WEIGEL'S WCIU 26 CHICAGO DEBUTS LATEST SUB-CHANNEL

[gregg75]

On Jan 5th WCIU rolled out it's latest digital sub-channel, THE UToo on 26.2. The UToo broadcasts
most of the main programs from the main station on 26.1, but at different times.

Now TV 26 is made up of five subs and probably has the most of any regular (non low power)
station in the country. Many are now available on some local Chicago cable systems.

26.1 The U - Chicago's independent station
26.2 The UToo- programs from 26.1 at different times + sports specials
26.3 ME-TV - classic programs featured (national)
26.4 ME-Too- more classic programs (Chicago)
26.5 This-TV- movies (national)

Welcome to the future, someday most stations will have 2 or more sub-channels, WCIU leads the way.

 

[ShawnHill1]

I could only wish that I was back in Illinois, just based on television selections alone ;D

The Los Angeles stations that have multiple subchannels (I'm talking three or more) are mostly foreign-language, and if you understand the diverse population of greater Los Angeles, you can understand why. The only station that comes close to WCIU, in terms of its programming lineup, is KDOC...and at least half of their (KDOC) programming can already be found elsewhere on other stations in town. KDOC's second subchannel is a Spanish-language religious channel, and with the programming inventory they're still hanging on to, it would have been perfect to add its own classics channel, or at least pick-up Me-TV for the L.A. market.

Low-powered KFLA carries Retro TV on its DT1, but you can't pick up that station south of downtown L.A., but at least KDOC has a full-power signal. KFLA operates on the same frequency as San Diego's KFMB, so unless they want change its frequency, it can't increase its power to at least cover most of the remaining area of the market.

 

[ajc_trw]

Low-powered KFLA carries Retro TV on its DT1, but you can't pick up that station south of downtown L.A., but at least KDOC has a full-power signal. KFLA operates on the same frequency as San Diego's KFMB, so unless they want change its frequency, it can't increase its power to at least cover most of the remaining area of the market.

From what I've read KFLA will move temporarily to channel 52 while waiting for a permanent move to 22. Currently 22 is in dispute and is being worked on. I checked out the FCC website and both 52 & 22 gives KFLA enough coverage to be considered a serious LA station.

 

[gregg75]

Join the crowd Shawnhill. You are not alone. Another post on here awhile back noted
that it is not that expensive for a station to buy the equipment to broadcast subs.

Many don't want to get involved in something that is not ALSO CARRIED by cable. From what
I just pulled up on the internet only 56% of Americans have cable tv. Satellite is another issue
by itself.

Other stations seem to be unable to make decisions on their own and must rely on their
GROUP station owners to make it and they aren't moving very fast. As I've stated before,
the earliest ones to get on board may have the best sub "selections" to pick from and the
chance to make an earlier profit, than those who sit and wait.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Welcome to the future, someday most stations will have 2 or more sub-channels, WCIU leads the way.

Hopefully in the future, but too many stations are still sitting on their backsides and doing little or nothing with subchannels. In Memphis WMC has This TV, and I'd assume will get ME-TV eventually, WLMT has RTV, and WPXX has Qubo and ION Life. WREG is getting Antenna TV. (Is it on in Memphis yet?) WPTY and WHBQ are doing nothing. In Jackson, TN WLJT had PBS Create and World. WBBJ has the same programming with SAP when it's available and a weather radar map. Otherwise they're doing nothing that counts for anything with their subchannels, and WJKT is doing nothing.

I've said before that I don't see why most TV stations wouldn't want to have at least one subchannel as a way to pull in more viewers and ad dollars, rather than sitting on them and doing little or nothing. At least for now there are still too many stations, especially in smaller towns, that are doing that. Part of it may be having to wait for the ownership groups to do something, but even some of them seem to be in no hurry to do anything.

In some areas it seems like the stations on minor networks (CW, ION, etc.) and independent stations are more willing to carry subchannels than stations on the Big 4 networks. Is it perhaps because they see it as a way to increase viewers, where the Big 4 network stations see it as pulling viewers away from the main channel?

 

[dave73]

Welcome to the future, someday most stations will have 2 or more sub-channels, WCIU leads the way.

I've said before that I don't see why most TV stations wouldn't want to have at least one subchannel as a way to pull in more viewers and ad dollars, rather than sitting on them and doing little or nothing. At least for now there are still too many stations, especially in smaller towns, that are doing that. Part of it may be having to wait for the ownership groups to do something, but even some of them seem to be in no hurry to do anything.

