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WXIA 11 Alive pulled from cable systems?

J

jal

Guest
I went onto the website for WXIA-TV/11 Alive, and there is a link to an article stating that WXIA-TV was pulled from "your" cable system (No systems were mentioned).

Which systems are involved? I have Acworth CableNET (now owned by Klip), and WXIA is still on (Cable Channel 12). Is it Comcast?
 
> I went onto the website for WXIA-TV/11 Alive, and there is a
> link to an article stating that WXIA-TV was pulled from
> "your" cable system (No systems were mentioned).
>
> Which systems are involved? I have Acworth CableNET (now
> owned by Klip), and WXIA is still on (Cable Channel 12). Is
> it Comcast?
>
It is still on Comcast!
 
> I went onto the website for WXIA-TV/11 Alive, and there is a
> link to an article stating that WXIA-TV was pulled from
> "your" cable system (No systems were mentioned).
>
> Which systems are involved? I have Acworth CableNET (now
> owned by Klip), and WXIA is still on (Cable Channel 12). Is
> it Comcast?
>

Still on DirecTV.
 
> I went onto the website for WXIA-TV/11 Alive, and there is a
> link to an article stating that WXIA-TV was pulled from
> "your" cable system (No systems were mentioned).

Still on DishNetwork.
 
> I went onto the website for WXIA-TV/11 Alive, and there is a
> link to an article stating that WXIA-TV was pulled from
> "your" cable system (No systems were mentioned).
>
> Which systems are involved? I have Acworth CableNET (now
> owned by Klip), and WXIA is still on (Cable Channel 12). Is
> it Comcast?

Cox - Middle Georgia anounced plans to remove WXIA and WGCL January 1st. WGCL is gone, but 11 Alive is still there.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by trevor on 01/04/06 05:38 PM.</FONT></P>
 
Atlanta stations in Macon

> > I went onto the website for WXIA-TV/11 Alive, and there is
> a
> > link to an article stating that WXIA-TV was pulled from
> > "your" cable system (No systems were mentioned).
> >
> > Which systems are involved? I have Acworth CableNET (now
> > owned by Klip), and WXIA is still on (Cable Channel 12).
> Is
> > it Comcast?
>
> Cox - Middle Georgia anounced plans to remove WXIA and WGCL
> January 1st. WGCL is gone, but 11 Alive is still there.

The Cox system in Middle Georgia is in the Macon DMA, not Atlanta. I guess WMAZ (CBS/13, is WXIA's sister Gannett station) and WMGT (NBC/41)were not happy.

A couple of years ago, the FCC ordered Cox to dump WSB-TV (sister Cox entity) from that system after WPGA-TV (58, Perry-based ABC for Macon) complained.

Given that WMAZ is the only true news operation in Macon, Cox probably added the Atlanta stations for news content (WGXA/Fox 24 also has news, but only at 10:00).
 
Re: Atlanta stations in Macon

> > > I went onto the website for WXIA-TV/11 Alive, and there
> is
> > a
> > > link to an article stating that WXIA-TV was pulled from
> > > "your" cable system (No systems were mentioned).
> > >
> > > Which systems are involved? I have Acworth CableNET (now
>
> > > owned by Klip), and WXIA is still on (Cable Channel 12).
>
> > Is
> > > it Comcast?
> >
> > Cox - Middle Georgia anounced plans to remove WXIA and
> WGCL
> > January 1st. WGCL is gone, but 11 Alive is still there.
>
> The Cox system in Middle Georgia is in the Macon DMA, not
> Atlanta. I guess WMAZ (CBS/13, is WXIA's sister Gannett
> station) and WMGT (NBC/41)were not happy.
>

And WMAZ and WMGT can certainly force WGCL and WXIA, respectively,
off cable in Macon. I recall that when WPDE/15 (ABC) Florence, SC,
came on the air about 25 years or so ago, it forced the system
in Myrtle Beach to drop WWAY/3, the ABC affiliate in Wilmington, NC.

No better than the local newscasts are in Macon, you're going
to miss Atlanta newscasts for sure.
> A couple of years ago, the FCC ordered Cox to dump WSB-TV
> (sister Cox entity) from that system after WPGA-TV (58,
> Perry-based ABC for Macon) complained.
>
> Given that WMAZ is the only true news operation in Macon,
> Cox probably added the Atlanta stations for news content
> (WGXA/Fox 24 also has news, but only at 10:00).
>
It's not so much a question of who owns what as who's affiliated
with what network. If WMAZ was the only game in town, it
couldn't care less if WXIA was carried on cable: WMAZ is CBS,
WXIA, NBC. And the fact that the cable system and WSB are
owned by Cox doesn't matter, either; if Macon didn't have an
ABC affiliate, no one would mind WSB's presence. What the
Macon stations are apparently doing is getting their network
counterparts in Atlanta taken off, so:

WMAZ wants WGCL off (both CBS)
WGXA wants WAGA off (both Fox, has this happened?)
WMGT wants WXIA off (both NBC)
WPGA wants WSB off (both ABC)<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by bpatrick on 01/05/06 09:27 PM.</FONT></P>
 
Actually

> The Cox system in Middle Georgia is in the Macon DMA, not
> Atlanta. I guess WMAZ (CBS/13, is WXIA's sister Gannett
> station) and WMGT (NBC/41)were not happy.
>
> A couple of years ago, the FCC ordered Cox to dump WSB-TV
> (sister Cox entity) from that system after WPGA-TV (58,
> Perry-based ABC for Macon) complained.

