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WBTS - Home of NBC Boston?


The Frog

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A TVSpy emailer tipped us off to a Bizapedia page that gives some intriguing details about what could be NBC’s new station in the Boston market.

 

The Bizapedia page lists WBTS Television LLC as a Massachusetts company formed on July 13, 2016. The two principals listed are both Comcast executives based in New York, while the LLC’s principal address is in Universal City, CA, NBCU’s West Coast HQ.

 

While WBTS may be the call letters (or simply what NBCU is calling this LLC), what’s still not known is where Boston viewers can find NBC programming starting in less than four months.

 

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/is-wbts-the-new-nbc-boston/178120

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It could also just be a working title for the project. That would not be considered unusual.

 

Quite possibly. Tbh the call letters aren't going to matter a whole lot considering that "NBC Boston" and "NBC Boston News" will be the main identification of the new station, much like how nobody except news nerds like us refers to Fox 25 as WFXT.

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NBCU doesn't seem to be hiring master control/engineering right now, which you would think there would be a ton of if they're planning on starting a new license seperate from WNEU. They also wouldn't need to change the licensee name for a station they already own (WNEU)

 

Interesting...

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I was under the impression that the FCC still isn't granting new licenses since the spectrum auction/repacking is still ongoing. Changing the calls of WNEU is possible I think, but that's about all they can do.

 

A LP in NY state already has the call sign. Guess they can pay them for it.

 

It's a low power FM station to be specific.They're not "supposed to" but I could see the FCC granting NBC the "WBTS-TV" calls without making WBTS-LP change.

 

It looks like WBTS-LP is owned by a non-profit artists collective (*coughhippiescough*) called "Better Arts" and it's unlikely they'd be able to put up much of a fight. Someone could probably raid the sound closet at 30 Rock and "convince" them to change their calls.

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I was under the impression that the FCC still isn't granting new licenses since the spectrum auction/repacking is still ongoing. Changing the calls of WNEU is possible I think, but that's about all they can do.

 

That's probably all this is--a, frankly, unnecessary call sign change.

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I didn't really have a place to put this, but it looks like NBC reeled back on their plan to put Harry on WNEU (at least until wherever and whenever NBC Boston launches); it launched only on WBIN to be ignored by everyone at 9pm and WNEU continues to carry the 'best-of' Caso Cerrado at 3pm.

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I didn't really have a place to put this, but it looks like NBC reeled back on their plan to put Harry on WNEU (at least until wherever and whenever NBC Boston launches); it launched only on WBIN to be ignored by everyone at 9pm and WNEU continues to carry the 'best-of' Caso Cerrado at 3pm.

 

Isn't that kind of poignant though? A show that aired at 9 pm was in the W-BIN. If that isn't analogous of what a show in a bin would be, I don't know what is.

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I wonder when they are going to do the soft launch? They could start airing with newscasts branded. NECN on X using the staff they hired for NBC Boston to get people to know the station exists. Maybe they'd start transferring the syndicated shows back to the station or fill time with Cozi .

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If there hadn't been any conversation with the operators of WBTS-LP to purchase the call sign, that would be stunning. Those types of deals have been going on for decades.

It might also be a slogan... We're Boston's Television Station, anyone?

A perfect misnomer if ever there was one.

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It looks like WBTS-LP is owned by a non-profit artists collective (*coughhippiescough*) called "Better Arts" and it's unlikely they'd be able to put up much of a fight. Someone could probably raid the sound closet at 30 Rock and "convince" them to change their calls.

 

A "collective"...".non-profit"....

Holy crap that's code for hippies on a board of directors...

That means they will NEVER decide on anything...not even on how to extort NBC correctly.

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I doubt that they will change the call letters - they just don't matter anymore. Someone in another forum posted that WNEU's digital repeater station on WTMU is up and running. I think it's true because I can suddenly get WNEU without adjusting my antenna.

 

I now believe that WNEU will be the affiliate, at least to start. Perhaps NBC will continue to pursue a stronger signal.

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I doubt that they will change the call letters - they just don't matter anymore. Someone in another forum posted that WNEU's digital repeater station on WTMU is up and running. I think it's true because I can suddenly get WNEU without adjusting my antenna.

 

I now believe that WNEU will be the affiliate, at least to start. Perhaps NBC will continue to pursue a stronger signal.

Or they could pursue a suburban station to the south/southwest of Boston and try a ABC 33/40-style setup, with WTMU playing the role of WBMA.

 

Is WTMU channel mapping as 60 or its analog position of 46?

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It doesn't excuse the fact that they should've acquired a full-power signal that would fill the entire market, before announcing their O&O plans.

 

The in-city LP won't reach the areas like Plymouth & Worcester, which would likely lose its NBC signal come the first of the year. Sadly, it's the best thing they can do right now since they're still on that "quiet period". And it'll likely go past '17. if the auction doesn't end.

 

Like I've stated previously, until they find a full signal, this "NBC Boston" experiment is doomed to fail.

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It doesn't excuse the fact that they should've acquired a full-power signal that would fill the entire market, before announcing their O&O plans.

 

The in-city LP won't reach the areas like Plymouth & Worcester, which would likely lose its NBC signal come the first of the year. Sadly, it's the best thing they can do right now since they're still on that "quiet period". And it'll likely last go past '17. if the auction doesn't end.

 

Like I've stated previously, until they find a full signal, this "NBC Boston" experiment is doomed to fail.

As many of us had been saying on the now-permalocked "NBC Boston" thread, Comcast blew multiple attempts to win the PR battle. Even if they were consigned to WNEU, JUST SAY IT. Instead they kept things under wraps for too long, and for what purpose?

 

This translator - while helping to an extent - is still a Band-Aid for what Comcast would call a mere flesh wound.

 

HolyGrail018.jpg

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It's ultimately Comcast's decision what type of signal they will go with to launch the new station. They don't need to make "excuses" to anyone. NBC Boston will not fail simply because Comcast won't let it, even though it will likely take years to become successful. See KNTV San Francisco for a similar story. Comcast and NBC will put their resources behind it and will likely eventually find a stronger signal for that small percentage of the market that receives it OTA. And WHDH will become greatly marginalized, just like KRON was.

 

I don't think there is any PR battle to win or lose, because most people just don't care. They get their signal over cable, or they don't watch NBC to begin with. This isn't 30 years ago. The TV world has greatly changed since then.

 

BTW, WTMU is indeed mapping to Ch. 60.

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