Gray Media - General Thread

[CubsFan79 58]

I could See WLTZ TV becoming a CW station and moving NBC programming to WTVM TV. I agree with JCB4TV said. This would comply with FCC rules

[CircleSeven 1955]

Wow! The FCC has greenlighted the KWWT/KMDF-LD transaction. 

 

What I'm shocked about is where is the document that states that the "failed station waiver" is GRANTED? It's a document similar to this when they approved the WYCI's FSW.

 

EDIT 9/15: Okay. Here it is.

[J1975am 208]

WAVE-TV in Louisville has a 4p newscast now which was originally going to be temporary due to COVID-19, but is now permanent. This means virtually all of WAVE's programming outside of NBC's output is either news or locally produced (similar to sister station WBTV in Charlotte). (info from @TheRolyPoly's "Changing Newscasts" blog)

One wonders if this will be the start of a trend in local TV (network affiliates going all-news outside of network programming). After all, didn't KSNV in Las Vegas once announce their intentions years ago to go all news outside of NBC programming before Sinclair bought the station??

Edited September 16, 2020 by J1975am

[CircleSeven 1955]

 

1 hour ago, J1975am said:

After all, didn't KSNV in Las Vegas once announce their intentions years ago to go all news outside of NBC programming before Sinclair bought the station??

That was Jim Rogers' plan. Until he passed away......

[CubsFan79 58]

This marks the first  year since the FCC okayed the KDLT/KSFY TV merger for GRAY TV.  

[Samantha 2895]

Gray has filed to acquire three LPTVs from Jeffrey Winemiller for $350,000.

 

They are WPHJ-LD and WQIX-LD Vidalia GA, as well as WCGZ-LD La Grange GA.

 

The La Grange station has minimal facilities near Columbus. The two Vidalia stations are located east of Baxley, Georgia, in a rural area that has little coverage from major commercial stations. Appling County is drawn into the Savannah DMA. Programming is unknown.

[GoldenShine9 1512]

1 hour ago, Samantha said:

Gray has filed to acquire three LPTVs from Jeffrey Winemiller for $350,000.

 

They are WPHJ-LD and WQIX-LD Vidalia GA, as well as WCGZ-LD La Grange GA.

 

The La Grange station has minimal facilities near Columbus. The two Vidalia stations are located east of Baxley, Georgia, in a rural area that has little coverage from major commercial stations. Appling County is drawn into the Savannah DMA. Programming is unknown.

 

Vidalia could just be used as satellites for nearby Gray stations - perhaps satellites of WTOC and WALB.

[CircleSeven 1955]

On 9/23/2020 at 9:41 PM, CubsFan79 said:

This marks the first  year since the FCC okayed the KDLT/KSFY TV merger for GRAY TV.  

 

And that came a day after the Third Circuit court vacated Pai's 2017 dereg rule. And he approved this merger by a simple waiver.

___________________________

 

Earlier this week, I discovered that back in June, Memphis' NBC station WMC 5 filed an application for a digital replacement translator (DRT) for UHF channel 14.

 

The fill-in translator would primarily serve all of Shelby County. Here's the contour of the VHF 5 full-power signal and the proposed UHF 14 translator.

 

But here's what I don't understand. What happened to petition of rulemaking (PRM) they had to change their RF signal from VHF 5 & UHF 17?

 

When I read the app further, I found out a few tidbits:

• WMC filed that channel substitution PRM on May 26, 2011, five days before the FCC place a freeze on new channel substitutions. They placed the freeze because of that forthcoming spectrum auction, which didn't happen until five years later.  
• In 2014, they also place a freeze on future DRTs. And the following year, they made that freeze permanent.
• Throughout those eight years, that petition was still pending until the FCC sent a letter to the station on June 29, 2019, dismissing its petition because it would "cause impermissible interference" with the other channels that were reassigned in the spectrum repack.

So, because of the permanent freeze on future DRTs, WMC is requesting a waiver to get the greenlght. I'm hoping they approve the waiver. But its extremely pitiful that it had to come to this.

 

Although, I wished the FCC would've acted on their petition to get them off that VHF-low signal, I do put some blame on Raycom for not filing earlier, as a plethora of stations across the country filed to get off their problematic VHF signals, post-DTV transition. I remember vividly when Raycom filed a PRM for sister station WLBT to get off VHF 7 and move to UHF 28, once viewers in Jackson couldn't get their signal. If Raycom would've filed a petition for WMC at the same time they filed for WLBT, we wouldn't have this discussion today. Hell, Nashville's WTVF was on VHF 5 and they filed to get off that signal and went UHF.

[CubsFan79 58]

KNSB TV just recently asked the FCC if they could switch their VHF signal to a UHF signal in Lincoln Nebraska.

[CubsFan79 58]

My mistake it is KSNB TV.

