I know I've made a lot of posts about this, but I noticed that just today, WSBE-HD was finally added on Comcast channel 819 in my area (I live in Natick). We have had it in SD forever, since the 80s, as it has always been a part of the Natick cable system. Then in 1996 when we switched to the Newton/Needham headend, they never had WSBE on that system, so they found a way to carry it only in Natick. I think this is the case in some other areas as well, such as the town of Auburn. I know that above a certain point, WSBE is spotty as far as cable coverage goes. I know Framingham never had it. But I know that Verizon FiOS offers it throughout the whole market, I think maybe even in New Hampshire(!). I was also hoping for the 2 subchannels, but I don't seem to be getting those, maybe at some point. But is anyone now getting WSBE that wasn't before?
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WSBE Availability
- Thread starter ssetta
- Start date
WSBE has a PDF on their site with the cable coverage info:ssetta said:
http://www.ripbs.org/cable.html
That shows FIOS carrying WSBE apparently everywhere, while Comcast has it in mainly towns to the south of Boston, with Natick being the inexplicable exception. Some of the north shore towns where FIOS carries it are way beyond WSBE's over-the-air coverage area. FIOS also did not remove WENH (NH) when WGBH took over operations, though Comcast pulled WENH as fast as they could yank the plug in most of Mass. FIOS has WGBH, WGBX, WENH, WSBE, and the subchannels in most (all?) areas, while Comcast mainly has only WGBH and WGBH.
The out-of-market, must-carry, and retransmission consent rules are somewhat different for non-commercial stations, but if FIOS can carry it all over eastern Mass., Comcast probably could too. Either they don't want to "waste" bandwidth on PBS, or have a very cozy relationship with WGBH.
Unfortunately WSBE's digital over-the-air signal is abysmally bad. With an outside antenna, just west of Boston, for me the analog signal was quite watchable. Yet, I have never even gotten a hint of their digital signal, though I have perfect reception of all of the other Providence market stations, including WLWC, which should be weaker.
In my hometown of Norwood, Massachusetts, there are three cable systems: Comcast, Verizon Fios, and a municipally-owned cable system (Norwood Light Broadband).
Norwood Light Broadband does not carry WSBE-36; the others do.
By the way, a deal made last year between WGBH/WGBX and New Hampshire Public Television has resulted in NHPTV being removed from Massachusetts cable systems and WGBH removed from New Hampshire cable systems (despite what I suspect is substantial overlap n the over-the-air digital signals of WGBH-2 and NHPTV flagship WENH-11).
However, with the exception of a few hours a a week, WGBH and NHPTV pretty much simulcast everything.
Norwood Light Broadband does not carry WSBE-36; the others do.
By the way, a deal made last year between WGBH/WGBX and New Hampshire Public Television has resulted in NHPTV being removed from Massachusetts cable systems and WGBH removed from New Hampshire cable systems (despite what I suspect is substantial overlap n the over-the-air digital signals of WGBH-2 and NHPTV flagship WENH-11).
However, with the exception of a few hours a a week, WGBH and NHPTV pretty much simulcast everything.
I'm surprised Comcast doesn't do something similar with WCVB and WMUR. putting WGN America on the open slot.
Chitchatjf wonders: said:
It probably would be the call of WCVB/WMUR owner Hearst/Argyle as to whether WCVB gets removed from New Hampshire cable systems and WMUR removed from Massachusetts cable systems.
As for WGN America, it may become less attractive to cable operators in the future. As it is, WGN-9 Chicago's broadcasts of Chicago Blackhawks games cannot be seen outside the Chicago TV market due to the NHL's national TV deals, and some of the station's Chicago Bulls games can't be seen on the WGN America superstatoon feed because of NBA rules limiting the number of games on superstations.
While WGN can carry Cubs and White Sox baseball games on WGN America, the time may come in a few years where the owners of the two teams may elect to put all locally-televised games on regional cable networks and remove them from over-the-air TV in Chicago, and from WGN America nationally.
Even if that doesn't happen, Major League Baseball could decide, when the next national TV deals are set, to prohibit over-the-air TV stations that carry MLB teams which are also superstations from carrying those games outside of their local markets.
I suspect that without the Cubs, WGN America might not last more than a year or two.
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