IN the boston area we have 7-1 that's a full hd and 7-2 that's a sd...I turned in on 20 minutes ago and now the sd one is a NBC Weather plus by the local affliate.... I wish they'd do something other than weather...maybe traffic or something...
Looks like NBC replaced the sd subchannel
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NBC Weather Plus is already here in the LA area which is not known for weather problems. I recall hearing that the goal is to place NBCWP on a subchannel of all affiliates. I think it is already available in all O&O markets.
There is another subchannel on KNBC-DT in LA that is occasionally used. Sometimes it has an SD feed of an HD program, other times it looks like a backfeed for live events like the LA Marathon. Usually though it is just blank.
There is another subchannel on KNBC-DT in LA that is occasionally used. Sometimes it has an SD feed of an HD program, other times it looks like a backfeed for live events like the LA Marathon. Usually though it is just blank.
The new subchannel on NBC4 in Los Angeles is Raw News 4.4. It is an all news feed that shows live and unedited taped footage from various local and national sources. There is a host who sets up the feeds and gives some background. There is also a daily segment with the news staff deciding what will make it on to the evening news. I haven't seen that bit yet but I am sure it is pretty dry viewing. This is a concept which could work if there are enough hard-core news junkies out there, especially if it is combined with a text message sent to your cellphone telling you something live is on.
WCMH (columbus Ohio) has been running Weather plus for quite some time.
WTTE (fox) just recently started playing "the tube" on one of its sub channels.
Tried asking WBNS (CBS) on why they don't carry ONN on one of their sub channels (owned by same company) Evidently, they have a contract with cable co's in OHIO that they promised not to broadcast OTA.
KGO (ABC in SF bay area) showed "ABC news now" on one of its subchannels when I lived there.
I like that these stations add sub channels as long as it doesn't diminish quality of the main HD feed.
WTTE (fox) just recently started playing "the tube" on one of its sub channels.
Tried asking WBNS (CBS) on why they don't carry ONN on one of their sub channels (owned by same company) Evidently, they have a contract with cable co's in OHIO that they promised not to broadcast OTA.
KGO (ABC in SF bay area) showed "ABC news now" on one of its subchannels when I lived there.
I like that these stations add sub channels as long as it doesn't diminish quality of the main HD feed.
We also have Weather Plus on KNBC 4.2 and The Tube on KTLA 5.5. KABC has had a news repeat channel on 7.2 for some time now. The rebroadcasts of their HD news program look terrible!
I'm getting a huge case of envy from you guys 
Considering the ratings and all I think it would be interesting if some cable stations ended up making it on it....
msnbc has not much for ratings...cnn is nearly in the clear for fta and fox news has a hd radio station outwest....if nbc put this on it would be interesting I think just for imus alone...
I think it might be intersting to see the mix of upn and wb to see how many channels they might have....
the main thing I think would be toning down some things for the fcc...just thinking of some other things....abc owns espn so that would be interesting...cnbc hardly gets ratings that would be interesting for over the air.
Considering the ratings and all I think it would be interesting if some cable stations ended up making it on it....
msnbc has not much for ratings...cnn is nearly in the clear for fta and fox news has a hd radio station outwest....if nbc put this on it would be interesting I think just for imus alone...
I think it might be intersting to see the mix of upn and wb to see how many channels they might have....
the main thing I think would be toning down some things for the fcc...just thinking of some other things....abc owns espn so that would be interesting...cnbc hardly gets ratings that would be interesting for over the air.
But if they put cable stations on there, cable & satellite operators will want to quit paying for them and just pass through the "free" broadcast versions to their customers.
It's more likely such channels will become available on a paid basis via USDTV.
It's more likely such channels will become available on a paid basis via USDTV.
I understand your point although it seems like a la carte pricing might be down the line. The trouble is that those in higher demand like a hbo or a ESPN would go higher in price meanwhile others with a lower audience like oxygen or word would be pretty low.
