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WBKB adds NBC

Covers all of Northern Lower Michigan (from Ludington to Tawas northward), as well as the Straits Area and Soo Region.
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mtburb
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WBKB adds NBC

Post by mtburb » Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:25 pm

As of yesterday, WBKB's 11.2 subchannel switched from Fox/MNTV to NBC, with Fox/MNTV moving to a newly-created 11.4 subchannel. Not only does this give Alpena a complete set of network affiliates, but this also gives NBC the distinction of being the first network in television history to gain affiliates in literally every DMA in America.

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My furthest DTV tropo: KDKA Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 202 miles for three days in January 2017 and a night in September 2017 with only an Antennas Direct C2V!

Current setup: Antennas Direct C2Max (2018-present)

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MWmetalhead
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:57 pm

Great news for local OTA viewers who have been without reliable NBC reception since 2009!

Thanks for sharing this info.

Per WBKB's Facebook page, I will say it does appear some viewers are upset that local satellite and cable providers have already discontinued or possibly will soon discontinue carrying out of market NBC affiliates, in particular WEYI, or from WPBN in Traverse City. Some viewers liked having access to additional newscast options.

A few posts also expressed concern about FOX programming being relegated to a 480i signal.



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rugratsonline
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by rugratsonline » Tue Jan 25, 2022 8:57 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:57 pm
Per WBKB's Facebook page, I will say it does appear some viewers are upset that local satellite and cable providers have already discontinued or possibly will soon discontinue carrying out of market NBC affiliates, in particular WEYI, or from WPBN in Traverse City. Some viewers liked having access to additional newscast options.
Considering that all networks and TV news will come from a single source is also a concern -- a few years back, you got your entertainment and information from various sources throughout northern and Mid-Michigan. Now in Alpena, WBKB is it.

Surprised they haven't made any orchestrations to steal PBS from WCML, considering that they wanted to monopolize all TV in Alpena.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue Jan 25, 2022 9:18 pm

Some out-of-market stations may be listed as "significantly viewed" by the FCC. If that designation exists, I think WBKB cannot block their carriage outright. Regardless, local cable & sat providers could choose to dump such stations.

WBKB probably would've never picked up NBC if WTOM's over the air signal in NE lower Michigan weren't so crappy.

Those with outdoor antennas & amplifiers in Alpena County, especially those close to Lake Huron, might have luck picking up WWUP and WGTQ from Goetzville.



SBaxley
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by SBaxley » Tue Jan 25, 2022 10:10 pm

Image

I had some time on my hands and thought, WBKB needed a bit of a little refresh in the logo, so ..what do you think? i know its a bit rough on the edges,but its something



organman95
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by organman95 » Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:15 pm

How does that not break FCC rules about local companies owning multiple affiliates in small markets? Or is it only number of channels?



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Bull Shannon
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by Bull Shannon » Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:28 pm

organman95 wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:15 pm
How does that not break FCC rules about local companies owning multiple affiliates in small markets? Or is it only number of channels?
I believe the FCC rules refer to ownership of multiple physical stations/licenses, not network affiliations.



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rugratsonline
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by rugratsonline » Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:04 pm

Bull Shannon wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:28 pm
organman95 wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:15 pm
How does that not break FCC rules about local companies owning multiple affiliates in small markets? Or is it only number of channels?
I believe the FCC rules refer to ownership of multiple physical stations/licenses, not network affiliations.
While it may seem to be a "monopoly" on the outside, they're all subchannels sharing the same station. Technically, it's one station split up into four "stations".

Many smaller markets also have two -- or even three -- of the big four shared as subchannels on a single station. Though I believe WBKB is the first example in which they have all four as subchannels.



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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by organman95 » Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:08 am

rugratsonline wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:04 pm

While it may seem to be a "monopoly" on the outside, they're all subchannels sharing the same station. Technically, it's one station split up into four "stations"
Wouldn't that be similar to "shell companies" and LMA agreements that are used to get around the ownership limit?



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MWmetalhead
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:19 am

Only two TV stations call the Alpena market home - WBKB and WCML.

Since WBKB is the only commercial station, it enjoys a ton of flexibility in terms of affiliation options, since certain FCC rules will never come into play.

Admittedly, my knowledge of duopoly and LMA rules for network TV affiliates has gotten very rusty. As I recall, different rules apply based on market size and based on whether any proposed duopoly involves two of the four "most viewed" stations.

I've long wondered why WGTU and WPBN never paired their virtual channels onto the same RF signal, since both broadcast in UHF from the same Kalkaska area tower. They must want to retain the ability to run extra subchannels? I believe WGTU even carries WPBN's NBC programming on its .2 channel and vice versa.



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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by Ben Zonia » Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:45 am

WBKB Identifies as serving the Alpena Oscoda Tawas Area. It also covers the Tip of the Thumb/Caseville/Port Austin/Bay Port Vacation Areas. Tawas gets decent signals from Flint Saginaw Bay City also.


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rugratsonline
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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by rugratsonline » Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:37 pm

Ben Zonia wrote:
Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:45 am
WBKB Identifies as serving the Alpena Oscoda Tawas Area. It also covers the Tip of the Thumb/Caseville/Port Austin/Bay Port Vacation Areas. Tawas gets decent signals from Flint Saginaw Bay City also.
Iosco County, which includes Tawas and Oscoda, is part of the Flint / Saginaw market.



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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by Ben Zonia » Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:51 pm

If you put Tawas City and 30 feet into a TV Fool search, you'll see that WBKB is Line of Sight into Tawas City, and is the strongest TV signal there. Since every TV is not connected to cable, it's pretty easy to have an antenna which gets WBKB 11, and thus all major networks.

https://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrap ... 4847bb5d7d


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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by Deleted User 15062 » Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:49 am

rugratsonline wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 8:57 pm
MWmetalhead wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:57 pm
Per WBKB's Facebook page, I will say it does appear some viewers are upset that local satellite and cable providers have already discontinued or possibly will soon discontinue carrying out of market NBC affiliates, in particular WEYI, or from WPBN in Traverse City. Some viewers liked having access to additional newscast options.
Considering that all networks and TV news will come from a single source is also a concern -- a few years back, you got your entertainment and information from various sources throughout northern and Mid-Michigan. Now in Alpena, WBKB is it.

Surprised they haven't made any orchestrations to steal PBS from WCML, considering that they wanted to monopolize all TV in Alpena.
Block Communications (Buckeye Cable in Ohio, Toledo Blade) has Lima, Ohio doing "Your News Now" on all 4 of it's networks too. Not sure if the Findlay station does it too on Channel 19 (BCSN, also a Block Communications/Holdings station) 25 miles from Lima.



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Re: WBKB adds NBC

Post by Deleted User 15062 » Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:52 am

Looks to me like 11 is following the money trail. News makes a premium on spots and sponsor slots. Expect to see allot of newscasts coming up everywhere, like what I just noticed WTVG in Toiletto (13abc) doing, in a non-news city.

Also, NextGen will also allow 11 to add more potential sellable content on future diginets, beyond what they have now. Total goldmine for being the only commercial TV outlet,



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