• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WTNH/WCTX

K

kms575

Anyone notice something new on the wtnh.com website?
There's a new logo for the sister station WCTX. Looks like they're rebranding the station as "UPN-9." Never liked the "WCTX" branding myself, but I'm wondering how this new identity will work considering WWOR "UPN-9" is just 65 miles or so down I-95.
WCTX, for the record, is on most cable networks as Ch. 9, but their analog signal is on Ch. 59.
 
Interesting. I'm not crazy about the station branding itself based on the cable channel position, especially since the cable companies can change the channel position at any time. And what about the people that still watch over the air? And on DirecTV I believe WCTX is located at channel 59. The next thing you know there will be WTIC Fox 6.


> Anyone notice something new on the wtnh.com website?
> There's a new logo for the sister station WCTX. Looks like
> they're rebranding the station as "UPN-9." Never liked the
> "WCTX" branding myself, but I'm wondering how this new
> identity will work considering WWOR "UPN-9" is just 65 miles
> or so down I-95.
> WCTX, for the record, is on most cable networks as Ch. 9,
> but their analog signal is on Ch. 59.
>
 
> Interesting. I'm not crazy about the station branding
> itself based on the cable channel position, especially since
> the cable companies can change the channel position at any
> time. And what about the people that still watch over the
> air? And on DirecTV I believe WCTX is located at channel 59.
> The next thing you know there will be WTIC Fox 6.

I sure as hell hope not! We were one of the few markets which didn't do this. I had thought that WCTX-TV/DT wasn't giving their over-the-air channel number due to being analog 59, digital 39 and having to deal with more distant cable companies placing the channel wherever they want.

BTW, while WCTX-TV stayed where it already was, Comcast completely screwed up our analog lineup in New Britain this morning. :(
 
But, my point is, the "real" UPN-9 is just down in Secaucus, NJ. The same branding in such a short distance is bound to be confusing.


> > Interesting. I'm not crazy about the station branding
> > itself based on the cable channel position, especially
> since
> > the cable companies can change the channel position at any
>
> > time. And what about the people that still watch over the
>
> > air? And on DirecTV I believe WCTX is located at channel
> 59.
> > The next thing you know there will be WTIC Fox 6.
>
> I sure as hell hope not! We were one of the few markets
> which didn't do this. I had thought that WCTX-TV/DT wasn't
> giving their over-the-air channel number due to being analog
> 59, digital 39 and having to deal with more distant cable
> companies placing the channel wherever they want.
>
> BTW, while WCTX-TV stayed where it already was, Comcast
> completely screwed up our analog lineup in New Britain this
> morning. :(
>
 
WCTX as "UPN 9"? WTF?

> But, my point is, the "real" UPN-9 is just down in Secaucus,
> NJ. The same branding in such a short distance is bound to
> be confusing.

Very true. By the way, are there any cable systems in Fairfield County which carry both WCTX-TV and WWOR-TV?
 
Re: WCTX as "UPN 9"? WTF?

By the way, are there any cable systems in
> Fairfield County which carry both WCTX-TV and WWOR-TV?
>

I checked the Cablevision website. Their New Haven county system carries WWOR on channel 9 and WCTX on channel 17. So right there, in WCTX's home county, they are not even on cable channel 9. Talk about confusing. The Fairfield county systems don't carry WCTX at all. I don't see why they couldn't just call it "UPN-59". WFSB is channel 2 on most cable systems and WTIC is channel 6 on most systems and I doubt many people are confused about those.
 
Re: WCTX as "UPN 9"? WTF?

In New Haven (Comcast), WCTX is on 9, WFSB is on 3, WTNH is on 7, and WWOR isn't carried at all anymore. All other NYC major network stations are carried.



> By the way, are there any cable systems in
> > Fairfield County which carry both WCTX-TV and WWOR-TV?
> >
>
> I checked the Cablevision website. Their New Haven county
> system carries WWOR on channel 9 and WCTX on channel 17. So
> right there, in WCTX's home county, they are not even on
> cable channel 9. Talk about confusing. The Fairfield
> county systems don't carry WCTX at all. I don't see why they
> couldn't just call it "UPN-59". WFSB is channel 2 on most
> cable systems and WTIC is channel 6 on most systems and I
> doubt many people are confused about those.
>
 
WCTX-TV E-mails their reasons for this...

I got this response this afternoon from WCTX-TV, giving them my two cents (complaint) about the "UPN 9" branding:

Hi Kevin,

85% of the people in Connecticut have cable television and more than 700,000
people receive WCTX on Channel 9.

Once you include satellite, you find that only a very small percentage of
viewers watch WCTX on Channel 59.

We believe that by telling people exactly where to find the UPN network in
the majority of Connecticut we are making it easier for them.

Thank you for your feedback.

Best Regards,

Paul Spingola
Director of Promotion and Brand Management
WTNH & WCTX-TV, New Haven/Hartford, CT
Phone: 203.784.8850
e-mail: [email protected]

WTNH/WCTX/WTNH.com

Yeah, it makes sense when you read what he has to say. However, I still don't like the fact they did it.
 
