Reasons for stations switching affiliations

[tmanokc]

Are there any markets where no station ever changed its affiliation unless the network they carried folded, merged or became a syndication service?

Three of the major network affiliates in Oklahoma City have never changed affiliations. The analog-era VHF stations, KFOR, KOCO and KWTV, have been affiliated with NBC, ABC and CBS respectively since they all signed on. KFOR has had NBC since it debuted in June 1949 as Oklahoma's first TV station, but had secondary affiliations with CBS, ABC and DuMont early on. It lost ABC twice: first in 1953, when KTVQ (which occupied the channel 25 allocation since held by Fox affiliate KOKH) signed on, and then again when KGEO-TV out of Enid (which was already an ABC affiliate) moved to Oklahoma City in 1958 and became KOCO-TV. It lost the CBS affiliation when KWTV signed on in 1953.

The same can't be said with the stations on the virtual UHF dial: KOKH was an educational station, when it signed on in 1959, then became a general entertainment station in '79. KAUT flipped networks multiple times: first as an independent, then getting the Fox affiliation in 1986; then becoming a PBS station in 1990 (when Fox moved to KOKH); then flipping to UPN in '98, when Paramount/Viacom bought the station; then joining MyNetworkTV in 2006, and now it's an independent again since KSBI (which was an independent since it signed on in '88, first as a religious station and then as a entertainment station) got the affiliation. KOCB was an independent until 1995, when it joined UPN and then ditched it in favor of The WB in 1998 as part of Sinclair's affiliation deal with the network (that left UPN without an Oklahoma City affiliate for six months, until KAUT dropped PBS) and is now with The CW.

 

[Bob1370]

"Are there any markets where no station ever changed its affiliation unless the network they carried folded, merged or became a syndication service?"

I think Syracuse, NY qualifies, although the same station has changed callsigns and channels at times during the analog era. WHEN-TV/WTVH (channel 8 from 1948-61, then channel 5) has been primary CBS from the start. WSYR-TV/WSTM-TV (channel 5 from 1950-53, then channel 3) was always primary NBC, still is. WNYS-TV/WIXT/WSYR-TV (channel 9 from its 1962 sign-on to the end of the analog era) has never been anything but ABC. And WSYT (channel 68) has always been the Fox affiliate from the time that network got started in the 1986-87 season.

The OTA channels for all the stations have changed now, and the stations have each changed owners several times. But networks in Syracuse seem to stay put...

 

[KML0224]

To correct part of my own post earlier: Today's WTNH-TV channel 8 of New Haven did NOT always have ABC as its primary affiliation. They were DuMont first and then a CBS primary/ABC and NBC secondary. They didn't become our primary ABC affiliate until 1956. I stand corrected.

 

[fybush]

Didn't we do an entire "Markets With No Affiliation Changes" thread last year or thereabouts, right here on this board?

 

[channel99]

Joseph_Gallant:

North of Providence, the WTEV/WLNE analog signal quickly dropped-off. In most of the Boston area, WJAR and WPRI's analog signals were easily picked-up on most TV sets. Not Channel 6.

The biggest Ch 6 problem for most viewers was adjacent channel interference by Ch 5 on the lower side, and the many stations in the 88-108 MHz portion of the FM band on the upper side, especially 100 KW WGBH-FM, 89.7 MHz. Some TVs were also affected by image rejection problems from Ch 7. It also made a mess on much of the southern Cape. In return, Ch 5's signal had problems close to Providence, though to a far lesser extent.

Traps could clear most of this up - but except for large apartment systems - few bothered.

 

[radiorob2.0]

Joseph_Gallant:

North of Providence, the WTEV/WLNE analog signal quickly dropped-off. In most of the Boston area, WJAR and WPRI's analog signals were easily picked-up on most TV sets. Not Channel 6.

The biggest Ch 6 problem for most viewers was adjacent channel interference by Ch 5 on the lower side, and the many stations in the 88-108 MHz portion of the FM band on the upper side, especially 100 KW WGBH-FM, 89.7 MHz. Some TVs were also affected by image rejection problems from Ch 7. It also made a mess on much of the southern Cape. In return, Ch 5's signal had problems close to Providence, though to a far lesser extent.

Traps could clear most of this up - but except for large apartment systems - few bothered.

Channel 7 shouldn't have been an issue to Channel 6 as the two channels are greatly distant in frequency.

 

[Rube Dali the DodoHorse]

The major reason for ABC moving from WTEV-6 to WPRI-12 in 1977 was signal-related.

I thought the swap was all about Knight-Ridder(WPRI's owner) wanting all of their stations at ABC(this coming after it bought Poole).

 

[channel99]

radiorob2.0:

Channel 7 shouldn't have been an issue to Channel 6 as the two channels are greatly distant in frequency.

Actually it was a problem, especially with the earlier electronic (varacter-tuned) tuners. A strong local Ch 7 signal could get thru the tuner RF stages. When tuned to Ch 6 (82 - 88 MHZ, video carrier 83.25 MHz, audio 87.75 MHz), the local oscillator would be running at 129 MHz to generate the inverted IF frequencies (audio 41.25 MHz, video carrier 45.75 MHz). Ch 7 (174 - 180 MHz, video carrier at 175.25 MHz) when mixed with 129 MHz, produces 46.25 MHz - right at the top edge of the IF bandwidth. Now add the effect of mixing the vestigial lower sideband of Ch 7 (beginning at 174.25 MHz) which fell directly within the upper IF range. This showed as a hazy overlay of the Ch 7 video, and often killed color on Ch 6. The TV manufacturers knew about it - Sony had a publication about this, which included a review of VHF hi-band traps available. This was a better known problem in the UHF band and image rejection was one of the many UHF Taboos concerning channel spacing - this one barring 14 or 15 channel spacing to 60 - 75 miles apart.

 

[Markxxx]

Regarding WSJV, I think the fact that Fox had recently picked up the NFC football package (including the Bears) played a role in the switch. And, I vaguely recall that the switch there may have caused ABC to pull its affiliation from WREX in Rockford (which had recently been purchased by WSJV's owner, Quincy Newspapers); that said, I don't think I can confirm the retaliatory intent of that switch.

Also WLS on analog 7 was a powerhouse. I didn't have too much trouble getting it on a portable with rabbit ears, when I'd visit South Bend, not so with the other VHFs, (WGN's Channel 9 was also do-able). The UHFs were no where to be found.

So I imagine with a decent outdoor antenna, it was easy to get get a clear WLS from Chicago and impossible to get a half way decent UHF on FOX 32 Chicago.

While that isn't the primary reason it helps.

The same thing in Terra Haute, Indiana, too much overlap in the market by ABC from Indy, Decatur and Evansville on those ABC stations.