Rogers gets CRTC approval to carry WNYO (WB Buffalo)

jdh79 · 2003-02-07, 11:20 AM

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/De.../db2003-38.htm

I wonder if more cable companies will follow in trying to carry WB stations outside of superstation packages.

ABCarr · 2003-02-07, 12:30 PM

Does this mean that only Rogers affiliates who are distant from WNYO's OTA signal can carry it?

james99 · 2003-02-07, 12:41 PM

Each cable company has to apply seperatly to carry this channel?

digitalcable · 2003-02-07, 12:56 PM

Rogers has been carrying WNYO for over a year now on digital ch-91. Its available only in areas where WNYO's signal is receivable off-air. This decision allows them to offer it in other areas where it is currently not available.

nfitz · 2003-02-07, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digitalcable

Rogers has been carrying WNYO for over a year now on digital ch-91. Its available only in areas where WNYO's signal is receivable off-air. This decision allows them to offer it in other areas where it is currently not available.

Odd. According to the decision:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/De.../db2003-38.htm

Taking into account the licensee's statement that the WNYO-49 signal is readily available off air, the Commission considers that the impact of the distribution of WNYO-49 as part of a discretionary digital tier in the above-mentioned localities will be minimal.

You might get it off-air in Woodstock; but Ottawa and Owen Sound? Give me a break!

Overall though, I think this is a good thing.

UPN and PAX next, eh?

Nick

jdh79 · 2003-02-07, 01:29 PM

Yeah, IMO if they are going to authorize the carriage of a WB station in areas where it is available OTA, they should allow the whole country to receive it. Otherwise, they are letting certain areas receive services that other areas cannot which isn't really fair. This sort of thing is probably one of the top reasons for the appeal of grey market dishes.

digitalcable · 2003-02-07, 01:45 PM

This decision signifies a significant loosening of the reins over at the CRTC. I'm really surpised they approved it for areas where its not receivable OTA, but this is a good thing. This also gives Rogers a little bit of a competitive advantage over the satellite companies in those areas, especially in Ottawa. I hope Rogers has applied to carry WNLO 23 as well.
I also wonder if Expressvu with their second satellite will apply to carry it as well, as they have in the past but were refused.

jdh79 · 2003-02-07, 01:49 PM

I think that eventually there will be pressure put on the CRTC to allow every cable company to carry a WB, UPN, and maybe PAX station on basic cable, like the 4+1 US networks already have approval. What is really needed is for UPN or WB to get some compelling programming that won't be otherwise carried in Canada, like NFL football lead to FOX's approval. Maybe if CBS gets a major sports contract, they will give some of the games to their UPN sister network, which might led to a reassessment of the US network carriage policy.

digitalcable · 2003-02-07, 05:34 PM

Thats a good point with regards to Sports on CBS. I have noticed that when WIVB pre-empts CBS shows that they end up airing on WNLO, as well WNLO carries some CBS programming already. They air the Saturday Early Show and the CBS Morning News from 5-6 AM when WIVB has their local morning show.

jdh79 · 2003-02-07, 05:41 PM

WBZ (CBS Boston) preempted the Amazing Race 3 finale to show some local telethon and pushed it off onto WSBK. Luckily I had superstations so I could watch it.

I_Want_My_HDTV · 2003-02-08, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfitz

You might get it off-air in Woodstock; but Ottawa and Owen Sound? Give me a break!

It is not unusual for Rogers to carry distant stations that are fringe or out of area. They have had a microwave system in place for years. At first it was used to improve the reception of existing fringe stations and then to add extra services such as FOX and distant Canadian stations. In the case of networks such as FOX they choose to provide a station that they already carry on their network. They do this rather than install new local equipment which may provide an inferior fringe signal.

