WSAH To Become (Nothing) Affiliate October 1!

[RadioMan203]

Something I had said several times on the boards and I feel it would be work: If WSAH were to partner with somebody, perhaps Cablevision's News 12, and carry a newscast besides actually getting some viewers the signal would be actually doing a public service. Fairfield County needs some decent news coverage and News12 on a station like WSAH would certainly shake things up for Channel 8. Oh well, there's probably a better chance of snow in July!

I put up an antenna to watch RTV on WSAH since it's the only off-the-air television signal I can get in my area, but I'm ready to take the antenna down now. I have satellite television instead of cable and there's more than enough infomercial channels there to satisfy anybody.

 

[DToTheJ]

I don't know about their DTV signal, but somewhere I heard that WSAH's analog signal was pretty funky. I was told it came in better OVER-THE-AIR on Long Island better than in most of Connecticut.

FYI - WSAH is part of the Verizon FIOS lineup on Long Island. Then again, I think all of the local stations for the New York Metro and surroundign areas are across the board in NYC, LI, NJ, etc.

 

[ansky212]

Something I had said several times on the boards and I feel it would be work: If WSAH were to partner with somebody, perhaps Cablevision's News 12, and carry a newscast besides actually getting some viewers the signal would be actually doing a public service.

It might work, but if you look at other regional news channels like WRNN, they have actually cut back on their local news programming. WSAH would never be able to partner with News 12 because News 12 is exclusive to cable and they want to keep it that way (that's why you don't see News 12 on satellite or Fios). And an earlier post made it pretty clear that selling infomercials is making money for the station, and on top of the failed RTV attempt, I can't see them attempting another format change anytime soon.

 

[RadioMan203]

It might work, but if you look at other regional news channels like WRNN, they have actually cut back on their local news programming. WSAH would never be able to partner with News 12 because News 12 is exclusive to cable and they want to keep it that way (that's why you don't see News 12 on satellite or Fios). And an earlier post made it pretty clear that selling infomercials is making money for the station, and on top of the failed RTV attempt, I can't see them attempting another format change anytime soon.

Of course you're making a big assumption there. You never know if Cablevision would venture into something like that, especially if it was pitched correctly. This about it - if Cablevision partners with a terrestrial TV station they would get News12 on cable systems that aren't owned by them - giving them more market penetration and greater justification to expand their news offerings (perhaps even bringing back programming like The Exchange).

I suppose if there are people watching those informercials that's good, but I can't justify an outdoor antenna for an informercial-only television station. I'd be more inclined to put up another dish before leaving my antenna up to watch non-stop commercials.

 

[luperm]

There's no way in heck Cablevision is going to give away News12 content. It's one of their chief competitive advantages to FiOS and satellite. Why would they concede that?

There is no way that WSAH will be anything more than an infomercial/brokered/ethnic/religious outlet. It will cost too much money and effort to make that happen. Given the saturation of other outlets in the market, it's even tougher. I do appreciate the fact that they did try to make something happen. It just wasn't meant to be.

 

[RadioMan203]

There's no way in heck Cablevision is going to give away News12 content.

Who said anything about giving their content away? Sure, News12 may be a part of Cablevision cable service, but if they were able to create another revenue stream for themselves with their newscast I don't think they would be opposed to it. OK, how about this - if they were to make a newscast available to a station such as WSAH they don't necessarily have to brand it as News12. They could call it anything they want.

I still think that a real newscast on WSAH would put some direct competition on Channel 8. I suggested News12 as they have a very good product. A decent newscast targeting Fairfield County would certainly make channel 43 worth watching outside of informercial central.

 

[stanleyjohn]

I was just going threw my DTV clear channels and found WSAHDT channel 43.1 broadcasting the THIS network!Is this the same WSAH that dropped RTN???

 

[ansky212]

I was just going threw my DTV clear channels and found WSAHDT channel 43.1 broadcasting the THIS network!Is this the same WSAH that dropped RTN???

Huh? I tuned in just before 8pm and saw infomercials.

 

[stanleyjohn]

I was just going threw my DTV clear channels and found WSAHDT channel 43.1 broadcasting the THIS network!Is this the same WSAH that dropped RTN???

Huh? I tuned in just before 8pm and saw infomercials.

Its abit confusing! I also see WSAH channel 43 (22 here in higganum) broadcasting the infomercials.I updated my DTV clearstation list on my PC TV and up came a station listed as WSAH-DT channel 43.1 broadcasting THIS !I was just wondering if this is WSAH broadcasting at a second channel??UPDATE!!! sorry seems my listings are messed up!It says WSAH but its really WTXX.dont know why the mix up though!ill need to check it out

 

[DToTheJ]

There's no way in heck Cablevision is going to give away News12 content. It's one of their chief competitive advantages to FiOS and satellite. Why would they concede that?

