WRAL loses CBS affiliation effective next month

[Ntropolis 593]

Also how will they incorporate the peacock into their logo? (Isn't that required?)

 

I don't think so, unless it's required for new affiliates or something. ABC requires it now.

[GoldenShine9 1509]

The big winner here is clear: NBC. After years of anemic ratings in the Triangle, they've hit the proverbial affiliate jackpot.

 

WRAL is probably happy to avoid paying the exorbitant retrans fees that CBS was wanting; but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and NBC has a weaker primetime schedule than CBS (Sunday Night Football notwithstanding).

 

WNCN, being owned by large group, can probably afford CBS' fees much more easily than family-owned WRAL; and in return they'll get an overall stronger programming slate (including March Madness, which is bigger asset in NC than perhaps anywhere else).

 

CBS, on the other hand, may have killed the golden goose; in this market at least. They are ending up on a weaker station, and while CBS could help bring WNCN into contention (like they helped do with WLKY), in all likelihood CBS is going to take a permanent ratings hit in the R-D market which will affect those sweet, sweet retrans fees down the road. They better hope linear TV becomes obsolete, that's the only way the scorched earth policy with affiliates is going to work.

 

I think WTVD and ABC are the big losers here. If Media General can use CBS to get up to #2, while WRAL has to spend less to maintain its dominant news product, ABC may end up the weakest link, which would reduce the price that Disney would sell it for when the time comes, plus they could be squeezed locally two ways, not just one way.

[KevCor 344]

There was a news article out recently that said minus SNF NBC won the key demographics last season. They may not draw the viewers CBS has but they got what the advertisers want.

 

Also how will they incorporate the peacock into their logo? (Isn't that required?)

 

Also they're doing damage control on Facebook.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154570400902178

 

Edit: The NBC ratings I was referring to were from this season. So far minus football NBC averages 3.4 million to CBS' 2.9 million in the 18-49 demographic. CBS still comes out top in viewership with 11.1 to NBC's 9.4 million.

 

I'm loving the people who are deeply and utterly betrayed by this crying to them on Facebook. Most of the comments are from people who appear to be in the 50+ demo, like this lady:

 

WRAL TV. Did you ask your viewers? I have watched WRAL faithfully since 1960. I watched ABC programming and I watched Jesse Helms and his racist editorials every evening. There was not anything else allowed on by my father while Sam Beard told the news and Bob Caudle in his white Atlantic uniform moved his little felt weather emblems. So to long time, loyal viewers we feel betrayed. Honestly, there is no NBC tv programming we watch. We will simply turn to WNCT Greenville were we have used as a CBS backup when you carry basketball games or your own special programming that we were not interested in. I'm sorry you didn't include your loyal viewers. This action diminishes the neighborly friendships and personal bonds created by Facebook post of Baby Elizabeth and training aids dogs. It was just part of the business and we are, by your actions, reduced to just general public. What a way to break 55 years of faithful companionship. Goodbye.

[atlnews2 557]

Please keep speculation about other affiliation switches in the Speculatron 9000

[Eat News 4738]

Please keep speculation about other affiliation switches in the Speculatron 9000

 

...and never let the speculation get wet.

[Ntropolis 593]

In this Facebook comment, WRAL says WILM will remain with CBS. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out with the news simulcast.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154572115012178

[Action Newsroom 1150]

I'm loving the people who are deeply and utterly betrayed by this crying to them on Facebook. Most of the comments are from people who appear to be in the 50+ demo, like this lady:

Wow. It's like some of these people don't know what the channel buttons are. It's clear they haven't read the articles, and that they'd rather waste their time whining off--looking like fools.

 

Plus, some of them claim NBC is the rock bottom of television. Sure, it has shows they individually don't watch, but for them to say that everyone in the market doesn't watch it (as it's proof that WNCN is #2) is a farce like this comment section as a whole is.

[effseesee 101]

 

The thing that will hurt WRAL the most? Not having March Madness. Basketball is big in the market, and with at least one of the tobacco road schools in the NCAA tournament every year, that is significant viewership lost. That said, WRAL will still have rights to the ACC Tournament, and that will draw eyeballs to the station.

 

March Madness is moving away from CBS to Turner. This would have been a bigger deal 10 years ago.

 

I think WTVD and ABC are the big losers here. If Media General can use CBS to get up to #2, while WRAL has to spend less to maintain its dominant news product, ABC may end up the weakest link, which would reduce the price that Disney would sell it for when the time comes, plus they could be squeezed locally two ways, not just one way.

 

That's a pretty big jump, considering WNCN has consistently been the 4th place station in the market.

 

In this Facebook comment, WRAL says WILM will remain with CBS. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out with the news simulcast.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154572115012178

 

The affiliation agreement for WILM ends at the end of the year. I would expect CBS to end up on a subchannel of WECT or WSFX next year.

