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What will happen to ION?

L

louisNatl

Guest
I am surprised that ION is still running. Most of the programming consists of religious programs, infomericals, old reruns, and an occasional decent movie. They do not allow their local affiliates to broadcast syndicated programming. Most of their affiliates are weak UHF rimshots whose signals offer weak coverage of their intended markets. And, no original programming. They seem to be the over the air equivalent of a low budget cable channel with a lot of overhead.

To give PAX credit, they showed potential as an up and coming network...upgraded all of their stations to digital (with multicasting), created additional networks (Qubo, IONLife), original programming, partnered with NBC for news and programming content, and had a very good website with interactive media.

I was hoping that the network would improve after the rebranding to i. It seemed to be a branding stunt to make the network more enticing to a potential buyer. Byron Allen was interested at that time. I question if these new content deals will bring any changes to the network. I don't see how they can continue with so many infomercials.
 
oh COME ON! ION is 1000% better than even one year ago.

a 3 hr block of Designing Women, Mamas Family and Whos The Boss every weeknight... IM HOOKED.
 
They are working on orginal programing. I remember reading that back in spring.
 
ION has a very big habit of dropping shows that have either aired only on there from a short time to a couple of months. Already, ION has dropped Alice, Amen, Welcome Back Kotter, Kojak, Kung Fu, The Monkees, and The Partridge Family all after a short time span. If they would keep the classic shows like these, I would be happy. But they don't, so they have to resort to tired shows like Designing Women and Who's The Boss for entertainment and so called classic TV.
 
Braves2005 said:
ION has a very big habit of dropping shows that have either aired only on there from a short time to a couple of months. Already, ION has dropped Alice, Amen, Welcome Back Kotter, Kojak, Kung Fu, The Monkees, and The Partridge Family all after a short time span. If they would keep the classic shows like these, I would be happy. But they don't, so they have to resort to tired shows like Designing Women and Who's The Boss for entertainment and so called classic TV.
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Exactly, I don't understand how they plan on building an audience by doing this. Once viewers learn the schedule and start watching their favorite shows, ION rearranges and drops shows. It seems like the only consistent program is Diagnosis Murder which has been on the schedule since the beginning. It seems that they don't care at all about competing with the Big 5 or gaining any viewers for that matter.
 
My prediction is that in some markets, ION stations will become Telemundo stations, or loaned out to local LPTV Telemundo affiliates (such as the case in Boston, where ZGS-owned WTMU-LP operates NBC-owned WNEU). Though in some markets where there's already a full-powered Telemundo station, I predict that some of these stations would affiliate with Mun2, just like Univision has Telefutura.

Of course, as we all leanred each year ION and its predecessors existed, I could be wrong.
 
The problem is, as has been pointed out previously, most ION stations are generally not in a position to flip to a Spanish network, due either to the ethnic makeup of their markets, signal issues, and/or all Spanish nets being carried on full power signals already.

Now - that's not to say that there might not be some situations where a Spanish net could move up from an LP to a full power station. (Or just simulcast.)

What might be interesting would be if Azteca America or another similar expansion-minded Spanish net was to LMA the full-power analog signals and the main digital stream of ION affiliates. ION itself could continue as a digital subchannel along with Worship, Qubo, and ION Life. Again, however, Azteca has achieved most of their carriage goals through a combination of LP / Class A stations and (apparently ?) leasing channel space on cable & satellite systems.
 
I agree that they pull the shows too quickly, my only guess is they don't pull in the rating. "Mama's Family" has been running quite a long time so it must still bring in the viewers.

I would rather see "Alice" then "Designing Women," only because I don't remember "Alice" very well so it's like new to me, and since comedy is scare I like that.

As for flopping for Spanish, I'm surprised so many Spanish stations can make it. They already seem well represented in most (but by no means all) markets. Spanish is definately over-represented in Chicago, but the stations seem to do well. So what do I know right :)
 
azumanga said:
My prediction is that in some markets, ION stations will become Telemundo stations, or loaned out to local LPTV Telemundo affiliates (such as the case in Boston, where ZGS-owned WTMU-LP operates NBC-owned WNEU). Though in some markets where there's already a full-powered Telemundo station, I predict that some of these stations would affiliate with Mun2, just like Univision has Telefutura.

Of course, as we all leanred each year ION and its predecessors existed, I could be wrong.
Click to expand...
What about WBPX? NBC will own that too? What does that mean for them?
 
So, let me get this straight, NBC and Citadel (is this the same Cit that now own ABC RADIO ?)
Now Own ION??

Did I come in late ??


Someone fill me in .

But i will agree, in SOME markets where there is a high percentage of Latinos BUT no TV channel to call their own,you will see ion stations go either Telemundo or mun2, I'l toss in Sitv and Azteca America as well

But who knows
 
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