Boston TV crisis: WHDH and WNEU

[Eat News 4738]

 

Sunbeam has never been one to invest in syndicated product, not in Miami or in Boston. What would make anyone think they would invest now?

 

He is going to have to fill a giant programming hole. Regardless of what the past was...he will be seeking syndicated programming.

 

Unless you are suggesting that he is sitting on a few years of Hogans Heroes and Cheers reruns.

 

These are different times.

[rkolsen 1680]

He is going to have to fill a giant programming hole. Regardless of what the past was...he will be seeking syndicated programming.

 

Unless you are suggesting that he is sitting on a few years of Hogans Heroes and Cheers reruns.

 

These are different times.

 

Eleven hours to fill. Going to be difficult - especially since all the "good" / higher rated shows will have already been gobbled up. I wonder if a diginet would agree for partial carriage across WHDH and WLVI. I could see them transferring the news programs from WLVI to WHDH and using it to fill the holes.

/end speculation

[newsbot 269]

Eleven hours to fill. Going to be difficult - especially since all the "good" / higher rated shows will have already been gobbled up. I wonder if a diginet would agree for partial carriage across WHDH and WLVI. I could see them transferring the news programs from WLVI to WHDH and using it to fill the holes.

/end speculation

And let's not forget that he'll be bidding against NBC Boston - with all its built-in advantages - for the syndie remainders in addition to all the existing players.

[CircleSeven 1945]

A piece from the Boston Globe on Tuesday. They were giving Ansin advice to take his case to the FCC (Good luck if he follows through on that, or if the FCC would intervene).

 

Meanwhile on the same article, it says that it plans on having a "soft-launch" in the Fall. I don't see why you want to do a soft launch, when your core NBC programming is still airing on HDH until 1/1/17.

 

Instead of renewing its WHDH contract, which expires at the end of 2016, Comcast will launch its own station called NBC Boston. The network has already started to hire staff for the new operation and plans to do a soft launch in the fall on a yet-to-be-determined channel featuring local news and syndicated shows.

 

The new station will formally debut on Jan. 1, 2017, with traditional NBC programming including news, sports, and shows like “The Voice” and “Saturday Night Live.”

[mrschimpf 2094]

Meanwhile on the same article, it says that it plans on having a "soft-launch" in the Fall. I don't see why you want to do a soft launch, when your core NBC programming is still airing on HDH until 1/1/17.

 

Syndication contracts for September; no station is going to take Harry and a whole bunch of new fall content, air it for only four months and bid it adieu to a competitor, and advertisers don't want a top 5 market excluded from the count for those shows until the new year even if its literally hashing out in Boston. Basically expect those fall shows to launch, lots and lots of WJZY-style practice newscasts (hopefully not as bad as them), and a whole bunch of NECN and Cozi TV (expect WMFP to have to give up that network and it to move to a X.3 on the new NBC Boston to keep that in-house) to fill time until January 1, and maybe some Byron Allen and infomercials to fill late night time (unless Ansin claims Byron's stuff first).

[scrabbleship 427]

And let's not forget that he'll be bidding against NBC Boston - with all its built-in advantages - for the syndie remainders in addition to all the existing players.

 

NBC Boston doesn't need much; they already have Access Hollywood (+ Live) and Harry Connick Jr's new talker lined up. What else they might be able to get remains to be seen with Steve Harvey/Ellen tied up at WCVB for the next several years.

 

Sunbeam's current syndicated stable is mostly junk and not sustainable long-term.

[rkolsen 1680]

NBC Boston doesn't need much; they already have Access Hollywood (+ Live) and Harry Connick Jr's new talker lined up. What else they might be able to get remains to be seen with Steve Harvey/Ellen tied up at WCVB for the next several years.

Access Hollywood is currently on WHDH unless their contract is up too?