Precisely. When Cablevision announces in promos that News 12 is "only on Cablevision, not on phone company TV (a jab at Verizon FIOS) or anywhere else," I'm willing to bet that includes other television stations.

 

[luperm]

Who said anything about giving their content away? Sure, News12 may be a part of Cablevision cable service, but if they were able to create another revenue stream for themselves with their newscast I don't think they would be opposed to it. OK, how about this - if they were to make a newscast available to a station such as WSAH they don't necessarily have to brand it as News12. They could call it anything they want.

I still think that a real newscast on WSAH would put some direct competition on Channel 8. I suggested News12 as they have a very good product. A decent newscast targeting Fairfield County would certainly make channel 43 worth watching outside of informercial central.

I understand what you are saying. You think Fairfield County deserves its own newscast.

So say News 12 creates a custom newscast for WSAH. Now what? A newscast is 30 minutes. What do you do for the other 23 hours and 30 minutes? How do you sell that to an advertiser? How do you make money? The last thing the market needs is another "general entertainment" or information station, considering all the alternatives out there. Between cable, the NYC stations, Hartford/New Haven stations, several all-news radio stations, newspapers, etc., one could argue that Fairfield county has more than enough news coverage.

Also, why would News 12 want to create a product that directly competes with a product that they already offer? Even if WSAH paid them, how much do you really think that would be?

Given its situation, WSAH really does not have too many options. Informercials, ethnic niche, leased, or religion. That stuff pays the bills. The alternative you suggest requires so much investment, that I'm not sure you are likely to see a meaningful return (considering the risk that they'd need to take).

 

[ansky212]

I could potentially see WSAH with a format similar to WLNY on Long Island. They could have a 6pm and 11pm newscast that focuses strictly on Fairfield County, while filling the other hours with movies and syndicated shows, and maybe infomercials during the overnight and early morning hours.

 

[BRNout]

I have to ask: Does anyone actually watch a station that's wall-to-wall infomercials? Is there any point to such a station's continued existence?

Just wondering.

We do quite well thank you. Pays the bills quite nicely.

And Ron summed up quite nicely why stations like WSAH program garbage that probably 3 people at a time watch. Because the hucksters who put on these infomercials will pay no matter what. Their profit margins are so high that even if they get 1 sale out of 10,000 viewers, it's enough.

As for station management, it's all about the Benjamins.

 

[RonTheEngineer]

And Ron summed up quite nicely why stations like WSAH program garbage that probably 3 people at a time watch. Because the hucksters who put on these infomercials will pay no matter what. Their profit margins are so high that even if they get 1 sale out of 10,000 viewers, it's enough.

Its nice to fantasize about my carrying news 12, but simple fact of the matter is, who is going to pay for it? Who is going to sell the time within it? Who is going to pay for the programming surrounding it? How can carrying news 12 be a viable revenue stream? No one will air something bracketed by infomercials. That was one of the brick walls with selling within RTV, many advertisers are not interested if a station carries infomercials during any part of the day (not counting overnights). Even professional salesmen wouldn't touch it, on the other side of the equation.

No one actually sits down and watches an infomercial, unless you are seriously mentally handicapped. What happens is as people channel surf, they say "oh neat, I want one..." wait for the 800 number, and away they go. Granted we may get less money than if you bought 60 30second spots (= 1/2 hour), but with 48 avails in a day, it adds up and pays my salary and the electric bill. WSAH leads the group in revenues, RTV could not support even keeping the lights on.

PIs pay pretty well to, shockingly well... the better known ones you see everywhere, like Enzite.. pay $50 per LEAD, never mind sale. So if 5 people call in a given airing, that's the same amount of money as if they paid for the spot outright. And now you know why Spike airs them every-single-break.

For those of you who don't like infomercials, you are more than welcome to petition the FCC if you feel that strongly about it.

 

[stanleyjohn]

You make some good points Ron!Today there is such a huge amount of TV channels and programming to choose from that it surely must be tough job in the sales department on paying the bills and now with the internet and choices like Hulu and others!even harder to get advertisers.I still think its a shame when you need to go 24/7 infomercials to pay the bills!but that may be the wave of the future until that market gets saturated.

 

[ansky212]

No one will air something bracketed by infomercials. That was one of the brick walls with selling within RTV, many advertisers are not interested if a station carries infomercials during any part of the day (not counting overnights). Even professional salesmen wouldn't touch it, on the other side of the equation.

Ron,
If that's the case, then why did WSAH decide to only air 6 hours of RTV programming per day? Wasn't the original plan to be a 24/7 RTN affiliate, but then it was decided to scale back? Why wouldn't WSAH at least air RTN from say 6am - Midnight and try to sell that to advertisers? My point is, I don't really get how WSAH ever thought RTN would work with only 6 hours of programming, knowing that advertisers don't like infomercials during the rest of the timeslots.

