Boston TV crisis: WHDH and WNEU

[mardek1995 200]

I completely and vehemently disagree. #1 or #2? When viewer loyalties to WCVB, WBZ and WHDH are decades in the making, and where Cox is in the midst of a rebuild of WFXT? That's absolutely insane and representative of the groupthink that is apparently pervasive at 30 Rock.

 

NBC will become totally irrelevant in Boston proper with a craptacular signal for WNEU that can't be upgraded, and the newscasts will be lucky to draw hash marks for ratings.

How do you know that the signal can't be upgraded? If it can't then can't it build another station for an NBC/Telemundo O&O duopoly? And is CBS any more relevant than NBC in Boston at this point?

[scrabbleship 427]

This all assumes that CBS doesn't throw a wrench into this by taking the CW affiliation for WSBK. IIRC CBS wasn't happy about Tribune selling WLVI to Sunbeam to begin with and I would think they would want the network they own part of on their station.

 

Remember, Sunbeam hasn't reupped their affiliation yet and I don't think that the C end of CW doesn't let them take it without a fight.

[mvcg66b3r 97]

How do you know that the signal can't be upgraded?

 

The FCC has put a freeze on transmitter moves and upgrades until after the auction.

[Rusty Muck 4168]

How do you know that the signal can't be upgraded? If it can't then can't it build another station for an NBC/Telemundo O&O duopoly?

The FCC has put a freeze on transmitter moves and upgrades until after the auction.

Yup. WNEU is hemmed in as a Manchester, NH signal. And that FCC freeze could go on for years (it's the federal government we're talking about, after all).

 

Plus, if I owned WMPF, I would deliberately hold out beyond 2017 so that a desperate NBC would overpay dearly for it as a WNEU relay. And even then... I still wouldn't sell, but make a move to cash out the spectrum.

 

And is CBS any more relevant than NBC in Boston at this point?

Oh come on now. WBZ is still very much relevant in Boston, with plenty of heritage behind it. And it's a full-market signal like WHDH.

 

WBZ is a known commodity. WNEU isn't, and will never be.

[mardek1995 200]

Yup. WNEU is hemmed in as a Manchester, NH signal. And that FCC freeze could go on for years (it's the federal government we're talking about, after all).

 

Plus, if I owned WMPF, I would deliberately hold out beyond 2017 so that a desperate NBC would overpay dearly as a WNEU relay. And even then... I still wouldn't sell, but make a move to cash out the spectrum.

 

 

Oh come on now. WBZ is still very much relevant in Boston, with plenty of heritage behind it. And it's a full-market signal like WHDH.

 

WBZ is a known commodity. WNEU isn't, and will never be.

I'm thinking one of the reasons is because WBZ airs Patriots games as the official station of the New England Patriots

[Rusty Muck 4168]

I'm thinking one of the reasons is because WBZ airs Patriots games as the official station of the New England Patriots

Then why is WFOR in eighth place despite being the Dolphins' "home station?"

 

WJZ was dominant in news well before they picked up CBS, and CBS picked up the AFC rights (and, by extension, Ravens games). WBZ has heritage that dates back to the 1950s.

 

NFL game carriage is irrelevant here.

[mardek1995 200]

The FCC has put a freeze on transmitter moves and upgrades until after the auction.

Then after the auction, NBC might as well upgrade WNEU's signal's power so that it reaches Boston itself.

 

Then why is WFOR in eighth place despite being the Dolphins' "home station?"

 

WJZ was dominant in news well before they picked up CBS, and CBS picked up the AFC rights (and, by extension, Ravens games). WBZ has heritage that dates back to the 1950s.

 

NFL game carriage is irrelevant here.

Being the home (or official) station of a football team can be a part of a station's heritage, especially if their team is often on the playoffs. And by the way, WBZ aired Patriots games as an NBC affiliate until 1995 when Westinghouse switched it to CBS (along with most others except KDKA and KPIX who were already CBS affiliates) then it got coverage Patriots games once again in 1998 through Westinghouse/CBS picking up the AFC rights

[24994J 5276]

Good Lord, this thread. What does the AFC team's home station have to do with NBC? Abso-frickin-nothing.

