What will happen to WGHP?

News just broke that Ruppert Murdock will be selling off a number of his FOX owned stations, including WGHP in the Triad. Seems like a stupid move, considering those stations are all highly successful and most are in growing markets. Still, I'd like to see WGHP lose FOX and go with a more reputable network. Who would buy 8 and would they be able to drop FOX?

"more reputable network" ???

I'm sure ABC would love to have WGHP back as an affiliate. So Sinclair would lose ABC and go back to FOX.

What is it about the Fox TV network that makes it UNreputable? Do they say that they will tun a program and then switch it to another without announcing it or what.

Mr. Murdoch is apparently gathering cash so he can purchase the Dow Jones Company - or at least The Wall Street Journal!

As for the Fox Network, it has, IMHO, far surpassed the credibility of the so called "Big Three" as a news network. The entertainment of Fox has been creative and offers a variety of innovative and entertaining program. I mean, Aren't You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

Interesting comment about the Fox network and their credibility as a news network, seeing as how they don't do network news.
The Fox cable channel does do news, and has well earned their rep as the "Faux News Network".

Fox does offer network news, however many larger market Fox affiliates produce their own and do not carry the network product (which is basically the same as the Fox News Channel). You will notice that affiliates like WGHP use a number of Fox News Channel reports as part of their local news blocks.

You will also notice for special coverages - like elections, Presidential speeches, the Fox network is often used by the over-the-air affiliate.

Fox also operates a radio news network that has earned a great deal of credibility in its infancy.

Doesn't ABC and 45 have some kind of contract. I don't think they can just jerk ABC from there and give it back to WGHP..I doubt seriously if 8 want's it back..Most of ABC's current shows in my opinion are "duds" If you get interested in one ie: "Invasion", Hell it's gone before the following week.. Of course Fox, Looks like the "Cartoon Network" on Sunday Nights..Just my 2 cents worth APE

Sinclair does have a contract with ABC. I was just stating since WGHP was an ABC affiliate before, that it would possible that they could again affiliate with ABC. However, with ABC having OTA covered with Channel 9 in Charlotte and Channel 11 in Durham, I don't think it really matters much. And with HD coming on board, VHF, UHF, won't mean a whole lot.

First, all stations have contracts with their networks, but all contacts have an out for both sides. May not be easy, but it can be done.

Secondly, having things "covered" with the Charlotte and Raleigh OTA signals is really insignificant. Since cable penetration in the Greensboro market is very high, the cable presence is very important. But, what is more important to ABC, is the local news reputation of an affiliate.

Channel 45 was forced to establish a news department at a huge loss to get the ABC affiliation (when FOX moved to Channel 8) in the first place. ABC finally capitulated and they were able to drop the local news operation. ABC still wants that presence and would jump to Channel 8 in a heartbead if they had the chance.

Bottom line is this - is being a FOX affiliatee as or more profitable for WGHP. I submit it is. The station has a great deal of freedom and control over its airwaves. To be an ABC affiliate, they would give up considerable numbers of additional programming hours. Question then becomes the network compensation amount!

XTalker said:

Secondly, having things "covered" with the Charlotte and Raleigh OTA signals is really insignificant. Since cable penetration in the Greensboro market is very high, the cable presence is very important. But, what is more important to ABC, is the local news reputation of an affiliate.

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True, I meant to mention cable in my earlier post. But I was really thinking more in lines of the news reports. Channel 8 has a great reputation for news and I'm sure ABC would love to have that affiliate back in the triad market. However, I agree it's probably more favorable for 8 to stay with Fox.

You got to remember that FOX is selling a group of stations, not just WGHP. I would suspect that as a condition of that sale, remaining an affiliate of FOX would be critical.

While I was at WXLV, ABC did investigate buying the station. They even sent an Engineering VP to evaluate the facilities. Sinclair would love to be a FOX affiliate, they own quite a few other FOX affiliaiates. The BIG problem would be spacing between WGHP as a Disney O&O and WTVD in Durham. It was ok with WXLV on Sauratown Mountain and WTVD south of Raleigh - not ok for WGHP and WTVD.

One thing that you have here is BIG groups are getting out of the television delivery business and concentrating on content development. February 17, 2009 is closer than you think and I wouldn't want to be in the TV business that day. There's no Cable Must Carry for Digital and with no analog broadcasts after 2/17/09, who knows what will be on basic cable????

