Media General selling WNEG in Toccoa, GA to University of Georgia Research Foundation

[tyrannical bastard 3476]

Media General is selling WNEG (a semi-satellite of WSPA) to the Research Foundation of the University of Georgia. They are planning to keep it as a commercial television station serving Northeast Georgia, focusing on local programming.

 

I'll bet that CBS will be going away when their contract is up...it can either be brought in from Atlanta or from Spartanburg. UGA looks like it is going to slowly move operations of the station down to the university in Athens and out of Toccoa.

 

Here's the story from UGA.

http://www.uga.edu/news/artman/publish/080625UGA_to_acquire_wneg.shtml

[caliwxdude 252]

So is this going to become another KOMU-like arrangement, where the newsroom is a sort of training ground for broadcast journalism students? Very interesting prospect for those studying at UGA...

[WXmanTim 88]

So is this going to become another KOMU-like arrangement, where the newsroom is a sort of training ground for broadcast journalism students? Very interesting prospect for those studying at UGA...

 

Hopefully they can make something good of it. The University's J-School already produces a local newscast, NewsSource 15, 4-days per week on their Athens cable station. I imagine that service eventually will be combined with the existing WNEG newsroom.

 

CBS programming may disappear, but I don't know why CBS would pull the affiliation. It will still be serving the same general area, they are just moving the studios to Athens. Wiki says they have only had the affiliation since 1995, when WGNX picked up CBS (WGNX's coverage didn't extend as far into northeast Georgia as WAGA's did).

 

If CBS and/or the University decides to pull or drop the affiliation, the station could certainly operate on a similar basis as University of Alabama's WVUA-7 but I imagine they would get more out of continuing to operating it as an affiliate and using the newsroom as a laboratory similar to KOMU.

[tyrannical bastard 3476]

CBS programming WILL eventually be going away, but WNEG's news staff will continue to produce newscasts.

 

http://www.wneg32.com/index.php/news/article/wneg-tv-sold-to-uga/1079/

[leach 0]

If CBS and/or the University decides to pull or drop the affiliation, the station could certainly operate on a similar basis as University of Alabama's WVUA-7 but I imagine they would get more out of continuing to operating it as an affiliate and using the newsroom as a laboratory similar to KOMU.

 

If WNEG does drop CBS, of course they could go with another network.

I can think of two colleges/universities that are affiliated with a network.

Norte Dame 's WNDU ( NBC ) and Winchester, Virginia's Shenandoah University ( ABC ) though there has been talk recently that WJLA and ABC are trying to put a stop to that since Winchester, VA is in the Washington, DC DMA and from what I heard neither ( ABC and WJLA ) are very happy with the situation even though the station has been a success and actually has been giving the other local valley newtork affilate ( Hagerstown's NBC 25 ) a run for their money.

 

Myself, I think Winchester's ABC 3 ( ok..TV3 Winchester ) would have better off had they hooked up with another network such as that Retro Television Network for example rather than ABC and airing the same programming as everyone else like Dr. Phil and Oprah for example.

[jerseyfla 196]

And viewers in the area appear to be freaking out from what I read on WNEG's website. Everyone is wondering how they are going to watch CBS, well obviously it will be from sister station WSPA in Spartanburg and possibly the trainwreck of a CBS affiliate from Atlanta WGCL.

[Ntropolis 593]

And viewers in the area appear to be freaking out from what I read on WNEG's website. Everyone is wondering how they are going to watch CBS, well obviously it will be from sister station WSPA in Spartanburg and possibly the trainwreck of a CBS affiliate from Atlanta WGCL.

 

It may be a problem for those watching via antenna... maybe WSPA can set up a low-power translator in the area?

[jerseyfla 196]

It may be a problem for those watching via antenna... maybe WSPA can set up a low-power translator in the area?

 

After checking AntennaWeb.org, you are absolutely right WNEG is the only station they can recieve. Good luck to the country bumpkins with no cable or satellite.

[Dude From VA 0]

...Winchester, Virginia's Shenandoah University ( ABC ) though there has been talk recently that WJLA and ABC are trying to put a stop to that since Winchester, VA is in the Washington, DC DMA and from what I heard neither ( ABC and WJLA ) are very happy with the situation....

 

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but this statement is completely false. I live just south of Winchester and TV3 Winchester (the Winchester ABC station) and WJLA have never had any problems.

 

WJLA remains on cable locally and hasn't, to my knowledge (and a Google search) had anything to say (good or bad) about TV3 Winchester. Also, TV3 Winchester has been on the air for over a year....so if WJLA or ABC was going to something, they would have done it before the station went on the air.

