WSAH Bridgeport to be Auctioned

[w9wi]

Isn't this the station that once ran an announcement to the effect that if you are watching it, and call a certain -phone number, they will send you a check for a hundred dollars (a good chunk of change when the announcement ran a few decades ago).

Not the same station, but the same channel. After nobody called, they shut the station down & returned the license for cancellation.

WSAH picked up the unused channel assignment many years later.

 

[mysticnitekatt]

Isn't this the station that once ran an announcement to the effect that if you are watching it, and call a certain -phone number, they will send you a check for a hundred dollars (a good chunk of change when the announcement ran a few decades ago).

Yes, it is the SAME station (formerly as WICC-TV, Channel 43) that offered $100 to the first person who called the station. Nobody called. A few days later, WICC-TV left the air. Sadly, most of WICC-TV's videotape and film archives were destroyed in a fire shortly after the station left the air. A shame. If only the station survived a few more years until UHF tuners were mandatory on all new TV sets. But, such was life in TV land.

As I heard the story, Bob Crane, before heading out to Hollywood, worked at the station and was the one who made the announcement!

 

[Schuyler]

Time to delurk and clear up a few things.

The bankruptcy and auction is a legal maneuver... that is all.

Because those infomercials you've vigorously defended are working out so well?

Oy. Grant me a waiver.

 

[Silkie]

Except that auctioning is not part of a usual business maneuver bankruptcy.

 

[TexasTom]

Except that auctioning is not part of a usual business maneuver bankruptcy.

It's not uncommon -- but you're right that it won't be part of any usual business maneuvers, since an auction almost guarantees that the pre-bankruptcy ownership will lose control of the station. Over the years, I've seen several stations auctioned off in bankruptcy court, starting back when I was a kid in the northwest (KTVW, channel 13, in Tacoma was auctioned off in 1975) to the past couple years in North Texas, where we saw two small indies both auctioned off in bankruptcy. On a national level, of course, would be the piecemeal bankruptcy sale of the former Equity Broadcasting stations. In several cases, the original owners fought unsucessfully to prevent the auctions.

 

[newsbot]

Spectrum speculator NRJ is high bidder for WSAH with a $22.8M offer but Arthur Liu isn't giving up without a fight.
http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/11/29/55678/nrj-wins-bidding-for-wsah-new-york-but-

 

[MarcB]

Since NRJ also has WMFP, maybe WSAH will join ME-TV like WMFP.

 

[whdh1920]

could be very likely!!

 

[mysticnitekatt]

Since NRJ also has WMFP, maybe WSAH will join ME-TV like WMFP.

If that happens, will They push for Cable clearances over the tri-state area?

 

[pqgeorge]

Isn't this the station that once ran an announcement to the effect that if you are watching it, and call a certain -phone number, they will send you a check for a hundred dollars (a good chunk of change when the announcement ran a few decades ago).

Yes, it is the SAME station (formerly as WICC-TV, Channel 43) that offered $100 to the first person who called the station. Nobody called. A few days later, WICC-TV left the air. Sadly, most of WICC-TV's videotape and film archives were destroyed in a fire shortly after the station left the air. A shame. If only the station survived a few more years until UHF tuners were mandatory on all new TV sets. But, such was life in TV land.

As I heard the story, Bob Crane, before heading out to Hollywood, worked at the station and was the one who made the announcement!

Wouldn't it be amazing if MeTV were to be put on WSAH (formerly WICC-TV) and see with Bob Crane on Channel 43 once again (on "Hogan's Heroes"), the same person who made the $100 offer some 50 years ago on the same station ? Just a thought!

 

[RadioMan203]

It would just be nice to see some real programming on the channel and not just a infomercial jukebox.

I remember listening to the sign-off messages for television stations where one of the lines were something about being "licensed in the public interest" - I think this has totally gone out the window with today's broadcast licensing.

 

[luperm]

Hey...they have to pay the bills somehow...

 

[blackgold]

I thought that Multicultural Broadcasting would air international TV programming...why didn't they?

 

[Silkie]

Maybe you aren't supposed to know that your brain is being scrambled?

 

[ding12]

Part of the problem with WSAH is that even though they are technically in the NYC DMA, they have very little cable carriage in the area.

WSAH could have a niche for being in CT and covering CT/Southern CT news for Fairfield County.

More people live in the Bridgeport MSA over the Allentown (ABE) MSA. I suppose if you add Berks, it gives WFMZ more of an exclusive local area. But presumably Bridgeport MSA is wealthier. So, WFMZ is from a smaller or about the same sized market and also shares state commonality with the Philly stations, but it prospers. WSAH could cover CT news where the NY stations lack local news and state related news coverage.

In terms of cable coverage, WSAH could request Comcast carry the channel on digital only market wide. I believe KFTY agreed for that, and Comcast carries KFTY from Santa Rosa with full coverage throughout the Bay Area Comcasts now. Desirable channel number placement might be an issue though. Fios, Dish and DirecTV can also carry it throughout the market.

Even if WSAH isn't capable to change its cable coverage, Southern CT is big enough alone, that WSAH can do well without being in cable in all the NYC DMA HH.

 

[ansky212]

Part of the problem with news is that it is very expensive to start up a news operation compared to other programming.

Also, WSAH currently has cable/satellite carriage all the way down into Central NJ (via Verizon Fios and Directv).
Having news focused on one small part of CT would really limit the number of viewers. Perhaps one or two local newscasts a day to supplement other programming like ME-TV would work, but I couldn't see a 24-hour news channel being successful, especially with competition from News 12 and other sources.

 

[newsbot]

If NRJ is indeed the winner I can't see them doing much more than the bare minimum to keep the license active, generate enough revenue to break even and wait for their presumptive big payday. Likewise with Michael Dell's stations out west.

 

[iyiyi]

I dunno... I'm watching WMFP DT 18 (62v) and they're running RTV. They were playing RTV and their usual slate of infomercials yesterday also. Aerial has been down for the past month and I just installed a new one. WMFP DT 18.2 is on with just a black screen. Last time I had seen them, 18.2 was a lesser quality dupe of 18.1. I had read that WMFP dropped RTV for ME-TV.

 

[tripinva]

On December 15, 62-1 will become Me-TV and 62-2 will become RTV.

- Trip