WSB has never been removed from the cable system here, and I'm guessing it won't be since WSB is owned by Cox. WPGA, if I remember correctly, petitioned to get network non-duplication protection on Cox Cable. Up until a few years ago, WSB was still considered a Significantly Viewed station here in Middle Georgia. I handled programming for WGXA, which was the ABC station until 1996. At that time, WSB still had the Sig. Viewed classification and their network programming couldn't be covered by the cable system. That changed sometime after WPGA becasue the ABC affiliate.

> Given that WMAZ is the only true news operation in Macon,
> Cox probably added the Atlanta stations for news content
> (WGXA/Fox 24 also has news, but only at 10:00).

Both WGXA (Fox) and WMGT (ABC) have news operations, but only WMAZ schedules newscasts seven days a week. WMGT carries news in the mornings, at 5:30pm and 11pm.

And COX didn't add the Atlanta stations for news content. They've always been part of the system here. WAGA was on Cox here until their affiliation swap, when they were dropped for WGCL.
 
Re: Atlanta stations in Macon

> And WMAZ and WMGT can certainly force WGCL and WXIA,
> respectively,
> off cable in Macon. I recall that when WPDE/15 (ABC)
> Florence, SC,
> came on the air about 25 years or so ago, it forced the
> system
> in Myrtle Beach to drop WWAY/3, the ABC affiliate in
> Wilmington, NC.

I don't believe there's any simple way for the local stations to "force" a cable system to remove out-of-market affiliates. That's the reason Network Non-duplication protection was created. City of license cable systems (I believe that's the correct terminology) can be forced to cover/block network programming on out-of-market stations. For example, Cox here used to simply cover the WXIA signal with the signal from WMGT, the local NBC station. Note, that's only for network programming. The past few years, they've covered the Atlanta affiliate with infomercials or a home-shopping channel. Similar rules apply for syndicated programming that's owned by a local station; they're covered the same way. The end result is that local news from WSB, WXIA and WMGT are shown here, along with and programming produced by those Atlanta stations, and any syndicated programming not broadcast by local stations here.

If local stations could force cable systems to remove out-of-market signals, they'd certainly do it.

> It's not so much a question of who owns what as who's
> affiliated
> with what network. If WMAZ was the only game in town, it
> couldn't care less if WXIA was carried on cable: WMAZ is
> CBS,
> WXIA, NBC. And the fact that the cable system and WSB are
> owned by Cox doesn't matter, either; if Macon didn't have an
> ABC affiliate, no one would mind WSB's presence. What the
> Macon stations are apparently doing is getting their network
> counterparts in Atlanta taken off, so:
>
> WMAZ wants WGCL off (both CBS)
> WGXA wants WAGA off (both Fox, has this happened?)
> WMGT wants WXIA off (both NBC)
> WPGA wants WSB off (both ABC)

Trust me, the local stations here aren't concerned about the Atlanta affiliates being on the cable. As I explained above, they are not true competition. The move is being made unilaterally by Cox Cable. Cox is justifying the move two ways. First, the removal of WXIA is to make room for a new local UPN affiliate (as yet unannounced). Second, removing WGCL clears up a low channel number (11) for a Cox local programming channel (called "Cox Media Marketplace"), basically local infomercials.

If it were a matter of local stations forcing the removal of the Atlanta stations, WSB would have gone. The fact that WSB wasn't chosen tells me that Cox Cable is looking after family, so to speak.
 
Re: Atlanta stations in Macon

> I don't believe there's any simple way for the local
> stations to "force" a cable system to remove out-of-market
> affiliates.

I disagree. I believe it can be fairly simple for locals to force out-of-market stations off cable systems. Retransmission agreements between locals and cable systems can stipulate which other stations are carried on the system, I believe. If a local market CBS, for example, does not want an out-of-market CBS to be carried, all they have to do is insist on a higher retransmission fee (or other perk) if the other station is carried. Or they can convince their network to disallow their affiliates in adjoining markets from granting permission for their station to be carried on out of market cable systems. My understanding is these methods were used years ago to cleanse Charlotte DMA cable systems of out of market stations.
 
