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We can take these switches back to the '50s,
and I could throw in the whole history of switches
in Raleigh/Durham (not that I want to). All the
information I'm getting back on the West Virginia,
Indiana, and Ohio switches is certainly correct,
but I was looking at those switches since the '70s
(and I'm not familiar with the ones involving the netlets
like MyNetwork). Just the ones I posted make up a
formidable list for one section of the country.
Aside to Russell Wells: Raleigh/Durham from 1968-71
was just as wacky as Birmingham, because the same
situation existed: WTVD/11 was getting first pick of
CBS and NBC; WRDU/28 was getting the leftovers.
By FCC ruling (triggered by 28's complaint), WTVD
became fulltime CBS in 1971; WRDU became fulltime
NBC. Both have switched again since: WTVD became
an ABC o&o in 1985; WRDU (now WRDC) went to UPN
(and now MyNetwork) in 1995 when WNCN/17 became
an NBC o&o (Media General owns it now, but it's still
the NBC affiliate).
and I could throw in the whole history of switches
in Raleigh/Durham (not that I want to). All the
information I'm getting back on the West Virginia,
Indiana, and Ohio switches is certainly correct,
but I was looking at those switches since the '70s
(and I'm not familiar with the ones involving the netlets
like MyNetwork). Just the ones I posted make up a
formidable list for one section of the country.
Aside to Russell Wells: Raleigh/Durham from 1968-71
was just as wacky as Birmingham, because the same
situation existed: WTVD/11 was getting first pick of
CBS and NBC; WRDU/28 was getting the leftovers.
By FCC ruling (triggered by 28's complaint), WTVD
became fulltime CBS in 1971; WRDU became fulltime
NBC. Both have switched again since: WTVD became
an ABC o&o in 1985; WRDU (now WRDC) went to UPN
(and now MyNetwork) in 1995 when WNCN/17 became
an NBC o&o (Media General owns it now, but it's still
the NBC affiliate).
D
DoctorBear
Guest
Green Bay had three non-Fox 'big switch" affil switches in the 80s-90s.
First, WLUK (then ABC) and WFRV-WJMN (then NBC) switched in 81. This was during the period when ABC was using its strength to get better outlets (it was usually No. 3 in two-VHF-station markets) and saw a chance to improve itself by getting the WFRV-WJMN combo. (It was good for Green Bay viewers as well, as WFRV had never carried David Letterman, but WLUK did).
The second came in 1991, when WXGZ (now WACY), which had been the Fox affil, shut down because of bankruptcy, and Fox moved over to WGBA.
The third came in 1992, when CBS bought WFRV-WJMN as part of a package deal including WCCO-Minneapolis. Reports were at the time that CBS (at the time on WBAY) wanted to sell WFRV-WJMN, but didn't. Instead, it moved the affiliation to WFRV, with ABC heading to WBAY.
There was a fourth, by the way - WPXG, a Paxson-owned station, was bought by Acme Communications in 1999 and became WIWB, a WB affil (it carried Pax programming in off hours for a couple of years but has since dropped it and Green Bay has no affil with the Pax/i/Ion/whatever it will be called next week network). With the WB/UPN merger, Acme switched its stations to the CW, and WACY, a charter UPN affil after it got out of bankruptcy, ended up with MyNet.
First, WLUK (then ABC) and WFRV-WJMN (then NBC) switched in 81. This was during the period when ABC was using its strength to get better outlets (it was usually No. 3 in two-VHF-station markets) and saw a chance to improve itself by getting the WFRV-WJMN combo. (It was good for Green Bay viewers as well, as WFRV had never carried David Letterman, but WLUK did).
The second came in 1991, when WXGZ (now WACY), which had been the Fox affil, shut down because of bankruptcy, and Fox moved over to WGBA.
The third came in 1992, when CBS bought WFRV-WJMN as part of a package deal including WCCO-Minneapolis. Reports were at the time that CBS (at the time on WBAY) wanted to sell WFRV-WJMN, but didn't. Instead, it moved the affiliation to WFRV, with ABC heading to WBAY.
There was a fourth, by the way - WPXG, a Paxson-owned station, was bought by Acme Communications in 1999 and became WIWB, a WB affil (it carried Pax programming in off hours for a couple of years but has since dropped it and Green Bay has no affil with the Pax/i/Ion/whatever it will be called next week network). With the WB/UPN merger, Acme switched its stations to the CW, and WACY, a charter UPN affil after it got out of bankruptcy, ended up with MyNet.
