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Worst Stations and Markets for Local TV
- Thread starter Al Timiter
- Start date
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
It went defunct in 1983 but was resurrected as WGTW 48 in 1992, as an indy, but like a run-down version of one that Philly was used to receiving.
Another one is Ch.12 (WVUE: 1949-1958) in Wilmington, DE. While Ch.12 never disappeared, it originally was a commercial station as an NBC. It couldn't keep the network affiliation, and WHYY moved to Ch.12. Something similar for Ch.13 in NJ (no network, but i.e. commercial going noncommercial).
NJ also once had another commercial station 50 miles north of WFPG: WRTV 58 licensed to Asbury, Park NJ. wikipedia lists it's DuMont affiliation from DuMont (secondary) (January–April 1955). I suppose WNJB 58 (NJ TV -PBS) is what took it's frequency, but unlike the Atlantic City area, the Monmouth-Ocean region or Central NJ never got a commercial TV signal ever again, with another NJN signal apparently more important :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_stations_in_Pennsylvania
Reading, PA had two network affiliates:
Channel 61: WHUM-TV - CBS - Reading (2/22/1953-9/4/1956)
Channel 33: WEEU-TV - NBC - Reading (4/9/1953-6/30/1955)
recto101 said:
It went defunct in 1983 but was resurrected as WGTW 48 in 1992, as an indy, but like a run-down version of one that Philly was used to receiving.
Another one is Ch.12 (WVUE: 1949-1958) in Wilmington, DE. While Ch.12 never disappeared, it originally was a commercial station as an NBC. It couldn't keep the network affiliation, and WHYY moved to Ch.12. Something similar for Ch.13 in NJ (no network, but i.e. commercial going noncommercial).
Pab Sungenis said:
NJ also once had another commercial station 50 miles north of WFPG: WRTV 58 licensed to Asbury, Park NJ. wikipedia lists it's DuMont affiliation from DuMont (secondary) (January–April 1955). I suppose WNJB 58 (NJ TV -PBS) is what took it's frequency, but unlike the Atlantic City area, the Monmouth-Ocean region or Central NJ never got a commercial TV signal ever again, with another NJN signal apparently more important :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_stations_in_Pennsylvania
Reading, PA had two network affiliates:
Channel 61: WHUM-TV - CBS - Reading (2/22/1953-9/4/1956)
Channel 33: WEEU-TV - NBC - Reading (4/9/1953-6/30/1955)
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
Since October 2004, 48 has been basically just a translator of Trinity Broadcasting Network. WGTW in name only.
Channel 12 was WDEL first, originally on channel 8, then WPFH. It later went independent as Storer-owned WVUE. Storer returned the 'VUE license in order to purchase another station. WHYY moved to 12 in 1963.
>>>>Perfidia08
ding12 said:
Since October 2004, 48 has been basically just a translator of Trinity Broadcasting Network. WGTW in name only.
Channel 12 was WDEL first, originally on channel 8, then WPFH. It later went independent as Storer-owned WVUE. Storer returned the 'VUE license in order to purchase another station. WHYY moved to 12 in 1963.
>>>>Perfidia08
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
Would WCON/2 Atlanta be one? That was to have been Atlanta's ABC affiliate, and the mind boggles (to use a '60s/'70s expression) at the thought of ABC being on Ch. 2 from the very beginning instead of having to wait until 1980 to pick off WSB. I don't know where WCON radio was located; I do know that WSB was at 1601 West Peachtree NE, while the station that became ABC, WLTV/8 (now WXIA/11 Alive) was behind it at 1611 until WXIA moved into WATL's studios on Monroe Place.
Off-topic but I want to get it in: WROM/9 Rome, GA, which was placed too close to Atlanta and eventually became WTVC/9 Chattanooga and sparked the last big batch of channel changes in the South, most of which I'm sure you know about and don't mean to go off on a tangent trying to name them all.
FreddyE1977 said:
Would WCON/2 Atlanta be one? That was to have been Atlanta's ABC affiliate, and the mind boggles (to use a '60s/'70s expression) at the thought of ABC being on Ch. 2 from the very beginning instead of having to wait until 1980 to pick off WSB. I don't know where WCON radio was located; I do know that WSB was at 1601 West Peachtree NE, while the station that became ABC, WLTV/8 (now WXIA/11 Alive) was behind it at 1611 until WXIA moved into WATL's studios on Monroe Place.
Off-topic but I want to get it in: WROM/9 Rome, GA, which was placed too close to Atlanta and eventually became WTVC/9 Chattanooga and sparked the last big batch of channel changes in the South, most of which I'm sure you know about and don't mean to go off on a tangent trying to name them all.