In some areas it seems like the stations on minor networks (CW, ION, etc.) and independent stations are more willing to carry subchannels than stations on the Big 4 networks. Is it perhaps because they see it as a way to increase viewers, where the Big 4 network stations see it as pulling viewers away from the main channel?

In Chicago, CBS has no subchannels, because CBS refuses to allow any subchannels on their O&O stations (that includes any CW & independent stations that CBS owns too).

NBC has Universal Sports on their NBC O&O stations, & they're slowly adding a Nonstop channel for each of their NBC O&O stations. New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, & Chicago currently have their own Nonstop channel. Not much worth watching. WMAQ on 5.1, Chicago Nonstop on 5.2, & US on 5.3.

ABC has Livewell Network in 720p HD (WJRT Flint, MI & WTVJ Toledo, OH are at the moment O&O, but being sold, & don't have Livewell in HD) along with the main channel. They also have their own version of Accuweather in SD. Livewell looks horrible in 720p HD than if it were SD. Sorry to say, but 2 720p HD channels don't look good at all. Certain amounts of movement cause blocking. WLS-TV on 7.1 & Livewell on 7.2 (both in 720p HD) & Accuweather on 7.3.

WGN-TV is the CW affiliate, & they've always had just 1 subchannel. They carried The Tube, then LATV (that's now on WOCK-CD), & now Antenna TV (9.2). For what I've watched so far, it looks good.

WTTW has 3 subchannels. When they added subchannels early on, the main channel was downgraded to 720p, but it has since gone back to 1080i. WTTW took a Pass on World & instead decided to program in-house WTTW Prime. Any APT & PBS program that typically airs in primetime is shown on WTTW Prime (no children's programming on this channel) , as they air all of it on the main channel. They also carry Create & V-Me. They chose V-Me because PBS underserves the Hispanic viewers, plus for now, it's a free service. They only pay for Create since WTTW Prime is programmed in-house, & doesn't cost them anything to do so. WTTW 11 on 11.1, WTTW Prime on 11.2, Create on 11.3, & V-Me on 11.4.

Class A digital station WOCK-CD carrys Mega TV on the main channel, a simulcast of WOCH-CA on 13.2, LATV on 13.3, & some Korean reliogious programming on 13.4. All channels are in SD.

WYCC has both an HD & SD version of their station(20.1 in 1080i & 20.2 in SD) , plus Mhz Worldview on 20.3.

No need to discuss WCIU as it's already mentioned.

WCIU's low power digital station WWME-LD carrys the national MeTV. What they have planned for 23.2 & 23.3 are unknown at the moment. They're currently asimulcast.

WFLD (Fox) & sister station WPWR-TV have no subchannels. WPWR-TV does however have some bandwidth set aside for Mobile TV, & carries WFLD on WPWR-TV's Mobile TV subchannel.

WCPX is the Ion TV station, & ascwith all Ion Media O&O stations, they carry Ion TV on the main channel in 720p HD, Qubo, & Ion Life.

WSNS is the Telemundo station (NBC O&O), & the only subchannel they have is Inmigrante TV, which talks about immigration issues for the Hispanic community.

WGBO-DT & WXFT are owned by Univision, & WGBO-DT has no subchannels, while WXFT (Telefutura) has both an HD & SD version of the station.

WJYS has 2 channels that mainly air brokered religious programming, or most of the time, a long showing of infomercials. They don't air the same thing at the same time on both channels, but sometimes they might show 2 different infomercials. They also carry Class A analog station WEDE-CA on a subchannel. WJYS on 62.1, WEDE-CA on 62.2, & WJYS 2 on 62.4

Then there's WYIN Gary Indiana (NW INdiana's PBS station) having a simulcast of 56.1 on 56.2 (56.1 & 56.2 are 720p HD channels) & 56.4. Only 56.3 has different programming, & most of the time, it's programming from the PBS Kids Go library. 56.3 will occasionally show on weekends programming that talks about all of Indiana, or just NW Indiana.

 

[gregg75]

Maybe this new Weigel option is one some of these network stations might consider
adopting.............putting their same shows on the sub channel but at different times
OR having the sub run a day behind the regular channel.

