Sinclair Launching Second Diginet "TBD"?

[RedPenguin]

According to:

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/99810/sinclair-to-launch-internetbased-diginet-tbd

They claim now that Sinclair is trying to launch another diginet.

My only question is where are they going to add this subchannel?

In the PA market I am in and Pittsburgh, Sinclair seems to have used up pretty much all of their subchannels space.

Johnstown/Altoona/State College has a 1080i NBC & 3 480i (MeTV, Comet, GRIT). Pittsburgh has a similar situation a 1080i with 3 480is with one being ASN.

I am begging to think it's Sinclair's desire to fill up the airwaves with as much content as technically possible.

First ASN, Comet, now TBD. (Seems Sinclair forgot they are a local broadcast company and think they are a cable/satellite company). They sure are trying to keep themselves busy yet they can't even properly maintain a website for ASN.

 

[Mgsports]

Hooefully other groups picks it up to.

 

[jegrant]

I think the theory is, somehow, that if you create lots of channels, even if they are low value, you can force them on to most cable systems by withholding your high value local affiliates (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX) and then that makes the channels worth something, so then you can charge more for ads, or sell those channels off, or sell your whole company off. I guess having more channels is like claiming more "shelf space" for the consumer's watching habits.

 

[RedPenguin]

I think the theory is, somehow, that if you create lots of channels, even if they are low value, you can force them on to most cable systems by withholding your high value local affiliates (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX) and then that makes the channels worth something, so then you can charge more for ads, or sell those channels off, or sell your whole company off. I guess having more channels is like claiming more "shelf space" for the consumer's watching habits.

I don't know why Nexstar isn't getting this message.

They add Escape and Laff to the local CBS station and they don't seem to be using their "power" to force any cable co at all to carry them.

They keep claiming the cable co's have to come to them first and they are powerless to have the cable co's come to table upon their request.

 

[osu1991]

I don't know why Nexstar isn't getting this message.

They add Escape and Laff to the local CBS station and they don't seem to be using their "power" to force any cable co at all to carry them.

They keep claiming the cable co's have to come to them first and they are powerless to have the cable co's come to table upon their request.

They can't do it mid contract. Find out when their carriage deal with the cable company is up. ask them both about it and expect rates to go up if they are added.

 

[RedPenguin]

They can't do it mid contract. Find out when their carriage deal with the cable company is up. ask them both about it and expect rates to go up if they are added.

According to FCC documents their contract is not up until Dec 31st, 2017.

That sure will take quite a while.

 

[jegrant]

Nexstar is known for charging very high rates and for not having many subchannels. So I think they have a different attitude that they would rather have cash money than shelf space or more channels. Perhaps they will change their tune. I bet some of the cable companies would say they'd much rather carry a few channels than have to pay so much money.

 

[Mgsports]

Iv'e been to FCC Documents site but no where did I find about KC stations when up with like Comcast,CCI that's not shown and so on but did find where the providers are like 32714 gets 3.

 

[RedPenguin]

Just to give folks a heads-up, if they are interested in this type of channel, you can go to tbd.com and Sinclair has already put up a Live Stream.

I find the stream nice as my station doesn't have it and I don't know if my station will drop GRIT, get Charge! or TBD, or possibly continue GRIT, not adding either.

 

[Mgsports]

The local station is who should be talking to Cable systems to add a sub channel they just added.

 

[RedPenguin]

Some of the programming on TBD isn't actually half-bad.

I guess if you are a person without Internet and can't watch some of this programming but it seems many of this stuff is available on demand online anyway.

 

[RedPenguin]

It looks like WJAC in Johnstown/Altoona/State College PA has dropped GRIT for TBD.

I would have thought my area being more older folks would have gotten Charge!.

But now we have NBC, MeTV, Comet, and TBD.

 

[primestar31]

Our local WEYI 25.3 (which was BOUNCE) changed to TBD a week ago. It's an absolute CRAP channel, with not one single thing on it worth watching by anybody.

http://tbd.com/schedule

They also replaced GRIT on WBSF 46.3 with CHARGE!. I prefer Grit programming...

Both stations in my DMA are owned by Sinclair. They also own WSMH 66. (Fox .1, Antenna TV .2, and Comet .3) So Sinclair owns 3 stations in my DMA...

 

[dlharm]

Locally Sinclair added TBD on 13.3 here recently to go with the 13.2 KFXL (Fox) and 13.1 KHGI (ABC). The stations were just purchased by Sinclair about a year ago or so.