Majors (a.k.a. O&O's) question

[bmasters1 381]

How did some of the network majors appear in cities where you would least expect them to appear? I mean, it's a given that the stations of NYC and L.A. are majors, given of course how big those places are (and that the networks' headquarters and most of the network studios are in those cities or the environs thereof). But how did majors get into Flint, MI (WJRT) or Toledo, OH (WTVG) (both of those are ABC majors, by the way) or into Green Bay, WI (WFRV, a CBS major), or into Miami, FL (WTVJ, an NBC major that once was not)?

[NewsJunkie247 1]

How did some of the network majors appear in cities where you would least expect them to appear? I mean, it's a given that the stations of NYC and L.A. are majors, given of course how big those places are (and that the networks' headquarters and most of the network studios are in those cities or the environs thereof). But how did majors get into Flint, MI (WJRT) or Toledo, OH (WTVG) (both of those are ABC majors, by the way) or into Green Bay, WI (WFRV, a CBS major), or into Miami, FL (WTVJ, an NBC major that once was not)?

 

Probably just because a station is put up for sale by its owner and a network looks at investing in the station and doesn't necessarily take into consideration where the station is located. You might have a station in an area that gets through the roof ratings (a station like WNEP in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre even though it is not owned by ABC) and a network would want to make a profit off of it and on the other hand you might have a station that is doing terrible in the ratings and a network buys it to turn the station around. I know that ABC O&Os are usually at the top of the ratings chart, but I'm not sure about CBS and ABC O&Os.

 

Also, WFRV is no longer owned by CBS. They were sold to Liberty Media in 2007.

[bixpchiphead 105]

How did some of the network majors appear in cities where you would least expect them to appear? I mean, it's a given that the stations of NYC and L.A. are majors, given of course how big those places are (and that the networks' headquarters and most of the network studios are in those cities or the environs thereof). But how did majors get into Flint, MI (WJRT) or Toledo, OH (WTVG) (both of those are ABC majors, by the way) or into Green Bay, WI (WFRV, a CBS major), or into Miami, FL (WTVJ, an NBC major that once was not)?

 

Capital Cities, and Rupert Murdock.

 

When Cap Cities swallowed the American Broadcasting Companies, among the stations that were kept were in Fresno and Durham/Raliegh. They got rid of Buffalo ('KB radio and TV) and of course Detroit ('XYZ radio and TV).

Detroit was a special case. ABC had 'XYZ-AM Channel 7 And WRIF-FM. Cap Cities had The Oakland Press newspaper, 50kW (at that time powerhouse) WJR radio, and WHYT-FM. That era's FCC would not have allowed that combination (Broadcast/newspaper) to stand.

Another factor was (and is) that Warren Buffett/Berkshire Hathaway had a significant interest in Cap Cities

(they still have a chunk of Disney), and also a good sized piece of The Washington Post Company, owners of 'XYZ-TV competitor WDIV. NO way in those times would the FCC have allowed that.

 

In the end, CapCities/ABC kept the newspaper (in fact all their newspapers) and their Detroit blowtorch

(which billed quite well I understand, JP McCarthy was still alive then), Sold Channel 7 to Scripps, 'XYZ (nee WXYT) to a former manager, and 'RIF to Taft Broadcasting.

 

Fast forward to the mid to late 80's, Murdock's Fox picked up New World's collection of stations, (including places like High Point, NC; Kansas City, and Milwaukee) and in part due to FOX getting the NFC rights, groups like Emmis migrated their stations from the then big 3 to FOX. This caused great panic in the offices of ABC, CBS, and NBC. CapCities ABC fearing that SJL broadcasting owned WTVG in Toledo and WJRT in Flint/Saginaw/BayCity would cut a deal with FOX, stepped in and bought them.

And Flint and Toledo's stations both reaching into Metro Detroit with an abc signal would be a backup if CBS had sweet talked 'XYZ into becoming an affiliate.

 

Fun fact: WJRT was originally an offshoot of Detroit's WJR,

[Mrtraveler01 737]

How did some of the network majors appear in cities where you would least expect them to appear? I mean, it's a given that the stations of NYC and L.A. are majors, given of course how big those places are (and that the networks' headquarters and most of the network studios are in those cities or the environs thereof). But how did majors get into Flint, MI (WJRT) or Toledo, OH (WTVG) (both of those are ABC majors, by the way) or into Green Bay, WI (WFRV, a CBS major), or into Miami, FL (WTVJ, an NBC major that once was not)?

 

WTVG and WJRT's ties to ABC O&O are related to the New World merger in 1994 when CBS approached WXYZ to offer them to switch over to CBS since they were about to lose thieir affiliation on WJBK. So ABC decided to approach SJL broadcasting which owned WJRT and WTVG and offered to buy those stations from SJL since their signals would reach Detroit in the event ABC was not able to find an affiliate if WXYZ did switch to CBS.