I was in a "Goodwill Store" today and they had a sign posted on the screen of several used TV's with a disclaimer aying these may not work after such and such date? Wonder if they got these from a retailer that was unloading them early?? APE

I think whoever purchases Fox 8 WGHP should keep things the way they are
since Fox has some of the top prime time shows right now like "American Idol",
"House" and "24", in addition to coverage of sports like the NFL and NASCAR,
and i understand they still have a strong news operation, which Fox wants
as part of their affilation.

When you compare the ABC and FOX prime time lineups, there is really no contest. Keep FOX!

I think there are some very valid points here:

1. "American Idol" is very big in this area, and
I can't see Channel 8 voluntarily giving it up
(of course, with ABC they could get "Grey's
Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives"), but
I think the fly in the ointment is: would Channel
8 be willing to give up NASCAR and the Panthers?

2. In the daytime they'd have to replace syndicated
programming with "The View," "All My Children,"
"One Life To Live," and "General Hospital," and lose
the ad revenues they're getting from syndicated programming.
They'd also have to trim two hours off their morning newscast,
which has given WFMY's "Good Morning Show" fits ever since
Lee Kinard retired; also 6:30 PM goes back to ABC (end of
syndicated programming). Channel 8 also would have to give
up syndicated programs for "Nightline" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

3. Being in between WSOC and WTVD doesn't matter; Channel
8 was in between the two before the switch to Fox, and I don't
think either has that much impact on Triad viewing. I think that
the success of ABC33/40 in Birmingham, which replaced WBRC
when it went to Fox, was something of a fluke, but Birmingham
has a strong ABC habit that goes back to 1961; I'm not so sure
ABC has ever been the Triad's consistent first choice for news
and entertainment, to the detriment of ABC45.

4. It is, of course, possible that a company that's tight with
ABC (e.g., Allbritton) could buy Channel 8 (maybe ABC itself,
but I wouldn't hold my breath on that) and engineer a switch.
But that's a big "if."

Much as I would like to see ABC back on 8, I'm not keeping
my fingers crossed.

It was announced in late March that WGHP is one of several stations being acquired by Tribune. That has already set up speculation on Variety's website that WGHP could indeed go back to ABC, WXLV gets Fox back, and WGHP enters into an LMA with CW affiliate WCWG, producing local newscasts for that station. The scenario for the whole country is quite complicated, involving Sinclair stations as well; other scenarios involve WBRC Birmingham moving back to ABC from Fox (likewise KTVI St. Louis). On the whole, there is a possibility of almost as many switches as took place when Fox bought the New World stations (including WGHP, WBRC, and KTVI) and Westinghouse bought CBS.

Much as I would like to see WGHP with ABC again, I'm wondering if the station would be losing too much revenue; after all, ABC programs a number of timeslots Fox doesn't (daytime, 6:30-7 PM, 10-11 PM, 11:35 PM-1:05 AM, and overnight with "World News Now"), and ABC would no doubt force Channel 8 to clear these slots. Another problem is that Channel 8 just started a 6:30 PM newscast; if it gets back "World News With Diane Sawyer," does Channel 20 (WCWG) get a newscast produced by Channel 8? Could 8 produce a 10 PM newscast for 20, while reverting to an 11 PM newscast (WTVD, also ABC, does the latter for Raleigh's CW affiliate WLFL).

I doubt that could happen as FOX today is much stronger than when the switch happened earlier. ABC Network Compensation (as with most networks) is non-existent today. They control far more sales inventory as a FOX affiliate than they ever could as an ABC affiliate. They'd have to lay off a lot of their news staff as well as an ABC affiliate there is no place to place the nearly 12 hours of local news they are producing.

With the FCC attacking LMA's - that is also unlikely. WGHP + WCWG total numbers would be too high to pass LMA muster anyway. Sinclair has a better chance of a Triple Play - they have better lawyers.

WGHP is not going back to ABC, after announcing a 4:00 Newscast weekdays to begin April 21st.

A 4:00 newscast wouldn't make any difference re network affiliation; WTVD (ABC o&o) has one. I do agree, though, that WGHP will not go back to ABC; as I pointed out they have too much to lose in terms of timeslots given back to the network. Also, they have NASCAR (and the Triad is the highest-rated market in the country for NASCAR racing) and the Carolina Panthers, and they would be crazy to give those up. I'm sure these are things that will be taken into consideration when FOX8's current contract is up for renewal.

I somehow feel that ABC's chance of getting off WXLV rests on a real longshot: that Disney sells ABC to Hearst, and ABC moves to current NBC affiliate WXII/12. But again, I am not at all optimistic about that happening.