[opendtv] Re: DTV awareness

  • From: Tom Barry <trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:39:12 -0400

Dunno. I think maybe a local affiliate has a bit more bargaining power with cable if they are actually broadcasting in that cable area and not 100% reliant on cable there for carriage.


It took a long time to get WESH HD out of Orlando carried on Cox Cable.

- Tom


Craig Birkmaier wrote:
At 10:02 AM -0400 7/4/08, Tom Barry wrote:
I believe the WGFL's parent company (I forget which) is negotiating to become the local Gainesville NBC affiliate. If that happens then they might have some use for some of the extra equipment from an analog shutdown.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WGFL>

There is an available UHF channel in Gainesville, currently being run by Harvey Budd, who had part interest in Channel 53, which was co-owned by Pegasus Communications. When WJXT in Jacksonville, chose not to re-up with CBS, They were able to get the CBS franchise in Gainesville. Pegasus bought out Budd's interest in channel 53, but ran into financial difficulties. In 2006, CP Media, LLC of Wilkes-Barre, PA bought the assets of Pegasus.

IF CP Media can get the NBC affiliation for Gainesville - and I believe that is a BIG IF - they would most likely buy the channel that Budd currently holds.

Given the current realities of the broadcast industry and the recent moves by NBC to refocus its efforts around a few core broadcast markets, I tend to doubt that NBC will find any compelling reason to put an affiliate in Gainesville. There is NO financial benefit for NBC, only the potential for financial loss for WESH-TV and Hearst Argyle, which owns WESH and has contracts with Cox cable to bring WESH to Ocala and Gainesville.

Regards
Craig



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Tom Barry                  trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx  



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