San Francisco TV has too many tv stations.

[azumanga]

Do the PBS stations show the same programs?

Here in San Diego they often pre-empt national programming for their smug locally-produced shows. There was talk at some point that [KCET] from LA would start to be offered down here on cable, as their schedule varies from KPBS. You should have heard the rucus snortin' hissy-fit KPBS put on with that suggestion.

They probably wouldn't have done anything about it -- PBS stations don't have the same exclusivity as commercial stations, and the law mandates that, if possible, cable systems carry at least two PBS affiliates, even if one is out of market and carrying the same prime-time schedule as the local station.

Other examples include:

In markets bordering Georgia, many bordering markets offer GPB and a first-run station from the neighboring state:
Tallahassee: WFSU and WABW (GPB)
Chattanooga: WTCI and WCLP (GPB)
Augusta: WCES (GPB) and WEBA (SCETV)
Savannah: WVAN (GPB) and WJWJ (SCETV)
Columbus: WJSP (GPB) and WGIQ (APT)

In Jacksonville, cable systems offer WJCT and either Gainesville's WUFT or Waycross' WXGA (GPB).

In Flint / Saginaw / Bay City, that market is home to WFUM, WDCP and WCMU, all first-run. Comcast Flint and Charter Saginaw offer three PBSs -- Flint has WFUM, WDCP and WTVS (Detroit); Saginaw has WFUM, WDCP and WKAR (East Lansing). Charter Bay City / Midland has WDCP and WCMU.

 

[Garrett]

And this is a problem?

Too many over the air stations? Sure wish Lubbock Texas had that problem

If lived in SF, that would be the LAST problem I would be complaining about.

San Francisco has way too many tv stations, the most OTA stations that I ever seen, second to LA.

KTVU 2 FOX Mt. Sutro
KRON 4 IND Mt. Sutro
KPIX 5 CBS Mt. Sutro
KGO 7 ABC Mt. Sutro
KQED 9 PBS Mt. Sutro
KNTV 11 NBC San Bruno Mtn
KDTV 14 UNI Fremont Peak
KBWB 20 WB Mt. Sutro
KRCB 22 PBS ????(North Bay only)
KTSF 26 ETHNIC San Bruno Mtn
KMTP 32 ETHNIC/DW/ARTS Mt. Suturo
KICU 36 IND Fremont Peak
KCNS 38 SATH Mt. Suturo
KTNC 42 AZA Mt. Diablo
KSTS 48 TELE Fremont Peak
KFTY 50 IND ????(North Bay only)
KTEH 54 PBS Fremont Peak
KCSM 60 PBS Mt. Suturo(Digital Only)
KTFK 64 TF Mt. Diablo (Sacramento Market)
KKPX 65 ITV Mt. Loma Peroma
KFSF 66 TF Mt. Sutro
KTLN 68 TLN ???? (North Bay Only)

 

[Markxxx]

Do the PBS stations show the same programs?

I asked this question. In Chicago we have 3 PBS (WTTW 11) (WYCC 20) and WYIN (56) (Transmitter in Indiana)

I emailed Channel 56 and they told me that in each PBS Market one station is designated as the chief PBS station. They get first crack at the shows and the ones they pass up the other two PBS stations can grab.

For shows like Nova, channel 56 can air it but it has to be at least a week behind the designated chief PBS station for that market. Since Channel 11 WTTW is the chief station in Chicago, before Channel 56 or 20 can air it it must be a week or more old.

This in practice causes little trouble because Channel 20 is so different from most PBS stations. It is more into educational shows. Note the call letters of Ch 20 are WYCC or Your Community Colleges.

 

[LKellerIII]

I don't know when your WYCC call letters came into being, but many (if not most) west coast PBS TV stations have had the same call letters for 40 or more years - from the National Educational Television (NET) days. So the call letters tend to reflect the pre-PBS "educational" orientation - KQED in San Francisco, KCET in Los Angeles, etc. Also, some of the stations are located on college campuses, like KCSM at the College of San Mateo. In the Bay Area, PBS stations are starting to consolidate - probably due in part to the PBS policy you mention - that the "main" PBS station in a market gets the first choice for programming. KQED recently purchased the San Jose PBS outlet (can't think of THOSE call letters, unfortunately). They explained this would consolidate their buying power for the best programming.

 

[Markxxx]

I don't want to stray too far out of topic, but WYCC came about in the early 80s. Originally Channel 20 was co-owned by WTTW (Channel 11) and called WXXW (get it XX = 20 in Roman Numerals). Chicago UHF didn't really take off till about 1973.

Ironically WCAE was Channel 50 in St John Indiana.It was owned by a public school district and was quite a good local public station.

This was part of a huge switch with WPWR going from Channel 60 to 56, then swapping 56 for Channel 50. Thus Channel 50 went from public to commerical and Channel 56 went from commercial to public. Channel 56 later became WYIN. (From the website, YIN = Your Indiana Neighbor.)