Here in Fairbanks, KTVF switched from CBS to NBC on April Fool's Day 1996. The reasons? KATN and two other ABC stations in Alaska -- KIMO Anchorage and KJUD Juneau -- merged to become ABC Alaska's Superstation after Smith Broadcasting bought them in 1995; KATN had been primarily with ABC since 1985 with NBC as a secondary affiliation and before that, secondary from 1955-85 with NBC as their primary network. Another was that at the time, NBC was the dominant network while CBS was in third place (it's the other way around now), and KTVF had been with CBS since '55.
As for the status of CBS post-KTVF, KFXF Fox 7 came to the rescue by airing a small number of CBS shows on the side for a few months. 60 Minutes, Young and the Restless, and Letterman made the cut while The Price is Right and the CBS Evening News didn't. They even cut away to CBS News coverage of the Olympic Park bombing. This happened until the station started KXD Channel 13 in August, which would be with CBS.
After over 40 years, Fairbanks would FINALLY have a station for each of the Big Four networks! No more "cherry-picking" or blacking out promos for some shows that wouldn't be seen here; all of the shows would now be seen on the day and time they're supposed to air!
Jonathan Allen
As for the status of CBS post-KTVF, KFXF Fox 7 came to the rescue by airing a small number of CBS shows on the side for a few months. 60 Minutes, Young and the Restless, and Letterman made the cut while The Price is Right and the CBS Evening News didn't. They even cut away to CBS News coverage of the Olympic Park bombing. This happened until the station started KXD Channel 13 in August, which would be with CBS.
After over 40 years, Fairbanks would FINALLY have a station for each of the Big Four networks! No more "cherry-picking" or blacking out promos for some shows that wouldn't be seen here; all of the shows would now be seen on the day and time they're supposed to air!
Jonathan Allen
ixnay said:
...during the Lombardi era, there were only WBAY-TV/2 (CBS), WFRV/5 (NBC) and WLUK/11 (ABC). WFRV was originally WNAM-TV/42 (ABC) in Neenah, but moved to Green Bay and 5 within a couple of years of its first broadcast in (IIRC) 1955. WLUK had originally been WMBV/11 (NBC) in Marinette, built in 1954 from the leftover assets of the dark WOSH-TV/48 (NBC) in Oshkosh. In 1959, WMBV moved to Green Bay, changed its call sign to WLUK and switched networks with WFRV. 1959 was also Vince Lombardi's first NFL season in Green Bay, having been hired away from the New York Giants (where he was an assistant coach) that January. KFIZ-TV/34 (independent) in Fond du Lac went on the air in December 1968, Lombardi's last year as General Manager of the Packers; Lombardi had made Phil Bengtson the Head Coach that season, but was dissatisfied with being only a GM, taking the job with Washington the following season. So, during Lombardi's entire tenure in Green Bay, every regular season Packer game telecast was over WBAY-TV...
ixnay said:
...that's true, although I don't believe there were many games at Lambeau that weren't sold out during Lombardi's reign. (And I don't recall what was done with the Second Super Bowl -- was that run on CBS and NBC as well?) Thus, the accurate description would be that all regular season Packer games that were aired in Green Bay during the Lombardi years were over WBAY-TV...
Denver was flipped back every direction it seemed like in the fall of 1995. KCNC, where I worked in sales at the time, was an NBC O&O that caught up by CBS/Westinghouse deal and became CBS. KMGH, the CBS station, probably could have became NBC, however the owners, Mc-Graw Hill's other major stations were ABC, thus KMGH got ABC from KUSA. NBC finally landed on KUSA, which is owned by Gannett. Since Gannett and NBC had a good relationship, KUSA remained a strong station.
I'n not sure what's happened with KMGH/ABC, although I can imagine that KMGH is no longer 3rd, maybe. With KCNC following the CBS mandate they have really changed. Their sets went from 1st-rate to 12th-rate. The hours of news KCNC use to produce has been dramtically reduced. Yet the still have some longtime anchors on the air. So did they change for better or for worse? That is a question I really can't answer.
There was an almost change a couple years later with KWGN and KDVR. You see Fox use to want KWGN badly for their successful news operation, but KWGN(a superstation and powerhouse even after becoming WB) wouldn't budge. Only a few years ago did Fox finally give up their KWGN dream and began a news operation for KDVR.
