Unusual Network Affiliates

[OhioMediaWatch]

This thread was inspired by "ABC33/40", the ABC affiliate in Birmingham that has been getting some national publicity in the wake of the horrific tornado outbreak in Alabama this past week.

ABC33/40 is a simulcast of Allbritton's WCFT/33 Tuscaloosa on the western side of the market, and co-owned WJSU/40 Anniston on the eastern side of the market.

But "officially", the home station for ABC33/40 is WBMA-LP/58 Birmingham, a low-power station in the center of the market. It has been on analog 58, but it may be up on LD now (RF 40, since WJSU changed RF channels to 9, virtual 58.1).

Now, back in the day, when I was growing up, network affiliates were on full-power stations in the heart of the market. But things have changed in 2011.

What "Big Four" affiliates are sitting on rimshots/LPTV/digital subchannels/etc.?

(You can list CW/MyNet/independent stations for fun, but I'm mostly looking for ABC/CBS/NBC/Fox...especially the original "Big Three".)

 

[Sammi Brie]

Background on 33/40:

In 1990, what is now the Birmingham DMA was three: Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Anniston-Gadsden. All three shared WBRC-6 (ABC), WVTM-13 (NBC), and (later on) Fox. But each had its own CBS. WCFT-33 (Tus.) and WJSU-40 (Ann.) were market-leader CBS affiliates. WJSU, despite being in a small market, even got national success. WBMG-42, however, was an embarrassment for the Eye network, at times having local news – and when it did, with low ratings. 6 and 13 utterly dominated. Even WCFT, in areas where it could be received in Birmingham, trounced 42. Fox was in the hands of WTTO 21-WDBB 17 (the latter in Tuscaloosa) and was also shared.

The New World deal converted WBRC into a Fox affiliate (though late – in 1996 – requiring Fox to run an ABC affiliate). The ABC network had to find an affiliate. It approached WBMG, even offering to buy it, but they actually re-signed with CBS.

In 1995, the owner of WCFT sold it to Allbritton Communications, a company known for its ties to the ABC network. It signed an LMA to capture the operation of WJSU as well. But there was a snag: it still wasn't in Birmingham. Luckily, little 58, then called W58CK, had just signed on. Allbritton bought it, made IT the primary station for ratings, and plugged along. 33/40 quickly became a ratings contender in B'ham. (WTTO and WDBB became the WB affiliate. Sinclair wasn't making news or owning Big 3s at the time, so it would not produce local news.)

42 had boosted to full power by this time, so it became the common CBS affiliate. Eventually, in 1998, B'ham simultaneously merged in with Tuscaloosa and Anniston and became metered (growing twelve market notches, from 51 to 39, in the process). That's why "42 Daily News" premiered when it did. Since then, 42's become a fighter in Birmingham news and one of the CBS network's Southern jewels.

 

[dave73]

South Bend Indiana had ABC on WSJV since the late 50's, but in 1995, they changed to being a Fox affiliate. Wikipedia claims that Fox wanted a full power station in South Bend to carry Fox rather than being on a low power station. My local papers (Post Tribune & NWI Times) aren't actually in the South Bend market, but they had a story about the change in affiliation, & said that ratings was the reason WSJV dropped ABC for Fox. So when that happened, ABC had no choice, but to affiliate with a low power station owned by Weigel Broadcasting. ABC is currently on WBND-LD (then WBND-LP 58, then 57 when WSJV took their channel for pre-transitional digital). Had then WBND-LP (now -LD) not taken the affiliation, then South Bend would have been without an ABC affiliate, & for cable, either WOTV Battle Creek, MI, WPTA Fort Wayne, IN, WRTV Indianapolis, or WLS-TV Chicago would have had to be carried for ABC. Those outside of the immediate South Bend area that are closer to Grand Rapids can get WOTV Battle Creek, while those closer to Portage, Valparaiso, or even Hobart, IN can get WLS-TV Chicago. Those closer to Fort Wayne, IN can get WPTA Fort Wayne.

As for the Grand Rapids/Battle Creek market, that market is the only market I know of that has 2 ABC affiliates, due to neither one covering the entire market, & the only 2 ABC stations that have 2 different owners. WZZM Grand Rapids is far north of Grand Rapids in order to protect WTVG-TV Toledo, OH, both when they were analog & post-transitional digital. So they mainly cover the northern part of the market. WOTV covers the southern part of the market, & is currently a duopoly with NBC affiliate WOOD-TV, owned by LIN Broadcasting. WZZM did try to acquire WOTV to make it a simulcast (FCC approved it), but the deal fell through due to money.