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
That's Pat Robertson, not Robinson.
Fenway1912 said:
That's Pat Robertson, not Robinson.
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
Yeah, you're right, Scott. My leaky memory again... :
w9wi said:
Yeah, you're right, Scott. My leaky memory again... :
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
Broadcasting Magazine for 8/14/1950 lists WDEL-TV as an NBC and DuMont affiliate.
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/50-OCR/1950-08-14-Part-II-BC-0055.pdf
Broadcasting Magazine for 8/14/1950 lists WDEL-TV as an NBC and DuMont affiliate.
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/50-OCR/1950-08-14-Part-II-BC-0055.pdf
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
When WDEL-TV Wilmington was an NBC affil, did it have its own Telco line,
or did it pick up an OTA feed from WPTZ/WRCV in Philly?
When WDEL-TV Wilmington was an NBC affil, did it have its own Telco line,
or did it pick up an OTA feed from WPTZ/WRCV in Philly?
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
KSKN (1983-1987):
The original KSKN, Channel 22, was Spokane's second independent station. KSKN's founder, broadcast veteran Lee Schulman, had high hopes for Channel 22. He wanted it to be a major presence in the Spokane media market, despite it being the fifth commercial station in a medium-sized town. Schulman stated before KSKN's launch that he intended to have a news department and to cover live sporting events, neither of which materialized.
In fact, Channel 22, which aired the garden variety independent programming of the day (cartoons, off-network reruns and movies), was plagued with financial troubles from its launch in October of 1983. It could never get the audience, the ad revenue, or the calibre of programming KAYU-28 (which was only about a year older) was able to secure, and by 1985, the station was insolvent. It had incurred a massive amount of debt to syndicators, and was even sued by Viacom for $1,326,182 in unpaid fees for a film package.
Schulman filed for bankruptcy, and sold KSKN to Gene Adelstein, who had successfully run KZAZ in Tucson. Things started looking up under Adelstein's watch: the quality of programming was bumped up a notch or two, as was viewership. The station was becoming a viable competitor to KAYU.
That renaissance was short-lived: tragically, Adelstein, who was only 45, died of a sudden heart attack less than a year after buying 22. His wife and son took over operations, and things went south again. KSKN began programming many of the decreasing hours the station was on the air with home shopping and paid religious shows.
KSKN filed for bankruptcy a second time and finally went dark in June of 1987.
Retaining the KSKN calls, Channel 22 signed back on sometime in the nineties as a Home Shopping Network affiliate. In 1996, the station entered an LMA with CBS affiliate KREM, who relMaunched it as a UPN-affiliated commercial station in September 1997--a decade after the closing of the original KSKN.
This new incarnation of KSKN proved much more successful than the original. KREM parent Belo bought the station outright in 2001.
KQUP (2002-2007):
In 2002, KSKN dropped UPN and affiliated with The WB, which had already had a secondary affiliation on KSKN for a few years. Equity Broadcasting launched a new station, KGBC, Channel 24, to pick up UPN. The calls were soon changed to KQUP to reflect the affiliation.
I didn't watch the station a whole lot, so I don't remember what kind of syndicated shows it aired. I do remember them airing Seinfeld for awhile after KREM and KSKN lost the rights, and the syndicated South Park package. They also had the local rights to Sonics games. Other than that, though, the pickings for quality shows must have been slim for the sixth commercial station in Spokane.
KQUP dropped UPN on January 1, 2006, leaving Spokane without a UPN affiliate for the third time in that network's short history, and began airing RTN programming during prime time. UPN shows moved to late-night hours on ABC affiliate KXLY, who launched a MyNetworkTV subchannel (KXMN) later that year.
In 2009, KQUP went off the air following a dispute between Equity (itself under Chapter 11) and RTN. The station was then sold to Daystar, along with fifteen other Equity stations auctioned off in April of 2009.
KSKN (1983-1987):
The original KSKN, Channel 22, was Spokane's second independent station. KSKN's founder, broadcast veteran Lee Schulman, had high hopes for Channel 22. He wanted it to be a major presence in the Spokane media market, despite it being the fifth commercial station in a medium-sized town. Schulman stated before KSKN's launch that he intended to have a news department and to cover live sporting events, neither of which materialized.
In fact, Channel 22, which aired the garden variety independent programming of the day (cartoons, off-network reruns and movies), was plagued with financial troubles from its launch in October of 1983. It could never get the audience, the ad revenue, or the calibre of programming KAYU-28 (which was only about a year older) was able to secure, and by 1985, the station was insolvent. It had incurred a massive amount of debt to syndicators, and was even sued by Viacom for $1,326,182 in unpaid fees for a film package.