I'n not sure what's happened with KMGH/ABC, although I can imagine that KMGH is no longer 3rd, maybe. With KCNC following the CBS mandate they have really changed. Their sets went from 1st-rate to 12th-rate. The hours of news KCNC use to produce has been dramtically reduced. Yet the still have some longtime anchors on the air. So did they change for better or for worse? That is a question I really can't answer.
There was an almost change a couple years later with KWGN and KDVR. You see Fox use to want KWGN badly for their successful news operation, but KWGN(a superstation and powerhouse even after becoming WB) wouldn't budge. Only a few years ago did Fox finally give up their KWGN dream and began a news operation for KDVR.
Ultimajock said:
Remember that the Packers used to play 2-3 games a year in Milwaukee, I presume those were shown in Green Bay.
D
DoctorBear
Guest
Yes, Packers games in Milwaukee were shown in Green Bay (and vice versa). In addition, games in Green Bay were blacked out in Wausau. Which meant a lot of trips to my grandmother's in Milwaukee during football season. (I still remember staying up way past midnight to try to pick up the rerun of the Ice Bowl at midnight - the earliest possible time - from WSAU in Wausau. Didn't go to Milwaukee that time because we were at the game.)
None of the stations were listed as Appleton; there was a WNAM in Neenah-Menasha in the early 50s that eventually morphed into WFRV-Green Bay. At current, Appleton's only allocation is Channel 32, or WACY (which lists its cities as Appleton-Green Bay-Fox Cities). That station, as WXGZ, did focus more on Appleton in its first incarnation (and had a studio there) but moved to Green Bay after filing for bankruptcy and is now under a LMA with Journal Broadcasting (WGBA).
Oh, and WBAY (CBS) also ran the preseason games for a state network during the Lombardi years. WLUK had the games briefly in the 70s, but then it was back to WBAY until WFRV and WTMJ combined to buy the rights a few years ago. (Pre-blackout rule, the home games were shown the next day in Green Bay or Milwaukee.)
And yes...the first Super Bowl was on both CBS and NBC; the second was CBS only. But in the early 60s, NBC carried the NFL Championship, so the 1960-61-62 NFL Championship games with the Packers were on NBC.
None of the stations were listed as Appleton; there was a WNAM in Neenah-Menasha in the early 50s that eventually morphed into WFRV-Green Bay. At current, Appleton's only allocation is Channel 32, or WACY (which lists its cities as Appleton-Green Bay-Fox Cities). That station, as WXGZ, did focus more on Appleton in its first incarnation (and had a studio there) but moved to Green Bay after filing for bankruptcy and is now under a LMA with Journal Broadcasting (WGBA).
Oh, and WBAY (CBS) also ran the preseason games for a state network during the Lombardi years. WLUK had the games briefly in the 70s, but then it was back to WBAY until WFRV and WTMJ combined to buy the rights a few years ago. (Pre-blackout rule, the home games were shown the next day in Green Bay or Milwaukee.)
And yes...the first Super Bowl was on both CBS and NBC; the second was CBS only. But in the early 60s, NBC carried the NFL Championship, so the 1960-61-62 NFL Championship games with the Packers were on NBC.
in austin,tx KTBC 7 was cbs from 1952 to 1995, KBVO was fox 1987-1995 and change networks, ch 7 cbs to fox. ch 42 fox to cbs and changed call letters from KBVO to KEYE. KNVA was wb in 1994 to 2006 changed to CW/MYTV, also KAKW moved from waco/temple area to austin and changed from upn to univision. i forgot early on in 1971 KHFI tv changed numbers from 42 to 36. and finally 42 came back on in 1983 as a independent to fox in 1987.
J
jwgreek8606
Guest
Does anyone know why WALA and WPMI "switched" affiliates New Year's Day 1995?
I mentioned this on an earlier post. WALA's owners at
the time, Burnham Broadcasting, switched all four of
its stations to Fox: KHON Honolulu, WALA, and WLUK
Green Bay from NBC; WVUE New Orleans from ABC.
WPMI had been the Fox affiliate, so it was a straight
switch.
For the record, in the other three markets:
Honolulu: NBC moved to KHNL (Channel 2 to Channel 13)
Green Bay: NBC moved to WGBA (Channel 11 to Channel 26)
New Orleans: ABC moved to WGNO (Channel 8 to Channel 26)
the time, Burnham Broadcasting, switched all four of
its stations to Fox: KHON Honolulu, WALA, and WLUK
Green Bay from NBC; WVUE New Orleans from ABC.
