WACP construction permit issued

[observer2]

WACP is one of those stations that moved across the country. This one, channel 4 in Atlantic City, is actually moving along. They received a construction permit for what looks like another tx site at, or in the vicinity of, WNJS and WMCN which are in the community of "Waterford Works" (between Atco and Winslow).

In any case, another signal that covers most of greater Philadelphia, despite its COL. Digital Channel 4 as well as virtual channel 4. It's not apparent, to me anyway, what its proposed programming will be.

 

[tripinva]

WACP did not move from anywhere. It is a new license.

- Trip

 

[pab]

Thanks to the Bradley Bill, since WWOR-DT's move to UHF left New Jersey without a full-power commercial VHF.

Never mind that low VHF is useless for DTV and states are better off with UHF.

Never mind that with a transmitter in Waterford Works there will be no really visible signal actually in the City of License.

Any word on what (if anything) is happening with the new allocation of Channel 2 in Delaware? I imagine just like WACP it will just be must-carry bait as a Baltimore rim-shot.

 

[w9wi]

Thanks to the Bradley Bill, since WWOR-DT's move to UHF left New Jersey without a full-power commercial VHF.

Never mind that low VHF is useless for DTV and states are better off with UHF.

One takes what one can get, I suppose... the Commission wasn't about to allot any new channels on its own motion or anyone else's, but they can't ignore an Act of Congress...

Any word on what (if anything) is happening with the new allocation of Channel 2 in Delaware? I imagine just like WACP it will just be must-carry bait as a Baltimore rim-shot.

Channel 5, actually. (PMCM wanted channel 2, but that was because their existing station in Wyoming was on that channel)

The same firm that owns WACP also won the Delaware permit. 10kw/144m on a tower about 5 miles east of Chesapeake Bay just south of Hwy. 50. You're probably right, that it's aiming at Baltimore (and DC). If you plot the coordinates on Google Maps it says "Charter Communications" is at that location -- so I'm presuming it's an existing cable TV tower. No call letters on this one yet.

 

[ding12]

PMCM wanted to move its stations and serve Middletown Township NJ (NY DMA) and Wilmington DE (Philadelphia DMA).

Instead these VHF stations got COLs that wind up in the smaller DMAs within the state, and the more remote parts of the state, - thus Atlantic City (Philadelphia DMA) for NJ, and Seaford (Salisbury DMA) for DE, despite these areas having local television signals that cover the area and provide local news.

The Atlantic City area is well served by 3 commercial stations already (WWSI, WMCN and WMGM), while Monmouth-Ocean MSA within NJ have no local stations. I'm not sure what another Atlantic City/Philly indy station would provide to the area.

The only value of another commercial station for Seaford DE would be if it got NBC affiliation. Hearst owns WBAL which has the NBC HD signal coverage for Comcast and Fios. DirecTV uses WCAU-HD. Maybe Hearst could buy up this station and become the network affiliate. Then again, Hearst could have just bought WRDE-LP and put NBC on it, but it's simply easier just using WBAL, and not buying any stations.

Another issue is if Salisbury had a full network suite (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox), it could sway Kent County, DE out of Philadelphia DMA which might hurt Philly's numbers a little bit. I don't think it's that big of a deal since Philly will likely lose its #4 rank over time, and NBC would probably gain more from gaining an affiliate down there, than WCAU losing a little status.

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

I don't think it's that big of a deal since Philly will likely lose its #4 rank over time,

Even with Philly's population comeback? I think we're safe.

So, this is an entire new network coming to Philly or...?

 

[ding12]

I don't think it's that big of a deal since Philly will likely lose its #4 rank over time,

Even with Philly's population comeback? I think we're safe.

So, this is an entire new network coming to Philly or...?

But aren't markets like Dallas going to surpass Philly eventually?

 

[ding12]

I imagine just like WACP it will just be must-carry bait as a Baltimore rim-shot.

Won't that be difficult if it has a Seaford, DE COL?