[tyrannical bastard 3933]

17 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

 

 I remember vividly when Raycom filed a PRM for sister station WLBT to get off VHF 7 and move to UHF 28, once viewers in Jackson couldn't get their signal. If Raycom would've filed a petition for WMC at the same time they filed for WLBT, we wouldn't have this discussion today. Hell, Nashville's WTVF was on VHF 5 and they filed to get off that signal and went UHF.

I thought WLBT was on Channel 30. 

Down in Hattiesburg, WDAM originally had channel 28, but they were able to move to channel 7 once WLBT vacated it.  It still is that way today with no issues, and they even are receivable in my neck of the woods when the skies cooperate.   28 ended up on WMAW (PBS-MPB) in Meridian, after having to move from 44 during the repack.

I used to get WLBT on 30, but it was overruled by the local PBS station (WEIQ/APT) that also moved to 30 during the repack.

 

Biloxi and New Orleans were failed attempts to VHF on their original channels for WLOX and WVUE.  WLOX was particularly short-spaced to Baton Rouge (WBRZ) and both stations had many complaints, so they switched back to their original DTV alottments of 39 and 29.  WVUE is still on 29 while WLOX made the early switch to 32 at the behest of the buyer of their spectrum in the area....I believe it was TMobile?

Edited September 27, 2020 by tyrannical bastard
WMAW info

[CircleSeven 1955]

4 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

I thought WLBT was on Channel 30. 

Down in Hattiesburg, WDAM originally had channel 28, but they were able to move to channel 7 once WLBT vacated it. 

 

Yeah, you're right. WLBT Is on 30. 28 was WDAM's former allotment. WLBT's former RF 7 antenna moved to Hattiesburg for WDAM to use.

 

Edited September 27, 2020 by CircleSeven

[CircleSeven 1955]

Gray has completed its Midland "expansion" with MeTV station KWWT & Cozi TV outlet KMDF-LD. 

 

They've even announced that they're going add more "networks" in the near future. What more they can add? They basically have every diginet possible and that's alot for a small market like MIdland (Antenna, Cozi, H&I, Movies!, Decades, along with the big ones MeTV & Ion). And let's not forget their big nets (CBS [KOSA], The CW [KCWO], MyNet & Telemundo [KTLE-LD]). That's ELEVEN streams on five channels (although some networks are streamed on more then one stick).

 

Since Gray is heavy on Weigel diginets in their footprint, they'll "probably" add Start TV and Gray-owned diginet Circle. But I don't think they'll add anything else. 

 

[Yankees4life 558]

13 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

Gray has completed its Midland "expansion" with MeTV station KWWT & Cozi TV outlet KMDF-LD. 

 

They've even announced that they're going add more "networks" in the near future. What more they can add? They basically have every diginet possible and that's alot for a small market like MIdland (Antenna, Cozi, H&I, Movies!, Decades, along with the big ones MeTV & Ion). And let's not forget their big nets (CBS [KOSA], The CW [KCWO], MyNet & Telemundo [KTLE-LD]). That's ELEVEN streams on five channels (although some networks are streamed on more then one stick).

 

Since Gray is heavy on Weigel diginets in their footprint, they'll "probably" add Start TV and Gray-owned diginet Circle. But I don't think they'll add anything else. 

 

Gray might be opening up shop for a ATSC 3.0 feed of KOSA as well...

Edited October 1, 2020 by Yankees4life

[CircleSeven 1955]

Looks like Gray is "LP-picking" again.....

 

They're acquiring Mansfield, Ohio Class A LP, WOHZ-CD from Mid-State Television for $450K.

 

WOHZ is the sister station of full-power independent, WMFD-TV.

 

Not sure what Gray is going to do with this LP. 

 

 

[Yankees4life 558]

23 minutes ago, CircleSeven said:

Looks like Gray is "LP-picking" again.....

 

They're acquiring Mansfield, Ohio Class A LP, WOHZ-CD from Mid-State Television for $450K.

 

WOHZ is the sister station of full-power independent, WMFD-TV.

 

Not sure what Gray is going to do with this LP. 

 

 

ATSC 3.0 repeater for WOIO/WUAB maybe?

[CircleSeven 1955]

19 minutes ago, Yankees4life said:

ATSC 3.0 repeater for WOIO/WUAB maybe?

 

Gray hasn't been all that vocal on ATSC 3. At least not like the other big groups (Sinclair, Nexstar, etc.)

 

I'm thinking moreso of a UHF translator. WOIO/WUAB is on VHF 10. 

 

Not sure if that's the reason they're buying the signal. But if it is, the question would then be will the signal stay in Mansfield? Or will the signal be moved closer to Cleveland? 

 

If you remember they recently bought TCT (Radiant Life Ministries)-owned station WLNM-LD, and made that a Lansing UHF translator of WILX.

