According to a news item on TVNEWSDAY, WJAR will begin to offer Equity Broadcasting's Retro Television Network on a digital subchannel in Early 2008. The Retro Television Network is Equity Media Holdings Corporation's system of television stations primarily airing classic television programming from the 1950s through the 1980s, such as My Three Sons, The Wild Wild West, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Get Smart, Happy Days, and Laverne and Shirley. So WJAR will offer 10.1 WJAR HD, 10.2 NBC Weather Plus, 10.3 RTN. Any signs of life on the subchannels for WLNE, WPRI, WNAC or WLWC?
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WJAR adding "RETRO TV NETWORK"
- Thread starter Radio68
- Start date
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necrat123
Guest
WLNE has a simulcast of it's main programming on "6.2" but the PSIP info indicates this was a simulcast of the RI News Channel that's on COX.
Do any of you guys know if Channels 10, 12, & 6 already broadcast in digital? My Mom uses rabbit ears & I'll have to get her a converter early next year as I know she won't get cable or buy a new TV. There's a good link on turnto10.com about the upcoming conversion, but apparently I can get a head start on this for her if the TV stations she watches are now digital as well as analog. I'd just as soon print the discount coupons & do it now rather than wait. Also, is cable necessary for these digital subchannels or will the converter take care of it? Just trying to get ready for the angst over with as soon as possible when I explain to her that she has no choice but to get the converter.
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necrat123
Guest
Everything in Boston & Rhode Island is broadcasting digitally.
The only southern New England market that doesn't have a DTV station on the air is CPTV Hartford, CT, IIRC.
The only southern New England market that doesn't have a DTV station on the air is CPTV Hartford, CT, IIRC.
Does anyone know if these digital channels like WJAR's "Retro Network" are considered "Must Carry" by CAble Companies?
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chuckydoll
Guest
As filler for a DT subchannel
DT subchannels do not fall under "Must Carry". If cable and/or satellite airs a DT subchannel it's to fill a hole in an OTA network.
(Example: In Salisbury MD, Fox 21 Delmarva airs on a subchannel of WBOC-16. The Fox affiliation ensures cable carriage for that subchannel throughout the Salisbury DMA and as far north as Dover DE.)
DT subchannels do not fall under "Must Carry". If cable and/or satellite airs a DT subchannel it's to fill a hole in an OTA network.
(Example: In Salisbury MD, Fox 21 Delmarva airs on a subchannel of WBOC-16. The Fox affiliation ensures cable carriage for that subchannel throughout the Salisbury DMA and as far north as Dover DE.)
Yes, Dover (Kent Co.) is part of Philadelphia DMA.
Apparently, Comcast Dover does carry WBOC-DT2 FOX21 ON CH.16, even though Dover (kent co.) is in the Philadelphia market, and WTXF already provided coverage into Kent, prior to much more recent event of WBOC-DT2 picking up FOX. They used to carry UPN and were not on cable in Dover.
Perhaps its because Salisbury, MD (and WBOC-DT2) is technically closer in distance to Dover, DE than WTXF/Philadelphia, PA. City of License is 10 miles closer, and transmitter is 20 miles closer. wikipedia lists WBOC's transmitter in Laurel, DE.
There is an FCC duplicating network clause that gives favor to the "closest network affiliate" even if its not necessarily of the same DMA. That goes by city of license, not transmitter location though. Nonetheless, WBOC-DT2 is the closest FOX affiliate to Dover. UPN affiliation didnt count towards network affiliation.
And its a football coverage thing where that FOX is more like the D.C. FOX station in terms of football coverage (perhaps all Redskins games), so its something else offered from that station besides the duplicating FOX programming from WTXF.
That seems to be the only way the WBOC owners could be able to get WBOC-DT2 got on cable all the way up in Dover. WBOC already has DE news (and a Dover studios/offices) which helps in that front as well.
It's probably not a big loss to WTXF, since that county has such a small population and is quite away from the more nearby Philly metro area which FOX 29 really cares about. As that county probably gets more newscoverage from the Salisbury Delmarva stations - I wonder if there is warranted support for Nielsen to shift that county into Salisbury, MD DMA.