 

No matter what happens, IT ALL depends on how annoyed/displeased/pissed NBC is at Ansin and company. Plain and simple.

[mardek1995 200]

Still, WNEU will still become a decent NBC O&O, though, they'll more than likely have to deal with WHDH being watched more despite no longer being an NBC affiliate, much like it did with WSVN.

[mre29 1340]

I'm just going to cheerfully continue to believe that WNEU will actually become NBC New Hampshire. At the very least, it'll put WHDH in the same position WCVB was in prior to Hearst's purchase of WMUR.

[Rusty Muck 4168]

Good Lord, this thread. What does the AFC team's home station have to do with NBC? Abso-frickin-nothing.

 

No matter what happens, IT ALL depends on how annoyed/displeased/pissed NBC is at Ansin and company. Plain and simple.

THIS.

Still, WNEU will still become a decent NBC O&O, though, they'll more than likely have to deal with WHDH being watched more despite no longer being an NBC affiliate, much like it did with WSVN.

I'll say it again: NBC will fail badly with WNEU, so much so that WWJ-TV will be a success story by comparison.

 

WHDH, WBZ, WCVB, WFXT, WGBH, WSBK, WMUR, WLVI, WNHT, WBIN, WJAR and the area community access channels will all have higher ratings that WNEU.

 

You can take that to the bank.

[mardek1995 200]

THIS.

I'll say it again: NBC will fail badly with WNEU, so much so that WWJ-TV will be a success story by comparison.

 

WHDH, WBZ, WCVB, WFXT, WGBH, WSBK, WMUR, WLVI, WNHT, WBIN, WJAR and the area community access channels will all have higher ratings that WNEU.

 

You can take that to the bank.

Are you sure? Because even if WNEU sucks as an NBC O&O, WWJ will still suck more as a CBS O&O.

[TheRolyPoly 1847]

Then why is WFOR in eighth place despite being the Dolphins' "home station?"

 

Because... the newscasts suck! Even the Spanish language stations beat WFOR. However, I do like Rudabeh Shahbazi. She's so fucking hot.

 

Also, the Miami Dolphins suck this season! 5-9, out of the playoffs again and again, another losing season. When the Dolphins don't do well time and time again, viewers here will tune out and watch something else.

 

WHDH, WBZ, WCVB, WFXT, WGBH, WGBX, WSBK, WMUR, WLVI, WNHT?, WBIN, WLNE, WJAR, WPRI, WNAC and the area community access channels will all have higher ratings that WNEU.

 

Edited this statement to include WGBX, WLNE, WPRI and WNAC. And what do you mean by WNHT? That station died 20+ years ago!

[rkolsen 1679]

I need some popcorn because this thread is so entertaining. I believe I mentioned the fact that they can't improve the signal until after the replacing a few pages back. But if NBC cared about WNEU's signal coverage they would have installed some translators (I forget the specifics but they used the same call signs as the parent) that the FCC allowed to serve their market area that lost coverage after the DTV switch. But this all happened in the GE era where they were undergoing cost cuts. To even make this halfway feasible would be to buy WTMU-LP.

 

Edit: The program I was thinking of was the Replacement Digital Television Translator Service.

[channel2 869]

WMFP is owned by NRJ TV, a spectrum speculator.

 

And based on anecdotal evidence, Miami is full of transplants from the Northeast whose loyalties do not lie with the Dolphins at all.

[Rusty Muck 4168]

Are you sure? Because even if WNEU sucks as an NBC O&O, WWJ will still suck more as a CBS O&O.

WWJ-TV has a signal that covers all of Detroit, and actually pulls decent ratings in spite of no local newscasts. We've debated that to death elsewhere.

 

Contrary to what you think, WWJ-TV doesn't suck. WNEU will suck with a poor signal and zero ratings.

And what do you mean by WNHT? That station died 20+ years ago!

Exactly. That wasn't a typo.

[mardek1995 200]

WWJ-TV has a signal that covers all of Detroit, and actually pulls decent ratings in spite of no local newscasts. We've debated that to death elsewhere.

 

Contrary to what you think, WWJ-TV doesn't suck. WNEU will suck with a poor signal and zero ratings.