 

And earlier this summer, Gray applied for WMC to have an in-city UHF translator on RF 14.

[Rusty Muck 4366]

There's two ways Gray could go with WOHZ.

 

One would be as a fill-in translator for WOIO/WUAB, but I'm not sure where they'd put it... up north to Lorain or Huron? Remember that WOIO/WUAB has a pretty good translator in Akron, so it wouldn't be needed there. Leaving it in Mansfield seems a bit... weird, as it IS a border market between Cleveland and Columbus (and to some extent, even Toledo to the northwest).

 

The second possibility is... relaunching WOHZ as a semi-satellite of WOIO for Ashland/Mansfield, relaying almost all of WOIO's programming except for a Mansfield-area newscast or two (and it's not THAT ridiculous a concept when you realize that 1) WMFD has thrived with a Mid-Ohio news department and Sunbeam-level program inventory for 30 years, and 2) Raycom built and signed on WMBF from almost nothing 14 years ago).

 

Because WOIO (RF 10) and WBNS (PSIP 10) have to avoid signal overlap by any means necessary, there's a small gap in OTA CBS availability between the two signal contours that Gray could exploit to an advantage.

[CubsFan79 58]

The FCC proposes KGW TV to move the their  digital signal from  a VHF signal to  a UHF signal. KSNB TV wants to switch their signal to a UHF digital signal as well. Will see how it goes.  

[tyrannical bastard 3933]

On 10/14/2020 at 10:37 AM, Myron Falwell said:

There's two ways Gray could go with WOHZ.

 

One would be as a fill-in translator for WOIO/WUAB, but I'm not sure where they'd put it... up north to Lorain or Huron? Remember that WOIO/WUAB has a pretty good translator in Akron, so it wouldn't be needed there. Leaving it in Mansfield seems a bit... weird, as it IS a border market between Cleveland and Columbus (and to some extent, even Toledo to the northwest).

 

The second possibility is... relaunching WOHZ as a semi-satellite of WOIO for Ashland/Mansfield, relaying almost all of WOIO's programming except for a Mansfield-area newscast or two (and it's not THAT ridiculous a concept when you realize that 1) WMFD has thrived with a Mid-Ohio news department and Sunbeam-level program inventory for 30 years, and 2) Raycom built and signed on WMBF from almost nothing 14 years ago).

 

Because WOIO (RF 10) and WBNS (PSIP 10) have to avoid signal overlap by any means necessary, there's a small gap in OTA CBS availability between the two signal contours that Gray could exploit to an advantage.

This move is likely to benefit WOIO/WUAB with better coverage in the Mansfield area.  They lost out initally when WOIO got CBS, as even their analog 19 signal was weaker than what WJW offered at the time.  10TV was easier to pick up in Mansfield back then, despite being on the fringe of the Cleveland-Akron market.

 

And when WOIO went to DIGITAL 10,  it made the signal even harder to pick up, and even Cleveland has to deal with interference from CPFL in London, Ontario (both in the Analog and digital era).  WBNS went UHF on 21, and even Sinclair moved WSYX from VHF to UHF soon after the transition.   The Akron translator helped the Akron area, and this could benefit the western fringe even more.

 

I doubt they would try and compete with WMFD.  Akron and Canton still don't have dedicated newscasts anymore, and Mansfield is far enough away from Cleveland or Columbus to be considered it's own sub-market.  A group tried to launch a super-station that served Columbus (WCOM) but it failed and WMFD was later launched to serve the Mid-Ohio area.

 

While Canton and Akron are larger cities, they're still in the shadow of Cleveland and have been haunted by the effects of channel availability and distance to Cleveland to try and make something of themselves as their own TV market. 

[tyrannical bastard 3933]

An update to the WLTZ "rumors". 

 

Gray has been running WLTZ since September 1 under a shared services agreement.

https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/manager/download/bf4c70a0-0bd9-9080-893f-6fba6bdbc7a3/1d06a0db-30a4-477b-9c1e-a1fc2b835195.pdf

 

I wonder if the low power station acquired in LaGrange could be used as a replacement for WLTZ in the future?

 

Looking at their website the talent has been dropping like flies over the last few months.  It's only a matter of time before WTVM begins newscasts there (if they haven't already)....

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by tyrannical bastard
typo

[CubsFan79 58]

So GRAY TV owns and operates WTVM, WXTX, and now WLTZ TV. So the rumor about WLTZ TV were true.

[lugnuts6 91]

So we ARE nearing ......what I predicted in my artwork 

Edited November 17, 2020 by lugnuts6

[24994J 5552]

4 minutes ago, lugnuts6 said:

So we ARE nearing ......

 

Is this legitimate, or did you make this?

[lugnuts6 91]

I made it , its an ok bit of artwork 

Edited November 17, 2020 by lugnuts6