Re: Atlanta stations in Macon

> > I don't believe there's any simple way for the local
> > stations to "force" a cable system to remove out-of-market
>
> > affiliates.
>
> I disagree. I believe it can be fairly simple for locals to
> force out-of-market stations off cable systems.
> Retransmission agreements between locals and cable systems
> can stipulate which other stations are carried on the
> system, I believe. If a local market CBS, for example, does
> not want an out-of-market CBS to be carried, all they have
> to do is insist on a higher retransmission fee (or other
> perk) if the other station is carried. Or they can convince
> their network to disallow their affiliates in adjoining
> markets from granting permission for their station to be
> carried on out of market cable systems. My understanding is
> these methods were used years ago to cleanse Charlotte DMA
> cable systems of out of market stations.

In a market the size of Macon (or Columbus, Augusta, etc.), I don't believe any local station is going to pursue retransmission fees. Instead, they will invoke "Must Carry", stipulating that the cable system MUST rebroadcast their signal. If a local affiliate here (with the possible exception of WMAZ) went the "pay for play" route, I wouldn't be surprised (nor would I blame them) if the cable system dropped that local station altogether and carried only the imported Atlanta signal. Away would go the headaches of network non-dup and syndication exclusivity (Syndex), at virtually no cost.
 
Re: Atlanta stations in Macon

> > > I don't believe there's any simple way for the local
> > > stations to "force" a cable system to remove
> out-of-market
> >
> > > affiliates.
> >
> > I disagree. I believe it can be fairly simple for locals
> to
> > force out-of-market stations off cable systems.
> > Retransmission agreements between locals and cable systems
>
> > can stipulate which other stations are carried on the
> > system, I believe. If a local market CBS, for example,
> does
> > not want an out-of-market CBS to be carried, all they have
>
> > to do is insist on a higher retransmission fee (or other
> > perk) if the other station is carried. Or they can
> convince
> > their network to disallow their affiliates in adjoining
> > markets from granting permission for their station to be
> > carried on out of market cable systems. My understanding
> is
> > these methods were used years ago to cleanse Charlotte DMA
>
> > cable systems of out of market stations.
>
> In a market the size of Macon (or Columbus, Augusta, etc.),
> I don't believe any local station is going to pursue
> retransmission fees. Instead, they will invoke "Must
> Carry", stipulating that the cable system MUST rebroadcast
> their signal. If a local affiliate here (with the possible
> exception of WMAZ) went the "pay for play" route, I wouldn't
> be surprised (nor would I blame them) if the cable system
> dropped that local station altogether and carried only the
> imported Atlanta signal. Away would go the headaches of
> network non-dup and syndication exclusivity (Syndex), at
> virtually no cost.
>
I stand by what I said about Florence/Myrtle Beach, which is
a smaller market than Macon: I don't know how it was done but
WPDE forced WWAY off the cable in Myrtle Beach. There are a
couple of rumors floating around concerning NBC. At present
Time Warner cable in Myrtle Beach brings in WECT/6 Wilmington,
NC, and WIS/10 Columbia, SC. Supposedly, WIS has a CP for Channel
32 in Myrtle Beach; whether it will get on the air with analog
on its way out is questionable, but if it does both WECT and
WIS/10 will come off. Another rumor is that WIS will become the
sole NBC station regardless, even though WECT has been that market's
NBC station for all intents and purposes since the '50s. That would
give the market all South Carolina stations except for the PBS one
in Lumberton, NC.

Meantime, WBTW invokes its priority; WECT and WIS are blacked out
when Oprah is on (4 PM), likewise Inside Edition (5:30).
 
Re: Atlanta stations in Macon

> I stand by what I said about Florence/Myrtle Beach, which is
>
> a smaller market than Macon:
No---Florence/Myrtle Beach (#107)is a significantly larger market than Macon (#120)

I don't know how it was done
> but
> WPDE forced WWAY off the cable in Myrtle Beach. There are a
>
> couple of rumors floating around concerning NBC. At present
>
> Time Warner cable in Myrtle Beach brings in WECT/6
> Wilmington,
> NC, and WIS/10 Columbia, SC. Supposedly, WIS has a CP for
> Channel
> 32 in Myrtle Beach; whether it will get on the air with
> analog
> on its way out is questionable, but if it does both WECT and
>
> WIS/10 will come off. Another rumor is that WIS will become
> the
> sole NBC station regardless, even though WECT has been that
> market's
> NBC station for all intents and purposes since the '50s.
> That would
> give the market all South Carolina stations except for the
> PBS one
> in Lumberton, NC.
>
But, unfortunately, WIS is being sold off to Raycom, who owns WECT. This could change everything. WECT might decide they want to be sole NBC on the grandstrand, or WIS could do the same. With both stations owned by the same company, that would be easy. Hopefully, WIS would stay the course, since WECT has always been a terrible little station.
> Meantime, WBTW invokes its priority; WECT and WIS are
> blacked out
> when Oprah is on (4 PM), likewise Inside Edition (5:30).
>
 
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