 

Also, the station is not owned by Shenandoah University, it is owned by Gray Communications (the ABC signal comes from co-owned WHSV). Shenandoah students do, though, work at the station to get experience, but only behind the scenes as far as I can tell.

 

But again, as for ABC or WJLA having problems with TV3 Winchester, that is completely false.

 

*we now return you to your regularly scheduled thread, already in progress*

[ProButtonPusher 230]

I can think of two colleges/universities that are affiliated with a network.

Norte Dame 's WNDU ( NBC )...

Not trying to minimize your point here, but WNDU was sold to Gray 2 years ago....strangely enough, TV3 Winchester is owned by Gray, too, but I believe it is operated by the college

[leach 0]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but this statement is completely false. I live just south of Winchester and TV3 Winchester (the Winchester ABC station) and WJLA have never had any problems.

 

WJLA remains on cable locally and hasn't, to my knowledge (and a Google search) had anything to say (good or bad) about TV3 Winchester. Also, TV3 Winchester has been on the air for over a year....so if WJLA or ABC was going to something, they would have done it before the station went on the air.

 

Also, the station is not owned by Shenandoah University, it is owned by Gray Communications (the ABC signal comes from co-owned WHSV). Shenandoah students do, though, work at the station to get experience, but only behind the scenes as far as I can tell.

 

But again, as for ABC or WJLA having problems with TV3 Winchester, that is completely false.

 

*we now return you to your regularly scheduled thread, already in progress*

 

Ah..I belong to another website and I have been talking to an employee from WJLA who is also a member. From what he was telling me not everything is peaches and cream between TV 3 and WJLA. For example he was telling me that WJLA isn't exactly happy that TV 3 streams their newscasts online to a nationwide audience ( TV 3's Bill Duvall for example has a following in Indianapolis and it has nothing to do with news...dont ask !! LOL ) and some radio station in COLORADO last summer called TV 3 Winchester's weather gal Lauryn Ricketts the worst weather forcaster in America ( they called her a blonde bimbo on the air LOL ). from what the WJLA employee was telling me, WJLA wouldn't mind at all if TV 3 Winchester would stream their videos to the local Winchester audience only but not to viewers say in other states. Over the years there have been a few stations who limted their streams and clips to only those who live in that market. Doesn't Raleigh's WRAL do this with their CBS feed?

 

In other words WJLA wanted to limit the number of viewers TV 3 has and they do have that power since the area is in the Washington DMA. Also I have heard that there was some agreement between the two stations that TV 3 Winchester can't advertise. That explains why one doesn't see Bill DuVall's face on billboards around Winchester. I used to live in Winchester and I always thought it was very odd that with a new TV station coming to town why didn't Gray pay for ads in the local paper or use billboards to promote TV 3 Winchester but after what the guy from WJLA told me, well now I know why.

 

True TV 3 Winchester is still on the cable in Winchester ( though not of DBS..according to some of my friends at Dish Network, that is due to a request from WJLA BTW ). Still though, once again Winchester is in the Washington DMA and WJLA while they really can't stop the news, WJLA does have the power to prevent TV 3 from airing ABC programming though such as what is being done on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Their local ABC affilate WMDT has exclusive rights to ABC however their local cable carries Baltimore's WMAR but once WMAR starts showing ABC programming, up comes a black screen telling viewers to switch to WMDT. WJLA can do that in Winchester. Why they haven't yet? I can't answer that and I doubt my friend at WJLA will tell me either. But with the big digital switch coming up next year, maybe WJLA will pull its muscle then.Just because they haven't done it yet doesn;t always mean they wont tomorrow Keep in mind though that for YEARS the Winchester area had access to THREE FOX affiliates on cable then one day out of the blue WTTG changed that and that made WTTG the area's only FOX.

 

Have to wait and see.

[Mrtraveler01 737]

Ah..I belong to another website and I have been talking to an employee from WJLA who is also a member. From what he was telling me not everything is peaches and cream between TV 3 and WJLA. For example he was telling me that WJLA isn't exactly happy that TV 3 streams their newscasts online to a nationwide audience ( TV 3's Bill Duvall for example has a following in Indianapolis and it has nothing to do with news...dont ask !! LOL ) and some radio station in COLORADO last summer called TV 3 Winchester's weather gal Lauryn Ricketts the worst weather forcaster in America ( they called her a blonde bimbo on the air LOL ). from what the WJLA employee was telling me, WJLA wouldn't mind at all if TV 3 Winchester would stream their videos to the local Winchester audience only but not to viewers say in other states. Over the years there have been a few stations who limted their streams and clips to only those who live in that market. Doesn't Raleigh's WRAL do this with their CBS feed?