> especially since
> the cable companies can change the channel position at any
> time.

Not exactly.
When a cable company carries a local broadcast station, they must sign an affiliation agreement to carry the channel, part of which determines which channel the station will be held on. So as long as the cable company has the affiliation agreement signed with the broadcaster, the cable operator can not just change the channel on a whim, as it would be in breach of contract.

Also you guys should do a little homework next time, WCTX is not the only channel to do this.
In San Diego, KNSD (The main NBC affiliate in the market) "7" is actually UHF 39.
WZVN 27 in Naples, FL calls themselves "ABC 7".

So it's not just WCTX.
 
> > especially since
> > the cable companies can change the channel position at any
>
> > time.
>
> Not exactly.
> When a cable company carries a local broadcast station, they
> must sign an affiliation agreement to carry the channel,
> part of which determines which channel the station will be
> held on. So as long as the cable company has the affiliation
> agreement signed with the broadcaster, the cable operator
> can not just change the channel on a whim, as it would be in
> breach of contract.
>
> Also you guys should do a little homework next time, WCTX is
> not the only channel to do this.
> In San Diego, KNSD (The main NBC affiliate in the market)
> "7" is actually UHF 39.
> WZVN 27 in Naples, FL calls themselves "ABC 7".
>
> So it's not just WCTX.

Also, WCNC in Charlotte, NC. It's actually over the air on Ch. 36, but they call themselves NBC 6. I don't personally see a problem with WCTX calling themselves UPN-9, but I just wonder if there wil be some confusion with "the real" UPN-9 in Secaucus.
>
 
> Also, you guys should do a little homework next time. WCTX is
> not the only channel to do this.
> In San Diego, KNSD (The main NBC affiliate in the market)
> "7" is actually UHF 39.
> WZVN 27 in Naples, FL calls themselves "ABC 7".

Very true. By the way, WZVN-TV (ABC) is on channel 26. Sorry to nitpick! :)
 
Re: WCTX-TV E-mails their reasons for this...

> I got this response this afternoon from WCTX-TV, giving them
> my two cents (complaint) about the "UPN 9" branding:
>
> Hi Kevin,
>
> 85% of the people in Connecticut have cable television and
> more than 700,000
> people receive WCTX on Channel 9.
>
> Once you include satellite, you find that only a very small
> percentage of
> viewers watch WCTX on Channel 59.
>
> We believe that by telling people exactly where to find the
> UPN network in
> the majority of Connecticut we are making it easier for
> them.
>
> Thank you for your feedback.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Paul Spingola
> Director of Promotion and Brand Management
> WTNH & WCTX-TV, New Haven/Hartford, CT
> Phone: 203.784.8850
> e-mail: [email protected]
>
> WTNH/WCTX/WTNH.com
>
> Yeah, it makes sense when you read what he has to say.
> However, I still don't like the fact they did it.
>


Hey, let's toss more confusion into the mix, the DT signal is on 39 (though I have yet to pull it in), which I believe is also the same channel as UPN 38 in Boston.
 
> Sorry to nitpick! :)
>
Not a problem! We're all human!
I have NO problem with people correcting me on here.
I know I make mistakes on factual things.

It happens KML.
 
Re: WCTX-TV E-mails their reasons for this...

> Hey, let's toss more confusion into the mix, the DT signal
> is on 39 (though I have yet to pull it in), which I believe
> is also the same channel as UPN 38 in Boston.

And?

WSBK's VCT will map the receivers to show it as "38-#", not 39.
Same with WCTX. WCTX's VCT won't show it as 39, but rather "59-#".
(VCT = Virtual Channel Table)

They're only using the frequencies of the channel assignment to send the digital signal, not for identification purposes. The box finds the digital signal but assigns it an arbitrary channel number based on what the origination station designates.

The big co-channel issue is happening all over this area in the tight northeast.
Stations like WVIT analog and WBZ digital, WTXX analog and WCVB digital, WWLP analog and WLWC digital, WCTX digital and WSBK digital, WPXN analog and WTIC digital. It's the fun we have here in the northeast with a reduction of
17 UHF channels...
 
> Also you guys should do a little homework next time, WCTX is
> not the only channel to do this.
> In San Diego, KNSD (The main NBC affiliate in the market)
> "7" is actually UHF 39.
> WZVN 27 in Naples, FL calls themselves "ABC 7".
>
> So it's not just WCTX.
>
As stated earlier, you are quite right about that...though I must nitpick too. In San Diego, KNSD actually goes by both the cable channel number and it's over-the-air channel as NBC 7/39. It has done this for at least 10 years.

About the UPN-9 branding, it seems to be a slightly sleezy way in order to "ride the coattails" of it's more well-known neighbor in New York. It's sure to confuse many viewers in Southern CT, unless they plan to lobby cable systems to remove WWOR from more lineups.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom