Usage History of Cable Channels 2-13 on Your Local Cable Systems

[Tim from Springfield IL]

The cable channels 2-13 thread (which is now dominated by locals, PEG, and shopping channels) on the National board prompted me to start this spin-off thread.

What has been the usage history of channels 2-13 on your local cable systems, and how has it evolved over the years in terms of channels/networks/local affils offered on those channels?

Springfield, IL channels 2-13 (Comcast, formerly Insight, AT&T, and Dimension among others here) from Dec. 2005-present:

2--WICS (ABC 20.1) Springfield
3--WCIA (CBS 3.1/49.2) Champaign
4--Public Access
5--Local Advertising (but more like "National Informercial" channel)
6--WBUI (CW 23.1) Decatur
7--WRSP (FOX 55.1) Springfield
8--WSEC (PBS 14.1) Jacksonville/Springfield
9--WGN America
10--WAND (NBC 17.1) Decatur
11--HSN
12--WILL (PBS 12.1) Urbana
13--QVC

Plus local MyNet WCIX (formerly WCFN) 49.1 here in Springfield is at cable channel 19. (Channel 49 began as a Springfield-area repeater for WCIA-3 from 1967-2002 before becoming a standalone UPN Apr. 2, 2002, and My in 2006). Plus all the subchannels and 3rd PBS station WEIU-51.1 Charleston sprinkled in the "Hundreds Neverland" in the lineup.

WICS (2), WCIA (3), and WILL (12) have always been at their respective cable channel numbers since cable's Day One in the city around 1967. When WRSP signed on as WBHW in 1979, it was assigned channel 7 where it's stayed to this day (don't remember what was before it).

WAND formerly was cable channel 13 from 1967-2005, but in late 2005 (after swapping ABC and NBC affiliations with WICS), its cable channel was swapped itself to 10 with QVC (which was on 10 at that time) moving to 13.

Not sure if WGN Superstation/America has been on Springfield cable let alone cable 9 since its inception--but I have heard that St. Louis PBS KETC-9 was on Springfield's cable until sometime in the 80s (as was KPLR-11, which might have lasted into the '90s before syndex did them in locally).

Cable channel 6 was TBS in the late '90s, but by 2002 it had moved to 38 while WBUI took its place (they might have been on cable channel 23, the same as their OTA number).

Not sure about when WSEC (PBS) moved to channel 8 (but it may have started somewhere on the 20s channels when signing on around 1984) or what was there before it, as was the history of the other channels (including if there has always been some semblance of local access channels on cable 4 and 5.

What about 2-13 in your area?

 

[crainbebo]

8 used to be HBO about 12 years ago here in Seattle. AT&T Broadband - and tuning to 8 always had a scrambled signal with static audio unless you had HBO.

2 was Discovery, while 35 used to be NWCN. Then DSC was moved to 8 and NWCN to 2 around late 2002 or early 2003. 35 became Food Network.

Way way back in the Viacom Cable days c. 1990, I think 2 was USA, 10 was CNN, 6 was Nickelodeon. Later 6 would be Prime Sports NW before KONG went on the air. And I think Prevue Channel was on 6 for a while in the later 1990s - before TV Guide Channel.

-crainbebo

 

[fybush]

The earliest lineup I can remember in suburban Rochester NY was People's Cable around 1980:

2 WGR (NBC) Buffalo
3 WSYR (NBC) Syracuse
4 WIVB (CBS) Buffalo
5 WTVH (CBS) Syracuse
6 CJOH-6 (CTV) Deseronto ON
7 WKBW (ABC) Buffalo
8 WROC (NBC) Rochester
9 WOR (Ind.) NYC
10 WHEC (CBS) Rochester
11 WPIX (Ind.) NYC
12 Local access
13 WOKR (ABC) Rochester
[local WXXI-PBS was on its OTA channel of 21, and when WUHF-Ind. signed on in 1980, it was on its OTA channel of 31]

The city of Rochester didn't get cable until 1981, when American Cable started operating. My recollection is that it had local 8, 10, and 13 on 8, 10 and 13, WXXI-21 on 4 and WUHF-31 on 7. I think it had HBO on 3, and I know it had WOR and WPIX as well, maybe on 5 and 6. The city system used those Jerrold slide-bar converter boxes, customized to read one channel higher than actual, so 8 was really on RF 7, 10 on RF 9, and so on. There were access channels on "9," "11" and "14" (RF 8, 10 and 13), so those were the channels affected by ingress from the Pinnacle Hill transmitter site.

The suburban People's system went through some changes in the early 1980s, removing WTVH in favor of WNEW on 5 and (at least briefly) CJOH in favor of WSBK from Boston on 6.