[T.L. Hughes 750]

The big winner here is clear: NBC. After years of anemic ratings in the Triangle, they've hit the proverbial affiliate jackpot.

 

WRAL is probably happy to avoid paying the exorbitant retrans fees that CBS was wanting; but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and NBC has a weaker primetime schedule than CBS (Sunday Night Football notwithstanding).

 

WNCN, being owned by large group, can probably afford CBS' fees much more easily than family-owned WRAL; and in return they'll get an overall stronger programming slate (including March Madness, which is bigger asset in NC than perhaps anywhere else).

 

CBS, on the other hand, may have killed the golden goose; in this market at least. They are ending up on a weaker station, and while CBS could help bring WNCN into contention (like they helped do with WLKY), in all likelihood CBS is going to take a permanent ratings hit in the R-D market which will affect those sweet, sweet retrans fees down the road. They better hope linear TV becomes obsolete, that's the only way the scorched earth policy with affiliates is going to work.

Although, if cord-cutting becomes more prevalent, such a "policy" would have to fall by the wayside. Keep in mind, these retrans battles wouldn't have happened had it not been for the passage of the Cable Act of 1992, entitling broadcasters to an added source of revenue. Nowadays, it has unfortunate side effects, raising cable prices to levels where some people are dropping their subscriptions, and now, fraying the network-affiliate relationship.

 

CBS kinda started battles like this that were caused by reverse comp demands (via retrans) when it pressed Post-Newsweek (Graham) to pay it more money to keep WJXT an affiliate. That had an unexpected outcome too, since the Eye's current Jacksonville affiliate, WJAX, is the third place station while WJXT is tops (despite now battling WTLV for first in local news) as an independent.

 

You have to wonder whether a dual compensation approach would prevent surprise affiliation swaps and disputes between stations and networks from happening in the future. Though it has things it needs to work out with Tribune, The CW is considering this route in contemplating launching its own OTT service, where it would pay stations that agree to stream their feeds on the proposed service.

 

Newb and Nashville native here.

 

Is the stability that the Nashville affiliates have with their networks a normal thing in mid-market stations? They've all been with their networks since the 50s and WZTV has been with Fox since 1990.

There is at least one other example of network stability. Oklahoma City's three oldest surviving commercial stations have had the same affiliations since day one as well. KFOR was originally home to all of the Big Three nets and DuMont when it debuted in 1949 as WKY-TV, but has always been an NBC affiliate; KOCO has been with ABC since it launched in '54 as an Enid station, and KWTV has been with CBS since it began in 1953. KOKH is the WZTV (its sister station, incidentally) in this example, as it joined Fox around the same time as that station (ironically, assuming the affiliation from KFOR's present-day sister KAUT, which has been the least stable affiliation-wise of the market's stations, having changed affiliations four times between 1986 and 2006 before returning to independent status in 2012).

 

That's a pretty big jump, considering WNCN has consistently been the 4th place station in the market.

Wait, if WNCN is fourth in Raleigh-Durham, then who's third, WRAZ or WLFL?

[Thundershock MN 169]

You are going to see a wave of this as agreements expire. All details will be withheld from you except for what is required by the FCC filings....and that is not much.

 

Stations and networks are going to be playing hardball as the tides are turning.

You are right. But, in fairness there have been a lot of affiliation renewals between the networks and larger station groups over the last couple years. Majority of them are long-term deals and for the most part there was little commotion when most were renewed.

 

IMO this has everything to with CBS and little if anything to do with NBC. NBC is just collateral.

 

CBS likely wanted to strong-arm WRAL into more money, hoping WRAL would blink. It didn't. So it rang up MG and they probably jumped at the chance to have the higher-rated network on WNCN (really CBS's only choice in that market). So it was only logical for NBC to move to its only viable choice...WRAL.

 

Remember: MG is the one who got screwed out of CBS on WISH. Clearly no hard feelings in business...

You pretty much nailed it. CBS wanted their money and when WRAL was unwilling to pay they went to another station in town that would. The rest fell into place as a result.

 

It didn't hurt that both stations affiliation agreements likely expired at the same time....or, close to it. WNCN's deal with NBC expired on 12/31/15 and by all accounts WRAL's deal with CBS had already expired as well. This is also the reason for the "quick switch" between the two stations versus the usual months long wait for one (or, both) agreement(s) to expire prior to the switch.

 

Quite frankly this was a switch of convenience. Both stations were in a position to make a move with expiring agreements. CBS wanted more cash and WNCN was willing to pay and in turn upgraded their network programming. On the flip side, WRAL was able to reach a more manageable deal with another major network and in turn NBC was able to hitch up with a very strong local affiliate.

 

The big winner here is clear: NBC. After years of anemic ratings in the Triangle, they've hit the proverbial affiliate jackpot.

