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WJMN becomes independent station


sanewsguy

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I have to wonder if there was something egregious that WJMN (or Nexstar) did that killed the affiliation.

 

Excessive pre-emptions?  Co-branding violations? 

It seems that some of the Nexstar stations test to see how far they can go to "locally sponsor" things like college or NFL games. 

That right there could have triggered this, especially if it was done over and over again....and if CBS warned them of the consequences...

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4 hours ago, Myron Falwell said:

I just remembered that VCBS owns WBXI 47 in Indianapolis. They could have told Perry, “we’ll screw WTTV over and make WBXI the new home for CBS in Indianapolis if you don’t cave immediately”.

 

And Perry folded like a cheap suit.

I think of that every time there's a CW or CBS dispute; CBS Corp. kept that station after the first Viacom split for some reason, and it isn't to give Start TV main-channel status or for their morning weather block.

 

Also in the digital age, LeSea/Family might be a little more willing to take a major network affiliation than they were in the 90s since they can just move their main channel schedule to DT2, so WHMB could have also been a last-second candidate.

 

50 minutes ago, tyrannical bastard said:

I have to wonder if there was something egregious that WJMN (or Nexstar) did that killed the affiliation.

 

Excessive pre-emptions?  Co-branding violations? 

It seems that some of the Nexstar stations test to see how far they can go to "locally sponsor" things like college or NFL games. 

Can't be pre-emptions, because most of the specials in the UP are pretty much WLUC's provence, and there's no real football or basketball team which would require special coverage. But going too far with sponsorships definitely seems like a good reason, as WFRV is very apt to do that. Green Bay has really taken to sponsorships of individual news and sports segments, but most of the stations manage to keep a good line about their 'non-official' Packers shows, while "Green and Gold Nation" is very close enough to get NFL scrutiny if they go too far.

 

Another possibility? The market is very heavy with casino ads the numerous for regular/Native American gaming options throughout the UP and Northern Wisconsin, and with sports betting in Michigan legalized, they may have taken a few too many risky ads and sponsorships during CBS Sports coverage in local time that made CBS uncomfortable.

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35 minutes ago, mrschimpf said:

Also in the digital age, LeSea/Family might be a little more willing to take a major network affiliation than they were in the 90s since they can just move their main channel schedule to DT2, so WHMB could have also been a last-second candidate.

I highly doubt it. They're still owned by the same Pentecostal family that thinks CBS is "immoral" and "too liberal."

Edited by TVIntheDesert
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On 1/22/2022 at 3:53 PM, TVIntheDesert said:

I highly doubt it. They're still owned by the same Pentecostal family that thinks CBS is "immoral" and "too liberal."

They did sell out WCVI to Lilly for $85k, so they must've needed some quick cash to fight some immorality, or gave up their battle against Satan in the Virgin Islands. 😂

 

But I do suppose you're right there, but still, looking at others like VCY America that took full advantage of the spectrum auction, if it gives them lots of money, they'll take that to spread their message over standing still in their home market.

Edited by mrschimpf
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Uncle Perry Sook isn't a very good poker player he should've learned what happen to Lin TV when Wish lost CBS to WTTV to Tribune in 2014. CBS doesn't play and they take away your CBS WLNS is the oldest CBS TV station in Michigan I wonder where CBS would've gone in Lansing if Nexstar didn't agree to renew with ViacomCBS. Which I would think WWMT would've been the oldest CBS as they have been CBS since day 1 in Michigan. WJMN I was quite surprised they lost CBS since at one time it was a CBS O&O which surprised CBS wanted an O&O in Marquette & Green Bay as well.

 

Sounds like WJMN didn't do much news other than 6PM & 11PM as I checked what they were putting on after they lost CBS on Fri kinda surprised they didn't become The CW since they may buy the network and became a MyNet TV.

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26 minutes ago, sanewsguy said:

First look at WZMQ 19 News, This Is Home: 

 

Is the long-term plan to broadcast news from Erie, using Erie News Now talent? Or is this temporary? (I suspect I know the answer.) I’m already seeing Erie residents who’ve spotted John Stehlin’s posts about Marquette and are getting confused on Facebook. 

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On 1/22/2022 at 2:53 PM, TVIntheDesert said:

I highly doubt it. They're still owned by the same Pentecostal family that thinks CBS is "immoral" and "too liberal."

 

Haven't the Sumralls been slowly winding things down for a while?

