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Boston TV crisis: WHDH and WNEU


TheRolyPoly

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lol that whdh promo is so ridiculous it's basically so what we're still good etc and the promo is very childish and it shows that Mr. Ansin is an arrogant clown

Industry insiders and analysts predicted doom for WSVN when they went with a tabloid news-heavy format in 1989. And Ed Ansin has laughed all the way to the bank ever since.

 

People are betting against Ed replicating that success with an NBC-less WHDH, but I seriously beg to differ.

Industry insiders and analysts predicted doom for WSVN when they went with a tabloid news-heavy format in 1989. And Ed Ansin has laughed all the way to the bank ever since.

 

While I would not be one to bet against Ed Ansin and the potential success of WHDH as an independent (or CW affiliate), I would argue that Ansin had advantages in Miami in 1989 that he will not have in Boston in 2017.

 

Ansin's 1989 Miami advantages included CBS, for all practical purposes, becoming almost a non-factor in the market. As we know, Miami's CBS affiliation went to WCIX, the former Fox affiliate whose signal didn't cover the whole market. Secondly, CBS prime-time was pretty much in the basement at that point (and Letterman had yet to make the jump to CBS late night), so I doubt few viewers were making it a point to find CBS on its new affiliate (or O&O, as it turned out), let alone watch the newscasts on that station. In 1989, the Miami news race largely remained a 3-way battle between WSVN, WTVJ, and WPLG. Add in the current digital era and the overall fact that the TV landscape is much different than it was 27 years ago.

 

In addition, I'm pretty sure I've heard Ansin state that you can't go as tabloid in Boston as you can in Miami. Still, I wouldn't count Ed out.

Make it personal...

Big bad and mean NBC vs Nice old Ed and the sympathetic Boston viewers.

"NBC is picking on all of us!"

 

Good guy vs Bad Guy.

 

..and I think we have all seen that tabloid can work anywhere....

Make it personal...

Big bad and mean NBC vs Nice old Ed and the sympathetic Boston viewers.

"NBC is picking on all of us!"

 

Good guy vs Bad Guy.

 

..and I think we have all seen that tabloid can work anywhere....

Especially in Miami and Boston and maybe LA and NYC as well

While I would not be one to bet against Ed Ansin and the potential success of WHDH as an independent (or CW affiliate), I would argue that Ansin had advantages in Miami in 1989 that he will not have in Boston in 2017.

 

Ansin's 1989 Miami advantages included CBS, for all practical purposes, becoming almost a non-factor in the market. As we know, Miami's CBS affiliation went to WCIX, the former Fox affiliate whose signal didn't cover the whole market. Secondly, CBS prime-time was pretty much in the basement at that point (and Letterman had yet to make the jump to CBS late night), so I doubt few viewers were making it a point to find CBS on its new affiliate (or O&O, as it turned out), let alone watch the newscasts on that station. In 1989, the Miami news race largely remained a 3-way battle between WSVN, WTVJ, and WPLG. Add in the current digital era and the overall fact that the TV landscape is much different than it was 27 years ago.

 

In addition, I'm pretty sure I've heard Ansin state that you can't go as tabloid in Boston as you can in Miami. Still, I wouldn't count Ed out.

WNEU's market coverage is arguably far, far worse than WCIX ever was, and WCIX was a known commodity in the Miami market, with an existing news department. CBS bought WCIX as the past of least resistance... they were ticked off at having to be affiliated with an NBC-owned station for 15 months, and wanted their own station as a result.

 

NBC isn't going to be targeting the same audience that normally watches WHDH's newscasts. They're going to go after a pie that's divided between WCVB, WBZ and WFXT... the best NBC can do is try to peel off disillusioned WFXT viewers (at least those who already haven't jumped to WCVB and Maria) and maybe a sliver of WBZ viewers. Of course, with WNEU's nonexistent OTA signal, you would be better off betting all your money on the Browns making the Super Bowl next year.

 

All WHDH has to do is keep on keeping on, and they won't need to worry.

lol that whdh promo is so ridiculous it's basically so what we're still good etc and the promo is very childish and it shows that Mr. Ansin is an arrogant clown

Why is it arrogant to state that the news department won't be dismantled even if the NBC affiliation is going away?

  • 2 weeks later...
WHDH is adding a 7PM newscast as of March 7; is this the sort of thing a station about to dismantle its news operation does?

http://www.newenglandone.com/news/local-news/item/1325-whdh-to-add-7pm-newscast.html

WHDH is not dismantling anything. Rather, they're pulling a page out their sister station WSVN's playbook by putting more emphasis on the news than anything else.

 

Are you sure you don't have the station confused with WKPT?