 

WRAL is probably happy to avoid paying the exorbitant retrans fees that CBS was wanting; but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and NBC has a weaker primetime schedule than CBS (Sunday Night Football notwithstanding).

 

WNCN, being owned by large group, can probably afford CBS' fees much more easily than family-owned WRAL; and in return they'll get an overall stronger programming slate (including March Madness, which is bigger asset in NC than perhaps anywhere else).

 

CBS, on the other hand, may have killed the golden goose; in this market at least. They are ending up on a weaker station, and while CBS could help bring WNCN into contention (like they helped do with WLKY), in all likelihood CBS is going to take a permanent ratings hit in the R-D market which will affect those sweet, sweet retrans fees down the road. They better hope linear TV becomes obsolete, that's the only way the scorched earth policy with affiliates is going to work.

This is one situation where all parties came out "winners" so to speak. As I mentioned above, WRAL saved themselves from having to pay CBS' high fee and was able to at least maintain a major network affiliation. NBC was able to link up a strong local affiliate. WNCN was able to get programming from the #1 network. And of course CBS got their money.

 

To your last paragraph. CBS doesn't care, their programming is being cleared and they are getting their money. And, quite frankly if ratings slip in the market on WNCN...well, that's really WNCN's issue. Exempting their O&Os CBS is only going to care about ratings on a national level. CBS (and FOX) have now been moving to a flat fee versus a percentage of the affiliates retransmission fees for reverse compensation. To the best of my knowledge NBC and ABC still use the percentage model for reverse compensation. Anyway, my guess is that with the hard line stance CBS has been taking moving affiliates to the flat fee reverse compensation model I bet WNCN is paying a flat fee. And, if that is the case and the local affiliate takes a hit in their retransmission fees at negotiation time because of lower ratings (or, whatever) it's the local station that will "take a hair cut" not the network, as the network's flat fee isn't going to change.

 

Todays secret call letters are..._ _ _ _

I literally burst of laughing when I read this.

 

I almost think their is some TVNT "six degrees of separation" thing where every topic inevitably has to get tied back to [the station that shall remain nameless]. At this point I just make a game out of it myself and see how many degrees/steps a poster needs to use tie the topic back to [the station that shall remain nameless]...kind of like Name That Tune.

[NEOMatrix 1295]

NBC has The Voice, The Blacklist, NASCAR, SVU, Sunday Night Football, and the Olympics every other year. IIRC, NBC ended 2014-2015 as the number two network, ahead of ABC and Fox. WRAL should be fine under NBC and WNCN will experience growth under CBS. It's WTVD that should be worried.

[tyrannical bastard 3458]

We're getting close to the point where the remaining small companies will eventually be muscled out of their affiliations. If their stations dominate the market, they will do just fine as weaker-afflilated or independents. If that's not the case, they better sell while they can...

[TheRolyPoly 1847]

NBC has The Voice, The Blacklist, NASCAR, SVU, Sunday Night Football, and the Olympics every other year. IIRC, NBC ended 2014-2015 as the number two network, ahead of ABC and Fox. WRAL should be fine under NBC and WNCN will experience growth under CBS. It's WTVD that should be worried.

 

WRAL will have the Super Bowl, NASCAR, Sunday Night Football, the Olympics, the NHL, the BPL and the Triple Crown this year. WNCN will get, after the switch, March Madness, more NFL, a lot of College Football bowl games and the SEC this year.

 

After all, it doesn't matter for sports fans. But I think WRAL got the better end of the deal in terms of sports in the short-term.

[A3N 996]

Didn't CBS give its affiliates the option to allow the network to negotiate retrans deals on their behalf in exchange for a cut/fee?

[NEOMatrix 1295]

This is a montage of WNCN's current package. Other than rebranding WNCN Today to possibly WNCN This Morning and axing the NBC chimes from the 7-day forecast, MG really dosen't have to make any modifications.

[mre29 1340]

We're getting close to the point where the remaining small companies will eventually be muscled out of their affiliations. If their stations dominate the market, they will do just fine as weaker-afflilated or independents. If that's not the case, they better sell while they can...

 

So, basically, Dispatch, Griffin, Graham, and all of the companies that own only a small number of major-network affiliates each have effectively been put on notice. Lovely.

[AJClementeFan69 477]

This is a montage of WNCN's current package. Other than rebranding WNCN Today to possibly WNCN This Morning and axing the NBC chimes from the 7-day forecast, MG really dosen't have to make any modifications.

 

I feel like NCN has incentive to play up their new CBS affiliation whereas RAL will probably be business as usual, not wanting to appear as if things have shaken up.