 

[Rick Rose 2.0]

The Tampa Bay market has 2 ABC affiliates as well. WFTS Tampa and WWSB Sarasota.

 

[azumanga]

42 had boosted to full power by this time, so it became the common CBS affiliate. Eventually, in 1998, B'ham simultaneously merged in with Tuscaloosa and Anniston and became metered (growing twelve market notches, from 51 to 39, in the process). That's why "42 Daily News" premiered when it did. Since then, 42's become a fighter in Birmingham news and one of the CBS network's Southern jewels.

Though part of the reason might have been Media General selling WIAT (the former WBMG) to New Vision Television, after buying NBC O&O WVTM -- under New Vision, WIAT's ratings improved, while those for WVTM went down.

The Tampa Bay market has 2 ABC affiliates as well. WFTS Tampa and WWSB Sarasota.

As do Grand Rapids, which has WZZM and WOTV (from Battle Creek) -- the latter is owned by Lin Broadcasting, the owners of NBC affil WOOD; in fact, in recent years, WOTV had been promoting themselves as the ABC station for not just Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, but for Grand Rapids itself, competing against Gannett-owned WZZM, which is actually licensed to Grand Rapids.

 

[sneaky snooper]

South Bend Indiana had ABC on WSJV since the late 50's, but in 1995, they changed to being a Fox affiliate. Wikipedia claims that Fox wanted a full power station in South Bend to carry Fox rather than being on a low power station. My local papers (Post Tribune & NWI Times) aren't actually in the South Bend market, but they had a story about the change in affiliation, & said that ratings was the reason WSJV dropped ABC for Fox. So when that happened, ABC had no choice, but to affiliate with a low power station owned by Weigel Broadcasting. ABC is currently on WBND-LD (then WBND-LP 58, then 57 when WSJV took their channel for pre-transitional digital). Had then WBND-LP (now -LD) not taken the affiliation, then South Bend would have been without an ABC affiliate, & for cable, either WOTV Battle Creek, MI, WPTA Fort Wayne, IN, WRTV Indianapolis, or WLS-TV Chicago would have had to be carried for ABC. Those outside of the immediate South Bend area that are closer to Grand Rapids can get WOTV Battle Creek, while those closer to Portage, Valparaiso, or even Hobart, IN can get WLS-TV Chicago. Those closer to Fort Wayne, IN can get WPTA Fort Wayne.

As for the Grand Rapids/Battle Creek market, that market is the only market I know of that has 2 ABC affiliates, due to neither one covering the entire market, & the only 2 ABC stations that have 2 different owners. WZZM Grand Rapids is far north of Grand Rapids in order to protect WTVG-TV Toledo, OH, both when they were analog & post-transitional digital. So they mainly cover the northern part of the market. WOTV covers the southern part of the market, & is currently a duopoly with NBC affiliate WOOD-TV, owned by LIN Broadcasting. WZZM did try to acquire WOTV to make it a simulcast (FCC approved it), but the deal fell through due to money.

Lincoln Nebraska has 2 ABC affiliates, KLKN-8 and the NTV network (KHGI/KWNB). They're based in different parts of the market and hence are both carried by Directv and DISH. They're also separate owners, Citadel and Pappas/New World.

 

[1069_KIFR]

Does San Diego's NBC 7/39 count?

 

[fortmill]

WCVB/5 Boston and WMUR/9 Manchester NH are both ABC affils in the Boston market--both owned by Hearst but with separate progarmming. WRC/4 DC and WHAG/25 Hagerstown MD are both NBC affils in the Washington market, both WMUR and WHAG are carried by sat throughout the larger market. BTW, KNSD is a single station broadcasting in San Diego on virtual channel 39. 7 signifies it's cable position on most cable systems in the area, so it doesn't apply.

 

[easttxtv]

Sherman/Denison/Ada:
The 2 primary stations, KTEN/10 and KXII/12, have done a juggling act of nets over the years, with KTEN having much of the time primary NBC and KXII primary CBS, while ABC came/went in the market. Now with subchannels available, all the major nets are represented, just not on separate stations... KTEN now has .1 NBC, .2 CW, .3 ABC; KXII now has .1 CBS, .2 MyNet, .3 Fox , well, OK, all but PBS locally, and if any of the new subchannel nets wanted in, they'd have to improvise on an LP station somewhere.