 

In other words WJLA wanted to limit the number of viewers TV 3 has and they do have that power since the area is in the Washington DMA. Also I have heard that there was some agreement between the two stations that TV 3 Winchester can't advertise. That explains why one doesn't see Bill DuVall's face on billboards around Winchester. I used to live in Winchester and I always thought it was very odd that with a new TV station coming to town why didn't Gray pay for ads in the local paper or use billboards to promote TV 3 Winchester but after what the guy from WJLA told me, well now I know why.

 

True TV 3 Winchester is still on the cable in Winchester ( though not of DBS..according to some of my friends at Dish Network, that is due to a request from WJLA BTW ). Still though, once again Winchester is in the Washington DMA and WJLA while they really can't stop the news, WJLA does have the power to prevent TV 3 from airing ABC programming though such as what is being done on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Their local ABC affilate WMDT has exclusive rights to ABC however their local cable carries Baltimore's WMAR but once WMAR starts showing ABC programming, up comes a black screen telling viewers to switch to WMDT. WJLA can do that in Winchester. Why they haven't yet? I can't answer that and I doubt my friend at WJLA will tell me either. But with the big digital switch coming up next year, maybe WJLA will pull its muscle then.Just because they haven't done it yet doesn;t always mean they wont tomorrow Keep in mind though that for YEARS the Winchester area had access to THREE FOX affiliates on cable then one day out of the blue WTTG changed that and that made WTTG the area's only FOX.

 

Have to wait and see.

 

But WJLA also streams their newscasts online. I watch them here in Missouri from time to time so they are doing the exact same thing they are complaining of TV3 doing. But the other things you did mention make sense though. I can't understand why WJLA would make such a big deal out of TV3. Yes it is in the Washington DMA, but it is on the fringe of it and I doubt a lot of the ads on TV target the Winchester area.

[leach 0]

But WJLA also streams their newscasts online. I watch them here in Missouri from time to time so they are doing the exact same thing they are complaining of TV3 doing. But the other things you did mention make sense though. I can't understand why WJLA would make such a big deal out of TV3. Yes it is in the Washington DMA, but it is on the fringe of it and I doubt a lot of the ads on TV target the Winchester area.

 

A lot of this is of course..money !!!

 

The Winchester metro area is a fast growing one, actually Winchester is one of the very few Virginia cities to actually have a gain in population and of course with so many people who live in that area commute to DC to work not too mention the population growth, WJLA knows they have a ton a viewers in that area and they want to keep it that way. This is why TV 3 Winchester is pretty much a "cable only" outlet even though they are available on the air through a WHSV sub channel. WJLA is the reason why TV 3 isn't available on Direct TV or Dish Network as well as the nearby West Virginia cable systems like Martinsburg for example ( for the record that system still offers Baltimore's WMAR but only because of WMAR's very close ties to WEPM radio, a radio station in Martinsburg ). All of this limits the viewers to TV 3 Winchester and gives WJLA the "upper hand". The streaming videos and such, I don't understand why WJLA feels that way about those streams either but that is the guy from WJLA told me. Maybe WJLA feels that those streams would give TV 3 more viewers which is something they don't want.

 

Of course WJLA ( and even the other Washington stations ) will be the first to admit that over the years they really don't serve the Winchester area despite Winchester being in their DMA. Well there is a good 70 miles plus ( and a mountain ) that seperates the two regions and while the DC stations have no problem with Winchester having their own TV newscast ( why would they ? ), its the ABC programming where I can see WJLA having an issue and even though TV 3 Winchester has been on the air for over a year now, I would not at all be surprised that one day WJLA will pull a WTTG ( like they did with FOX ) and make their station "exclusive" when it comes to ABC.

 

I asked the guy from WJLA about that and he wouldn't answer the question, but then again being an employee with WJLA I had doubts he would anyway. But I do know that even though TV 3 Winchester is a "must carry" channel on cable in Winchester, being in the DC DMA, WJLA still has the power to yank ABC from TV 3 , they just can't get the channel taken off totally from cable.

[Dude From VA 0]

I invite "leach" to drive down Valley Avenue in Winchester on a billboard by Winchester Saturn or walk into Apple Blossom Mall (yes, that's really what they call it) and you will see Bill DuVall's face on a couple ads there too. Also, TV3 advertises on local radio station WUSQ-FM.

