Smackdown's new television home will be.....

[ericNY]

.............MyNetworkTV. A press release was sent out today. No mention of what day of the week SD will be on though. Possibly a move back to thursday?? or live on tuesday?

 

[KML0224]

I would imagine they'd keep the schedule the way it is now, where they tape WWE Smackdown! on Tuesdays and air it on Friday like they do now. Presently I count 3 full-powered affiliates in New England:

WCTX-TV channel 59 New Haven/Hartford
WLVI-TV channel 56 Cambridge/Boston
WPME-TV channel 35 Lewiston/Portland

I really hope they know what they're doing with this one.

 

[ericNY]

While WWE didn't have great options here, Mynetwork tv is Probably the better of the 2 options for WWE on this one as they do have full-power stations in the major cities (mostly old UPN stations). Only other option I think was WGN. And WGN isnt on a lot of the cable systems in a good portion of the northeast and parts of the West coast. Plus the Chicago viewers would get SD on tape delay since locally WGN shows the CW feed.

Mynetwork tv is said to be available in 100 million homes. Not sure about their cable clearences though. I do get a MNTV station here and don't get WGN so personally it works out for me. However I know that some MNTV affailates either share time with other networks (FOX, CW...) or are on DT-2 of other networks.

 

[KML0224]

As far as I know, MY is on a secondary basis in Providence (RI)/New Bedford (MA) via WNAC-TV (FOX) channel 64 of Providence. Do you think that with this announcement, WSBK-TV (IND) channel 38 of Boston could make any programming moves? If not, how long is the contract between WZMY-TV (MY) channel 50 of Derry, NH and MY? (WZMY-TV is technically the Boston/Worcester MY affiliate.)

Also, on a side note, since MY is owned by FOX, could any WWE programming eventually end up there or is it too early to call that?

 

[JayR]

Here we go again...

Some info for you: In the Fort Myers market, MY Network TV, at the present, is on Comcast cable-only channel 8 "MY TV 8" (formerly "UPN 8" with faux calls "WNFM"). The old UPN low-power affiliate WEVU-CA Channel 4 (with repeater WBSP-CA Channel 7 Naples) is now a repeater for Univision affiliate WUVF-CA Channel 2 Naples. WEVU was picked up locally by DirecTV, and later by DISH Network, for its affiliation with UPN.

With Smackdown! now heading to MY, DirecTV subscribers who don't also subscribe to cable (or have access to it) are SOL. DISH Network subscribers can simply add WWOR "MY 9" and get their show.

Unless something changes locally from now until the debut of Smackdown!, this is how it will be.

 

[KML0224]

So your station names itself like that too? Here in greater Hartford, WCTX-TV (MY) channel 59 of New Haven (5 million watts visual ERP) calls themselves MY-TV 9, due to their cable position on most cable systems. It's quite irritating, since you have WWOR-TV (MY) channel 9 of Secaucus, NJ/New York City about an hour down the road. All this in the virtual backyard of WWE itself (based in Stamford).

 

[JayR]

So your station names itself like that too? Here in greater Hartford, WCTX-TV (MY) channel 59 of New Haven (5 million watts visual ERP) calls themselves MY-TV 9, due to their cable position on most cable systems. It's quite irritating, since you have WWOR-TV (MY) channel 9 of Secaucus, NJ/New York City about an hour down the road. All this in the virtual backyard of WWE itself (based in Stamford).

In my area, there is no MY broadcast affiliate; it's cable-only.

DISH Network subscribers can get WWOR "MY 9" (which is the original) on channel 238.

 

[Jul]

WPHL-TV 17 carries My Network TV programming so there should be no problems for people getting the show in the Philadelphia Market. Channel 17 is no stranger in carrying wrestling. The station has aired NWA/WCW wrestling for many years and even carried WWE programming for a time.

 

[JayR]

MY Smackdown!

From Variety:

WWE teams with MY Network TV

"The momentum at MyNetworkTV continues with this major acquisition. This partnership with WWE is a perfect fit for viewers, advertisers and affiliates," said My Network prexy Greg Meidel.

Huh? Smackdown! will be the program on MY to register more than a blip in the ratings. Everything else is pure filler.

"It's a guaranteed win (in that wrestling has performed well on other networks in the past)," Meidel said. "When the CW elected to pass, we moved as quickly as possible. WWE is a huge franchise, and this fits us like a glove."

Once again, FOX was licking its chops when this news broke. They knew they couldn't lose by adding Smackdown! to MY.

 

[KML0224]

Nice, considering it'll be on a station I haven't watched in months. WCTX-TV (MY) channel 59 of New Haven was once the Connecticut home of Yankees games and when WWE was aired by UPN. Unless I decide to watch their occasional telecast of a U-Conn Huskies men's basketball game, they offer nothing for me.

 

[DToTheJ]

With MY now picking up "Smackdown", I would imagine Fox would want to consider changing the name of the network from the female-leaning "my" to something more appealing. You recall back when Raw landed on the old TNN, the name was eventually changed to Spike TV.

 

[brian4]

I thought NBC should have taken a chance and aired Smackdown on Fridays. If the McMahons would play it straight, I think it would have been a win-win on both sides.

 

[DToTheJ]

To quote Randy Jackson: "(sigh) I don't know, dawg..." NBC, as you know, lately has been putting most of their fortunes on reality programming, and as everyone knows, the WWE is scripted.

 

[JayR]

NBC, as you know, lately has been putting most of their fortunes on reality programming, and as everyone knows, the WWE is scripted.

The correct term is work.

"...the WWE is a work."

 

[oldvnewschool]

I personally think NEWS CORPORATION will let Smackdown air on MyNetwork TV for a while and see how the ratings do.

Since Smackdown dosen't have John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Jeff Hardy, and of course TRIPLE H ;D, they may not let the program air outside

of MyNetwork TV for a while, then decide if FOX is ready to lay the smackdown (I know it's corny).

As for the network itself, it's been doing a decent job of changing their image with more attention on reality and sports programs.

Cleary there auidence is the one that I somewhat appeal to with NFL Total Access and an occasional look at a reality program here and there.

They may not be about the ratings, but they are more solid of a network in my view than the ABC wanna be's over at the CW. :

 

[JayR]

On the money

This is going to be interesting.

This one move single handedly puts MNTV on the map, as it automatically assures them a set number of viewers, and serves as the entry point to promote the rest of their lineup, which is shaping up to be entirely new.

Agree.

 

[nickelodeonfan97]

Finally, something good other than Street Patrol and Jail (yeah yeah, I like those shows) on MNTV!