Tyler/Longview:
For 3 decades, the 3 nets ABC/NBC/CBS could be found on the 2 primary stations KLTV/7 Tyler and KTRE/9 Lufkin, with CBS mostly getting the least airtime of the 3 (one weekly exception being a Dallas Cowboys game, those were certain to be shown), not even CBS' big hits of those years (I Love Lucy, As the World Turns, Dallas, etc) could be found on Ch. 7 or Ch. 9. This would last until KLMG/51 Longview took the CBS primary starting in 1984 and KETK/56 Jacksonville took the NBC primary starting in 1987.
Then, before the 2000s and the subchannel age, the primary nets that were represented were not singular, but split to cover more of the market....
ABC, KLTV/7 Tyler and KTRE/9 Lufkin
Fox, KFXK/51 Longview and KFXL-LP/30 Lufkin (Ch. 51 had flipped from CBS to Fox by this time)
NBC, KETK/56 Jacksonville and KLSB/19 Nacogdoches
UPN, KTPN-LP/48 Tyler and KLPN-LP/22 (later 58) Longview
Now, most of the split stations remain (except the NBC split, as Ch. 19 was bought out, changed calls to KYTX, moved its studio operation to Tyler, and flipped to CBS; a new LP in Lufkin, KETK-LP/53, now covers that area since Ch. 19 moved and flipped); since the loss of UPN, 48/58 are now MyNet stations. Meanwhile, with no extra stations available for affiliations, 4 of the stations have found themselves adding Spanish networks as subchannels (KLTV/7 and KTRE/9 have Telemundo, KYTX/19 has Azteca America (and the only 1 of the 4 with a local Spanish newscast), and KETK/56 has EstrellaTV), and 2 stations have taken on subchannel nets (KLTV/7 has ThisTV, KYTX/19 has MeTV) .... The only locals not split now are the CBS and CW stations; KYTX/19's tower is more centrally-located in the market than the others, so it covers most of the market without needing a second station. KCEB/54, recently bought out by KYTX's parent company, is still beaming from SW of Longview, although there is speculation that their antenna could be moved to the tower that KYTX uses, giving KCEB a much better reach of the market (they've had to depend on local cable systems to get their signal to the rest of the market up to now).
PBS, up to now not locally represented, could be available by a translator from Tyler in the future. KERA/13, the DFW PBS station, has been the primary source of PBS viewing in the market before now, and is the applicant (thru its parent owner) for the translator. This would be the first time a translator station has been a part of the market.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Quincy, IL/Hannibal, MO:

KHQA-7: 7.1 CBS, 7.2 ABC. (Previously KTVO-3 Kirksville/Ottumwa was the default ABC for Quincy, while some market viewers had to instead make do with weaker signals from ABC stations in Peoria, the Quad Cities, St. Louis, Columbia (MO), Springfield/Decatur, or go without).
WGEM-10: 10.1 NBC, 10.2 CW, 10.3 Fox

Kirksville/Ottumwa:

KTVO-3: 3.1 ABC, 3.2 CBS (KTVO had originally been a CBS primary affiliate until around 1970).

The Springfield, IL side of the Springfield/Decatur/Champaign market:

WCFN-49: 49.1 My (UPN 2002-2006), 49.2 CBS (from sister station WCIA-3.1 Champaign). WCFN had originally signed on in 1967 as translator W49AA for WCIA to bring a better signal to the Illinois capitol city. It became "full powered" (but still a pea-shooter compared to other Springfield stations WICS-20 and WRSP-55) as WCFN in 1985, but continued as a repeater for WCIA. In April 2002, WCFN became a standalone UPN affiliate--leaving Springfield viewers relying on OTA without reliable CBS coverage, similar to the ABC and Fox situations at that time 100 miles west in Quincy. Alternatives included WMBD-31 in Peoria (which ironically from past experience has been the "strongest" of the Peoria stations that I have been able to pick up in Springfield), the forementioned KHQA, KMOV-4 St. Louis, spending the money on satellite or cable, or going without CBS until the digital age began.

 

[LKellerIII]

Does San Diego's NBC 7/39 count?

Yes, it counts. I remember in the early 80s, the Bay Area's KRON (NewsCenter 4 at that time) ran some story from San Diego's 'NewsCenter 39." I remember thinking this was funny - I guess because we were so used to network affiliates being on VHF channels.

If I remember from growing up in SoCal in the 60s and 70s, NBC was on KOGO, channel 10, but that station switched affiliation to ABC in the 70s, during the time that ABC was riding high in the ratings (Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, The Love Boat, etc.). So I guess the then-pathetic NBC (before they became the top network of the 80s), switched to UHF 39. I remember wondering if the owners at KOGO (later KGTV) ended up regretting that affiliation switch.

