WBTS - Home of NBC Boston?

[rkolsen 1684]

WBTS, as an LPTV, doesn't have must-carry status.

 

But with having NBC as an affiliation, most (if not all) would carry it. If WBTS didn't have NBC as an affiliation, obviously it wouldn't be there.

 

I don't know any carrier that would not carry a major network affiliation regardless of status. It could also be written into their retransmission consent documents for (for WNEU which I imagine is bundled with NECN and NBC Sports Boston) that should they launch an NBC affiliate it will be carried.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

WBTS, as an LPTV, doesn't have must-carry status.

Comcast owns both the originating program source (WBTS) and the distribution method (Comcast Cable). There is no way Comcast was not going to carry WBTS on their lineup.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Hey Myron...

Don't forget to get into the Pumpkin Spice mode...

I f**king hate pumpkin spice, so no dice.

[kdex86 53]

WBTS sub channel 8.4 COZI is not currently carried by RCN but WUTF sub channel 66.4 GRIT is. Are there any rules on what gets carried and what doesn't?

 

Last I checked, WBTS and WUTF are stations that elect "retransmission consent". They can require cable providers to also include subchannels as a requirement to transmit their primary channel, but the station(s) can also pick which subchannels get carried and which don't.

 

Ironically, Comcast doesn't carry any of the WUTF subchannels.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Last I checked, WBTS and WUTF are stations that elect "retransmission consent". They can require cable providers to also include subchannels as a requirement to transmit their primary channel, but the station(s) can also pick which subchannels get carried and which don't.

 

Now, one other question: does WNEU 60.2 have retransmission consent, or is at the very least eligible for it?

 

If that’s the case, then that full-power subchannel - despite being on the outer reaches of the market - is acting as a necessary surrogate for WBTS.

[broadcastfan9751 140]

Now, one other question: does WNEU 60.2 have retransmission consent, or is at the very least eligible for it?

 

If that’s the case, then that full-power subchannel - despite being on the outer reaches of the market - is acting as a necessary surrogate for WBTS.

 

Yes, NBC elected retransmission consent for WNEU for the most recent carriage cycle, so it can negotiate for carriage of subchannels.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Yes, NBC elected retransmission consent for WNEU for the most recent carriage cycle, so it can negotiate for carriage of subchannels.

And we thus come back to the beginning and the present. Through WNEU, NBC Boston has must-carry cable placement; WBTS has the main metro reach (albeit at low power) and WMFP has a full-power 720p relay for the metro.

 

Where Comcast blew it was electing to have NBC Boston on cable channel 10. It really should have been on 8, to reinforce the WBTS PSIP ID and to piggyback off of being adjacent to WHDH (and to eliminate confusion with Sinclair's WJAR).

 

I still feel that Comcast is best suited paying for WMFP as a full-power relay of WNEU NBC and Telemundo (granted, with limited spectrum they'll now have through channel sharing with WWDP) and trying to find a way to get NBC Boston on cable channel 8.

[Carl Youncinator 3]

How much longer until WMFP shuts down their signal on rf 18 and channel shares with WWDP rf 10? Note: WLWC rf 22, which also sold it's spectrum in the FCC auction, goes dark on 9/30/17 and begins channel sharing with WPXQ rf 17.

[cna247 174]

To assume that WGBX will 100% be sold because of incorrect past prognostications on here is absolute folly. Knock off this Alex Jones fact-free garbage while you're still ahead.

 

Actually, one prognostication has been proven absolutely correct thus far... mine. NBC Boston has been a complete and utter non-factor in the market since day one, and will continue to be a non-factor for the very long term, regardless of what signal they are on or what PSIP ID they hold.

 

Comcast doesn't want a competitive product, they just want the easy revenue from NBC programming passing from one hand to another in the same corporate tree. That's the bed they've made. Let them lay in it.

Nathan, one prognostication has been correct? Yours? You must have amnesia. Go back and read this thread from the beginning. You were super annoying in your insistence that this NBC Boston thing was NOT going to happen. You couldn't have been further from the truth.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Uh-huh. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I did not say that “NBC Boston” would never be a thing. Blocked.

[NEOMatrix 1299]

Uh-huh. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I did not say that “NBC Boston” would never be a thing. Blocked.