CATV may have started in London. I remember seeing the antennas on the local TV station tower. Now, the original office is closed and everything including TV signals and technicians are dispatched out of Kitchener and Toronto. It's all done with satellite, microwaves, fibre and cell phones. The only exceptions are a few local signals and some we get from Oil Springs and Paris (ON).

digitalcable · 2003-02-08, 05:43 AM

Ahh, the history of Cable Tv in Canada. I beleive the first cable company in Canada as you say was in London, Ont. Started by a man named Ted Jarmain I think. He was the original cable pioneer. If my memory serves me right he started out by offering several stations from Cleveland into the London area, although they were replaced by Erie at some point.
I think Rogers now feeds London by fiber out of Toronto with most of its signals.

Sat4Life · 2003-02-08, 09:00 AM

I am shocked that Rogers finally got the ok to carry WB from Buffalo. I remember always having to put up an antenna to get it when I didn't have digital cable or satellite, so I could watch some of The WB programming.
I do wonder and hope that cable and sat providers will soon carry WB and UPN out of a superstations or movie package.

Anyone who has ExpressVu ever noticed that WB affiliate WGN Chicago is in the Sports package while sister WB affiliates KTLA-LOs Angeles and WPIX-NYC are in the Movies package as superstations? I find that wierd as all 3 and even UPN 38-Boston all have thier local sports teams on there. Starting this spring UPN 38-Boston will be carrying Boston Red Sox games on Fridays. Not bad for the Bosox fans, as Saturdays they have the Sox on Fox as it is put on the screen. Also UPN 38 shows the Boston Bruins during hockey season.
Just a note.

I_Want_My_HDTV · 2003-02-09, 02:38 AM

Historically, the "superstations" were placed in the movie channel bundles to induce sports fans to subscribe to the failing movie channels. Now the superstations are WB and UPN affiliates and they show fewer sports and more syndicated reruns. The other thing that has changed is that the movie channels are not usually offered unbundled from the superstations as they originally were. This forces the movie channels to cost more which actually defeats the purpose of the CRTCs original ruling, which was to promote subscriptions to the movie channels.

2003-02-09, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digitalcable

Ahh, the history of Cable Tv in Canada. I beleive the first cable company in Canada as you say was in London, Ont. Started by a man named Ted Jarmain I think. He was the original cable pioneer. If my memory serves me right he started out by offering several stations from Cleveland into the London area, although they were replaced by Erie at some point.

You are correct. He lived on the highest point in south London (near where the CFPL transmitter is). He found that he could get WJW CBS Cleveland with the best VHF antenna available. He merely ran a cable down the street and charged his neighbours $5/month. He added more channels so that by the mid 60's he offered
WJBK Ch 2 CBS Detroit
KYW Ch 3 NBC Cleveland
WWJ Ch 4 NBC Detroit
WEWS Ch 5 ABC Cleveland
WXYZ Ch 7 ABC Detroit
WJW Ch 8 CBS Cleveland
CFPL Ch 10 CBC London
WICU Ch 12 NBC Erie
CKCO Ch 13 CTV Kitchener

Cost was around $12/month

Because he was so close to the CFPL tower, he couldn't get CHCH Ch 11 Hamilton

BTW the antennae were left wide open so that when stations went off the air at night (a common practice at that time), other stations could sometimes be received. I remember watching WBBM Chicago and Ch 2 Denver in the summertime

2003-02-07, 11:20 AM	#1
jdh79 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Halifax, NS Posts: 605	Rogers gets CRTC approval to carry WNYO (WB Buffalo) http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/De.../db2003-38.htm I wonder if more cable companies will follow in trying to carry WB stations outside of superstation packages.

2003-02-07, 12:41 PM	#3
james99 Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Burlington Posts: 23,034	Each cable company has to apply seperatly to carry this channel? __________________ Blu-ray and HD DVD Neutral! PS3 and 360 Neutral! My DVD Collection

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2003-02-07, 12:30 PM	#2
ABCarr Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Richmond Hill, ON Posts: 9	Does this mean that only Rogers affiliates who are distant from WNYO's OTA signal can carry it?

