20 years ago this week

[CK SatGuy]

It was 20 years on May 23rd, 1994 that Fox bought the stations of New World Communications which resulted in some major CBS affiliates switching to Fox causing a major realignment in America's broadcasting industry.

Background: As you may remember back in 1993, Fox bought the NFL's NFC Package from CBS for a whopping $395 million a year for 4 years. CBS, which was led at the time by the cost-cutting CEO Laurence Tisch, only offered $290 million a year and was unwilling to match Fox's offer. Thus Fox would begin broadcasting the NFC games in the '94 season. Problem for Fox was, while they had some affiliates, they were mostly low-powered UHF stations that not a whole lot of people knew, therefore, Fox wanted to switch to stations that people were more familiar with. By acquiring the New World stations, Fox would have achieved this goal mostly since most of those stations were in markets that had an NFL team in the NFC.

Problems for CBS in Detroit: Nobody was watching CBS in the '90s because their programming was skewed to an older audience and the ratings were at an all time low. This made in difficult for CBS to get new affiliates, especially in Detroit. In a deal just mere days before its old affiliate WJBK would switch to Fox, CBS struck a deal with to acquire the small independent station WGPR-TV on channel 62 for $24 million. The offer was more of a desperation for CBS than what the station was worth. CBS would have preferred to make a deal with WADL, channel 38, but the owner of that station, Kevin Adell made unreasonable demands. With Scripps renewing an affiliation deal with ABC, WXYZ was out of the question. WDIV wasn't interested because NBC was doing great at the time. The former Fox station on channel 50, WKBD, was about to become part of the "new" UPN and WXON on channel 20 (now WMYD) was going to be part of the WB. So CBS was stuck with WGPR and therefore when the switch happened, the ratings dropped dramatically. CBS invested a lot of money in the new station (which is now called WWJ-TV) and the ratings for CBS in Detroit would slowly pickup again (but still nowhere near what they were on WJBK).

Today: Today (as of this writing) CBS is the #1 network in the country (but not without getting the AFC package from NBC back in '98) and FOX is currently in 3rd place. The NFL is the #1 league in the country with CBS, Fox and NBC paying $1 billion a year each for TV Rights plus $1.9 billion a year from ESPN. Meanwhile CBS ratings in Detroit today are only about half of what they were when CBS was on WJBK. The station still can't compete on local news against WJBK, WDIV, and WXYZ. (Although ironically, CBS also owns WWJ-AM which is the #1 news radio station in Michigan) WMYD just announced recently they'll get acquired by Scripps (who also owns WXYZ), WKBD is now a CW station and is also owned by CBS while WADL remains an independent and WDIV remains with NBC.

So there's an overview of what happened in the Detroit market because of this realignment. Please feel free to share your experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_United_States_broadcast_TV_realignment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWJ-TV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJBK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WXYZ-TV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKBD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMYD

 

[Mr Tony]

nothing in Minneapolis happened nor Duluth
Biggest thing in Minneapolis is in 2001 when Fox bought Chris Craft stations which resulted in KMSP (at the time UPN) and WFTC (at the time Fox) under the same umbrella. Since KMSP was on 9 and WFTC was 29 they "made the switch" and put Fox on the (at the time) stronger channel 9 (this was back in analog days) in September 2002 (a week before the opening NFL season)

Duluth hasnt seen anything since 1999 when KQDS lit up as Fox after being sold to Red Rock (previously it had been shop at home since 1994 sign on and running a few hours a day to meet FCC guidelines). The other "big 3" havent made any changes since 1966 when WDIO started with ABC (KDLH CBS and KBJR NBC have been the same affiliation since their 1954 sign ons)

edit: correct that. We did have UPN OTA for all of 11 months via a low powered station KDUL-LP which was a nightmare form the getgo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDUL-LP

 

[mike123abc]

And "Married With Children" carried the network forward...

 

[dfergie]

The Fox translator is too weak to pick up OTA here, only way to get Fox is Satellite or Cable around here, the NBC affiliate (KSWS) was bought out by KOB from Albuquerque (had been a translator station of KCBD Lubbock for a time, and the CBS affiliate (KBIM) was bought by KRQE also from Albuquerque... The ABC affiliate which was originally from here (KAVE) gave us El Paso (KVIA) programming, bought out by KOAT Albuquerque... (not sure if all of the above happened within this time frame) but we are stuck with news and weather from a different climate / political atmosphere and not much local which sucks.

 

[Mr Tony]

the NBC affiliate (KSWS) was bought out by KOB from Albuquerque

side tidbit
So KOB is owned by Hubard Broadcasting which is based in MN (they started USSB)...they own all the ABC stations licensed to Minnesota and all NBC stations licensed to New Mexico

 

[dfergie]

Yup, I actually watch them (KOB) for news more than the others, except Sundays when KOAT has the only morning news... KASA (fox) & KRQE Cbs) are owned by LIN.

 

[riffjim4069]

Interesting read. I remember coming back to visit family and wondering why CBS (old channel 2) was now FOX.

 

[GaryPen]

Interesting read. I remember coming back to visit family and wondering why CBS (old channel 2) was now FOX.

Stuff happens in broadcasting. When I first moved to the Bay Area, there were two ABC affiliates. Then, two NBC affiliates. Then, the normal one of each.

Interesting read into the wheeling and dealing here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KNTV

As a side note, Young Broadcasting, owner of KRON (an NBC affiliate, at the time, but soon to be yanked by NBC for being greedy bastards) were one of the first locals to give Dish a hard time with LiL carriage. Dish wisely said FU to KRON, as they were losing their NBC affiliation, and Dish had an agreement with KNTV, a WB affiliate about to become NBC. It was a little bit of a pain. But, not much, as Dish only recently added LiL's, and I still had a functioning OTA. No DVR's at the time. So, no biggie.