I do remember you saying that "NBC Not available South of Boston" would flop and you was right. All this channel sharing and low-powers make my head hurt. No wonder it's in fifth place!

[Rusty Muck 4374]

I do remember you saying that "NBC Not available South of Boston" would flop and you was right. All this channel sharing and low-powers make my head hurt. No wonder it's in fifth place!

And that snark came before Comcast acquired what would become WBTS and pulled off a PSIP ID of 8, which I thought was absolutely shrewd.

 

Really, Comcast blew it with trying to establish the new NBC Boston in a unified way. As heavily cabled as Boston is, and with Comcast owning the majority of the market's cable systems, there was no excuse for them NOT to emphasize the "8" as a means to find the station (like, "Eight is enough for the new NBC Boston!").

[mre29 1519]

I still think they should've gone with 15.

[cna247 174]

Uh-huh. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I did not say that “NBC Boston” would never be a thing. Blocked.

 

And that snark came before Comcast acquired what would become WBTS and pulled off a PSIP ID of 8, which I thought was absolutely shrewd.

 

Really, Comcast blew it with trying to establish the new NBC Boston in a unified way. As heavily cabled as Boston is, and with Comcast owning the majority of the market's cable systems, there was no excuse for them NOT to emphasize the "8" as a means to find the station (like, "Eight is enough for the new NBC Boston!").

Point is you were wrong. You didn't forecast the acquiring of WBTS. So don't act like you got it right. You should look through the beginning of this thread.

 

I will agree with you on one thing: they should've tried to get on channel 8 on cable line-ups and gone with the NBC 8 moniker. Or better yet, shouldvevtried harder to acquire WHDH or WCVB.

[channel99 45]

Point is you were wrong. You didn't forecast the acquiring of WBTS. So don't act like you got it right. You should look through the beginning of this thread.

 

I will agree with you on one thing: they should've tried to get on channel 8 on cable line-ups and gone with the NBC 8 moniker. Or better yet, shouldvevtried harder to acquire WHDH or WCVB.

 

One problem with using 8 on cable is that Ed Ansin's WLVI retransmission consent agreement specifies 8 or 808 with some of the systems. Comcast HD channels are, for example, 804 WBZ, 805 WCVB, 806 WFXT, 807 WHDH, 808 WLVI. If they tried to move that - Ansin would be back in court, and politicians would probably start talking "investigations" again.

 

They have another problem with 8. If they ever do channel share WBTS-LD 8.1- and end up on a full power station - 8.1 will be a problem due to the small overlapping area with WMTW 8.1, Portland, Maine.

[Carl Youncinator 3]

Having PSIP virtual channel numbers, but requiring them to correspond to numbers from NTSC analog days (1941-2009) has been a mistake, as WBTS channel 10, er...8, uh, 46, I mean 60.5, has proven.

[Eat News 4745]

Having PSIP virtual channel numbers, but requiring them to correspond to numbers from NTSC analog days (1941-2009) has been a mistake, as WBTS channel 10, er...8, uh, 46, I mean 60.5, has proven.

 

I don't think I even know the actual RF channels of my local stations anymore. Yep many have changed but if in doubt I would just re-scan OTA.

 

I have one Baja station that comes up as Ch-1. I don't even know if my TV shows the RF allocations in the menu where it's easy to de-chipher.

 

I guess it's kinda idiot proof in my opinion...and it takes a lot of idiot proofing to keep me from screwing things up.

[mre29 1519]

I don't think I even know the actual RF channels of my local stations anymore.

 

Wikipedia is always a good place to start.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

They have another problem with 8. If they ever do channel share WBTS-LD 8.1- and end up on a full power station - 8.1 will be a problem due to the small overlapping area with WMTW 8.1, Portland, Maine.

That’s... kind of the point, and it’s already been discussed to death on this thread. However... I had an odd idea this time. Hear me out.

 

Say Comcast somehow buys out WMFP. They are best served using it for NBC Boston as 60.1 and Telemundo Boston as 60.2 (while dumping all other subs on that limited spectrum). WNEU is remapped so Telemundo is at 60.5 and NBC Boston at 60.6, and that’s even if they want to use WNEU for such superfluous means (beyond acting as a de facto translator for TeleXitos and Cozi). WBTS... remains the same, on 8.1 reaching the inner metro, unchanged with all four subchannels.

