WBTS Boston

[Juan]

One more thing, Must Carry applies only to the x.1 channel and not the sub-channels. At one time the FCC was considering a "bit-for-bit Must Carry" of digital channels regulation, but they abandoned that idea shortly after the digital switch-over.

That would have been a sneaky way for minor cable networks to get carriage

Sent from my SM-G920V using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[dishrich]

but there are a lot of holes and the Cape, Worcester, and many other places will lose NBC OTA.

Looks like NBC came up with a fix for this:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/nbc-finds-short-term-fix-extend-boston-reach/161743

NBC Finds Short-Term Fix to Extend Boston Reach
The new Boston O&O will be rebroadcast on a digital subchannel owned by a religious broadcaster

Faced with the growing concerns of legislators that Boston viewers will be shut out of NBC programming, Comcast Monday said it has entered a deal with the market’s religious broadcaster that will extend the reach of its new NBC Boston O&O.

In a letter to Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Comcast senior executive VP David Cohen said the new station, WBTS, will be rebroadcast on WMPF’s digital channel until the company can buy a second full-powered station in Boston.

Cohen said retransmitting the signal via WMPF, as well as the two transmitters and low-powered station Comcast already purchased, will strengthen WBTS’ signal so much that it will reach 275,000 viewers more than the current NBC affiliate, Sunbeam’s WHDH, does. WBTS is officially launching Jan. 1 on a digital subchannel of WNEU, NBC’s New Hampshire-based Telemundo station.

Cohen said Comcast has already had preliminary discussions with Boston station owners about buying a second full-powered station but can’t further the process until after the broadcast spectrum auction ends.

“In the interim, NBC is taking extraordinary steps to cover the Boston market with three broadcast television stations… which are collectively referred to as ‘NBC Boston,’” he said.

Cohen’s letter to Markey comes a week after the Massachusetts Democrat wrote Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, saying he was concerned that NBC’s new station won’t reach viewers without pay-TV subscriptions, particularly seniors and low-income residents. In the time since, fellow Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, as well as house members, also pressed Comcast for answers.

 

[ejb1980]

Looks like NBC came up with a fix for this:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/nbc-finds-short-term-fix-extend-boston-reach/161743

NBC Finds Short-Term Fix to Extend Boston Reach
The new Boston O&O will be rebroadcast on a digital subchannel owned by a religious broadcaster

Faced with the growing concerns of legislators that Boston viewers will be shut out of NBC programming, Comcast Monday said it has entered a deal with the market’s religious broadcaster that will extend the reach of its new NBC Boston O&O.

In a letter to Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Comcast senior executive VP David Cohen said the new station, WBTS, will be rebroadcast on WMPF’s digital channel until the company can buy a second full-powered station in Boston.

Cohen said retransmitting the signal via WMPF, as well as the two transmitters and low-powered station Comcast already purchased, will strengthen WBTS’ signal so much that it will reach 275,000 viewers more than the current NBC affiliate, Sunbeam’s WHDH, does. WBTS is officially launching Jan. 1 on a digital subchannel of WNEU, NBC’s New Hampshire-based Telemundo station.

Cohen said Comcast has already had preliminary discussions with Boston station owners about buying a second full-powered station but can’t further the process until after the broadcast spectrum auction ends.

“In the interim, NBC is taking extraordinary steps to cover the Boston market with three broadcast television stations… which are collectively referred to as ‘NBC Boston,’” he said.

Cohen’s letter to Markey comes a week after the Massachusetts Democrat wrote Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, saying he was concerned that NBC’s new station won’t reach viewers without pay-TV subscriptions, particularly seniors and low-income residents. In the time since, fellow Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, as well as house members, also pressed Comcast for answers.

Makes sense. Now if they'd only put Cozi back on WMFP 62-1 instead of SonLife. We already have that on Directv!

 

[Radar1978]

Why did Directv put OTA Virtual Channel 8 on Channel10? Just wondering. NECN with countdown til the 1st.