buy stronger stations, wanted stability and had done business with Belo in other cities. The CBS affiliation then became a jump ball, but with the only other options being UHF stations, KOVR was able to win it.
ABC actually chose to switch to Belo's KXTV (which I believe is Gannett today). So CBS had only KOVR to go to so that is where they went. Still CBS allowed KOVR to preempt Guiding Light which KXTV originally began preempting back in 1992. So when CBS moved there KOVR chose not to run it and went out of their way to not run it, even when other shows were not even as strong. They chose very low rated shows for the slot at some points (even paid proigramming one of the summers on the station). Then when CBS bought the station, they also chose to not run Guiding Light. CBS did not even want the show on KOVR and they owned the station. Hey New York City had no country music station for almost 17 years even though Garth Brooks owned minority stock in 3 FM stations (he still owns one of them and no they are not the one that became the Country station). So even though CBS owned Guiding Light and KOVR had the rights to it, they chose to rest it, maybe running it occasionally IF AT ALL...Three years later CBS decided to cancel Guiding Light so maybe they knew this would eventually happen back then so they decided why put a show on KOVR we know wont be there much longer anyway. Today KOVR runs the entire CBS lineup. Personally I would have run Guiding Light on overnights there or on the UPN/CW station at 9 AM...leaning toward overnights on KOVR.
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