 

It’s possible and plausible; after all, the 60 PSIP ID IS being used on a full-power signal in the Boston market. It puts NBC Boston on two primary channels - low-power 8.1 and full-power 60.1, and alleviating, to an extent, the confusing number soup brought about by necessity.

[channel99 45]

That’s... kind of the point, and it’s already been discussed to death on this thread. However... I had an odd idea this time. Hear me out.

 

Say Comcast somehow buys out WMFP. They are best served using it for NBC Boston as 60.1 and Telemundo Boston as 60.2 (while dumping all other subs on that limited spectrum). WNEU is remapped so Telemundo is at 60.5 and NBC Boston at 60.6, and that’s even if they want to use WNEU for such superfluous means (beyond acting as a de facto translator for TeleXitos and Cozi). WBTS... remains the same, on 8.1 reaching the inner metro, unchanged with all four subchannels.

 

It’s possible and plausible; after all, the 60 PSIP ID IS being used on a full-power signal in the Boston market. It puts NBC Boston on two primary channels - low-power 8.1 and full-power 60.1, and alleviating, to an extent, the confusing number soup brought about by necessity.

I think they worried far too much about getting a low virtual channel for number for OTA. All 60's would have been less confusing. The only possible choices for a low power station were 3 or 8, and both have overlapping areas (3 with Hartford). If WBTS-LD had been full power there would have been no low number that could be used.

 

If the FCC can't squeeze WBTS in after the repack, Comcast would have another problem - no good signal in the middle of the market, due to the spotty coverage of WWDP.

 

As for Ch 8, if they channel share with a full power station, or buy one - possibly they could keep the 8 and use 8.8 or 8.10, If WMTW would agree. The FCC might approve. The overlap area is limited, and few people would receive both. Therefore in most of the market, the first 8 hit in a scan would be 8.8 or 8.10

[rkolsen 1684]

How was NECN received in the Boston market prior to NBC Boston? If it was well rated they should of stuck with the NECN teams and add reporters.

 

I assume NBC Boston does well in the primetime ratings? So the issue is keeping the audience engaged. Perhaps they need to work on their teases during primetime. From some of the reports I’ve seen it seems like they put out a good product.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

How was NECN received in the Boston market prior to NBC Boston? If it was well rated they should of stuck with the NECN teams and add reporters.

 

I assume NBC Boston does well in the primetime ratings? So the issue is keeping the audience engaged. Perhaps they need to work on their teases during primetime. From some of the reports I’ve seen it seems like they put out a good product.

It sounds like most were able to find NBC programming on WBTS (or on Sinclair's WJAR in extreme OTA cases), but stick with 4, 5, 7 and 25 for news out of pure habit and loyalty. But that's unfortunately me speaking with little tangible data. :/

[JCB4TV 347]

It sounds like most were able to find NBC programming on WBTS (or on Sinclair's WJAR in extreme OTA cases), but stick with 4, 5, 7 and 25 for news out of pure habit and loyalty. But that's unfortunately me speaking with little tangible data. :/

TEGNA's WCSH extreme OTA cases in the New Hampshire part of the market.

[channel99 45]

And we thus come back to the beginning and the present. Through WNEU, NBC Boston has must-carry cable placement; WBTS has the main metro reach (albeit at low power) and WMFP has a full-power 720p relay for the metro.

 

Where Comcast blew it was electing to have NBC Boston on cable channel 10. It really should have been on 8, to reinforce the WBTS PSIP ID and to piggyback off of being adjacent to WHDH (and to eliminate confusion with Sinclair's WJAR).

 

I still feel that Comcast is best suited paying for WMFP as a full-power relay of WNEU NBC and Telemundo (granted, with limited spectrum they'll now have through channel sharing with WWDP) and trying to find a way to get NBC Boston on cable channel 8.

 

And if this could not get more complicated... Today filed with the FCC - the assignment of the WWDP license, due to the sale of WWDP by Evine Live to RNN for $10 million. The attachments are good bedtime reading - especially the $1 million in penalties added if must-carry by Dish and Directv are not in place on the closing date.

 

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101765831&formid=314&fac_num=23671

[Carl Youncinator 3]

WDPX in Vineyard Haven is listed as channel sharing with WBPX Boston, which makes no sense as both were merely translators for ION. WYCN is listed as channel sharing with WGBX.