 

To be honest I've heard about this on wikipedia so I can't vouch for the whole story.

[WXmanTim 88]

WTVG and WJRT's ties to ABC O&O are related to the New World merger in 1994 when CBS approached WXYZ to offer them to switch over to CBS since they were about to lose thieir affiliation on WJBK. So ABC decided to approach SJL broadcasting which owned WJRT and WTVG and offered to buy those stations from SJL since their signals would reach Detroit in the event ABC was not able to find an affiliate if WXYZ did switch to CBS.

 

To be honest I've heard about this on wikipedia so I can't vouch for the whole story.

 

Scripps used that CBS offer as leverage to force ABC to affiliate their stations in Phoenix (KNXV) and Tampa (WFTS) among others. The thought of losing one of their founding stations to another network likely sent ABC execs into panic mode. The only stations Scripps couldn't or didn't force was KSHB-Kansas City and KJRH-Tulsa, likely because neither Albritton nor Hearst would give up their affiliations without a fight.

 

Fun fact #2 about WJRT: It was spun off when Cap Cities Broadcasting was formed in the 1960s, long before they had designs on purchasing ABC-TV.

[WCAUTVNBC10 409]

My question is, how does one make up a term out of the clear blue sky and then start using it like it's a household name?

[WXmanTim 88]

or into Miami, FL (WTVJ, an NBC major that once was not)?

 

No one answered this part of your question and while its been covered in this forum on multiple occasions, I'll give a quick rundown:

 

NBC purchased the former WTVJ-Channel 4 in the late 1980s from local ownership and flipped it to NBC (from CBS).

 

Shortly thereafter, CBS purchased the former WCIX-6 from local ownership and flipped it from the fledgling Fox that network. However, that signal was weak into most of the Miami DMA, being located in far north Fort Lauderdale (and I believe underpowered because of the proximity to West Palm Beach's WPTV-5).

 

When Westinghouse Corp. purchased CBS in 1995, they had an non-legal duopoly in Philadelphia with Westinghouse-owned KYW and CBS-owned WCAU. Since the combined CBS-Westinghouse was required to dispose of one of the two stations, they were really in no position to decide which. A deal with NBC was made whereby the higher-rated WCAU would be sold to them in exchange for the following: KCNC-Denver, KUTV-Salt Lake City and the broadcast signal of Channel 4 in Miami. In exchange NBC would receive WCAU and the broadcast signal of Channel 6.

 

On New Years Day 1996, WTVJ began broadcasting on Channel 6 and WCIX renamed to WFOR and began broadcasting on the channel 4 signal.

[seriouslythough 0]

On New Years Day 1996, WTVJ began broadcasting on Channel 6 and WCIX renamed to WFOR and began broadcasting on the channel 4 signal.

 

It was actually early September 10, 1995 the same day that the big 3 of Denver's stations switched.

[mre29 1359]

My question is, how does one make up a term out of the clear blue sky and then start using it like it's a household name?

 

That's what I was wondering. And you have to love the implication that WFAA, WCVB, KTVU, KHOU, etc. are not "majors". Yeah, try telling that to the people who work at those stations...

[bmasters1 381]

My question is, how does one make up a term out of the clear blue sky and then start using it like it's a household name?

 

That's a great question, and I'll answer it for you. I call them "majors" because quite a few of them (WNBC, KNBC, WCBS, KCBS, WRC, WMAQ, WLS, WBBM, etc.) are located in the major markets of America (NYC, L.A., Chicago, D.C., etc.).

[WCAUTVNBC10 409]

Yeah but there are a number of major market stations that aren't owned by the networks they're affiliated with and conversely there are network owned stations that aren't in major markets. Hence why your term is silly.

[bmasters1 381]

Yeah but there are a number of major market stations that aren't owned by the networks they're affiliated with and conversely there are network owned stations that aren't in major markets. Hence why your term is silly.

 

In that case, I see your point. I think that you've convinced me that "O&O" is the correct terminology.

[news2chicago 0]

In response to WFRV's tenure as a CBS O&O, CBS wanted WCCO in Minneapolis and it was under the same ownership as WFRV/WJMN. CBS bought them all as part of the deal. I believe it was a case of a family getting out of the business.

[caliwxdude 252]

In that case, I see your point. I think that you've convinced me that "O&O" is the correct terminology.

 

O&O was never incorrect terminology...

[bmasters1 381]

O&O was never incorrect terminology...

 

I understood that, but one of the posters (WCAUTVNBC10, I believe it was) said that the "majors" term is silly in reference to all O&O's, seeing as several of them are not in major markets (Flint, MI, Toledo, OH, etc.). Nonetheless, you also have a good point, as well as WCAUTVNBC10, and I agree with it.