A merger of the two systems into Greater Rochester Cable in 1984 (or was it 1985?) gave us this:

2 Cinemax (suburbs)/HBO (city) [it was reversed on channel 14, if memory serves]
3 ?
4 WXXI (PBS-21)
5 Consumer Value Channel (local shopping), later replaced by cable-only indie "WGRC"
6 WTBS
7 WUHF (Fox-31)
8 WROC (NBC)
9 WWOR
10 WHEC (CBS)
11 WPIX
12 Local access
13 WOKR (ABC)

In the late 1980s, "WGRC" on 5 became "R News" on 9 (later YNN), with WWOR moving to 5. During the 1990s, WPIX went away, with WXXI moving to 11. 4 became a college access channel shared by RIT, SUNY Brockport and Monroe Community College. WGN America showed up on 3, and QVC moved to 2 from somewhere up the dial.

When WWOR syndication ended, Animal Planet replaced it on 5. A few years ago, Time Warner moved Animal Planet and TBS from 5 and 6 to higher channels, opening up the 5/6 spectrum for cable internet backhaul. So the lineup now is:

2 QVC
3 WGN America
4 College access
7 WUHF (Fox)
8 WROC (CBS)
9 YNN
10 WHEC (NBC)
11 WXXI (PBS)
12 Local access
13 WHAM (ABC)

 

[crainbebo]

Eugene, OR now...Comcast 2013
2 - TVGN
3 - KMTR Eugene (NBC)
4 - KEVU Eugene IND
5 - KLSR Eugene Fox
7 - Discovery Channel
8 - KVAL Eugene CBS
9 - KEZI Eugene ABC
10 - KEPB Eugene PBS
11 - KMTR DT2 Eugene CW
12 - KTVC Roseburg Rel. Ind

...and 1988, TCI Cable...
2 - HBO
3 - CNN
4 - KOZY Eugene (Cable-Only)
5 - ESPN
6 - KMTR Eugene NBC
7 - KOAC Corvallis PBS
8 - KVAL Eugene CBS
10 - KEZI Eugene ABC
11 - Disney Channel
12 - AMC

A lot more local channels now taking up 2-13!

-crainbebo

 

[Thomps2525]

The VHF channels in Los Angeles are KCBS-2 (formerly KNXT), KNBC-4 (formerly KRCA), KTLA-5, KABC-7 (formerly KECA), KCAL-9 (formerly KHJ), KTTV-11 and KCOP-13. On most of the early cable systems, used channel 3 was Spanish-language KMEX-34, channel 6 was Spanish-language KWHY-22, channel 8 was Public Broadcasting affiliate KCET-28, and channel 10 was KDOC-56. Now we have DirecTV with ten thousand channels and hardly anything worth watching!

 

[cwf1701]

on Our cable system (then Metro Cablevision), back in 1981 our system was

2: WJBK (then CBS)
3 TV-3 a local cable channel
4: WDIV (NBC)
5: WKBD (50)
6: WTBS (PBS)
7: WXYZ (ABC)
8: CNN
9: CBET (CBC)
10: CICO (TVO)
11: ? (may have been WXON)
12: ? (may have been WGPR)
13: ESPN

today (as Comcast)

2: WJBK (Fox)
3: WMYD (My)
4: WDIV (NBC)
5: Goverment access
6: WTVS (PBS)
7: WXYZ (ABC)
8: JTV
9: Unused
10: WKBD (CW)
11: QVC
12: unused
13: ESPN

 

[RyanHoward]

Oxford Valley Cablevision(now Comcast Bensalem) lineup, circa 1984:

2: KYW(NBC, now CBS)
3: nothing
4: WPVI(ABC)
5: Education Access
6: nothing
7: WPHL(Ind, now MyNetworkTV)
8: nothing(was WKBS, which signed off in 1983)
9: WTAF(Ind, now Fox)
10: nothing
11: WCAU(CBS, now NBC)
12: WHYY(PBS)
13: Government Access

 

[Obtuse]

Here's what I recall from Niagara County (Niagara Falls, NY) late 70's-ish. I think it was Adelphia Cable (at the very least it was acquired by them).


02 WGR/WGRZ (NBC) Buffalo
03 CKGN (Global) Toronto
04 WBEN/WIVB (CBS) Buffalo
05 HBO (A "tap" on the line outside would filter out the signal if you didn't subscribe, no converter box needed).
06 CBLT (CBC) Toronto
07 WKBW (ABC) Buffalo
08 WNED (PBS) Buffalo
09 CFTO (CTV) Toronto
10 WOR (IND) New Jersey
11 CHCH (IND) Hamilton, Ont.
12 WPIX (IND) New York City
13 WUTV (IND) Buffalo (Now FOX)

At some point Global was removed from channel 3, replaced with Local Access programming.

