St. Joe will luaunch a Fox Channel

[mgsports]

http://www.bottomlinecom.com/st-joe-will-have-second-tv-station/ bot Topeka,KS already has one.

 

[wdb2003]

Im sure it wont affect WDAF for cable viewers

 

[arnoldevns]

Im sure it wont affect WDAF for cable viewers

Actually, it may very well mean WDAF will be removed from cable and satellite in the St. Joe area.

 

[Kent]

It'll be interesting to see what happens with WDAF-TV in St. Joe. Fox 4 is presently significantly viewed in Buchanan County. So, FCC rules can't force it off cable, but 'DAF doesn't have the right to force cable carriage in St. Joe either. As this is likely to be an LPTV or Class A, it won't have must carry rights, though it's probably going to be carried on cable voluntarily. I believe the News Press owned St. Joe Cablevision at one time, but I'm thinking they sold out to Suddenlink a few years ago.

 

[Sammi Brie]

I believe the News Press owned St. Joe Cablevision at one time, but I'm thinking they sold out to Suddenlink a few years ago.

Correct. NPG also owned cable systems in Arizona.

 

[TheRob]

Yes, Suddenlink is the cable provider in St. Joseph. Suddenlink bought NPG cable in 2010. I don't know the arrangement details, but Suddenlink carries both KQTV, St. Joseph's ABC affiliate, and KMBC from Kansas City. In fact, they're adjacent on the channel lineup.

 

[DToTheJ]

So what are the odds that Suddenlink suddenly yanks WDAF? :

 

[1069_KIFR]

That would be a sexual assault violation, subject to prosecution!

 

[mgsports]

Suddenlink Communications also has Live Well Network,KTWU Digital Sub Channels but no KCWE,MYKSMOTV Antenna TV or METV yet.

 

[azumanga]

So what are the odds that Suddenlink suddenly yanks WDAF? :

Right now, the odds are longshot, if not zero -- the new Fox station will likely be broadcast on any or both of two LPTV transmitters that NPG has recently acquired, which means no must-carry or retrans consent protection.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

No need to duplicate. 8)

 

[nomadcowatbk]

So what are the odds that Suddenlink suddenly yanks WDAF? :

The Topeka stations had made the Topeka area cable systems drop the Kansas City stations in counties where they have SV status

 

[ding12]

It'll be interesting to see what happens with WDAF-TV in St. Joe. Fox 4 is presently significantly viewed in Buchanan County. So, FCC rules can't force it off cable, but 'DAF doesn't have the right to force cable carriage in St. Joe either. As this is likely to be an LPTV or Class A, it won't have must carry rights, though it's probably going to be carried on cable voluntarily. I believe the News Press owned St. Joe Cablevision at one time, but I'm thinking they sold out to Suddenlink a few years ago.

LPTVs or Class A that have network affiliation might be able to get on cable with more than just voluntary agreement by the cable system. I believe cable systems have to carry the closest network affiliate of a network whether it is low power or full power.

 

[azumanga]

LPTVs or Class A that have network affiliation might be able to get on cable with more than just voluntary agreement by the cable system. I believe cable systems have to carry the closest network affiliate of a network whether it is low power or full power.

Try telling that to WNBD-LD in Greenwood, Mississippi -- to date, the Suddenlink system there hasn't added it to their line-up, and WABG, the station that owns WNBD, has not pressured them to do so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WNBD-LD

 

[ding12]

LPTVs or Class A that have network affiliation might be able to get on cable with more than just voluntary agreement by the cable system. I believe cable systems have to carry the closest network affiliate of a network whether it is low power or full power.

Try telling that to WNBD-LD in Greenwood, Mississippi -- to date, the Suddenlink system there hasn't added it to their line-up, and WABG, the station that owns WNBD, has not pressured them to do so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WNBD-LD

wikipedia is out of date. WNBD is carried on Ch.9 on Suddenlink over there. Not sure how it got on though.

But a station with similar call letters WBND in South Bend, IN has cable and satellite carriage. While it may not have must-carry, if the cable system wants to carry ABC, it has to carry WBND for ABC (as long as WBND provides a quality signal). Over there, there is no out of market significantly viewed station so the circumstance maybe different.

The Hartford CBS (WFSB) secured a low power station in Springfield mainly to assure it's CBS affiliation in that market. If they didn't, CBS could have offered it to another party that started a LP (that party could have paid for affiliation making CBS happy), and Meredith (owner of WFSB) would eventually lose that claim over Springfield if it hadn't done so.

Low Power station with Network affiliation (of ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox) has more capability to get on cable than low power station without any network.

 

[azumanga]

LPTVs or Class A that have network affiliation might be able to get on cable with more than just voluntary agreement by the cable system. I believe cable systems have to carry the closest network affiliate of a network whether it is low power or full power.

Try telling that to WNBD-LD in Greenwood, Mississippi -- to date, the Suddenlink system there hasn't added it to their line-up, and WABG, the station that owns WNBD, has not pressured them to do so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WNBD-LD

wikipedia is out of date. WNBD is carried on Ch.9 on Suddenlink over there. Not sure how it got on though.