Schulman filed for bankruptcy, and sold KSKN to Gene Adelstein, who had successfully run KZAZ in Tucson. Things started looking up under Adelstein's watch: the quality of programming was bumped up a notch or two, as was viewership. The station was becoming a viable competitor to KAYU.
That renaissance was short-lived: tragically, Adelstein, who was only 45, died of a sudden heart attack less than a year after buying 22. His wife and son took over operations, and things went south again. KSKN began programming many of the decreasing hours the station was on the air with home shopping and paid religious shows.
KSKN filed for bankruptcy a second time and finally went dark in June of 1987.
Retaining the KSKN calls, Channel 22 signed back on sometime in the nineties as a Home Shopping Network affiliate. In 1996, the station entered an LMA with CBS affiliate KREM, who relMaunched it as a UPN-affiliated commercial station in September 1997--a decade after the closing of the original KSKN.
This new incarnation of KSKN proved much more successful than the original. KREM parent Belo bought the station outright in 2001.
KQUP (2002-2007):
In 2002, KSKN dropped UPN and affiliated with The WB, which had already had a secondary affiliation on KSKN for a few years. Equity Broadcasting launched a new station, KGBC, Channel 24, to pick up UPN. The calls were soon changed to KQUP to reflect the affiliation.
I didn't watch the station a whole lot, so I don't remember what kind of syndicated shows it aired. I do remember them airing Seinfeld for awhile after KREM and KSKN lost the rights, and the syndicated South Park package. They also had the local rights to Sonics games. Other than that, though, the pickings for quality shows must have been slim for the sixth commercial station in Spokane.
KQUP dropped UPN on January 1, 2006, leaving Spokane without a UPN affiliate for the third time in that network's short history, and began airing RTN programming during prime time. UPN shows moved to late-night hours on ABC affiliate KXLY, who launched a MyNetworkTV subchannel (KXMN) later that year.
In 2009, KQUP went off the air following a dispute between Equity (itself under Chapter 11) and RTN. The station was then sold to Daystar, along with fifteen other Equity stations auctioned off in April of 2009.
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
Good question. I know that WCMC-TV (now WMGM-TV) used to repeat KYW's OTA feed, and when the operator was asleep at the switch you saw promos and ID's for KYW. It also prevented them from carrying shows that KYW pre-empted, and in those days they pre-empted a lot.
oldiesfan6479 said:
Good question. I know that WCMC-TV (now WMGM-TV) used to repeat KYW's OTA feed, and when the operator was asleep at the switch you saw promos and ID's for KYW. It also prevented them from carrying shows that KYW pre-empted, and in those days they pre-empted a lot.
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
KNUZ-TV signed on in October 1953, after months of frustrating delays. It was Houston’s 4th TV station and 1st in the UHF band, operating on channel 39. KNUZ-TV went dark in June 1954. In 1967, KHTV came on the air on that frequency and is till there as KIAH.
The next was KVVV-TV on Channel 16 (IND) around 1969 or so. It went dark after a short time and the frequency was reallocated to Corpus.
KNUZ-TV signed on in October 1953, after months of frustrating delays. It was Houston’s 4th TV station and 1st in the UHF band, operating on channel 39. KNUZ-TV went dark in June 1954. In 1967, KHTV came on the air on that frequency and is till there as KIAH.
The next was KVVV-TV on Channel 16 (IND) around 1969 or so. It went dark after a short time and the frequency was reallocated to Corpus.
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
Not only was channel 16 reallocated to Corpus, but legend has it that the owners of KVVV donated the transmitter and other equipment to a group led by Charles Butt (of the HEB Supermarket chain), and Butt and his group used the equipment to get Corpus Christi's first PBS station, KEDT, on the air in 1972.
Chuck Tiller said:
Not only was channel 16 reallocated to Corpus, but legend has it that the owners of KVVV donated the transmitter and other equipment to a group led by Charles Butt (of the HEB Supermarket chain), and Butt and his group used the equipment to get Corpus Christi's first PBS station, KEDT, on the air in 1972.
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
It's still commercially licensed, although once it has been bought by TBN it's likely it will always be a TBN station from now forward.
I remember reading about it at the time, and TBN announced some planned local programming - doubt it's there today. It's surprising that San Francisco and a few other markets with a multitude of broadcast outlets never got TBN. I think WGTW was from the last major market TBN bought it's way into.
With some people ditching cable, it might be a worthwhile effort for TBN to get a full power station so that people without cable will see the 1-800 number on the screen, call and pledge. I'm not a TBN viewer and am not privy to their finances, but I was just wearing the cap of TBN for that last statement.