 

[mike123abc]

I remember when FOX got the NFL, the local CBS (Dallas) turned into FOX to keep the games.

 

[renegade734]

... and for more than two years following the switch, force-of-habit caused me to change the channel to the "old" Fox-50 at 8pm on Sundays for The Simpsons ... I always missed the Couch Gag.

 

[GaryPen]

... and for more than two years following the switch, force-of-habit caused me to change the channel to the "old" Fox-50 at 8pm on Sundays for The Simpsons ... I always missed the Couch Gag.

Doh!

 

[larrykenney]

The changes here in the SF Bay Area were all due to network decisions back in New York. First, ABC/KGO 7 in SF bought out KNTV 11, the ABC affiliate in San Jose, for $10M, so that KGO could serve both cities. KRON 4 had to be sold by the Chronicle Newspaper due to dual ownership rules or something and there was a bidding war between NBC and Young Broadcasting. NBC warned Young that if they got the station, they would not have NBC affiliation. Young won the bid and NBC lived up to their promise. They bought KNTV, which then became the NBC O&O. NBC then spent a lot of money on new studios, new equipment and a new transmitter site. KNTV used to transmit from Loma Prieta Mt. southwest of San Jose. Coverage of San Francisco and northern suburbs was terrible. KCSM 60 moved from Mt. San Bruno to Sutro Tower and NBC got the old KCSM transmitter site and moved their transmitter there. KDTV 14 used to be on Mt. San Bruno but moved to Mt. Allison above Fremont. KKPX 65, licensed to San Jose, installed their digital transmitter on Mt. San Bruno, leaving the analog in the South Bay until it was turned off. KQED bought KTEH 54 in San Jose and changed the call to KQEH. Lots of changes!

As for affiliations, KTVU 2, which used to be independent, got the FOX affiliation right from the start. KOFY 20 was WB and KBCW 44 (then KBHK) was Paramont. When the two networks combined into the CW, CBS bought KBHK, got the CW affiliation and changed the call to KBCW . KOFY became an independent station. KRON 4 picked up the My Network TV when it started up. About a year ago KCSM dropped their PBS affiliation due to financial reasons. KQED had priority on PBS programming anyway, so KCSM got the seconds.

Another interesting note, KPIX 5 used to be owned by Westinghouse. Westinghouse bought CBS, so KPIX became an O&O with the buyout.

KGO 7 has always been an ABC O&O since the beginning. Capital Cities bought ABC in the 80's, then Disney bought the network in 1995, so KGO is owned by Disney now. That's where I worked for 25 years prior to my retirement.

Larry
SF

 

[GaryPen]

KCSM is not PBS anymore? I didn't realize they switched to MHz full-time.
It's nice having a variety of English-language International programming.
Interesting that France24 is full-time on 60.2.
I'd like to see more NHK World. I know it's almost full-time on 38.4. But, the PQ is awful. (The Netflix channel is better!)
KCSM carries it in HD, or very crisp SD at the very least.

 

[Trip]

NHK World is on KRCB 22-3, but if you're not able to receive that signal, then it doesn't do you any good.

- Trip

 

[GaryPen]

NHK World is on KRCB 22-3, but if you're not able to receive that signal, then it doesn't do you any good.

- Trip

Thanks! Good to know. If the PQ on 22.3 is better than NHK World on 38.4, it would be worth upgrading to an 8-bay to receive it.

Is there anybody here that receives both channels that could compare for me? It would be much appreciated.

 

[Neutron]

I remember when this happened. CBS in Dallas was on 4 and moved to the then independent 11 while Fox was on 33 and took over 4.

 

[larrykenney]

Thanks! Good to know. If the PQ on 22.3 is better than NHK World on 38.4, it would be worth upgrading to an 8-bay to receive it.

Is there anybody here that receives both channels that could compare for me? It would be much appreciated.

I receive both KCNS and KRCB. I'll check tomorrow and let you know how 38.4 and 22.3 compare.

Larry

 

[GaryPen]

Thanks!

 

[larrykenney]

I did a comparison of the KRCB and KCNS NHK World channels, as I said I would, then I forgot to report my results back here. Duh!

KCNS isn't carrying NHK World now. 38.4 has programming labeled "Tokyo".

KRCB's picture was not very sharp. It was marked "HD" up in the corner, but was letter boxed 4:3 and very fuzzy SD-like on 22.3.

Larry

 

[GaryPen]

I did a comparison of the KRCB and KCNS NHK World channels, as I said I would, then I forgot to report my results back here. Duh!

KCNS isn't carrying NHK World now. 38.4 has programming labeled "Tokyo".

In many guides, the NHK World programming on 38.4 is listed as "Tokyo", as the name of the broadcaster leasing the channel and rebroadcasting NHK World is Tokyo Television. They also show a small amount of other Japanese programming they've either contracted or produce locally.

KRCB's picture was not very sharp. It was marked "HD" up in the corner, but was letter boxed 4:3 and very fuzzy SD-like on 22.3.

Are you mixing up 38.4 and 22.3?

BTW, I read a press release that KRCB will eventually be carrying NHK World in HD. They are one of the first stations, according to the release, that is utilizing technology allowing them to have TWO HD subchannels on a single frequency. I will defintiely need to figure out how to receive it, once they do that. I'm not sure if an 8-bay will do it, or if I'll need a super Yagi.

Anyway, this is pretty OT. So, I'll probably start another thread when the time comes.