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27 minutes ago, Greggo said:

Is the long-term plan to broadcast news from Erie, using Erie News Now talent? Or is this temporary? (I suspect I know the answer.) I’m already seeing Erie residents who’ve spotted John Stehlin’s posts about Marquette and are getting confused on Facebook. 

Wow.

 

I'm not as up to speed as a lot of the members of this board, but how many total people are watching this newscast on the #4 station in market #180? 

 

And, this is the same station owner that for years has done a news & weather cast for the Caribbean from Erie. This is the home of the weatherman with the toucan. Doing news remotely for Marquette from Erie should be a breeze! They'll just hire a Marquette-based reporter or two, buy enough equipment to get by, and do the rest of the newscast from Erie.

 

That clip, for what it was, isn't half bad. They had one report on compulsive gambling in PA and a local report via Zoom on redevelopment of a park.

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Seeing the new U.P. CBS affiliate build their new set/studio, will be similar to how Green Bay NBC affiliate WGBA-TV 26 had to expand their studio in 1995 following 1995 affiliation switch, just to house a newscast, news set and newsroom. WGBA was originally an independent station, which became a Fox affiliate when WXGZ-TV 32 went bankrupt in 1992. When WGBA-TV 26 lost Fox to former NBC affiliate WLUK-TV 11, they had to expand their small TV studio, buy more equipment and hire a newscast and news crew to get the local news on the air just in time for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. A lot had to be done to get a fourth tangible newscast in Green Bay to compete with the heritage "big three" newscasts at channels 2, 5 and 11. I'm guessing the same thing that happened with channel 26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1995/1996 will happen with channel 19 in Marquette, Michigan, a station who went and stole WJMN's thunder (not to mention its affiliation with CBS!), to gain Lilly Broadcasting a foothold in the Upper Peninsula market!

 

In the words of Steely Dan: Hey, Nineteen!

Edited by Justin Hill
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12 hours ago, channel2 said:

 

Haven't the Sumralls been slowly winding things down for a while?

Yes, they've been focused more on their cable/satellite/OTT networks (World Harvest and FETV) than running OTA stations. They've sold some, but not all, of their stations to like-minded ministry types. One of the exceptions, as you know, was selling their Denver station to what is now known as Estrella Media.

Edited by TVIntheDesert
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On 1/26/2022 at 1:43 PM, sanewsguy said:

As of this writing, WJMN is now gone from YouTube TV, as-is the generic feed of CBS they had up the past few days, with WZMQ now available on that platform.

It was to be expected, especially after Nexstar went out of their way to drop WMYT in Charlotte after the Fox/Nexstar swap between Charlotte, Milwaukee and Seattle.

 

YTTV does not carry any of Nexstar's CW or MyNetwork stations, not even WGN 9.   Given it's such a tiny market, I doubt WJMN will ever push for coverage, that's if they even have a sizeable customer base for YTTV up there.

 

WJXT is really the only independent station that has YTTV coverage.  Ansin does not have WHDH and Circle City does not have WISH.  Yet, WPIX is still on there, thanks to Scripps and Mission for keeping it there.

 

In recent months, Nexstar's CW affiliates have shown up on Hulu's system, but not on YTTV.

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2 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

It was to be expected, especially after Nexstar went out of their way to drop WMYT in Charlotte after the Fox/Nexstar swap between Charlotte, Milwaukee and Seattle.

 

YTTV does not carry any of Nexstar's CW or MyNetwork stations, not even WGN 9.   Given it's such a tiny market, I doubt WJMN will ever push for coverage, that's if they even have a sizeable customer base for YTTV up there.

 

WJXT is really the only independent station that has YTTV coverage.  Ansin does not have WHDH and Circle City does not have WISH.  Yet, WPIX is still on there, thanks to Scripps and Mission for keeping it there.

 

In recent months, Nexstar's CW affiliates have shown up on Hulu's system, but not on YTTV.

 

McKinnon's KUSI does not show up on YTTV or Hulu either.  Nevertheless, KUSI is available to watch on the San Diego feed of LocalBTV.

 

LocalBTV has yet to appear in Jacksonville, Boston and Indianapolis.

Edited by nbc9houston
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I hope this means Local 3 can eighty-six their current newstheme, "Locals Only" in favor of something better while their graphics and set/studio get refreshed. I would like them to to use something guitar-driven, like "Indie-Band News" or something horn-driven, like "The Hammer" (a derivative of "Fahren-Hite"), in order to differentiatiate them even more from their CBS-affiliated Titletown semi-satellite. I hope WJMN-TV can succeed, and become a Midwestern small-town version of WFMZ-TV...

