WKPT's affiliation with ABC coming to an end; ABC Tri-Cities to air on WJHL Feb. 1

[mvcg66b3r]

WKPT-TV announced Monday it will become an independent TV station — no longer affiliated with ABC or a major network — effective Feb. 1.

The Kingsport-based station will also go back out of the local news business, the station said.

WKPT had revived its news operation in 2013 after last producing its own newscasts in 2008.

George DeVault, president of Holston Valley Broadcasting, said in a prepared release the ABC Television Network affiliation for the Tri-Cities market is being moved from WKPT-TV.1 in Kingsport to WJHL.2 in Johnson City on Feb. 1.

Concerning the move DeVault explained: “ABC presented to us a proposal that would have had us paying the network at least $15 million dollars over the next five years. Although we ultimately agreed to meet the network’s terms, ABC told us a few days ago that it had decided to explore other options in the market. WKPT-TV had been negotiating in good faith with ABC since October of last year.”

Moving forward, DeVault said becoming an independent TV station not affiliated with a major network will be a tough financial challenge.

“It all boils down to power and money,” DeVault concluded. “Our friends at WJHL did not precipitate this. It was all negotiated at the corporate level by ABC, of which we have been a loyal affiliate for over 46 years, and Media General’s corporate headquarters. The networks and their affiliates used to be loyal partners. We have been loyal to ABC to the end.”

http://www.timesnews.net/Business/2...-ABC-coming-to-an-end.html?ci=stream&lp=3&p=1

Media General announces ABC affiliation in Tri-Cities DMA

Media General, one of the nation’s largest media companies, Monday announced that it will launch the ABC Television Network (“ABC”) affiliation in Tri-Cities, TN-VA (DMA 97), effective February 1, 2016 on channel WJHL 11.2.

ABC Tri-Cities will operate out of Johnson City, TN, where the company owns and operates CBS affiliate WJHL-TV and WJHL.com.

ABC Tri-Cities will deliver a popular lineup of news, programming and sports, including Good Morning America, World News Tonight and 20/20; primetime hits such as Castle, Scandal and The Bachelor; and sports and special event programming, including the NBA and the 88th annual Academy Awards.

“ABC has been a great partner over the years and we are pleased to expand our portfolio with the launch of ABC Tri-Cities, which adds to our already strong line-up in that market,” said Vincent L. Sadusky, Media General’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

http://wjhl.com/2016/01/04/media-general-announces-abc-affiliation-in-tri-cities-dma/

 

[Sammy Reed]

Hmmm, let's see.

♫">DERRT, derDERRT, derderDERDERRT, derDERRT<
WJH-Lllllll,
Tri-Cities' AB-ceeEE
>derDERRT, derderDERDERRT, derDERRT<"♫

>ahem<

I can't picture it.

 

[Sammy Reed]

That piece of music I parodied brought back memories of a super time!

There was a time in the 80's when every morning, while Ch. 5 had "Morning Digest" and 11 had "First Call", 19 was running pre-signon music over a still ID slide that was almost every if not every piece of promo and ID music WKPT ever ran up until that time. Long and short versions, including variations I don't think were ever used. That is, other than when they ran these things before signon.

From the aforementioned "WKPT, Tri-Cities ABC" song and "This is the place to be", to "Still the One", to later ones such as "That Special Feeling", and this thing I hadn't heard before which became ABC's theme that fall, and which those of us tuned to 19 then were treated to a sneak preview - "We Love It!" Dang, I wish I still had the cassette tape I recorded of those one morning.

I think for the last hour before Pearl Harbor, they aughta run all those ID melodies one final time, with the addition of others such as "Something's Happening" on up to the last musical ID's they ran, as a way of letting folks know which station ran which network from 1969 to 2016, and did it better than any other station ever will. Run them all over the old still ID slide with the boxy "19" logo showing the sunset - signifying the end of a great era.

Just a suggestion.

 

[Sammy Reed]

There was a time in the 80's when... 19 was running pre-signon music over a still ID slide...

Now that I think of it, it was over a test pattern