 

The reason TV3 Winchester isn't on satellite.....they are cable only and serve 4 counties. Why would they need to be on satellite for the entire DC area when they serve 4 counties?

 

To Mrtraveler01: Yeah, most, if not all, ads on TV3 Winchester are directed to Winchester and Front Royal (located south of Winchester) businesses. The only national ads you will see are from Comcast (also our cable provider) and you will see ads for Harrisonburg businesses on Saturdays when the news is out of H-Burg.

 

To clear up a couple things with "leach"'s second statement....WEPM has 0! ties with WMAR-TV in Baltimore. Why would they? Little 500 watt AM station in West Virginia that isn't even in WMAR's viewing area? Come on!

 

Also, WJLA doesn't have the power to pull ABC programming from TV3 Winchester....only ABC has that power. Only thing WJLA can do is maybe take their channel off cable, but that's it.

 

But, like I said, there is no problem between WJLA and TV3 Winchester....that "problem" that "leach" is talking about was almost 2 years ago when TV3 got retrans status.

[Ntropolis 593]

Their local ABC affilate WMDT has exclusive rights to ABC however their local cable carries Baltimore's WMAR but once WMAR starts showing ABC programming, up comes a black screen telling viewers to switch to WMDT.

 

They do something like this in Canada... for example, in Hamilton where the Buffalo stations are available on cable, the feeds from Global/CTV/CBC go over the US stations during primetime programming.

[Dude From VA 0]

Locally, WVPT (PBS in Harrisonburg) "blocks" WETA (PBS in DC) when they are the same program at the same time.

 

In Harrisonburg, WHSV "blocks" Richmond's WRIC (also ABC) when they are national news (GMA or World News) and ABC programming.

 

Even WDCA "blocks" the Orioles or Nats same-night repeat on MASN when WDCA has the live game that night.

 

*I should note that by "block", I mean the channel puts up a screen directing viewers to another station....not outright blocking the channel altogether.*

[leach 0]

The reason TV3 Winchester isn't on satellite.....they are cable only and serve 4 counties. Why would they need to be on satellite for the entire DC area when they serve 4 counties?

 

 

To clear up a couple things with "leach"'s second statement....WEPM has 0! ties with WMAR-TV in Baltimore. Why would they? Little 500 watt AM station in West Virginia that isn't even in WMAR's viewing area? Come on!

 

 

 

WEPM and WMAR: Long time WMAR anchor Jamie Costello used to be the Program Director for WEPM back in the 70's and 80s and a native from Martinsburg..to this day it is not uncommon to spot him hanging around Martinsburg. The Martinsburg folks love him on WMAR and fondly

remember him on WEPM. Lots of people grew up with this guy.

 

Current WEPM Program Director Jay Patrick Young is a Baltimore native and I believe he has done things with WMAR in the past. as well. Plus WEPM has been airing the Orioles before most of us has been alive.

 

Former WEPM News Director Dick Strader, before WEPM he was an anchor for WMAR and this goes back to thhe late 1960's.

 

WEPM's Selena Luther....for a time she did voice overs for many of commericals and similar projects for WMAR. She started her broadcast career at WMAR.

 

Ah..I would say there are A LOT of ties between WEPM and WMAR

 

 

TV 3 Winchester is not "cable only" !! According to TV'3 website...

 

3.) Over-the-Air

 

TV3 Winchester is available on digital channel 49.3, with a digital antenna and digital tuner. The TV3 Winchester tower is in Page County and the signal is subject to a variety of factors, including terrain. Not all areas of Frederick, Clarke, and Warren Counties can receive the signal.

[Dude From VA 0]

WEPM and WMAR: Long time WMAR anchor Jamie Costello used to be the Program Director for WEPM back in the 70's and 80s and a native from Martinsburg..to this day it is not uncommon to spot him hanging around Martinsburg. The Martinsburg folks love him on WMAR and fondly

remember him on WEPM. Lots of people grew up with this guy.

 

Current WEPM Program Director Jay Patrick Young is a Baltimore native and I believe he has done things with WMAR in the past. as well. Plus WEPM has been airing the Orioles before most of us has been alive.

 

Former WEPM News Director Dick Strader, before WEPM he was an anchor for WMAR and this goes back to thhe late 1960's.

 

WEPM's Selena Luther....for a time she did voice overs for many of commericals and similar projects for WMAR. She started her broadcast career at WMAR.

