Stations that mimicked other stations

[edward1978]

Do you guys know of any stations that mimicked other stations, airing the exact same shows, movies, commercials, and such at the exact same time slots and such? According to the Central Pennsylvania edition of TV Guide, it says: for programs that on 56 in Hazelton, see 38. So i'm assuming that WWLF 56 showed everything that WOLF 38 in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market and at their exact timeslots. I also saw a promo for Mr. Belvedere that it aired on WJTC 44 and WFGX 35 here in the Mobile/Pensacola TV market in the 5:30 time slot on YouTube. So i'm also assuming that WJTC and WFGX both mimicked each other. So am I correct, and what other stations mimicked other stations in other markets, shows, commercials, etc.?

 

[ShawnHill1]

In the first case, WWLF was a satellite station of WOLF, meaning that WWLF re-broadcast the WOLF signal to other parts of their coverage area (in this case, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazelton in northeastern Pennsylvania). In 1998, under new ownership, the original WOLF moved from channel 38 to 56, and WWLF moved from 56 to 38, and assumed new call letters (WSWB). The two have been programmed separately since then, WOLF is with Fox, WSWB with The CW.

As to the second scenario, perhaps someone else can answer that...

 

[bpatrick]

When they were all ABC affiliates then-sister stations WXIA, WLKY, and KOCO used the
"Alive" branding; all three carried syndicated shows such as "Joker's Wild" and "Tic Tac
Dough," as well as "Emergency One!" (WXIA and KOCO carried reruns of "The Six Million
Dollar Man" and WLKY and KOCO carried Phil Donahue).

WGHP, while not a sister station to any of these, carried many of the same syndicated
programs as WXIA: "Joker's Wild," "Tic Tac Dough," "Emergency One!," "Six Million Dollar
Man," and--in the late '60s/early '70s--"The Dick Van Dyke Show." Both also carried "The
Baxters" and the kids' version of "Joker's Wild"--"Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!". This is when both
were ABC affiliates. When WGHP started airing wrestling in 1964 it put it on at the same time
WXIA (then WAII) had it: Saturdays at 6:30 PM. In the late '60s both had a Friday-night movie
that caused delays of ABC programming from 7:30-9:30. A guy I worked for at WGHP admitted
to me once that the station was deliberately copycatting 11 Alive. WLOS also did some of this,
carrying "I Love Lucy" and "Truth Or Consequences" along with WGHP (and wrestling at the same
time as WGHP); both also carried "Joker's Wild," "Tic Tac Dough," "Six Million Dollar Man," "Emergency
One!," Benny Hill, and "M*A*S*H."

It didn't hurt that WXIA's then-g.m. Jeff Davidson and his counterpart at WGHP, Eugene Bohi, were on
the ABC affiliates' board from 1978-80. I wouldn't be surprised if they swapped a few ideas.

 

[desertv]

When they were all ABC affiliates then-sister stations WXIA, WLKY, and KOCO used the
"Alive" branding; all three carried syndicated shows such as "Joker's Wild" and "Tic Tac
Dough," as well as "Emergency One!" (WXIA and KOCO carried reruns of "The Six Million
Dollar Man" and WLKY and KOCO carried Phil Donahue).


I assume they were all part of the Combined Communications empire...KTAR-TV (KPNX) in Phoenix used "12 Alive"

 

[bpatrick]

They were. WPTA Fort Wayne used "21 Alive" and still does, even though
it is not a Gannett station.

 

[bpatrick]

They were. WPTA Fort Wayne used "21 Alive" and still does, even though
it is not a Gannett station.

 

[cowboybud]

KBTX Bryan/College Station and KWTX Waco used to have the exact same programming (even syndicated shows) except for local news.