 

[RadioDaze]

On the old Durham (NC) Cablevision, when my folks first subscribed 29 years ago:

**1984**
2-USA Network
3-WPTF-TV, channel 28, Durham (NBC)
4-computerized business news/stocks (called TMS Business Plus)
5-The Family Channel/ CBN
6-WTVD, channel 11, Durham (CBS)
7-HBO
8-Cable Access "DCTV 8"
9-WUNC-TV, channel 4, Chapel Hill (PBS)
10-WLFL, channel 22, Raleigh (Ind)
11-WFMY, channel 2, Greensboro (CBS)
12-WRAL-TV, channel 5, Raleigh (ABC)
13-WTBS, channel 17, Atlanta (Ind.)

Since then, the line up has changed thusly:
2-In the early 1990s, USA moved up the dial and was replaced by 1988 sign-on WYED, channel 17, Goldsboro (ind). In 1995, this became WNCN and the NBC affiliate.

3-WPTF-TV moved to the channel 12 spot and WRAL-TV (as of 1985, the CBS affiliate) took channel 3.

4-Became the Durham Public Schools access channel. Until 2009, interference from WUNC-TV

5-The Family Channel moved "upstream" and new sign on WRAY, channel 30, Wilson (Ind.) took the spot in 1995.

6-Still home to WTVD, which is now an ABC O&O.

7-HBO moved upward and this became a Home Buyers Channel and now hosts one of the C-SPANS

8-Three or four years back morphed into a fulltime government channel operated by the City of Durham still called DCTV 8. More of the non-government programming moved to channel 18.

9-Still home to WUNC-TV after all these years.

10-Still WLFL-TV, which went on to become Fox from 1987-1998, WB from 1998-2006, and is now CW.

11-WFMY was dropped when Fayetteville independent WKFT, channel 40, expanded their signal reach. Since 2003 the station has been Univision affiliate WUVC.

12-As mentioned, WPTF-TV moved here in the early 1990s, would become WRDC in 1991, became UPN in 1995, and went to My Network in 2006.

13-TBS was bumped to channel 14 in 1995 with the sign-on of WRAZ, channel 50, Raleigh, which was briefly an independent before taking the WB network later that year. In 1998, they became the area's Fox affiliate. I should note that TBS was moved again in 2002 to make was for Local News Channel "News 14 Carolina"


**2013**
2-WNCN, channel 17, Goldsboro (NBC)
3-WRAL-TV, channel 5, Raleigh (CBS)
4-Durham Public Schools
5-WRAY, channel 30, Wilson (Tri-State Christian TV)
6-WTVD, channel 11, Durham (ABC)
7-C-SPAN
8-City of Durham "DCTV 8"
9-WUNC-TV, channel 4, Chapel Hill (PBS)
10-WLFL, channel 22, Raleigh (CW)
11-WUVC, channel 40, Fayetteville (Univision)
12-WRAL-TV, channel 5, Raleigh (CBS)
13-WRAZ, channel 50, Raleigh (Fox)

 

[KML0224]

Where is CBET-TV (CBC) channel 9 of Windsor, ON in that line-up today?

 

[anotherguyTN]

Charter in Jackson, TN from around 1999 when I moved there:

2 WB 100+
3 WREG CBS 3 Memphis
4 WSMV NBC 4 Nashville
5 WMC NBC 5 Memphis
6 WTVF CBS 5 Nashville
7 Pax national feed
8 WBBJ ABC 7 Jackson
9 WMTU UPN 16 (Now WJKT Fox) Jackson
10 WKNO PBS 10 Memphis
11 WLJT PBS 11 Lexington, TN (Jackson area)
12 WGN
13 WHBQ Fox 13 Memphis

 

[pqgeorge]

Great Barrington, MA 1977 (Berkshire Cable)

2 HBO (scrambled)
3 WFSB (3/CBS) Hartford, CT,/// WMHT (17/PBS) Schenectady - during prime time hours,///WSBK (38/Ind.) Boston, during sports games only (via microwave)
4 WHNB (30/NBC) New Britain, CT,/// WEDH (24/PBS) Hartford - during prime time hours
5 WAST (13/CBS) Albany, NY
6 WRGB (6/NBC) Schenectady, NY
7 WTEN (10/ABC) Albany, NY
8 WTNH (8/ABC) New Haven, CT///HBO during Special Free Preview only
9 WWLP (22/NBC) Springfield, MA
10 WGBY (57/PBS) Springfield, MA,/// WCBS (2/CBS) New York, overnight
11 WPIX (11/Ind.) New York
12 WOR (9/Ind.) New York
13 WNEW (5/Ind.) New York

 

[cwf1701]

Where is CBET-TV (CBC) channel 9 of Windsor, ON in that line-up today?