 

[bpatrick]

Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville had two ABC affiliates for years
in the '50s, '60s, and '70s: WLOS/13 Asheville and WAIM/40 Anderson, SC.
In the '90s 40 was a satellite of WLOS briefly.

The market also had two CBS affiliates after WAGA switched from CBS
to Fox, leaving northeast Georgia without CBS (WGCL/46 couldn't penetrate
that far). WNEG/32 Toccoa became a semi-satellite of WSPA/7 until the
University of Georgia bought 32, moved it to Athens, and made it noncommercial.
WSPA was then put on several cable systems in northeast Georgia.

Huntsville/Decatur/Florence, AL had two NBC affiliates: WAFF/48 Huntsville (and
before that, 1968-77, WAAY/31) and WOWL/15 Florence. 15 has since dropped
NBC for MyNetwork.

WGXA Macon, GA dropped ABC for Fox, but got it back after the flap between
ABC and WPGA. Fox is on 24.1; ABC on 24.2. Likewise, KBMT Beaumont, TX,
carries ABC on 12.1; NBC on 12.2 since KBTV/4 dropped NBC for Fox.

And Albany, GA uses WSB/2 Atlanta as its de facto ABC affiliate, since the market
doesn't have one of its own and WSB is accessible via satellite.

 

[azumanga]

Huntsville/Decatur/Florence, AL had two NBC affiliates: WAFF/48 Huntsville (and
before that, 1968-77, WAAY/31) and WOWL/15 Florence. 15 has since dropped
NBC for MyNetwork.

Wasn't WHDF (the former WOWL) UPN before becoming a MyNetwork affiliate?

 

[ding12]

Philadelphia market has 2 NBC affiliates
WCAU 10 (NBC) Primary affiliate
WMGM 40 (NBC) Affiliate for Wildwood-Atlantic City.

With Comcast owning NBC and the cable systems in South Jersey, I wonder if there would be continued co-existance with WMGM. Some 10 years ago, Comcast made things difficult for WMGM by attempting to displace them off the cable lineup in Cumberland County, on the basis Vineland was closer to Philadelphia than Wildwood, and Comcast didn't need to carry WMGM in Vineland as it wasn't the closest NBC station. They settled but WMGM was moved from Ch.21 to Ch.99 to Ch.247.

Comcast competes with WMGM on local advertising in the Atlantic - Cape May - Cumberland county areas.

I'd rather see WMGM going independent and this way they could easily get carriage throughout South Jersey, and move the newscast to 10pm as well. Maybe they could reimage the station to being SJ 4 or something. They would keep cable carriage on Ch.4, and could apply for that open VHF license on Ch.4, and claim cable/fios/sat carriage on Ch.4 throughout.

 

[Iowan]

In the Quad Cities DMA, there were two Fox stations in the late 1980s - KLJB in Davenport and KJMH in Burlington. I wonder if Burlington counted as part of the QC market back then, but they were two separate stations.

Then KJMH became independent in May 1994, then disappeared from TV Guide later that fall (like, around Thanksgiving). Then in January 1995 when The WB and UPN signed on the air, there was an ad for UPN shows and at the bottom of each ad, there read the time and only one station: Channel 26, even though KJMH was delisted from TV Guide by then.

Then one day in 1996, I saw the Fox 18 logo with a voiceover saying, 'You are watching Fox 18 KLJB Davenport, IA, or Fox 26 KJMH Burlington, IA'. Apparently, KJMH was serving as a KLJB translator at this time 'til December 2000.

Here's my question: Did KJMH sign off the air in 1994 then returned to the air as KLJB's twin 18 months later? Or did KJMH stay on the air that entire time and affiliate with UPN for the time being?

 

[fybush]

Binghamton, New York is worth mentioning here: while its CBS and ABC affiliates have been stable since 1949 and 1962, respectively (WNBF-TV/WBNG 12 and WBJA/WMGC/WIVT 34), NBC bounced around in the mid-90s. After decades on channel 40 (WINR-TV in 1957, then WICZ), Stainless Broadcasting decided it could do better with Fox, which had been seen in the market only via cable from WNYW in New York.

