WENH - Is it REALLY considered to be a Boston station?

[ssetta]

I know that most cable providers in the Boston area offer WENH-11 (PBS) out of New Hampshire on their basic cable lineup. And I believe both DirecTV and Dish Network carry it throughout the Boston area. But do most people consider it a Bostion area channel? I mean, we already have WGBH-2 and WGBX-44 here in Boston. I mean, years ago, all the 3 major networks in Providence were dropped on most Boston area cable systems. So, why did they drop those, but keep WENH after all these years?

 

[bostonmediaguy]

So, why did they drop those, but keep WENH after all these years?

Because WENH, along with WMUR and WZMY are all considered part of the Boston, MA-Manchester, NH DMA. New Hampshire does not have its own market area.

 

[ssetta]

WMUR is not available in my area, and I don't think it's in most of the Boston area either. I think the only areas that get WMUR are the places up north. And it has the exact same program lineup as WCVB.

 

[chitchatjf]

We never got WLNE. WJAR and WPRI were only available for a few years in the late 70s early 80s (on channels 10 and 12 of course)
WPRI got dumped in favor of USA Network and WJAR got replaced by WNDS.

For a year or so WMUR got replaced by WMFP but the system wa sin the priocess of being rebuilt and WMUR would be on the new system.

We always got WENH with QVC in the late morning hours when WENH was off the air.

I remembered at one time when WGBH was off the air WCBS from New York kicked in.

 

[ssetta]

I take it you live closer to New Hampshire. Here in Natick, we got WLNE, WJAR, and WPRI until the date of 9/1/93. I think this happened due to the new FCC regulations when cable companies would have to pay a fee to carry them. WLNE got replaced with the PPV Preview channel on 6 (moved from channel 14), and put AMC on channel 14. WJAR got replaced with ESPN2, and WPRI got replaced with VH-1 (with the old logo with the blocks in the middle of the letters). We actually didn't get WNDS until May of 1996 when we switched to fiber-optics (WMFP was added then, too). Then about 6 months later when we changed lineups AGAIN, we started getting WGOT (now WNEU, the Telemundo affiliate), and it's interesting nobody ever mentioned that one. And, to this day, we also get WSBE, which is PBS out of Providence.

 

[chuckydoll]

No -- it's 100 percent New Hampshire

WENH-TV/DT is the flagship for New Hampshire Public Television.

 

[KML0224]

It's also the only New Hampshire station listed in the Portland Press Herald newspaper.

 

[vibe]

We used to get it absolutly in Rutland MA about 80 air miles to Durham but the programming particularly an early morning farm show was distinctly NH.

 

[BRNout]

WMUR is not available in my area, and I don't think it's in most of the Boston area either. I think the only areas that get WMUR are the places up north. And it has the exact same program lineup as WCVB.

Not exactly the same lineup - there are a number of differences. For example, GMA Saturday is carried on a delay from WMUR - WCVB carries it live. Not to mention that the "Chronicle" programs carried on 5 and 9 are different - with the one on WMUR known as "NH Chronicle". And, WMUR has a heavy load of well-done local news content. Yes, a quick peek at tv listings may lead one to believe that WMUR is merely a satellite of WCVB - but they don't even share the same master control.

However, while WMUR does a fantastic job of serving New Hampshire viewers - I do wonder how much interest such programming would be to most Mass. residents.

 

[PaulRAnderson]

In the past twenty years, I have lived in Watertown and Barre MA. Neither cable system carried channels 9 or 11 but both systems carried 50 and 60.

The Barre system carried 2, 44 and 57 for public TV.

I now live in New Hampshire and, of course, get 2, 11 and 44 for public TV.

Paul

 

[persido]

I live in Andover, and both Comcast and Verizon fios offer All the stations out of NH, also remember a while back Cablevision in North Andover use to carry all the Portland Me. stations

 

[ssetta]

In the past twenty years, I have lived in Watertown and Barre MA. Neither cable system carried channels 9 or 11 but both systems carried 50 and 60.

The Barre system carried 2, 44 and 57 for public TV.

I now live in New Hampshire and, of course, get 2, 11 and 44 for public TV.

Paul

When did you live in Watertown? That cable system most definitely carries WENH.

 

[PaulRAnderson]

In the past twenty years, I have lived in Watertown and Barre MA. Neither cable system carried channels 9 or 11 but both systems carried 50 and 60.

The Barre system carried 2, 44 and 57 for public TV.

I now live in New Hampshire and, of course, get 2, 11 and 44 for public TV.

Paul

When did you live in Watertown? That cable system most definitely carries WENH.

I lived in Watertown from 1986 to 1998. I don't remember WENH being on the system. I know I never watched it. Do you know what channel number it's on?

Paul

 

[ssetta]

Right now, it's on channel 11. But I know that for years, up until 1996, the local channels on the Newton/Needham system (which I think Watertown is a part of) went like this:

27 - WGBH (2) PBS
28 - WBZ (4) NBC
29 - WCVB (5) ABC
30 - WNEV (7) CBS
31 - WENH (11) PBS
32 - WFXT (25) Fox
33 - WHLL (27) Ind.
34 - WSBK (38) Ind.
35 - WGBX (44) PBS
36 - WJAR (10) NBC (this changed to WMFP-62 in the early 90s)
37 - WLVI (56) Ind.
38 - WHSH (66) Ind.
39 - WQTV (68) Ind.
40 - WPRI (12) ABC (removed in the early 90s)

This is all I remember. I know this because once at a thrift store I found an old Zenith cable box remote with the old cable lineup on it. I actually thought about buying it, but I decided not to, since I have no use for the remote.

 

[PaulRAnderson]

Then I stand corrected. I remember the broadcast stations starting with 27 but just paid no attention to public TV from New Hampshire.

Paul

 

[Garrett]

Wow, all this discussion about cable systems. Isn't it interesting how unimportant broadcast signal has become? It's funny, I remember a time when you couldn't even have cable in parts of Boston!

 

[ssetta]

It's interesting you bring that up, because I was just thinking about how, as you say, most people think of cable as a utility like the phone and electricity, but it really isn't. I mean, people think of it as necessary, even if they hardly ever watch TV. I mean, I, myself, can't live without cable, but a lot of people just automatically get it. And I even had someone tell me they thought digital cable WAS basic! So, why is it that everyone thinks of cable as a utility these days?

On a side note, with broadcast TV, much of the Boston area can receive WJAR and WPRI.

 

[vibe]

Probably off topic but cable isn't a utility, it's a habit that is hard to kick. I personally liked the time when one could get stations like WENH OTA from out of it's market.