What is the deal with WFMZ?

[Nertz]

What is the deal with WFMZ?
How long has it been around?
How can they air some of the same shows that the other Philadelphia station air?

 

[crisisbroadcast]

> What is the deal with WFMZ?

It's an independent station located in Allentown, PA.

> How long has it been around?

Since the 70s I believe.

> How can they air some of the same shows that the other
> Philadelphia station air?

Because Philadelphia stations are weak OTA to Allentown.<P ID="signature">______________
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[Markd]

> > What is the deal with WFMZ?
>
> It's an independent station located in Allentown, PA.
>
> > How long has it been around?
>
> Since the 70s I believe.
>
> > How can they air some of the same shows that the other
> > Philadelphia station air?
>
> Because Philadelphia stations are weak OTA to Allentown.
>

69 WFMZ signed on in 1976 on November 25, Thanksgiving day in fact. They had a religious and family entertainment format with PTL Club 10-Noon, local religious shows till about 2 PM, cartoons till 4 PM, and sitcoms in the evening. In prime time I believe they had The 700 Club and other brokered programming. They may have even had a 7:30 PM Newscast at some point. Saturdays they had cartoons from 11 AM to 1 PM, Childrens shows till 2:30 and brokered shows the rest of the day and maybe a few old movies. Sundays were religious all day. They are owned by Maranatha Broadcasting and have been since their sighn on.

They also owned WFMZ FM 100.7. That station offered religion from 5-6:30 AM, 10 AM-1 PM,a nd 9 PM-11 PM. The rest of the day the station played elevator music (pop tunes done in easy listening instrumentals) with a vocal by Barry manilow or Frank Sinatra twice an hour.

WFMZ FM cut back most of the religion in the late 80's and added more soft AC vocals slowly. They finally dropped the instrumental covers in 1995. In 1997 Citadel bought 100.7 FM and modified the format to a straight ahead AC and changed the call letters to WLEV and moved some of the 96.1 airstaff there. WLEV was originally the calls of 96.1 which also was AC. Upon moving WLEV calls and some of the airstaff to 100.7, 96.1 retained the rest of the airstaff and changed calls to WCTO and became "Cat Country" playing Hot Country music. Cat Country is often the top ranked station in the market.

 

[r566]

> > What is the deal with WFMZ?
>
> It's an independent station located in Allentown, PA.
>
> > How long has it been around?
>
> Since the 70s I believe.
>
> > How can they air some of the same shows that the other
> > Philadelphia station air?
>
> Because Philadelphia stations are weak OTA to Allentown.
>

It's actually based on syndicated exclusivity and a mile distance between the two cities, not reception.

Philly's VHFs have always reached areas 40-50 miles away. The Philly affiliated networks used that argument to prevent Allentown from getting network affiliates of its own. Some groups tried bringing network TV there, I believe in Reading and in Allentown on Ch.60, but were unsuccessful. But syndicated programming, or keeping syndicated programming exclusive, is another matter.

With digital, I get WFMZ-DT here in Southern NJ, DirecTV is getting it over the air, and the clear Philly digitals are reaching Allentown/Bethlehem and even Toms River and other points far. I wonder why the syndicated exclusivity rule hasn't been changed with the use of DMAs and digital broadcasting, but atleast it gives WFMZ some shows (Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown) it otherwise wouldn't be able to have. They probably are better rating boosters to their local news, but I'd rather they just add more classic TV though.

WFMZ can't get everything though, as some higher rated syndicated shows probably can't be offered at all to them. WMGM 40 lost Regis&Kelly, likely because of Buena Vista not wanting a competing network to WPVI carrying it or diluting WPVI's carriage of the show. WHAG, Hagerstown, has a strong syndicated lineup, but it's cable coverage and household reach, likely is less of notice to the D.C. broadcasters. WFMZ, on the other hand, reaches most of the Philly market, with exception of people in the middle Delaware or Jersey shore that have cable.

 

[bierkenstock]

> What is the deal with WFMZ?
> How long has it been around?
> How can they air some of the same shows that the other
> Philadelphia station air?
>

Excluding religious and brokered programming, the only programs WFMZ broadcasts which also air on Philly stations are Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown (both are also on channel 29). Both shows are syndicated by Paramount (a division of Viacom which owns UPN 57 and CBS 3). Channel 69 also takes sitcoms syndicated by Paramount. Apparently the deal for the two judges is not market exclusive. The various sitcoms and channel 69 are also aired on various cable channels, but not Philly broadcast channels.

Channel 69 is still owned by Marantha Broadcasting, a religious broadcaster.

 

[crisisbroadcast]

> > What is the deal with WFMZ?
> > How long has it been around?
> > How can they air some of the same shows that the other
> > Philadelphia station air?
> >
>
> Excluding religious and brokered programming, the only
> programs WFMZ broadcasts which also air on Philly stations
> are Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown (both are also on channel
> 29). Both shows are syndicated by Paramount (a division of
> Viacom which owns UPN 57 and CBS 3). Channel 69 also takes
> sitcoms syndicated by Paramount. Apparently the deal for
> the two judges is not market exclusive. The various sitcoms
> and channel 69 are also aired on various cable channels, but
> not Philly broadcast channels.
>
> Channel 69 is still owned by Marantha Broadcasting, a
> religious broadcaster.

As I understand it though, Maranatha is not overtly religious. They produce no original religious programming, and once owned an easy listening station. Sans non-stop infomercials, they're in the same vein as Pax/I.
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[crisisbroadcast]

> > > What is the deal with WFMZ?
> >
> > It's an independent station located in Allentown, PA.
> >
> > > How long has it been around?
> >
> > Since the 70s I believe.
> >
> > > How can they air some of the same shows that the other
> > > Philadelphia station air?
> >
> > Because Philadelphia stations are weak OTA to Allentown.
> >
>
> It's actually based on syndicated exclusivity and a mile
> distance between the two cities, not reception.
>
> Philly's VHFs have always reached areas 40-50 miles away.
> The Philly affiliated networks used that argument to prevent
> Allentown from getting network affiliates of its own. Some
> groups tried bringing network TV there, I believe in Reading
> and in Allentown on Ch.60, but were unsuccessful. But
> syndicated programming, or keeping syndicated programming
> exclusive, is another matter.
>
> With digital, I get WFMZ-DT here in Southern NJ, DirecTV is
> getting it over the air, and the clear Philly digitals are
> reaching Allentown/Bethlehem and even Toms River and other
> points far. I wonder why the syndicated exclusivity rule
> hasn't been changed with the use of DMAs and digital
> broadcasting, but atleast it gives WFMZ some shows (Judge
> Judy, Judge Joe Brown) it otherwise wouldn't be able to
> have. They probably are better rating boosters to their
> local news, but I'd rather they just add more classic TV
> though.
>
> WFMZ can't get everything though, as some higher rated
> syndicated shows probably can't be offered at all to them.
> WMGM 40 lost Regis&Kelly, likely because of Buena Vista not
> wanting a competing network to WPVI carrying it or diluting
> WPVI's carriage of the show. WHAG, Hagerstown, has a
> strong syndicated lineup, but it's cable coverage and
> household reach, likely is less of notice to the D.C.
> broadcasters. WFMZ, on the other hand, reaches most of the
> Philly market, with exception of people in the middle
> Delaware or Jersey shore that have cable.

Thank you for the clarification/correction.
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