This would give a whole new meaning to the term rerun. If you missed your show or
watched something else instead.......just catch it tomorrow. If you thought a program
was excellent, watch it again tomorrow. The sub would probaly have to be in 480i viewing
standard though instead of 1080i.

 

[Markxxx]

What I find interesting is most of Antenna TV's sitcoms are also show on Me-Too (26.4) (also analog LP 48).

There doesn't seem to be exclusive rights to these TV shows, at least in Chicago.

So what's the point of Antenna TV? Can a local station pull in the rights to show Antenna TV's sitcom shows? Would it cost less?

 

[FightingIrish]

What I find interesting is most of Antenna TV's sitcoms are also show on Me-Too (26.4) (also analog LP 48).

There doesn't seem to be exclusive rights to these TV shows, at least in Chicago.

So what's the point of Antenna TV? Can a local station pull in the rights to show Antenna TV's sitcom shows? Would it cost less?

Antenna TV got the national rights. Weigel already had the local rights in Chicago and Milwaukee, which is why they're airing those on the now-local MeToo channel (Milwaukee's MeToo is forthcoming).

 

[dave73]

Maybe this new Weigel option is one some of these network stations might consider
adopting.............putting their same shows on the sub channel but at different times
OR having the sub run a day behind the regular channel.

This would give a whole new meaning to the term rerun. If you missed your show or
watched something else instead.......just catch it tomorrow. If you thought a program
was excellent, watch it again tomorrow. The sub would probaly have to be in 480i viewing
standard though instead of 1080i.

WCIU can't easily have 1080i HD on 26.1 without it degrading to the point of looking like crap. The're already pushing it with having 26.1 in 720p HD, though for now, there isn't much HD programming aired on 26.1, along with 4 subchannels. WDJT Milwaukee already pushes it by having the main channel in 1080i (which is what CBS uses) & 3 subchannels, though 1 subchannel uses little bandwidth (Shorewest TV).

If WCIU wanted the main channel in 1080i, then they'd need to remove a subchannel or 2 to effectively run a 1080i HD channel. At least for now, they're not gonna remove MeTV, MeToo, or This TV from the WCIU feed, as MeTV & MeToo reach the entire market, while WWME-LD & WMEU-CA don't cover the entire market (though some people more than 50 miles might receive the stations). I didn't mention U Too since it's only carried on WCIU (originally was planned to be carried on WMEU-CA as well).

 

[mleach]

In Chicago, CBS has no subchannels, because CBS refuses to allow any subchannels on their O&O stations (that includes any CW & independent stations that CBS owns too).

Exactly what was the offical reason as to why CBS won't allow subchannels? One story I have heard is that with CBS being the top network right now, a subchannel could take away their viewers. If that is true then its sort of a throwback to the mid 90's when radio stations started to take over other stations only to run into problems with thier announcers who didn't want to have anything to do with the competition coming into their building.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Going back to WCIU, what became of the business programming that aired on the former subchannel 26.6 (and perhaps also some foreign language programming was also carried)? Was it dropped completely or moved onto another Chicago station (most likely a low-power station)?

 

[tripinva]

A significant amount of it was Polish and is now on Polvision's WPVN-LD 20 (24-x). Not sure that the rest has found a home.

- Trip

 

[dave73]

A significant amount of it was Polish and is now on Polvision's WPVN-LD 20 (24-x). Not sure that the rest has found a home.

- Trip

Polvision only madeup about 6 hours a day Monday - Friday & 4 hours a day on Saturdays & Sundays. It aired in 2 hour blocks, repeating the same stuff later in the day. Only 8 - 10am were Monday - Friday while 8 - 10pm & midnight - 2am were 7 days. 8 - 10pm timeslot was todays programming while the other timeslots were repeats of the 8 - 10pm programming. Monday - Friday was mostly NTD with a 2 hour block for Hellenic Heartbeat (Greek programming). Weekends consisted of Mexican, Indian, and other brokered programming.

I don't know if Polnet planned to start a TV station, or they started one when they learned that WCIU was dropping FBT. Whatever reason it was, they now must acquire more programming to fill all those timeslots that they didn't have before. For the Polvision side, it also means they'll have to seek more ad revenue from the Polish community. Polnet also has a license for WPVS-LD Sheboygan, Wisconsin. That station has yet to go on the air. Once it does, it'll cover Milwaukee. I wonder if they'll pickup the RTV affiliation up there since WITI dropped it for Antenna TV.