By that logic, WWJ should have newscasts while WNEU shouldn't, unless NBC buys WTMU-LP

[nomadcowatbk 144]

Because... the newscasts suck! Even the Spanish language stations beat WFOR. However, I do like Rudabeh Shahbazi. She's so fucking hot.

 

Also, the Miami Dolphins suck this season! 5-9, out of the playoffs again and again, another losing season. When the Dolphins don't do well time and time again, viewers here will tune out and watch something else.

 

there's also the large number of Giants, Patriots, and Jets fans in the 6th borough of NYC

[nomadcowatbk 144]

And based on anecdotal evidence, Miami is full of transplants from the Northeast whose loyalties do not lie with the Dolphins at all.

 

how often does WFOR air Patriots or Jets games? How often does WSVN air Giants games?

[scrabbleship 427]

how often does WFOR air Patriots or Jets games? How often does WSVN air Giants games?

 

Whenever circumstances allow.

[tyrannical bastard 3471]

If this goes through....it is an epic shell game of vertical integration. Doing such a thing and actually going through with it could spell the future of broadcasting as we know it.

 

Comcast has ALL of the cards....a network, a station AND a dominant pay tv platform. Now if they make it impossible for rival systems to carry NBC, then that's a huge problem.

[plnewsfan 9]

It's a very huge problem even for IPTV providers.

[Rusty Muck 4168]

By that logic, WWJ should have newscasts while WNEU shouldn't, unless NBC buys WTMU-LP

You read too much into this. WWJ-TV doesn't have newscasts due to reasons that have been talked about to oblivion here and elsewhere.

 

If this goes through....it is an epic shell game of vertical integration. Doing such a thing and actually going through with it could spell the future of broadcasting as we know it.

 

Comcast has ALL of the cards....a network, a station AND a dominant pay tv platform. Now if they make it impossible for rival systems to carry NBC, then that's a huge problem.

That's why I am personally and moralistically opposed to this. Comcast has a monopoly on cable and internet delivery, with substandard service, poor customer support and an atrocious satisfaction rate. And now they want to try and invoke an unfair advantage over the competition. Standard Oil ring a bell, anyone?

 

People gripe on here about S!nclair, Nexstar and Gray, while they all overlook the obvious problem with Comcast and their attempts at outright dominance of every single portion of information access to each and every one of us, i.e., the attempted Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger last year.

 

If the FTC and FCC doesn't put Comcast's balls in a vice over this plan (literally and figuratively) it will affirm that the feds want monopolies where it is politically convenient for them.

[channel2 869]

If this goes through....it is an epic shell game of vertical integration. Doing such a thing and actually going through with it could spell the future of broadcasting as we know it.

 

Comcast has ALL of the cards....a network, a station AND a dominant pay tv platform. Now if they make it impossible for rival systems to carry NBC, then that's a huge problem.

 

Comcast isn't allowed to do that, as a condition of their purchase of NBCU.

[mardek1995 200]

You read too much into this. WWJ-TV doesn't have newscasts due to reasons that have been talked about to oblivion here and elsewhere.

 

 

That's why I am personally and moralistically opposed to this. Comcast has a monopoly on cable and internet delivery, with substandard service, poor customer support and an atrocious satisfaction rate. And now they want to try and invoke an unfair advantage over the competition. Standard Oil ring a bell, anyone?

 

People gripe on here about S!nclair, Nexstar and Gray, while they all overlook the obvious problem with Comcast and their attempts at outright dominance of every single portion of information access to each and every one of us, i.e., the attempted Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger last year.

 

If the FTC and FCC doesn't put Comcast's balls in a vice over this plan (literally and figuratively) it will affirm that the feds want monopolies where it is politically convenient for them.

They already owned NBC prior to 2013 though only a minority stake. I get the idea that Comcast knew people, although they complain about them, don't really care about how great their service is due to how dumbed down many of them are, and wanted to purchase GE's stake as soon as possible because 2017 would be too late for them (in their view or at least what they would say).

 

Comcast isn't allowed to do that, as a condition of their purchase of NBCU.

Thank God or else there would've been a monopoly that they owned.