Advertising could mean everything here...with digital cable it can create targeted local advertising but satellite would be national.....but a OTA could be inbetween
Advertising could mean everything here...with digital cable it can create targeted local advertising but satellite would be national.....but a OTA could be inbetween
It looks like this is the start of a whole new tier of local programming, which is exactly what the FCC had envisioned. It may not be enough to save local OTA broadcasting though, but time will tell. Sure alot of people watch shows like Desperate Housewives or American Idol, but I don't think they care where those shows come from. Most households now have either cable or satellite (percentage is somewhere in the high 80s), so local broadcasting is becoming less and less relevant to viewers. The only really local programming is local news or sports, and that can be handled quite nicely on cable or satellite, or even over the internet.
It's interesting because you can see that they'd be nothing physically holding them back...
On the weather plus of NBC you can see from the background it's the same area as MSNBC and probably the same building (maybe) as CNBC...
With CBS's morning show outside of it you could clearly make out the neon MTV logo in the background down from it...
I think it could take some time because many I know just get cable to get locals because they look like crap on analog OTA...but in a few years when it goes to HD how many are going to still do that?
On the weather plus of NBC you can see from the background it's the same area as MSNBC and probably the same building (maybe) as CNBC...
With CBS's morning show outside of it you could clearly make out the neon MTV logo in the background down from it...
I think it could take some time because many I know just get cable to get locals because they look like crap on analog OTA...but in a few years when it goes to HD how many are going to still do that?
The sad part is that many local stations are counting on cable or satellite carriage to reach their viewers. Some stations only reach a small number of their audience withing their DMA through their OTA facilities. This is especially true here in the West in large DMAs like Los Angeles or Salt Lake City. So far there is no requirement for cable or satellite to carry digital channels like there is for analog, but I am not sure what will happen after analog shutoff in 2009. If cable and satellite are required to carry the primary channel and all sub-channels, Dish and DirecTV are going to be in big trouble. Most large cable systems should be able to cope though.
This is a odd law and it certainly needs to be updated. Back in the day there was less than a half dozen or so channels in my area (50's and 60's). By the time the 90's came in it was maybe 14...with HD I can pick up (including subchannels) maybe in the low 20's (some overlapping networks i.e. more than one affliate)...
I think it's going to be a FAR harder sell for basic cable once HDTV tuners are mandatory. My so called "broadcast basic" package is my locals plus a government/public/educational access channels. No one will pay money to get those
I think it's going to be a FAR harder sell for basic cable once HDTV tuners are mandatory. My so called "broadcast basic" package is my locals plus a government/public/educational access channels. No one will pay money to get those
My father-in-law does. Adelphia cable in Hemet CA sells lifeline basic (OTA channels only) for about $10/mo. And - OOPS! they forgot to put a filter on for the upper level analog channels. Once they convert over to all digital it will be alot harder for people to skate by this way. Just think of all the people with cable internet service who get analog channels thrown in as a freebie. That's going to stop too.
dlsnyder said:
well that reminds me of when some people talk about "uncapping" a cable modem but that's just plain stupid...one it's obvious you'd get caught, two speeds are fast enough for most things anyway so what's the point...three it would void agreements.
In my area it's about $15 and yet it's the same company
Oddly enough today I noticed that there's a Shop NBC channel and there's a local OTA that's carried (WWDP) that's a shop nbc affliate...so technically we have a duplicate channel (except on sundays when there's 3 hours of childrens programming)...so 4 home shopping channels and two of them are the same.....
I get the feeling that there has to be a change in the federal laws for carrying OTA and maybe the a la carte stuff. They have to cut costs and/or gain revenue from something. We have "leased" channel that some days is home shopping, others are commericals for car dealerships etc.
I don't think all of the rules for cable carriage of OTA digital channels have been finalized yet, but you are right, some changes need to be made. The laws are set up to protect the right of local stations to be the sole provider of certain content to a defined geographical area (whether or not their signal is actually receivable). They were written at a time before cable and satellite existed as viable alternatives to traditional broadcast television. Now with better than half of all households in the US subscribing to some form of pay TV it I think it is time to reexamine those rules in light of new technology.