With Fox on channel 40, NBC needed a new home in the market, and it ended up on an LPTV, W08DL (soon changed to WBGH-LP). It was mainly a simulcast of Elmira's WETM-TV 18, though it had its own local ads and a community calendar segment. By 2000, WBGH (and WETM) had become sister stations to WIVT, and today WBGH operates as an appendage to WIVT, simulcasting local newscasts and running HD on WIVT's 34.2 subchannel.

(Elmira, meanwhile, which had relied on WNBF-TV/WBNG for CBS for more than 60 years, now gets CBS on the 36.2 subchannel of ABC affiliate WENY-TV.)

 

[Sammi Brie]

Lincoln Nebraska has 2 ABC affiliates, KLKN-8 and the NTV network (KHGI/KWNB). They're based in different parts of the market and hence are both carried by Directv and DISH. They're also separate owners, Citadel and Pappas/New World.

That's one of the country's most awkward TV markets. In actuality, it's pure fantasy.

The market shares CBS (KOLN 10-KGIN 11) and Fox (KFXL, formerly repeated with KSNB and KTVG which are now dead).

The non-Lincoln part of the market uses NTV for ABC and KHAS-5 for NBC. The Lincoln part uses KLKN and Omaha's NBC, WOWT.

McCook, Nebraska – which is in the market – has an even more awkward scenario, because it's also the COL for KSN Wichita repeater KSNK-8. (The facilities and former COL are in Kansas.)

The CW is cable-only except in Lincoln, which draws on KXVO-15 Omaha. KFXL had formerly been CW, but it switched to Fox as KSNB and KTVG were closed.

As the Wikipedia article on KOLN puts it, the Lincoln-Hastings-Kearney market "has little basis in television reality." And that's accurate.

 

[recto101]

Does San Diego's NBC 7/39 count?

Yes, it counts. I remember in the early 80s, the Bay Area's KRON (NewsCenter 4 at that time) ran some story from San Diego's 'NewsCenter 39." I remember thinking this was funny - I guess because we were so used to network affiliates being on VHF channels.

If I remember from growing up in SoCal in the 60s and 70s, NBC was on KOGO, channel 10, but that station switched affiliation to ABC in the 70s, during the time that ABC was riding high in the ratings (Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, The Love Boat, etc.). So I guess the then-pathetic NBC (before they became the top network of the 80s), switched to UHF 39. I remember wondering if the owners at KOGO (later KGTV) ended up regretting that affiliation switch.

DOes KGO count because KGO occupies 2 TV markets Monterey and San Francisco? I remember back in KNTV switched to independent until KNTV in the NBC era became a part of the San Francisco market. Also San Jose had 2 ABC stations KGO ABC7 (San Francisco) and KNTV (Monterey Market until 2000-2001)

 

[MarcB]

In Springfield, Massachusetts the CBS affiliate is WSHM-LP 67. They go by the name CBS TV 3 Springfield because they're on Channel 3 on most cable systems. For years WFSB Channel 3 in Hartford, Connecticut served as the defacto CBS affiliate in Springfield. Fast forward to the early years of the early 2000s and Merideth Broadcasting (WFSB's parent compnay) purchased Lowpower Channel 67 in Springfield from Trinity Broadcasting and launched CBS TV 3 Springfield. WSHM-LP Piggy-backs on WFSB Channel 3.2 in order to be on cable in the greater Springfield area. WSHM stands for Springfield Holyoke Massachusetts.

 

[Sammi Brie]

Does San Diego's NBC 7/39 count?

Yes, it counts. I remember in the early 80s, the Bay Area's KRON (NewsCenter 4 at that time) ran some story from San Diego's 'NewsCenter 39." I remember thinking this was funny - I guess because we were so used to network affiliates being on VHF channels.

If I remember from growing up in SoCal in the 60s and 70s, NBC was on KOGO, channel 10, but that station switched affiliation to ABC in the 70s, during the time that ABC was riding high in the ratings (Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, The Love Boat, etc.). So I guess the then-pathetic NBC (before they became the top network of the 80s), switched to UHF 39. I remember wondering if the owners at KOGO (later KGTV) ended up regretting that affiliation switch.

DOes KGO count because KGO occupies 2 TV markets Monterey and San Francisco? I remember back in KNTV switched to independent until KNTV in the NBC era became a part of the San Francisco market. Also San Jose had 2 ABC stations KGO ABC7 (San Francisco) and KNTV (Monterey Market until 2000-2001)

KNTV was ousted out of ABC by the network in 1999 – until this spring, KGO has had a special feed for the Monterey Bay area. KSBW, owned by ABC-cozy Hearst, is getting into the subchannel game with ABC this spring, I think.