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The 69 News/WFMZ Thread


Mrknowitall526

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It's probably just speculation based on this article.

Yes, speculation. It's why I used the word 'expected.' WFMZ says on its website 'Other gains will go towards purchasing new spectrum to use for broadcasting in the Greater Lehigh Valley.' The speculation is the new spectrum is from WBPH. If FMZ were channel sharing with KJWP they wouldn't need to also buy new spectrum. FMZ have so far declined to say who they will be channel sharing with, but WBPH will be the only full-power Greater Lehigh Valley-based channel / spectrum left after the spectrum for FMZ and LVT disappears. Here is what was reported in the Allentown Morning Call: 'Maranatha Broadcasting Co. of Salisbury Township, the private corporate owner of WFMZ, is in line for about $140.5 million in compensation, but it's unclear how much of that WFMZ will net once its channel-sharing agreement is sliced off the top. Barry Fisher, WFMZ president and general manager, declined to provide those details.'

 

The Eight virtual channels couldn't all fit within WBPH's spectrum; FMZ has confirmed to the Allentown Morning Call that 69.3 and 69.4 will move to KJWP. 'The company is also buying KJWP-TV, which provides MeTV to the Philadelphia region. Fisher said that deal will be finished simultaneously with the completion of the auction, and Maranatha will put Heroes & Icons and Retro TV on KJWP-TV.' No mention of 69.2. Where does it end up? Also possibly within the WBPH spectrum as it might infringe on WPVI's exclusive use of the AccuWeather brand in Philadelphia.

 

The other thing to consider: KJWP wasn't a way for FMZ to give up RF46 and switch to RF2 (which doesn't adequately cover Allentown - FMZ's city of license) but more likely a way to keep KJWP out of the auction (in such a way that PMCM would still benefit from the auction through a sale to FMZ). It also allowed FMZ to create a duopoly to better compete in the market by using the proceeds of the auction to buy KJWP while retaining FMZ's dominant news position in the Lehigh Valley with a strong signal at that end of the market.

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WFMZ, WBPH, and WLVT are all on WFMZ's tower at South Mountain already, so, yeah, okay, sure. Contours and footprint probably would remain the same. But are there any examples of eight virtual channels (69's 4, 39's 2, and 60's 2) sharing one physical channel anywhere else? Wouldn't there be bandwidth limitations? I don't know enough about this newfangled "H Dee" technology to really know, so someone please educate me, but it doesn't seem like it would work all that well.

 

You can squeeze two 720p HD subs on one channel and have room for an additional 480p. So you'd assume you could get FMZ and LVT in there in HD and WBPH on the 3rd SD channel (I don't even think they can spell HD let alone broadcast it) and all should be satisfied.

 

They'd have to move WLVT and WBPH's subs elsewhere though.

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You can squeeze two 720p HD subs on one channel and have room for an additional 480p. So you'd assume you could get FMZ and LVT in there in HD and WBPH on the 3rd SD channel (I don't even think they can spell HD let alone broadcast it) and all should be satisfied.

 

They'd have to move WLVT and WBPH's subs elsewhere though.

Yes, using the current ATSC 1.0 standard, but when the switch to ATSC 3.0 takes place it means many more subchannels squeezed into the same 6MHz of space.

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You can squeeze two 720p HD subs on one channel and have room for an additional 480p. So you'd assume you could get FMZ and LVT in there in HD and WBPH on the 3rd SD channel (I don't even think they can spell HD let alone broadcast it) and all should be satisfied.

 

They'd have to move WLVT and WBPH's subs elsewhere though.

 

I'm pretty sure WBPH's main channel is actually in 720p! They only produce something like 2.5 programs in house using WFMZ's hand-me-down equipment. They pull feeds that are in HD for the rest of their programming, I think.

 

Doesn't it seem more likely to anyone else that WFMZ takes WBPH out to pasture and puts it out of its misery? A duplex on VHF 9 where WFMZ and WLVT keep their subs strikes me as the scenario that makes the most sense.

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You can squeeze two 720p HD subs on one channel and have room for an additional 480p. So you'd assume you could get FMZ and LVT in there in HD and WBPH on the 3rd SD channel (I don't even think they can spell HD let alone broadcast it) and all should be satisfied.

 

They'd have to move WLVT and WBPH's subs elsewhere though.