On the Comcast lineup, it is on channel 99(SD) and 999(HD)

 

[visaman]

Vancouver, BC circa 1977

3 CBUT (CBC)
4 KOMO (ABC, Seattle)
5 KING (NBC, Seattle)
6 CHEK (CBC, Victoria)
7 CBUF (Radio Canada, French CBC)
9 KCTS (PBS, Seattle)
10 Community Channel
11 CHAN, aka, BCTV (CTV, Vancouver)
12 KVOS (ind/CBS, Bellingham)
13 CKVU (ind, Vancouver)

 

[Mr Tony]

Minneapolis circa 1991
2 KTCA PBS
3 Public Access (I worked there from 91-93)
4 WCCO CBS
5 KSTP ABC
6 MCN (Metro Cable Network)
7 TBS
8 KTMA IND (now WUCW CW23...same station)
9 KMSP IND (now Fox)
10 WFTC FOX (now My Network 29)
11 KARE NBC
12 WGN
13 KTCI PBS

the only changes from that list are Public Access went to 33 then 15 and now its off the air (Education is 14 and Gov't is 16...back in 91 Gov't and Public Access shared the channel). CNN is now on 3
WGN moved to 22 when KSTC 45 turned into a real station (co-owned with KSTP)

 

[crainbebo]

Visaman, where was KIRO 7 and KSTW 11? Did Vancouver not receive them at first?

-crainbebo

 

[charlestondxman]

Here in Charleston, the lineups haven't changed in a long time.

This was the order in 1984 on Storer Cable (a few years after cable became popular in the late 70s)

2: Local origination
3: WCBD (ABC) Charleston
4: No channel
5: The Weather Channel (eventually)
6: No channel
7: No channel
8: WCIV (NBC) Charleston
9: WCSC (CBS) Charleston
10: Cable News Network
11: WITV (PBS) Charleston
12: WTBS
13: CBN

The holes were filled in eventually, with WTAT (independent that became Fox) coming in 1985 on 6, ESPN on 7 at the same time, and TNT moving in on 4 later. WCTP Channel 36 (an independent when it started, now WMMP) started up on 13 and took the Family Channel's spot. The lineup has stayed the same since about 1993 except for a couple times when they moved Odyssey or another channel on 2.

 

[visaman]

Visaman, where was KIRO 7 and KSTW 11? Did Vancouver not receive them at first?

-crainbebo

Sorry, I got my years mixed up. In 1978, KIRO moved to channel 15 (Converter), and CBUFT moved to 7 (OTA 26 UHF). KSTW was first available in 1978, on channel 14. KCPQ came available in 1981

 

[visaman]

I just found this cable line-up for Vancouver in 1963.


2 CBU FM Vancouver
3 CBUT (2) Vancouver (CBC)
4 KOMO (4) Seattle (ABC)
5 KING (5) Seattle (NBC)
6 CHEK (6) Victoria (CBC/CTV)
7 KIRO (7) Seattle (CBS)
8 CKLG FM Vancouver (starting in 1965)
CHAN (8) Vancouver (CTV)
9 24 hour Community Announcements
10 Community Announcements
11 CHAN (8) Vancouver (CTV)
KTNT (11) Tacoma Ind. (Western Cable Vision; New Westminster, Surrey and Langley)
12 CHQM FM Vancouver
13 KVOS (12) Bellingham (CBS)

 

[anotherguyTN]

Cable One Dyersburg, TN from the late 90's until 2009 just before the digital conversion:

2 WPTY (Now WATN) ABC 24 Memphis
3 WREG CBS 3 Memphis
4 Local Access
5 WMC NBC 5 Memphis
6 WPSD NBC 6 Paducah, KY - Dropped after the digital conversion
7 WBBJ ABC 7 Jackson, TN
8 WDYR-LP 33 Dyersburg (At first independent, now TCT, a regional Christian network)
9 WLMT UPN (Now CW) 30 Memphis
10 WKNO PBS 10 Memphis
11 WLJT PBS 11 Lexington, TN (Jackson area)
12 KFVS CBS 12 Cape Girardeau, MO - Dropped after the digital conversion
13 WHBQ Fox 13 Memphis

One thing I've never understood is why Cable One doesn't carry WJKT Fox 16 in Jackson. The tower is only about 20 miles away in Alamo, where I live now. In the 90's they mainly would simulcast WLMT UPN 30 in Memphis, so it might have been understandable then, but now it is run as a separate station, but it still isn't carried by Cable One.