 

Edit: Didn't know that NBC pulled it as well. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/02/17/whdh-launches-newscast-amid-nbc-turmoil/cgzMyZxJxkl17hhX65tdtI/story.html

[The Frog 398]

Eleven hours to fill. Going to be difficult - especially since all the "good" / higher rated shows will have already been gobbled up. I wonder if a diginet would agree for partial carriage across WHDH and WLVI. I could see them transferring the news programs from WLVI to WHDH and using it to fill the holes.

/end speculation

 

Didn't Ansin let slip that WLVI is on the auction block? Another option could be turning the license in and moving the inventory to WHDH.

[Eat News 4738]

Didn't Ansin let slip that WLVI is on the auction block? Another option could be turning the license in and moving the inventory to WHDH.

 

But that "inventory" may just be on 1" or even 2"Quad reels.

Ed may have to bust out the TeleCine to get rolling.

[scrabbleship 427]

But that "inventory" may just be on 1" or even 2"Quad reels.

Ed may have to bust out the TeleCine to get rolling.

 

But WHDH ceded their long-held rights to Perry Mason after WCVB picked up Me-TV.

 

Seriously, looking at the combined WHDH/WLVI syndicated inventory (discounting Access Hollywood) leaves little to write home about.

 

• The Doctors (WHDH)
  
• Family Feud (current double run on WHDH, WLVI airs the "rerun" package late night and weekend package Saturday evenings)
  
• Extra (WHDH)
  
• Crazy Talk (WLVI, double run)
  
• Maury (WLVI, triple run)
  
• Springer (WLVI, double run)
  
• Steve Wilkos (WLVI, double run, second run is overnight)
  
• Cougar Town (WLVI, double run, second run is late night)
  
• Hot in Cleveland (see above)
  
• Everybody Loves Raymond (see above)
  
• The Middle (WLVI)
  
• Modern Family (WLVI, double run)
  
• Anger Management (WLVI, double run overnights)
  
• Dish Nation (WLVI, very early morning)
  
• America's Court with Judge Ross (see above)
  
• Scandal (WLVI, weekends)
  
• Bob's Burgers (WLVI, weekend late night)
  
• In Depth with Graham Bensinger (WHDH late Sunday night)
  

Nothing really moves the needle here. Unless they can get some of WBIN's inventory (which outside of Rachael Ray and reruns of The Office and the Seth MacFarlane cartoon trio is a bit sparse itself) the options are slim and their motivation to pay low.

[mrschimpf 2094]

But WHDH ceded their long-held rights to Perry Mason after WCVB picked up Me-TV.

 

Seriously, looking at the combined WHDH/WLVI syndicated inventory (discounting Access Hollywood) leaves little to write home about.

 

Crazy Talk can be removed from that list since it's already done (it's in zombie rerun mode until NBCU stops sending it out in September). I think HiC might also be done then too; we'd need to know what is being picked up by them, if anything in fall.

[justin2kx 229]

Honestly, I don't think that's going to happen with WLVI. Given that the CW contract is up in a couple of months. 'LVI was a good station, sadly got in the way thanks to the Telecom Act of 1996.

So I guess it's goodbye to LVI..Living 56 as we know it?....it'll eventually be consolidated (programs) with 'HDH, no? What is to air on 'LVI,which may be put on block, with 7's plans of news intensive/prob. no CW.

What happened to deco drive on 56 though? taken out due to low ratings?

[brianpr3 175]

when big breaking news happens what will HDH do simulcast off a network or what?

[newsbot 269]

when big breaking news happens what will HDH do simulcast off a network or what?

Most likely they will partner with CNN.

[newsbot 269]

But WHDH ceded their long-held rights to Perry Mason after WCVB picked up Me-TV.

As an aside, Andy Griffith can't air on the Portland, Maine MeTV affiliate as WCSH holds the syndication rights in the market; Gilligan's Island airs in its place.

[PanchamBro 19]

Something tells me WHDH is going to end up the same way as WJXT or KRON.