 

I'm pretty sure WBPH's main channel is actually in 720p! They only produce something like 2.5 programs in house using WFMZ's hand-me-down equipment. They pull feeds that are in HD for the rest of their programming, I think.

 

Doesn't it seem more likely to anyone else that WFMZ takes WBPH out to pasture and puts it out of its misery? A duplex on VHF 9 where WFMZ and WLVT keep their subs strikes me as the scenario that makes the most sense.

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I'm pretty sure WBPH's main channel is actually in 720p! They only produce something like 2.5 programs in house using WFMZ's hand-me-down equipment. They pull feeds that are in HD for the rest of their programming, I think.

 

Doesn't it seem more likely to anyone else that WFMZ takes WBPH out to pasture and puts it out of its misery? A duplex on VHF 9 where WFMZ and WLVT keep their subs strikes me as the scenario that makes the most sense.

WFMZ has confirmed H&I (69.3) and Retro TV (69.4) are moving to KJWP.

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So I was watching WFMZ online the other day ...

 

My question is, how many news helicopters does WFMZ have? I see them talking about QUADCOPTER ... I just can't imagine a station having 4 helicopters. During a traffic report, I did see them go live to 2 different helicopters.

 

Amazing, especially for pseudo-suburban Philadelphia.

 

-- Matt

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So I was watching WFMZ online the other day ...

 

My question is, how many news helicopters does WFMZ have? I see them talking about QUADCOPTER ... I just can't imagine a station having 4 helicopters. During a traffic report, I did see them go live to 2 different helicopters.

 

Amazing, especially for pseudo-suburban Philadelphia.

 

-- Matt

Quadcopter 69 is a drone. There's more info about it posted in this thread on page 8, beginning with post # 147, by Mrknowitall526.

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In Philly, PMCM TV is selling its Philly VHF station, KJWP to Maranatha Broadcasting (owners of Allentown station WFMZ). Since it appears that these two parties could be participating in the auctions later this spring, the purchase price was not disclosed because of "sensitive bidding information".

 

Follow-up. An amendment was made as they've now disclosed the purchase price of the KJWP deal. $25M.

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  • 1 month later...

19693812_10154463226611568_3554690520145235427_o.jpg?oh=2a3d817bb2f971feba3338e37007ba45&oe=5A076DA3

Has anyone heard what is being done to the WFMZ studio? In addition to this from Eve Russo's facebook, there were recent changes to the traffic office (which is on that upper level) and new lighting for weather. Just curious what other improvements their massive studio may be getting.

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19693812_10154463226611568_3554690520145235427_o.jpg?oh=2a3d817bb2f971feba3338e37007ba45&oe=5A076DA3

Has anyone heard what is being done to the WFMZ studio? In addition to this from Eve Russo's facebook, there were recent changes to the traffic office (which is on that upper level) and new lighting for weather. Just curious what other improvements their massive studio may be getting.

 

No, but I did notice the new weather lighting. I thought Ed Hanna looked brighter than usual!

 

Strange that they would have cones and caution tape where it might be visible on air!

 

The studio could use a revamp.

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Never saw the "construction site" on-air. They do seem to be using a lot more tight shots and that bird's eye hand-off from son to father @ the end of the 4pm is gone.

 

I do agree - they need an update. This set is huge considering the market size, but as WFMZ has done in the past - small cosmetic tweaks can surely extend the life of their sets. This time some updated video walls, instead of those rear-projection screens and replacing that horrible faux-wood paneling would go a long way.

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Sometimes the newscast is sleepy... but when a huge local story breaks, WFMZ really does a great job. They just had a full 9 minutes of coverage of the indictment of the Allentown mayor. There were 3 live reports. In fact it was the whole A-block.

 

I wish they could do stuff like this everyday. It's really where they shine.

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Sometimes the newscast is sleepy... but when a huge local story breaks, WFMZ really does a great job. They just had a full 9 minutes of coverage of the indictment of the Allentown mayor. There were 3 live reports. In fact it was the whole A-block.

 

I wish they could do stuff like this everyday. It's really where they shine.

They were not only on top of their game today - but way ahead of the curve with a live shot from Philly with Jamie Stover at the Federal Courthouse. GREAT JOB !!!

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They were not only on top of their game today - but way ahead of the curve with a live shot from Philly with Jamie Stover at the Federal Courthouse. GREAT JOB !!!

 

She's been the one following most of the leads on that story ... "doggedly" as Rob Vaughn said

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