San Diego, CA - July 1985

[w00t]

With the WNCT petition, Media General succeeded in getting WRAL removed from the significantly viewed list in Pitt, Lenoir, and Greene Counties. Optimum (was then called Suddenlink) decided that continuing to carry WRAL for news and local origination programming was not in their best interest and they dropped it in those counties. It is sorely missed.

 

[DavidEduardo]

One little-known source for linear feeds of international stations is the Haitian TV Network (HTN) on Roku. They carry all five major networks from France, such that the morning news from Paris can be seen at 1 am EST/EDT. I also get the French CBC news channel from Canada that way. Too bad such a service doesn't exist for channels from the UK, Germany, and so on. I feel a bit guilty about taking advantage of a free service that is intended for poor Haitians (Haitians are poor almost by definition) who just want to watch French TV, but so far they haven't geofenced it. That service may eventually get axed by Roku as well.

Of course, the "peoples language" of Haiti is Kreyol, not French. A lot of lesser educated don't use French at all, although if the went far enough in school they had to take it in classes. But in their neighborhoods, in the corner store, at the bar or the club they don't speak French.

I used to have pretty good French. Good enough that in Paris Parisians did not squiggle their nose and chortle when I spoke. But in Port au Prince, that did not work. My French was not their French. And my Kreyol was non-existent. Worse than trying to understand local English in British Guyana years ago.

 

[IM42A]

Of course, the "peoples language" of Haiti is Kreyol, not French. A lot of lesser educated don't use French at all, although if the went far enough in school they had to take it in classes. But in their neighborhoods, in the corner store, at the bar or the club they don't speak French.

I used to have pretty good French. Good enough that in Paris Parisians did not squiggle their nose and chortle when I spoke. But in Port au Prince, that did not work. My French was not their French. And my Kreyol was non-existent. Worse than trying to understand local English in British Guyana years ago.

I assume it's to give Haitians access to high-quality French TV, which they would probably find enjoyable even if they didn't understand it totally. (But who in Haiti could afford a Roku box, and does Roku actually serve Haiti? It may be for expats living in the US, who, one hopes, would have better financial circumstances.)

 

[ftballfan]

I have to imagine that WECT is a holdover from when markets (ADI/DMA) were not as clear-cut as they are now, when out-of-market stations were seen as desirable due to schedule diversity and because that's all there was as an alternative to local stations (no satellite delivery yet), and when, as I noted, WECT billed itself as covering both cities with a somewhat centrally-located signal. There may also be historic viewing habits that die hard.

WECT shows up in the FCC's significantly viewed stations list, which is horribly outdated, for both Cumberland and Hartnett counties. It really doesn't matter, though, as cable is a dying industry, satellite and OTT providers typically don't offer out-of-market stations, and local newscasts can be pretty much had on demand online, either live or recorded.

Also, WECT was the de facto NBC affiliate for the southern portion of the Raleigh/Durham market until 1995 as R/D had a very weak NBC station

 

[IM42A]

Also, WECT was the de facto NBC affiliate for the southern portion of the Raleigh/Durham market until 1995 as R/D had a very weak NBC station

Indeed it was, and it was also the default NBC affiliate for Myrtle Beach and the northeastern portion of the Florence market that was too far from WIS. WIS can easily be received with a decent antenna in Florence proper. Indeed, up into the 1980s, Horry County was considered to be part of the Wilmington market, WWAY even having an office (with logo on the outside) in the Flatiron Building in downtown MB. WSFX had a sales office in MB in 1996, and I know, because I dropped off a resume there.

At this point, I have to wonder if this discussion should continue in either the Wilmington or Raleigh threads, as it's drifted far afield from anything concerning San Diego. Doesn't bother me, but I know there is a preference on this forum for staying more or less on-topic. Moderators, is there any way to "forklift" the WECT posts into the Wilmington thread?