WHDH is not dismantling anything. Rather, they're pulling a page out their sister station WSVN's playbook by putting more emphasis on the news than anything else.

 

Are you sure you don't have the station confused with WKPT?

I was referencing the naysayers who insist that WHDH will pull the plug on its news department once the NBC affiliation goes away. I don't subscribe to that notion in any way, shape or form.

  • 2 weeks later...
WCVB launched a newscast in that timeslot recently. Is 7pm the new 4am?

 

7 pm is great if your station group pissed away Wheel and Jeopardy ...

KGTV has been doing a 7pm for about 4-5 years. Not sure just how "successful" it is.

Usually not in the Midwest states where there's that removed extra hour. But the tabloid shows have been diminishing thanks to the Internet allowing you to get the inane entertainment news out of the way and the syndicators haven't launched a new one in ten years. Unless you have the Sony game shows or at the very least Family Feud, you either put news on there or just take the scratch with a sitcom before primetime.

WHDH Suing Comcast Over Loss Of Affiliation

 

Sunbeam Television, owner of WHDH Boston, today filed suit against Comcast in federal court in Boston over NBC’s January announcement that it intends to terminate its 22-year affiliation with WHDH at the end of 2016. NBC is a unit of Comcast.

 

NBC plans to create an O&O in the market, using WNEU, which now airs NBC's Telemundo.

 

WHDH says that WNEU’s signal does not reach nearly four million greater Boston residents who currently receive WHDH’s signal, including residents in primarily minority communities such as Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan and Brockton. Most of those residents, WHDH claims, would have to purchase cable service from Comcast if they want to keep receiving NBC programming.

 

WHDH says that when Comcast bought NBC in 2011, “there was widespread concern about the impact this unprecedented accumulation of power in the television industry would have on viewers and other market participants.

 

"Particularly in markets like Boston, where Comcast is the dominant cable provider, citizen groups, industry participants and government agencies expressed concern that Comcast would seek to leverage its cable holdings and in the process degrade its broadcasting presence and diminish the important public service role that broadcast television stations historically have played.”

 

To address those concerns, Comcast promised its NBC affiliates (including WHDH) that it would negotiate affiliate extensions in good faith such that over the air access would be maintained, and cable interests would not influence those negotiations. As part of the FCC’s approval of Comcast’s acquisition of NBC, the FCC adopted these same conditions in order to protect the public interest.

 

WHDH said that it believes that “Comcast has violated these conditions. It also believes that Comcast’s actions violate Massachusetts law prohibiting unfair and deceptive business practices. Finally, WHDH believes that Comcast’s actions violate federal and state antitrust laws because they have enabled Comcast to increase its monopoly power in the Boston television market, and the resulting decrease in competition will harm consumers, advertisers and other broadcasters.”

 

In its suit, WHDH is seeking an injunction and an order requiring Comcast to comply with its obligations under its agreement with WHDH and the FCC order. WHDH will also seek damages.

 

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/93008/whdh-suing-comcast-over-loss-of-affiliation

Called it. This should be fun. Something tells me this won't end well for Comcast/NBC.

 

My take is that it will never go to trial and both parties will settle out of court.

The details of that settlement will be sealed and confidential.

 

I know a lot of you get emotionally invested in this stuff...and that's fine (I'm interested also) I think it's safe to assume that NBC is banking on dragging this out in the hopes that Ed just dies.

But if Ed outlast NBC I bet Sunbeam/Ed scores some cash out of the deal just to "go away".

 

Now if Ed is still with NBC in 1 year...we will know who won.

My take is that it will never go to trial and both parties will settle out of court.

The details of that settlement will be sealed and confidential.

 

I know a lot of you get emotionally invested in this stuff...and that's fine (I'm interested also) I think it's safe to assume that NBC is banking on dragging this out in the hopes that Ed just dies.

But if Ed outlast NBC I bet Sunbeam/Ed scores some cash out of the deal just to "go away".

 

Now if Ed is still with NBC in 1 year...we will know who won.

I personally wouldn't be shocked to see an out-of-court settlement one bit, but I would consider that a "win" for Ed/Sunbeam. An extra couple million in the bank just allows them to ramp up against the new NBC operation.

 

I really cannot imagine this ending in a "win" for NBC/Comcast. They will pay up one way or another.

I personally wouldn't be shocked to see an out-of-court settlement one bit, but I would consider that a "win" for Ed/Sunbeam. An extra couple million in the bank just allows them to ramp up against the new NBC operation.

 

I really cannot imagine this ending in a "win" for NBC/Comcast. They will pay up one way or another.

 

It really is too bad that we my never know, because this is one of the juicier media brawls along with that MG/NBC26 thing.

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