WGN America Vs. Local

[oldiesfan6479]

Flipping through my cable channels in the 9:00 CT hour, when I got to
WGN (America) I noticed no newscast--it was Bob & Tom instead.

A check of the program schedule on the WGN America website confirms
B&T 9-10 CT tonight...but it has the regular newscast listed tomorrow.

Then checking the WGN (local) schedule on the WGN-TV site--well, as
Paul Harvey used to say "here's a strange..." as the schedule also has
B&T listed, but elsewhere the local site states the Nine O'Clock News
is on now. Chi-towners--which is it?

I also noticed an out-of-synch for the WGN midday newscast, as the
local site has it on 11:30am-12:30pm CT, while the America site shows
it from 12-1pm CT.

Can anyone explain all this "disjoint" with the WGN newscasts?

 

[brian77]

WGN Chicago had a Chicago Bulls game from 6:30-9:00 which WGN America could not air. If the game went late, the news wouldn't start at 9. Rather than risk having nothing to go to at 9:00 on WGN America, they must have decided to air alternate programming. This happens occasionally if WGN America has a show marathon or long movie, they will skip the news on the national feed, but it still runs in Chicago.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Thanks, but what is still odd is that I've seen Bulls games before on
WGN America, as recently as last week, IIRC.

I just checked the Bulls' schedule on their website and there seems
to no "rule" that the national feed can air only home games or only
road games, as I'm seeing some WGN games as OTA only and others
OTA plus the national feed.

Must be some weird caveats in the TV contract with WGN.

 

[brian77]

I seem to remember reading the NBA only lets WGN show a limited number of games nationally as part of it's contract with TNT and ESPN.

 

[radioman148]

I seem to remember reading the NBA only lets WGN show a limited number of games nationally as part of it's contract with TNT and ESPN.

I believe their deal with the NBA says that they won't telecast a game that's already on ESPN or TNT.

 

[searadiofreak]

That seems to make sense. If another network has the game, then another national net can't show it.

Would someone explain to me why WGN America is so hit and miss with cable companies. It seems to be on only about 40% of national cable companies (rough guess), and out west even less. As a former Chicago resident, I enjoy the local news and sports, and they run movies that you rarely see anywhere else.

 

[radioman148]

That seems to make sense. If another network has the game, then another national net can't show it.

Would someone explain to me why WGN America is so hit and miss with cable companies. It seems to be on only about 40% of national cable companies (rough guess), and out west even less. As a former Chicago resident, I enjoy the local news and sports, and they run movies that you rarely see anywhere else.

I've often wondered that myself. There are a few markets out west that carry WGN on cable, but in most places you have to get a dish to view it.

 

[azumanga]

Would someone explain to me why WGN America is so hit and miss with cable companies. It seems to be on only about 40% of national cable companies (rough guess), and out west even less.

I've often wondered that myself. There are a few markets out west that carry WGN on cable, but in most places you have to get a dish to view it.

Another such region is the northeast, where very few cable systems carried WGN, primarily as they carried its sister station WPIX instead. But now that WPIX's availability has shrunk considerably in the region, very few offer WGN America, often in a digital tier.

 

[radioman148]

Would someone explain to me why WGN America is so hit and miss with cable companies. It seems to be on only about 40% of national cable companies (rough guess), and out west even less.

I've often wondered that myself. There are a few markets out west that carry WGN on cable, but in most places you have to get a dish to view it.

Another such region is the northeast, where very few cable systems carried WGN, primarily as they carried its sister station WPIX instead. But now that WPIX's availability has shrunk considerably in the region, very few offer WGN America, often in a digital tier.

Is WOR, or is it WWOR still offered on many cable systems outside of the northeast?

 

[azumanga]

Is WOR, or is it WWOR still offered on many cable systems outside of the northeast?

Ever since the EMI service ended in 1996, I think WWOR on cable is generally restricted to the NYC market, as well as portions of adjacent markets.

 

[radioman148]

Is WOR, or is it WWOR still offered on many cable systems outside of the northeast?

Ever since the EMI service ended in 1996, I think WWOR on cable is generally restricted to the NYC market, as well as portions of adjacent markets.

I knew I hadn't seen it here in the midwest in a long time.