2003-02-07, 12:56 PM	#4
digitalcable Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 499	Rogers has been carrying WNYO for over a year now on digital ch-91. Its available only in areas where WNYO's signal is receivable off-air. This decision allows them to offer it in other areas where it is currently not available.

2003-02-07, 01:29 PM	#6
jdh79 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Halifax, NS Posts: 605	Yeah, IMO if they are going to authorize the carriage of a WB station in areas where it is available OTA, they should allow the whole country to receive it. Otherwise, they are letting certain areas receive services that other areas cannot which isn't really fair. This sort of thing is probably one of the top reasons for the appeal of grey market dishes.

2003-02-07, 01:45 PM	#7
digitalcable Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 499	This decision signifies a significant loosening of the reins over at the CRTC. I'm really surpised they approved it for areas where its not receivable OTA, but this is a good thing. This also gives Rogers a little bit of a competitive advantage over the satellite companies in those areas, especially in Ottawa. I hope Rogers has applied to carry WNLO 23 as well. I also wonder if Expressvu with their second satellite will apply to carry it as well, as they have in the past but were refused.

2003-02-07, 01:49 PM	#8
jdh79 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Halifax, NS Posts: 605	I think that eventually there will be pressure put on the CRTC to allow every cable company to carry a WB, UPN, and maybe PAX station on basic cable, like the 4+1 US networks already have approval. What is really needed is for UPN or WB to get some compelling programming that won't be otherwise carried in Canada, like NFL football lead to FOX's approval. Maybe if CBS gets a major sports contract, they will give some of the games to their UPN sister network, which might led to a reassessment of the US network carriage policy.

2003-02-07, 05:34 PM	#9
digitalcable Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 499	Thats a good point with regards to Sports on CBS. I have noticed that when WIVB pre-empts CBS shows that they end up airing on WNLO, as well WNLO carries some CBS programming already. They air the Saturday Early Show and the CBS Morning News from 5-6 AM when WIVB has their local morning show.

2003-02-07, 05:41 PM	#10
jdh79 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Halifax, NS Posts: 605	WBZ (CBS Boston) preempted the Amazing Race 3 finale to show some local telethon and pushed it off onto WSBK. Luckily I had superstations so I could watch it.

2003-02-08, 05:43 AM	#12
digitalcable Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 499	Ahh, the history of Cable Tv in Canada. I beleive the first cable company in Canada as you say was in London, Ont. Started by a man named Ted Jarmain I think. He was the original cable pioneer. If my memory serves me right he started out by offering several stations from Cleveland into the London area, although they were replaced by Erie at some point. I think Rogers now feeds London by fiber out of Toronto with most of its signals.

2003-02-08, 09:00 AM	#13
Sat4Life Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 142	I am shocked that Rogers finally got the ok to carry WB from Buffalo. I remember always having to put up an antenna to get it when I didn't have digital cable or satellite, so I could watch some of The WB programming. I do wonder and hope that cable and sat providers will soon carry WB and UPN out of a superstations or movie package. Anyone who has ExpressVu ever noticed that WB affiliate WGN Chicago is in the Sports package while sister WB affiliates KTLA-LOs Angeles and WPIX-NYC are in the Movies package as superstations? I find that wierd as all 3 and even UPN 38-Boston all have thier local sports teams on there. Starting this spring UPN 38-Boston will be carrying Boston Red Sox games on Fridays. Not bad for the Bosox fans, as Saturdays they have the Sox on Fox as it is put on the screen. Also UPN 38 shows the Boston Bruins during hockey season. Just a note.

2003-02-09, 02:38 AM	#14
I_Want_My_HDTV . Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: London, ON Posts: 6,306	Historically, the "superstations" were placed in the movie channel bundles to induce sports fans to subscribe to the failing movie channels. Now the superstations are WB and UPN affiliates and they show fewer sports and more syndicated reruns. The other thing that has changed is that the movie channels are not usually offered unbundled from the superstations as they originally were. This forces the movie channels to cost more which actually defeats the purpose of the CRTCs original ruling, which was to promote subscriptions to the movie channels.