Retrans consent condition for WABG, perhaps?

 

[ding12]

LPTVs or Class A that have network affiliation might be able to get on cable with more than just voluntary agreement by the cable system. I believe cable systems have to carry the closest network affiliate of a network whether it is low power or full power.

Try telling that to WNBD-LD in Greenwood, Mississippi -- to date, the Suddenlink system there hasn't added it to their line-up, and WABG, the station that owns WNBD, has not pressured them to do so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WNBD-LD

wikipedia is out of date. WNBD is carried on Ch.9 on Suddenlink over there. Not sure how it got on though.

Retrans consent condition for WABG, perhaps?

Possibly. WABG could also simulcast their sister station on a subchannel. Either way, the cable system has to carry the closest network affiliate of the network.

It is why Fox 21 of DelMarVa (a subchannel of WBOC) got cable carriage in Central Kent County-Dover, DE (Philly DMA).

As for this St. Joseph Fox station, it may start as paying for affiliation as Fox requires affiliates or some of them to do so. For this station to take the risk of going with Fox in an area where a sig viewed Fox already exists, the station might be banking on the fact they will get cable carriage, and maybe exclusive carriage dependent if they are paying Fox for it. It would otherwise make no sense for someone to obtain Fox affiliation without any assured way of getting on cable.

The cable system typically doesn't voluntarily want to carry a station that competes on selling local advertising, and duplicates in programming to another station.

 

[w9wi]

I believe cable systems have to carry the closest network affiliate of a network whether it is low power or full power.

No, that's not required. At least not directly.

Must-carry requires the carriage of most *full-power* stations that deliver an adequate signal to the head-end and are located in the same market as the cable system/viewer. They do not require the carriage of two affiliates of the same network.

Low-power stations are only required in very limited circumstances:

- The LPTV meets the minimum operating schedule regs applicable to full-power stations. (since the vast majority operate 24/7, not a big deal)
- Other obligations applicable to full-power stations are met. (children's programming, etc.)
- Local programming is broadcast.
- LPTV is within 35 miles of cable system's headend
- LPTV and cable system are both located outside the top 160 markets
- Population of LPTV community is less than 35,000
- No full-power station licensed to any community within the county where the cable system is located.

The last four criteria mean it's very rare for a LPTV to be covered by must-carry.

I would suggest the vast majority of LPTVs carried on cable are carried because:
- They are co-owned with a full-power station, and the retransmission consent agreement with the full-power station obligates the cable system to carry the LPTV.
- The LPTV is paying for a channel on cable.
- The cable operator is carrying the LPTV voluntarily. (maybe it's the least expensive way to receive an affiliate of one of the networks?)

Also...

While I don't know what's in a network affiliation contract, I would not be at all surprised if there are provisions that prohibit an affiliate from granting cable systems outside their market carriage permission if another affiliate exists in that market. (Fox's contract with WDAF, for example, may contain a provision prohibiting WDAF from allowing a cable system in the St. Joe market to carry WDAF, if another Fox affiliate exists in St. Joe)

 

[nomadcowatbk]

I believe cable systems have to carry the closest network affiliate of a network whether it is low power or full power.

No, that's not required. At least not directly.

Must-carry requires the carriage of most *full-power* stations that deliver an adequate signal to the head-end and are located in the same market as the cable system/viewer. They do not require the carriage of two affiliates of the same network.

Low-power stations are only required in very limited circumstances:

- The LPTV meets the minimum operating schedule regs applicable to full-power stations. (since the vast majority operate 24/7, not a big deal)
- Other obligations applicable to full-power stations are met. (children's programming, etc.)
- Local programming is broadcast.
- LPTV is within 35 miles of cable system's headend
- LPTV and cable system are both located outside the top 160 markets
- Population of LPTV community is less than 35,000
- No full-power station licensed to any community within the county where the cable system is located.

The last four criteria mean it's very rare for a LPTV to be covered by must-carry.

I would suggest the vast majority of LPTVs carried on cable are carried because:
- They are co-owned with a full-power station, and the retransmission consent agreement with the full-power station obligates the cable system to carry the LPTV.
- The LPTV is paying for a channel on cable.
- The cable operator is carrying the LPTV voluntarily. (maybe it's the least expensive way to receive an affiliate of one of the networks?)

Also...

While I don't know what's in a network affiliation contract, I would not be at all surprised if there are provisions that prohibit an affiliate from granting cable systems outside their market carriage permission if another affiliate exists in that market. (Fox's contract with WDAF, for example, may contain a provision prohibiting WDAF from allowing a cable system in the St. Joe market to carry WDAF, if another Fox affiliate exists in St. Joe)

Cable systems in the Topeka DMA dropped WDAF after Fox asked them to. Part of an agreement with a network may give them exclusivity. Some stations will often argue that station with a neighboring market does not meet significantly viewed status.

 

[justpassingthough]

If WDAF gets kicked off of cable systems in the St Joe area, it should make little difference to them. What amount of their ad revenue is derived from St Joseph or other areas outside of Kansas City metro proper? Little to none is a fair guess.