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WTF, WTRF?!


jestbiteme

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I broke the news yesterday to a good friend, who was kind enough to post the info on WVBroadcasting.net.

 

It looks like West Virginia Media is ramping up to launch it's second digital subchannel and it's third network affiliate, ABC Ohio Valley. This is in addition to FOX Ohio Valley and, of course, WTRF itself is affiliated with CBS.

 

I'm a little blown away. We're well served with WYTV from Youngstown and WTAE in Pittsburgh. If this channel is given must-carry status by Comcast (FOX Ohio Valley was) then what happens? I'd rather lose WYTV than WTAE... WTRF doesn't pull off FOX very well and my hopes for the ABC channel are slim.

 

I don't know what to say!

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I know when Fox Ohio Valley came on the air, Comcast dropped WPGH. So I imagine either WTAE or WYTV will be dropped or moved to digital cable.

 

Quincy, IL does something simlar where the FOX affilate is a digital subchanel of WGEM and KHQA recently added a subchannel to broadcast ABC which didn't have an affilate in Quincy and was either pipped in from Kirksville, MO or St. Louis.

 

Also Charlottesville, VA has something similar where the ABC, FOX, CBS and My network TV affilates are all owned by Gray Television.

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Here's the fun part that's just emerging... digital sub-channels of major affiliates throw ratings for a loop in diary markets. Watching CBS? Write down WTRF. Watching ABC? Write down WTRF. Watching FOX? Write down WTRF. Guess who becomes a powerhouse #1 in a hurry?

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Here's the fun part that's just emerging... digital sub-channels of major affiliates throw ratings for a loop in diary markets. Watching CBS? Write down WTRF. Watching ABC? Write down WTRF. Watching FOX? Write down WTRF. Guess who becomes a powerhouse #1 in a hurry?

 

Boy, isn't that a load of garbage? Now I understand why all of these stations are doing this.

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Well, whenever this WTRF 7 have their ABC Programming on it's subchannel, none of the ABC Programming will be aired in HD, for folks with OTA HDTVs at least.

 

WTOK is ABC affil (the only news division in Meridian, MS). They have a FOX/MyNetworkTV Combo on 11.2 (FOX during Primetime & MyNetworkTV program after 9pm) and The CW on 11.3. That station is also owned by Gray. But what do you expect with 6 television stations in market #186 and this station seemed to have a higher budget than the other stations?

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WJHG (NBC) in Panama City and WTVY (CBS) in Dothan BOTH have CW & MyNetwork TV as subchannels. Gray owns both stations.

 

Seeing that WTVY is also the default CBS affiliate for Panama City...it seems a tad redundant.

 

WJHG takes things a step further and adds a local weather channel (that's not WeatherPlus)...meaning they have 3 subchannels in addition to their main DT channel.

 

It's almost like watching a low bandwidth internet stream on your tv set.

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West Virginia Media to Launch 2 ABC Affils

TVNEWSDAY, Jul 9 2008, 2:16 PM ET

West Virginia Media Holdings and the ABC Television Network have reached affiliation agreements to offer the full ABC Television Network programming schedule using the digital sub-channels of two West Virginia stations.

 

The Aug. 1 launch of digital channels NBC affiliate WBOY Clarksburg-Weston (DMA 166) and CBS affiliate WTRF Wheeling-Steubenville (DMA 159) will bring the entire ABC lineup to both markets via local signals. Currently, ABC programming is available in Clarksburg-Weston and Wheeling-Steubenville only through out-of-market broadcasts.

In addition, both WBOY/D2 and WTRF/D3 will each offer local newscasts leading into ABC News programming.

 

West Virginia Media President Bray Cary said: "Our new affiliations with the ABC Television Network in Clarksburg-Weston and Wheeling-Steubenville will expand the programming choice for our viewers, enabling them to enjoy the entire ABC Network schedule along with local news broadcasts produced specifically for these markets. This expansion of service with the Aug. 1 launch of WBOY-TV/D2 and WTRF-TV/D3 also creates important new advertising opportunities for our local station clients."

 

John Rouse, senior vice president, affiliate relations, ABC Television Network, added, "Given the central role that localism plays in ABC's far-reaching partnership with television stations nationwide, we're pleased to utilize the benefits of the digital spectrum in order to broadcast our ABC news, entertainment and sports programming directly into the Clarksburg-Weston and Wheeling-Steubenville markets, complemented by the local news broadcasts also being offered on WBOY/D2 and WTRF/D3."

 

West Virginia Media said its vision "is to be West Virginia's news resource." It owns television stations in nearly all of the state's DMAs, including Charleston-Huntington and Beckley-Bluefield, as well as Clarksburg-Weston and Wheeling-Steubenville. West Virginia Media also owns The State Journal newspaper.

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They are going to have a tough time getting WBOY-DT2 on cable in Preston County, WV and Garrett County, MD where they are part of the Pittsburgh DMA....and probably other places even in the Clarksburg DMA where people have been watching 'TAE as long as they have been watching KD.

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  • 4 weeks later...

WTRF 7.3 ABC Ohio Valley hit air on cable today. AFAIK, they are only simulcasting the 6pm from WTRF 7.1 CBS. Am not sure, but looks like the MAY have 7pm newscast. Listings are not on air yet, but they ARE for WBOY 12.2 on their site, and they show 12 NEWS LIVE on ABC at 7pm, so I gather 7 NEWS LIVE on ABC, might also be in the offering. Will let you know after 7pm. As for other dayparts, looks like 9-11am are court shows, and 4-6 is Frasier at 430, Family Feud 5-6pm

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Well hopes for 7pm News apparently cashed... Judge Judy at 7, Judge Joe Brown at 730. Can't see how this is more viewing opportunities.... Judge Judy already on 4 & 430 on 7CBS, and Judge Joe Brown on Fox Ohio Valley in afternoon court block.... repeats of repeats

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Well hopes for 7pm News apparently cashed... Judge Judy at 7, Judge Joe Brown at 730. on't see how this is more viewing opportunities.... Judge Judy already on 4 & 430 on 7CBS, and Judge Joe Brown on Fox Ohio Valley in afternoon court block.... repeats of repeats

 

Did WTAE get bumped off cable in parts of WV?

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