The only benefit is for sat operators as it is one less must-carry as sat operators (Dish DirecTV) use the TBN national feed.
When WGTW was indy, it reminded me of the Gallery at 8th & Market. While WGBS had a much nicer image and programming from a decade earlier, the station owner went bankrupt.
perfidia08 said:
It's still commercially licensed, although once it has been bought by TBN it's likely it will always be a TBN station from now forward.
I remember reading about it at the time, and TBN announced some planned local programming - doubt it's there today. It's surprising that San Francisco and a few other markets with a multitude of broadcast outlets never got TBN. I think WGTW was from the last major market TBN bought it's way into.
With some people ditching cable, it might be a worthwhile effort for TBN to get a full power station so that people without cable will see the 1-800 number on the screen, call and pledge. I'm not a TBN viewer and am not privy to their finances, but I was just wearing the cap of TBN for that last statement.
The only benefit is for sat operators as it is one less must-carry as sat operators (Dish DirecTV) use the TBN national feed.
When WGTW was indy, it reminded me of the Gallery at 8th & Market. While WGBS had a much nicer image and programming from a decade earlier, the station owner went bankrupt.
Re: Defunct TV stations in your city
But then again, if the economy and TBN's infighting gets the best of the network, we could see their stations on the block in the near future. If TBN was forced to sell off its translators due to economic conditions, chances are its regular stations would follow if they can't stop the losses.
ding12 said:
But then again, if the economy and TBN's infighting gets the best of the network, we could see their stations on the block in the near future. If TBN was forced to sell off its translators due to economic conditions, chances are its regular stations would follow if they can't stop the losses.
Re: ONCE GREAT STATIONS THAT HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE
KTVF's fall from grace continues; in spring 2012, the station was sold to Chena Broadcasting. But the best upside from it? ALL of their programming (well, network and syndicated) would now be in HD!
But the downside was that a couple months ago, KTVF moved out of the Van Horn Road studios (which they called home since leaving the Northward Building in 1990) and into their new home on Braddock Street and the same building where KFXF and KXD are housed. I think this leaves KATN as the only network station that's been at the same 2nd Ave. location since day one.
That doesn't diminish the fact that their local news still sucks; thank god KTUU in Anchorage has finally decided to stream ALL of their newscasts live online, which are better produced and have a more professional, award-winning staff than KTVF.
KTVF's fall from grace continues; in spring 2012, the station was sold to Chena Broadcasting. But the best upside from it? ALL of their programming (well, network and syndicated) would now be in HD!
But the downside was that a couple months ago, KTVF moved out of the Van Horn Road studios (which they called home since leaving the Northward Building in 1990) and into their new home on Braddock Street and the same building where KFXF and KXD are housed. I think this leaves KATN as the only network station that's been at the same 2nd Ave. location since day one.
That doesn't diminish the fact that their local news still sucks; thank god KTUU in Anchorage has finally decided to stream ALL of their newscasts live online, which are better produced and have a more professional, award-winning staff than KTVF.
Re: ONCE GREAT STATIONS THAT HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE
I would add Chicago's independents, WGN, WFLD and WSNS.
Now WGN is just another CW affiliate, the only real program they have going for them is the morning show, which is driven by Larry Potash and Paul Konrad.
WFLD was great and the battle between WFLD and WGN always meant good TV. Now it's a third rate Fox station.
WSNS was the independent that would "try harder" so it had a lot of quirky shows. Now it's Telemundo.
We still have WCIU which does well, but it too is loosing it's identity as it tries to be more corporate.
I think that is the problem, local-ism has pretty much died out. Even Me-TV is not even half as good since it went national. America is too diverse to get exceptional programming all over. What plays in one city won't go over in another.
And duopolies have ruined stations like WWOR, KCAL, KCOP and WPWR, which are dumping grounds. (note: I listed Fox duopolies but they aren't alone. Other owners are just as bad.
I would add Chicago's independents, WGN, WFLD and WSNS.
Now WGN is just another CW affiliate, the only real program they have going for them is the morning show, which is driven by Larry Potash and Paul Konrad.
WFLD was great and the battle between WFLD and WGN always meant good TV. Now it's a third rate Fox station.
WSNS was the independent that would "try harder" so it had a lot of quirky shows. Now it's Telemundo.
We still have WCIU which does well, but it too is loosing it's identity as it tries to be more corporate.
I think that is the problem, local-ism has pretty much died out. Even Me-TV is not even half as good since it went national. America is too diverse to get exceptional programming all over. What plays in one city won't go over in another.
And duopolies have ruined stations like WWOR, KCAL, KCOP and WPWR, which are dumping grounds. (note: I listed Fox duopolies but they aren't alone. Other owners are just as bad.
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