 

[cutelittlecaramelkid]

I also noticed an out-of-synch for the WGN midday newscast, as the
local site has it on 11:30am-12:30pm CT, while the America site shows
it from 12-1pm CT.

Can anyone explain all this "disjoint" with the WGN newscasts?

Actually, the WGN midday newscast is on for 90 minutes, with the 11:30 to Noon news is strictly for Chicago due to SyndEx rules, then the Noon to 1 for WGN America. It is weird now with WGN also having a morning news (5 am to 9 am) and a late afternoon news (5:30 pm), both blacked out on WGN America due to SyndEx. And don't forget, WGN is also a CW affiliate in Chicago.

 

[cutelittlecaramelkid]

That seems to make sense. If another network has the game, then another national net can't show it.

Would someone explain to me why WGN America is so hit and miss with cable companies. It seems to be on only about 40% of national cable companies (rough guess), and out west even less. As a former Chicago resident, I enjoy the local news and sports, and they run movies that you rarely see anywhere else.

IMHO, I think WGN America is less out west is because their sister station, KTLA in Los Angeles and KWGN in Denver (both CW Affiliates) are still considered superstations in the Pacific and Mountain Time Zones, respectively. They are probably less out east as well, with WPIX (PIX 11 - also a CW affiliate) in NYC being their sister station there and also is considered a superstation, too. Unless you got Directv, Dish Network or AT&T U-Verse (both services has WGN America on HD, btw), you probably won't be able to get it on either coast.

 

[searadiofreak]

Well, I can tell you that KTLA and KWGN are on very few cable systems in the west, if any. I personally would like to see more of these superstations on cable, for local sports and news, if nothing else. Dish is something else, and I have little experience with it.

 

[mescutia]

Actually, the WGN midday newscast is on for 90 minutes, with the 11:30 to Noon news is strictly for Chicago due to SyndEx rules, then the Noon to 1 for WGN America. It is weird now with WGN also having a morning news (5 am to 9 am) and a late afternoon news (5:30 pm), both blacked out on WGN America due to SyndEx. And don't forget, WGN is also a CW affiliate in Chicago.

Ummm... SyndEx rules affecting WGN's news programs? And not all of them?

I don't get it.

 

[azumanga]

Ummm... SyndEx rules affecting WGN's news programs? And not all of them?

I don't get it.

Maybe it's the syndicated features during the newscast that don't get past syndex muster.

 

[schmave]

Ummm... SyndEx rules affecting WGN's news programs? And not all of them?

I don't get it.

Maybe it's the syndicated features during the newscast that don't get past syndex muster.

What feature in the world is so important that it can't be shown outside a local market?! Ugh.

 

[cutelittlecaramelkid]

Ummm... SyndEx rules affecting WGN's news programs? And not all of them?

I don't get it.

Maybe it's the syndicated features during the newscast that don't get past syndex muster.

What feature in the world is so important that it can't be shown outside a local market?! Ugh.

IMO, interviews with actors on shows that are shown locally on WGN (i.e. Two and a Half Men, Family Guy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, According to Jim, Steve Wilkos Show (even though it is on WGN America at 2 am ET, it is shown locally at 2 PM CT on WGN), Maury, Regis & Kelly, any show on the CW (they are the CW affiliate in Chicago) and interviews performed by Sam Rubin of KTLA in LA (WGN's sister)).

 

[schmave]

Ummm... SyndEx rules affecting WGN's news programs? And not all of them?

I don't get it.

Maybe it's the syndicated features during the newscast that don't get past syndex muster.

What feature in the world is so important that it can't be shown outside a local market?! Ugh.

IMO, interviews with actors on shows that are shown locally on WGN (i.e. Two and a Half Men, Family Guy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, According to Jim, Steve Wilkos Show (even though it is on WGN America at 2 am ET, it is shown locally at 2 PM CT on WGN), Maury, Regis & Kelly, any show on the CW (they are the CW affiliate in Chicago) and interviews performed by Sam Rubin of KTLA in LA (WGN's sister)).

I believe you, but such rules if they exist are ridiculous. Like anyone outside Chicago seeing those interviews on WGN America is going to affect the bottom line/exclusivity of a station in another market. Showing the actual programs on the superstation is understandable, but this just seems arbitrary.

 

[Prais]

Follow the rules or find another business.