WPMI had been the Fox affiliate, so it was a straight
switch.
For the record, in the other three markets:
Honolulu: NBC moved to KHNL (Channel 2 to Channel 13)
Green Bay: NBC moved to WGBA (Channel 11 to Channel 26)
New Orleans: ABC moved to WGNO (Channel 8 to Channel 26)
B
Bob1370
Guest
Think of all the stations that Fox bought all over the country during the 90s--they pulled affiliates away from ABC (Channel 2 in St. Louis), CBS (Channel 8 in Cleveland, Channel 2 in Detroit, Channel 5 in Atlanta, Channel 4 in Dallas) and NBC (Channel 4 in Kansas City) by buying the stations and flipping the program feeds. And that's not a complete list.
K
KML0224
Guest
Also throw in KTBC-TV channel 7 of Austin, TX. Went from CBS to FOX.
The complete list:
ABC to Fox:
KTVI/2 St. Louis
WBRC/6 Birmingham, AL
WGHP/8 Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, NC
(and in a separate deal: WHBQ/13 Memphis)
CBS to Fox:
WJBK/2 Detroit
KDFW/4 Dallas/Ft. Worth
WAGA/5 Atlanta
WITI/6 Milwaukee
KTBC/7 Austin
WJW/8 Cleveland
KSAZ/10 Phoenix
WTVT/13 Tampa/St. Petersburg
NBC to Fox:
WDAF/4 Kansas City
And others went to Fox as well, but not as
o&os, such as:
WSVN/7 Miami (from NBC)
WTVW/7 Evansville, IN (from ABC)
KECY/9 Yuma, AZ/El Centro, CA (from CBS)
KARD/14 Monroe, LA/El Dorado, AR (from ABC)
KVCT/19 Victoria, TX (from ABC)
WCOV/20 Montgomery, AL (from CBS)
WGXA/24 Macon, GA (from ABC)
WLOV/27 Columbus/Tupelo, MS (from ABC)
WSJV/28 South Bend, IN (from ABC)
WBAK/38 Terre Haute, IN (from ABC)
and I think Channel 34 in Binghamton, NY, whose
call letters always escape me, went from NBC
to Fox.
This, too, may not be a complete list.
ABC to Fox:
KTVI/2 St. Louis
WBRC/6 Birmingham, AL
WGHP/8 Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, NC
(and in a separate deal: WHBQ/13 Memphis)
CBS to Fox:
WJBK/2 Detroit
KDFW/4 Dallas/Ft. Worth
WAGA/5 Atlanta
WITI/6 Milwaukee
KTBC/7 Austin
WJW/8 Cleveland
KSAZ/10 Phoenix
WTVT/13 Tampa/St. Petersburg
NBC to Fox:
WDAF/4 Kansas City
And others went to Fox as well, but not as
o&os, such as:
WSVN/7 Miami (from NBC)
WTVW/7 Evansville, IN (from ABC)
KECY/9 Yuma, AZ/El Centro, CA (from CBS)
KARD/14 Monroe, LA/El Dorado, AR (from ABC)
KVCT/19 Victoria, TX (from ABC)
WCOV/20 Montgomery, AL (from CBS)
WGXA/24 Macon, GA (from ABC)
WLOV/27 Columbus/Tupelo, MS (from ABC)
WSJV/28 South Bend, IN (from ABC)
WBAK/38 Terre Haute, IN (from ABC)
and I think Channel 34 in Binghamton, NY, whose
call letters always escape me, went from NBC
to Fox.
This, too, may not be a complete list.
Binghamton
34 in Binghamton never changed affiliation. It's been ABC since day 1 in 1962, albeit under three calls - WBJA, WMGC and now WIVT.
40 (originally WINR-TV, now WICZ) was the station that changed affiliations in the nineties. It had been NBC since day 1 in 1957, but Fox came to the station with a good offer (and Giants football), and so WICZ became "Fox 40."
Because Binghamton had never been more than a three-station market (Fox came in via New York's WNYW, which had been on the cable system there for years and years), NBC was left homeless at first. The cable company picked up Elmira's WETM (50 miles to the west) for NBC, and WETM eventually created a separate Binghamton cable feed with some local ad inserts and PSAs, but still with Elmira news. WETM eventually put a Binghamton LPTV on the air (WBGH-LP channel 8, later moved to 20) to carry the NBC feed to in-city OTA viewers.