 

They end up with a news theme of their own and made in house, lose affiliation and end up with news as their top rated programming.

KRON failed as a Independent station, and had low ratings on their newscast. A big consequence of losing their NBC affiliate if you ask me.

[mrschimpf 2094]

KRON failed as a Independent station, and had low ratings on their newscast. A big consequence of losing their NBC affiliate if you ask me.

 

I think the way you leave your network pretty much sets up how you end up. WJXT and CBS just parted ways without acrimony or much anguish besides the comp issue and there were hardly any ill effects there, plus they've managed to keep their news focus strong and budget equal. KRON and NBC bickered in the press for months and there was an attitude of "we don't need you" that just exhausted viewers, and once Young started to stumble and cheap out, viewers simply had enough. It also depends on the news situation in the market, as Jacksonville is stuck with two other mediocre news options over four stations, so a third independent voice is definitely needed. Boston and San Francisco are over-newsed in comparison and unless NBC Boston pretty much launches with WJZY-like stumbles (and with NECN, they definitely will not), WHDH will likely need to brush off the NBC situation and move on rather than needling them once 1/1/17 comes around.

[mvcg66b3r 97]

Something tells me WHDH is going to end up the same way as WJXT or KRON.

 

They end up with a news theme of their own and made in house, lose affiliation and end up with news as their top rated programming.

 

Then there's WMGM, and next month WHAG.

[TheRolyPoly 1847]

Then there's WMGM, and next month WHAG.

 

WHAG? Yes. WMGM? No. WMGM has been under a rut since losing NBC and hasn't relaunched since then and doesn't seem like they will come back anytime soon.

[rkolsen 1680]

when big breaking news happens what will HDH do simulcast off a network or what?

 

Most likely they will partner with CNN.

Saw a two year old CNN Newsource Contract online recently that said stations can simulcast coverage for up to two hours, I believe do a brief recap on their own, and the clock starts again. The station would have to contact CNN to arrange for a special feed - they can't go and take the local cable company version.

 

I'm curious about the helicopter as well. Doesn't NECN receive the feeds from WHDH's bird? I can easily see that contract going out the door soon. So would NECN, NBC Boston and Telemundo Boston get their own bird or share with another. I could see leasing your own bird would be much easier as you wouldn't have to negotiate with the other stations and NECN could get video from an area outside their DMA.

[CircleSeven 1945]

NBC Boston doesn't need much; they already have Access Hollywood (+ Live) and Harry Connick Jr's new talker lined up. What else they might be able to get remains to be seen with Steve Harvey/Ellen tied up at WCVB for the next several years.

 

Sunbeam's current syndicated stable is mostly junk and not sustainable long-term.

 

Hearst deal with "Ellen" only last until 2017. The show was renewed only for the NBC O&Os until 2020.

 

The Steve Harvey deal last until this season and as of last December they were still negotiating to renew.

[DonDonP1 114]

Hopefully, the FCC would assign the call sign for the new NBC Boston and there would be a digital UHF channel number, and an unused over-the-air vitual channel number available for NBC Boston, hoping that NBC programming would remain over the air for free. That way, the station would be permanently rebranded as "NBC (insert virtual channel number)" with WNEU Telemundo Boston remaining on channel 60.1 Fingers crossed.

[TheRolyPoly 1847]

Working to confirm but has anybody heard about this?

 

[MEDIA=twitter]738088562126692353[/MEDIA]

[CircleSeven 1945]

Working to confirm but has anybody heard about this?

 

[MEDIA=twitter]738088562126692353[/MEDIA]

 

And they still have yet to state which OTA channel it will air on. I'm telling you this is completely half-assed.

[Darius22 120]

the WHDH branding will probably end up being WSVN's in a way while NBC boston is going to probably have look F or Look G. WNEU will probably have to mirror their news format like WSCV. NBC Boston will also be used as a live stream for NBC.com along with NBC's other O&Os. we might expect LA groove probably.