 

Ah..I would say there are A LOT of ties between WEPM and WMAR

 

 

TV 3 Winchester is not "cable only" !! According to TV'3 website...

 

3.) Over-the-Air

 

TV3 Winchester is available on digital channel 49.3, with a digital antenna and digital tuner. The TV3 Winchester tower is in Page County and the signal is subject to a variety of factors, including terrain. Not all areas of Frederick, Clarke, and Warren Counties can receive the signal.

 

Leach...."ties" to WMAR would be like what WTKR and The Daily Press have or what WMAR and The Baltimore Sun have.

 

With your logic, it could be said that WHSV and WJLA have "close ties" because alot of former 'HSVers have gone to WJLA. All you can say about 'EPM and 'MAR is alot of 'EPM alumni have gone on to WMAR.

 

While you are correct....they are ONLY available on cable in Frederick, Clarke, Warren and Shenandoah counties. WHSV-DT3 is a very tough catch in the northern part of the valley, just like WHSV's analog (channel 3) signal.

 

-Dude From VA

[leach 0]

Leach...."ties" to WMAR would be like what WTKR and The Daily Press have or what WMAR and The Baltimore Sun have.

 

With your logic, it could be said that WHSV and WJLA have "close ties" because alot of former 'HSVers have gone to WJLA. All you can say about 'EPM and 'MAR is alot of 'EPM alumni have gone on to WMAR.

 

While you are correct....they are ONLY available on cable in Frederick, Clarke, Warren and Shenandoah counties. WHSV-DT3 is a very tough catch in the northern part of the valley, just like WHSV's analog (channel 3) signal.

 

-Dude From VA

 

Sorry ...I should have said "personal ties".

 

Actually other than Costello, its the other way around. A lot of WMAR alumni went on to WEPM. Hey, not everyone wants to work in a major market and they are quite happy being in a small one. of course its usually the other way around.

[Dude From VA 0]

Sorry ...I should have said "personal ties".

 

Actually other than Costello, its the other way around. A lot of WMAR alumni went on to WEPM. Hey, not everyone wants to work in a major market and they are quite happy being in a small one. of course its usually the other way around.

 

True...Ed Reams (ND for WHSV) went from WHSV to WDSU in New Orleans then back to WHSV.

 

Kirk Clyatt (morning meteorologist on WHSV) went from WPHL in Philly (pre-WCAU) to WHSV.

 

...and of course, Joe Witte went from the Today Show (and other NYC affiliate before that) to WJLA in DC where he does weekend weather (and fill-ins sometimes too).

 

-Dude From VA

[sctvhound 27]

Well, getting back to WNEG, NEG has a small chance of being an ABC affiliate, because of WSB's troubled OTA signal in the Athens area, and WLOS being farther away than the other Upstate stations.

 

The problem is that WJBF covers almost everywhere east and northeast of Athens (Washington, Lexington, Elberton) and they would have a big fit with NEG becoming one.

 

NBC is just about out of the question, with two powerful affiliates in between, in WYFF and WXIA. WYFF is available in all the counties north and east of Athens, and often comes in Athens itself. I don't know what will happen with the digital, but there may be a way if WAGT doesn't have enough digital power.

[tyrannical bastard 3476]

With cable & satellite coverage, nobody is going to be out of a CBS affiliate after WNEG flips. The area should be happy that UGA bought them instead of someone else who would have gutted the station and replaced programming with some religious, home shopping or infomercial network.

 

I do wonder if down the road UGA will try to get the COL changed from Toccoa to Athens. That would make WNEG part of the Atlanta market.

[Mrtraveler01 737]

Sorry to divert the topic of this forum earlier but I'm surprised that the Atlanta stations don't have translators in the North GA mountains because the Atlanta market is very large in size. Since Toccoa doesn't have a market, wouldn't an affilation switch create a lot of legal work to do such as syndication and advertising rights before anything would be approved.

[Dude From VA 0]

And all of this has surprisingly little to do with WNEG.

 

Again, my apologizes.

[tyrannical bastard 3476]

Sorry to divert the topic of this forum earlier but I'm surprised that the Atlanta stations don't have translators in the North GA mountains because the Atlanta market is very large in size. Since Toccoa doesn't have a market, wouldn't an affilation switch create a lot of legal work to do such as syndication and advertising rights before anything would be approved.

 

WNEG (and Stephens County, GA where Toccoa is located) is actually a part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson market. The station is available as a part of Dish Network's local station package for that market.

 

No matter where a station is located in the 50 United States, (with the exception of territories and Puerto Rico) it is tied to a particular DMA.