[mrschimpf 2058]

How open is NBC going to be about pre-emptions with WRAL though? They can pretty much say 'no-go' on any thoughts of Weekend Today going to 5.2, for instance like what's done with This Morning, so WRAL may have to make-good the heck out of advertisers expecting to be on a local show over the next few months. They've seemed to bump down their pre-emptions over the years, but NBC might as well shrug off any thoughts of getting the 'who cares' late night repeats of Hoda/Kathie Lee, Mad Money or LXTV stuff aired in the market any longer.

 

Hopefully they've also allowed latitude with the ACC tourneys, because both Fox and NBC have always hated pre-emptions outside of Saturday nights.

[Breaking News 802]

So, basically, Dispatch, Griffin, Graham, and all of the companies that own only a small number of major-network affiliates each have effectively been put on notice. Lovely.

 

I think for Dispatch as I was told "it only a matter of time before they sell", but what about Hubbard in Minnesota?

 

CBS might be good for WNCN, but WRAL will continue to have a lion share of the audience, but CBS & RAL worked well together. Was there ever a thought for WRAL to go FOX, and Sinclair could of pick up the CBS affiliation with one of their outlets?

[AJClementeFan69 477]

So, basically, Dispatch, Griffin, Graham, and all of the companies that own only a small number of major-network affiliates each have effectively been put on notice. Lovely.

 

All of this sounds like conjecture...the only other CBS affiliate to be screwed this way in the past few years was WISH, which wasn't and isn't exactly part of a small family-owned group.

 

Despite the increased consolidation, there are still quite a few family-owned stations/groups out there. It's considerably rarer, but not completely gone.

[Eat News 4738]

All of this sounds like conjecture...the only other CBS affiliate to be screwed this way in the past few years was WISH, which wasn't and isn't exactly part of a small family-owned group.

 

Despite the increased consolidation, there are still quite a few family-owned stations/groups out there. It's considerably rarer, but not completely gone.

 

It should also be pointed out that small town newspapers locally owned are doing pretty well as opposed to the larger markets.

I think we are seeing owners, nets and station groups trying to find just where small town America meets big city America.

Hyper Local can work for family owned media outlets.

[tw-804 190]

The affiliation agreement for WILM ends at the end of the year. I would expect CBS to end up on a subchannel of WECT or WSFX next year.

 

Question is: Will WECT give up Bounce TV or Escape or will sister station WSFX give up This TV or Grit for CBS?

[NEOMatrix 1295]

How open is NBC going to be about pre-emptions with WRAL though? They can pretty much say 'no-go' on any thoughts of Weekend Today going to 5.2, for instance like what's done with This Morning, so WRAL may have to make-good the heck out of advertisers expecting to be on a local show over the next few months. They've seemed to bump down their pre-emptions over the years, but NBC might as well shrug off any thoughts of getting the 'who cares' late night repeats of Hoda/Kathie Lee, Mad Money or LXTV stuff aired in the market any longer.

 

Hopefully they've also allowed latitude with the ACC tourneys, because both Fox and NBC have always hated pre-emptions outside of Saturday nights.

WRAL runs CBS This Morning (albeit only one hour) from 8-9am, with 5.2 running the second hour at 9am. They could truncate WRAL News at 6am to one hour, run Today 7-9am (or 8:30 if NBC is showing BPL), and run a hour newscast leading into the E/I programs.

[Rusty Muck 4165]

I think for Dispatch as I was told "it only a matter of time before they sell", but what about Hubbard in Minnesota?

 

CBS might be good for WNCN, but WRAL will continue to have a lion share of the audience, but CBS & RAL worked well together. Was there ever a thought for WRAL to go FOX, and Sinclair could of pick up the CBS affiliation with one of their outlets?

Hubbard is bigger than you think. Their radio chain is huge and includes WTOP-FM, one of the highest billing stations in the country.

 

As for Dispatch... they sold off the Columbus Dispatch, but I have a strong feeling that whomever buys TV10 would also have to take FM 97.1 and AM 1460. Those two stations have the market's biggest prize... the Ohio State Buckeyes football rights.

[elfuego35 89]

Question is: Will WECT give up Bounce TV or Escape or will sister station WSFX give up This TV or Grit for CBS?

 

If a move happens, it would most likely be ThisTV on 26.2 that goes. The affiliation contract ends around the same time as WILM's CBS affilation

 

WRAL runs CBS This Morning (albeit only one hour) from 8-9am, with 5.2 running the second hour at 9am. They could truncate WRAL News at 6am to one hour, run Today 7-9am (or 8:30 if NBC is showing BPL), and run a hour newscast leading into the E/I programs.

 

I think NBC gives their affiliates alot of leeway for Weekend Today. For example,WNCN currently only clears one hour of Weekend Today, and WITN currently delays the program an hour to air news from 6-8 on Saturdays. Also, WRAL could move a portion of the newscast to WRAZ.