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

I don't think it's that big of a deal since Philly will likely lose its #4 rank over time,

Even with Philly's population comeback? I think we're safe.

So, this is an entire new network coming to Philly or...?

But aren't markets like Dallas going to surpass Philly eventually?

Likely only Dallas within the next decade. Philly's population did stop dropping, but it's not growing like Dallas. It's got enough size over the others to get back on it's feet without dropping to 6, We'll hold 5 for a while, and only time will tell after that if we regain 4.

But, this isn't the thread for that conversation.

 

[ding12]

It's not apparent, to me anyway, what its proposed programming will be.

They could go for Daystar. Daystar has mostly LP stations but has a few full powered affiliates. It can get on cable on Ch.4 on many systems and anytime somebody wants to channel change up/down between CBS (KYW) and ABC (WPVI), they will pass Daystar programming. Besides Daystar - I'm not sure if Philly would gain another Spanish language station since it's the 18th largest Hispanic market but maybe.

 

[NeilRattigan]

Only WMGM-TV has a news operation in South Jersey. Is WACP planning any local programming?

 

[Bill_W]

The Atlantic City area is well served by 3 commercial stations already (WWSI, WMCN and WMGM), while Monmouth-Ocean MSA within NJ have no local stations. I'm not sure what another Atlantic City/Philly indy station would provide to the area.

WMGM is the only one of the tree that serves the shore. I believe WWSI's studio is located in Philly and thinks it is a Philly station. They are serving the Spanish speaking population of the Philly metro area. I'm not sure who is served by WMCN with their informercials. WMCN's main concern is to get a fiber back to Philly so they can be carried on Comcast, Verizon, DirecTv and Dish in the Philly metro area. They are on both Xfinity and FiOS out here in Chester County, PA. I guess WWSI must be doing that too since they have full market coverage via cable and satellite too.

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

I completely take back what I said. There is no way Dallas TV will pass Philadelphia TV. Growth projections for the Philadelphia TV market's counties are enormous.

 

[ding12]

The Atlantic City area is well served by 3 commercial stations already (WWSI, WMCN and WMGM), while Monmouth-Ocean MSA within NJ have no local stations. I'm not sure what another Atlantic City/Philly indy station would provide to the area.

WMGM is the only one of the tree that serves the shore.

WMCN and WWSI certainly serve Atlantic City as the two have COL for AC. Yes, as far as news WMGM is the only one of those three serving AC, and programming it appears that WWSI and WMCN are targeting the Philly region as well as Atlantic City. I'm not sure why another station needs to be added there given that. If the Commission didn't want the licenses to target a big city in another state, it should have assigned the NJ license to Wildwood. AC won't do as WWSI and WMCN have proven they can still target Philly.

That is still far better than what Monmouth-Ocean MSA where PMCM had in mind, an area with no stations, no commercial stations with COLs or local news from a station. Yet, it was decided that the new license should go for the AC area which is already served by 1-3 stations and is far less populated.

 

[ding12]

Somebody starting receiving WACP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvVekGsWhdY

My TiVo EPG added WACP 4.1 and the lineup is all Paid Programming. I couldn't receive picture however. I bet they are diligent on getting the must-carry requests in at this point. :

While nearby station WMCN is also mostly all Paid Programming, I noticed that it does show "Cold Case Files" in the night and it has Bounce-TV on its subchannel.

Not sure if Philly needs a 3rd almost all Paid Programming station following WMCN and WTVE, but maybe WACP could pick up MundoFox or Daystar.

 

[perfidia08]

Not sure if Philly needs a 3rd almost all Paid Programming station following WMCN and WTVE, but maybe WACP could pick up MundoFox or Daystar.

A 4th one, actually. WPHA-CA on RF 38 carries infomercials on all its subchannels. Talk about a glut...

Also, WZPA-LP is now on-air on RF 33 with five subchannels, two of which are duplicated elsewhere in the market (HSN on 33-2 is also on W36DO 36-1; SonLife on 33-3 is also on WPSJ-LD 8-2).