 

[RadioMan203]

I understand what you are saying. You think Fairfield County deserves its own newscast.

So say News 12 creates a custom newscast for WSAH. Now what? A newscast is 30 minutes. What do you do for the other 23 hours and 30 minutes? How do you sell that to an advertiser? How do you make money? The last thing the market needs is another "general entertainment" or information station, considering all the alternatives out there. Between cable, the NYC stations, Hartford/New Haven stations, several all-news radio stations, newspapers, etc., one could argue that Fairfield county has more than enough news coverage.

Also, why would News 12 want to create a product that directly competes with a product that they already offer? Even if WSAH paid them, how much do you really think that would be?

My previous posts never said anything about a custom News12 broadcast for WSAH (except the last one where someone mentioned they didn't think a simulcast version wouldn't fly). I suggested perhaps they carried one of the evening News12 replays. Personally I think WSAH could have benefitted by filling in the gap that LIN has with its substandard news coverage in Fairfield County. Sure, a good chunk of the county has Cablevision, but what about the parts that have Charter and Comcast? This would have been a way to get a Fairfield County newscast to the masses. Granted, surrounding programming would have to be of equal caliber to make the whole thing work.

Its nice to fantasize about my carrying news 12, but simple fact of the matter is, who is going to pay for it? Who is going to sell the time within it? Who is going to pay for the programming surrounding it? How can carrying news 12 be a viable revenue stream? No one will air something bracketed by infomercials. That was one of the brick walls with selling within RTV, many advertisers are not interested if a station carries infomercials during any part of the day (not counting overnights). Even professional salesmen wouldn't touch it, on the other side of the equation.

Good point. Just like when the pre-WEBE days of 108FM was heading down the toilet the only thing to do was a complete revamp. The same would have to be done to WSAH to make a News12 newscast as well as other programming work. Nobody is going to camp out on the "all informercial" channel if they are aware that this isn't much else to watch on the channel.

No one actually sits down and watches an infomercial, unless you are seriously mentally handicapped.

As least it wasn't me who said this one

What happens is as people channel surf, they say "oh neat, I want one..." wait for the 800 number, and away they go. Granted we may get less money than if you bought 60 30second spots (= 1/2 hour), but with 48 avails in a day, it adds up and pays my salary and the electric bill. WSAH leads the group in revenues, RTV could not support even keeping the lights on.

PIs pay pretty well to, shockingly well... the better known ones you see everywhere, like Enzite.. pay $50 per LEAD, never mind sale. So if 5 people call in a given airing, that's the same amount of money as if they paid for the spot outright. And now you know why Spike airs them every-single-break.

It's good that they can pay the bills and I suppose it's a niche that somebody had to fill, but as a previous poster alluded to, it is certainly a waste of spectrum. I suppose this is why they filed to move the channel to NY so they can run ethnic programming.

 

[Whale]

Oh come on Ron, you have a powerful television station. If it's all about money, there has to be even more potential. I know your a tech guy but you have to sense that there's a better way to program the station.

 

[BRNout]

For those of you who don't like infomercials, you are more than welcome to petition the FCC if you feel that strongly about it.

Again, Ron is right. Granted, I don't like what his station has elected to do - don't like it at all. BUT, if you look at it from a business standpoint it ends up being a no-brainer. Is it bad with regard to whether the station is "serving" their potential audience? Absolutely. But as the rules stand now, it is perfectly acceptable to air wall-to-wall PIs. And, they pay the bills.

Most other countries have rules that don't allow such a thing as a licensed station airing wall-to-wall PIs. Then again, we have far more licensed stations than most nations do as well.

Anyhow, if we don't like it, we all need to complain loudly and en masse to the FCC. Judging from past behavior, that won't happen. But, if it did - and if it resulted in a change of policy - it would be interesting to see whether we end up with more of a cornucopia of viewing choices or simply with fewer broadcasters.

 

[RonTheEngineer]

Ron,
If that's the case, then why did WSAH decide to only air 6 hours of RTV programming per day? Wasn't the original plan to be a 24/7 RTN affiliate, but then it was decided to scale back? Why wouldn't WSAH at least air RTN from say 6am - Midnight and try to sell that to advertisers? My point is, I don't really get how WSAH ever thought RTN would work with only 6 hours of programming, knowing that advertisers don't like infomercials during the rest of the timeslots.

Because Sean saw the way RTV was being run and what was happening in Boston, he did not want to completely shoot himself in the foot. He had to keep some money coming in the door to pay the expenses. He hoped it would catch on, but we quickly learned that advertisers, even Bob or Good Ole Tom werent interested in advertising. He also hoped that RTV's outlandish claims would come true.

But now its been over 6 months in Boston and nothing has changed. If you were to account that station alone... it would have gone dark months ago.