Apparently, Comcast Dover does carry WBOC-DT2 FOX21 ON CH.16, even though Dover (kent co.) is in the Philadelphia market, and WTXF already provided coverage into Kent, prior to much more recent event of WBOC-DT2 picking up FOX. They used to carry UPN and were not on cable in Dover.
Perhaps its because Salisbury, MD (and WBOC-DT2) is technically closer in distance to Dover, DE than WTXF/Philadelphia, PA. City of License is 10 miles closer, and transmitter is 20 miles closer. wikipedia lists WBOC's transmitter in Laurel, DE.
There is an FCC duplicating network clause that gives favor to the "closest network affiliate" even if its not necessarily of the same DMA. That goes by city of license, not transmitter location though. Nonetheless, WBOC-DT2 is the closest FOX affiliate to Dover. UPN affiliation didnt count towards network affiliation.
And its a football coverage thing where that FOX is more like the D.C. FOX station in terms of football coverage (perhaps all Redskins games), so its something else offered from that station besides the duplicating FOX programming from WTXF.
That seems to be the only way the WBOC owners could be able to get WBOC-DT2 got on cable all the way up in Dover. WBOC already has DE news (and a Dover studios/offices) which helps in that front as well.
It's probably not a big loss to WTXF, since that county has such a small population and is quite away from the more nearby Philly metro area which FOX 29 really cares about. As that county probably gets more newscoverage from the Salisbury Delmarva stations - I wonder if there is warranted support for Nielsen to shift that county into Salisbury, MD DMA.
rch66 said:
Bit of a hijack here, but why hasn't this clause been used to provide WTNH to viewers in Suffolk County, NY? New Haven is far closer to most of this area than is midtown Manhattan. Yet only New York DMA signals are carried on cable - all the way out to Montauk.
I brought this up on the NYC board and got slammed; but why WOULDN'T you want to have an extra network affiliate available?
ssetta said:
The word is that WFXT wasn't dropped from cable in the Fall River/Seekonk area. From my understanding, WNAC exercised it's right of non-duplication over the county. Which means that any programming that is shown on both channels (such as Fox p/t programming) is blacked out on WFXT in favor of WNAC. So, during those times, Comcast must replace the WFXT signal on cable channel 22 with WNAC's feed or with home shopping or with a blank blue screen or with something else.
It's not clear to me as to whether Syndex blackouts are in effect now for Bristol County. That would inevitably involve all Boston channels, so I think we would have heard about that if it did. From what I've heard, this only involved Fox programming that is duplicated on 25 and 64.
Certainly, it's not a positive development for cable viewers in that area - but not nearly as bad as the entire channel being dropped from the lineup. I have not heard any stories of the same thing happening to WCVB, WBZ or WHDH, but would be very interested to hear if it did.
If I'm not mistaken, most Boston stations can claim "Significantly Viewed" status over all of Eastern Massachusetts (even in the Providence DMA) - meaning that they cannot be summarily dropped. Not sure why the same clause didn't save Providence stations from being dropped in places like Mansfield and Foxborough, but the draw of local in-state news would seem to be greater than that of mere geography.
KML-224 said:
Yep, you're quite right. It's just over the line in Bristol County. Got it mixed up with the likes of Foxborough. And, I was thinking that Foxborough and Mansfield were on the same system - but they are not.
It is the Foxborough system that lost all but WJAR. Which is still unfair as it is located as close to the tx sites of Providence stations as it is to the sites of Boston stations. And, quite close to both!
Being from NH, all of those towns south of the Pike tend to run together in my mind!
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necrat123
Guest
Bristol County is just non network dup. It happens everywhere unfortunatley. Springfield lost WTNH because WGGB didn't want non network duplication, and Comcast opted to drop it instead of just blacking it out (and the great filler Comcast put in it's place? Yup, the Guthy Renker channel!)
Also the days of "signifigantly viewed" and "must carry" are long gone.
When owners can pull off channels in their own market for compenstation reasons off of cable systems, that's proof that , those rules don't exist anymore. (Think of WABC almost being pulled off of the NYC cable systems because of the falling out between one of the major cable operators and WABC's parent company).
Also the days of "signifigantly viewed" and "must carry" are long gone.
When owners can pull off channels in their own market for compenstation reasons off of cable systems, that's proof that , those rules don't exist anymore. (Think of WABC almost being pulled off of the NYC cable systems because of the falling out between one of the major cable operators and WABC's parent company).
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