Edited by Justin Hill
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On 1/28/2022 at 11:03 PM, nbc9houston said:

 

McKinnon's KUSI does not show up on YTTV or Hulu either.  Nevertheless, KUSI is available to watch on the San Diego feed of LocalBTV.

 

LocalBTV has yet to appear in Jacksonville, Boston and Indianapolis.

Don't forget Miami (except WPB). 

Edited by Yankees4life
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As evidenced with the recent ABC/Disney spat with YouTubeTV, the major affiliates are tied to their networks, and if there's an issue there, then both the O&Os and affiliates are pulled.  The coverage of the "Big 4" is complete amongst all markets, but the other stations are on a group-by-group basis.  Sinclair has most of their CW & MyNetwork stations, and other groups like Graham (including WJXT), Fox, Cox (including WAXN and WRDQ), CBS (both CW, MNTV and their independents) and Scripps (including the now-sold WPIX) have their other stations represented.

 

Lacking these, most notably are Gray (pre-Quincy) and Nexstar.  So when WJMN got dumped by CBS, there went their carriage in favor of WZMQ.  Unless Nexstar gets a deal to carry CW & MyNetworkTV stations on YTTV, they'll likely be off.  The likelier scenario may be when these groups negotiate with FOX or the CW to include their stations. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
19 hours ago, jd285 said:

WJMN has announced that they will start to air local newscasts on the weekends starting this spring, airing at 6pm and 11pm for an hour long. In addition, they will also carry NewsNation’s Morning in America from 7-10am starting on February 28. 

This means that this is the only way to get NewsNation OTA. Interesting they’re going with national morning news.

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Mornings are, by far, their weak spot. They have Jack Benny and Burns & Allen from 7-9a, pulled over from Antenna. Pretty much anything would be better. Also: With all the decent syndicated programming they do have (Kelly Clarkson, Family Feud, etc) why is the lead in for the 6p news Justice for All/Supreme Justice? Those shows have tiny audiences. A comically bad decision. 

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14 minutes ago, Greggo said:

Mornings are, by far, their weak spot. They have Jack Benny and Burns & Allen from 7-9a, pulled over from Antenna. Pretty much anything would be better.

You can pretty much argue mornings have been a wash to them since March '92 with all of CBS's morning efforts doing zilch, and then losing Kelly & Ryan once WFRV did to WLUK/WLUC in that short period under common Media General ownership.

 

The Entertainment Studios filler is likely at the corporate level where they got stuck with it and backfilled the rest of the CBS schedule openings with their best shows.

Edited by mrschimpf
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/21/2022 at 8:22 AM, sanewsguy said:

Nexstar has renewed the rest of their CBS affiliations.

 

https://tvnewscheck.com/top-news/business/article/viacomcbs-and-nexstar-renew-affiliations/

Question/Observation... For the renewals, KXMC (Minot, ND) is listed. However, KXMB (Bismarck, Hub of Nexstar's North Dakota operations), KXMA (Dickinson, ND) and KXMD (Williston, ND) are all not listed with the renewals.

 

That said, Down in South Dakota, KELO/KDLO/KCLO are all listed individually.

 

So... Are there still holdouts with Nexstar CBS Renewals? Or am I overthinking all this?

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/10/2022 at 4:50 PM, mrschimpf said:

You can pretty much argue mornings have been a wash to them since March '92 with all of CBS's morning efforts doing zilch, and then losing Kelly & Ryan once WFRV did to WLUK/WLUC in that short period under common Media General ownership.

 

The Entertainment Studios filler is likely at the corporate level where they got stuck with it and backfilled the rest of the CBS schedule openings with their best shows.

WLUK-TV 11 was never owned by Media General, but WBAY-TV 2 was...you meant to say common Sinclair Broadcast Group ownership...WLUC-TV 6 was traded to Gray Television in exchange for WSBT-TV 22 of South Bend, Indiana.

Edited by Justin Hill
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On 2/22/2022 at 10:21 PM, GodfreyGR said:

Question/Observation... For the renewals, KXMC (Minot, ND) is listed. However, KXMB (Bismarck, Hub of Nexstar's North Dakota operations), KXMA (Dickinson, ND) and KXMD (Williston, ND) are all not listed with the renewals.

 

That said, Down in South Dakota, KELO/KDLO/KCLO are all listed individually.

 

So... Are there still holdouts with Nexstar CBS Renewals? Or am I overthinking all this?

WJMN-TV 3 was the only one that got away, although it is still operated as a partial semi-satellite of WFRV-TV 5...

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