After WETM and ABC affiliate WIVT came under common ownership (Ackerley/Clear Channel), the WETM simulcast on WBGH-LP ended and the Binghamton LPTV became a sister station to WIVT. It now carries WIVT's newscasts at 5, 6 and 11, along with its own lineup of syndicated fare separate from WIVT, and I think it even provides an HD feed of its own to the cable company. (It's carried in standard-def as a subchannel on WIVT-DT.)
34 in Binghamton never changed affiliation. It's been ABC since day 1 in 1962, albeit under three calls - WBJA, WMGC and now WIVT.
40 (originally WINR-TV, now WICZ) was the station that changed affiliations in the nineties. It had been NBC since day 1 in 1957, but Fox came to the station with a good offer (and Giants football), and so WICZ became "Fox 40."
Because Binghamton had never been more than a three-station market (Fox came in via New York's WNYW, which had been on the cable system there for years and years), NBC was left homeless at first. The cable company picked up Elmira's WETM (50 miles to the west) for NBC, and WETM eventually created a separate Binghamton cable feed with some local ad inserts and PSAs, but still with Elmira news. WETM eventually put a Binghamton LPTV on the air (WBGH-LP channel 8, later moved to 20) to carry the NBC feed to in-city OTA viewers.
After WETM and ABC affiliate WIVT came under common ownership (Ackerley/Clear Channel), the WETM simulcast on WBGH-LP ended and the Binghamton LPTV became a sister station to WIVT. It now carries WIVT's newscasts at 5, 6 and 11, along with its own lineup of syndicated fare separate from WIVT, and I think it even provides an HD feed of its own to the cable company. (It's carried in standard-def as a subchannel on WIVT-DT.)
I don't know why I always get 34 and 40 mixed up
(I'm not from Binghamton, for one thing.) It was 40
that went from NBC to Fox.
And what about stations that switched but returned
voluntarily to their former network? I can think of a few:
WAAY/31 Huntsville, AL ABC to NBC to ABC
WTLV/12 Jacksonville, FL NBC to ABC to NBC
WJHG/7 Panama City, FL NBC to ABC to NBC
WSAV/3 Savannah, GA NBC to ABC to NBC
WKYT/27 Lexington, KY CBS to ABC to CBS
WCBI/4 Columbus/Tupelo, MS CBS to ABC to CBS
KOMU/8 Columbia/Jefferson City, MO NBC to
ABC to NBC
WDTN/2 Dayton, OH NBC to ABC to NBC
KWTX/10 Waco, TX CBS to ABC to CBS
KCEN/6 Waco, TX NBC to ABC to NBC
Note I don't include stations that switched back because
a change in ownership forced the issue (WBAL/11 going from
NBC to CBS and back to NBC because WJZ/13 became a
CBS o&o, for example), or because a station was abandoned
by its former network (WJCL/22 Savannah, for example).
Cincinnati is a case of a switch being forced on two stations:
WCPO/9 got ABC (its network in the '50s) because Scripps-Howard
switched it from CBS; WKRC/12 (CBS in the '50s) went back because it was
the abandoned ABC affiliate.
(I'm not from Binghamton, for one thing.) It was 40
that went from NBC to Fox.
And what about stations that switched but returned
voluntarily to their former network? I can think of a few:
WAAY/31 Huntsville, AL ABC to NBC to ABC
WTLV/12 Jacksonville, FL NBC to ABC to NBC
WJHG/7 Panama City, FL NBC to ABC to NBC
WSAV/3 Savannah, GA NBC to ABC to NBC
WKYT/27 Lexington, KY CBS to ABC to CBS
WCBI/4 Columbus/Tupelo, MS CBS to ABC to CBS
KOMU/8 Columbia/Jefferson City, MO NBC to
ABC to NBC
WDTN/2 Dayton, OH NBC to ABC to NBC
KWTX/10 Waco, TX CBS to ABC to CBS
KCEN/6 Waco, TX NBC to ABC to NBC
Note I don't include stations that switched back because
a change in ownership forced the issue (WBAL/11 going from
NBC to CBS and back to NBC because WJZ/13 became a
CBS o&o, for example), or because a station was abandoned
by its former network (WJCL/22 Savannah, for example).
Cincinnati is a case of a switch being forced on two stations:
WCPO/9 got ABC (its network in the '50s) because Scripps-Howard
switched it from CBS; WKRC/12 (CBS in the '50s) went back because it was
the abandoned ABC affiliate.
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