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Laff Subchannel Debuts, Sort of

G

Gregg.

The all-comedy subchannel called "Laff" premiered on April 15th, as promised. It's a mix of sitcoms and comedy movies from the 80s and 90s, more or less. In NYC, it's on Channel 7.3. WABC-TV previously had 7.2 and 7.3 carrying Live Well, using the two channels for different definitions of the programming. Live Well is no longer producing new episodes of its shows but will continue on 7.2 in reruns for the foreseeable future.

My cable system, Time Warner, is all confused. On channel 1240, the channel is still called Live Well. The programming is still from Live Well. But the program guide now lists shows such as Spin City and Empty Nest, which are being carried on Laff.

So is Time Warner planning to carry both subchannels? But they haven't gotten around to adding another feed? And how could they get the program listings for the two services confused?
 
Here in Connecticut LAFF debuted yesterday on WFSB Channel 3.3 which was previously Eyewitness News Now, WFSB's 24 Hour News and Weather Channel. It was carried on Channel 801 on COX Cable. Yesterday at about 12:40PM ESCAPE took over Channel 801 on COX Cable, which is WFSB Channel 3.2, but the on-screen guide has the listings for LAFF instead of ESCAPE. LAFF is not available on COX Cable at this time. WFSB hadn't used Channel 3.2 since The Fall of 2012 when they dropped the simulcast of their low-power sister station from Springfield, Mass WSHM-LP. COX shouldn't have done anything with Channel 801. It was all set to be LAFF. All they needed to do was add a new channel for 3.2 for ESCAPE, which they could put on 802 since there is no channel on 802. Now they need to put LAFF on 802.
 
Here in Houston LAFF has launched on ABC O&O KTRK 13.3, replacing the SD version of Live Well. However, Comcast Xfinity has dropped 13.3 from its lineup, while still carrying the HD version of Live Well. I had figured it would be a seamless switch being on the same subchannel, but perhaps Comcast sees it as something new whose carriage has to be negotiated?
 
The concept might have potential, but some of the best sitcoms, from the 90s at least, are still healthy in syndication. I don't know if there is enough available quality content to sustain this format.

It's on in Detroit on 7.3. I've yet to check it out but will do so this weekend.
 
In L.A., ABC O&O KABC 7.3 is still carrying Live Well SD, and Time Warner Cable is still carrying it on channel 1246, with listings for Live Well. As I am typing this, they are showing Mirror/Mirror. I wonder why Laff hasn't launched in here in the #2 media market yet.
 
So far I like this channel. I'm glad they are not airing the same old shows that have been run to death on Me TV and Antenna TV. I especially like Empty Nest...haven't seen that show in probably over 10 years. They are also supposedly going to air Night Court but it has not been added to the schedule yet. Night Court currently airs weeknights on Encore Classic.
 
Here in Philly, it's on 6.3 OTA. So far, all that's been shown is a movie called "The Freshman" and The Drew Carry Show. I'm about to search the web to see what their line-up will be. I hope it's not just former ABC shows.
 
Mastaclocksetta said:
In L.A., ABC O&O KABC 7.3 is still carrying Live Well SD, and Time Warner Cable is still carrying it on channel 1246, with listings for Live Well. As I am typing this, they are showing Mirror/Mirror. I wonder why Laff hasn't launched in here in the #2 media market yet.
Click to expand...
It did launch in Los Angeles, I'm watching it right now.
Over the air, Laff is on 7.3
My guess is TWC is still pulling the Live Well feed from 7.2 and down converting it to SD on channel 1246.
See what the top of the hour ID of channel 1246 reports as, it will likely be KABC-DT 7.2 or TWC has a direct feed from KABC that hasn't been flipped yet for whatever reasons.

The show lineup is straight out of the early 90's ABC; Didn't Spin City, Grace Under Fire, Drew Carey and Ellen run as a block on Tuesdays or Wednesdays back in the day?
I know the latter three did because I remember a cross over event when characters from each of those shows appeared on the other shows, it had something to do with all of the characters being in Las Vegas at the same time for various reasons.

It's not a bad lineup, but rolling the same 4 shows will get old quickly, especially since they air them 3-4 times a day.
What I really like is Laff will be airing old live action Disney movies; I caught The Apple Dumpling Gang the other night and tonight they are rolling the original 1976 Freaky Friday with Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris.
They will be airing Son Of Flubber with Fred MacMurray over the weekend.
I hope they continue this route and run other silly live action Disney fare that hasn't been seen in years like The Cat From Outer Space, Escape To Witch Mountain, Gus, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Midnight Madness etc.
 
Agreed on the movies. Saw "The Freshman" last night for the first time in ages. The only problem I have with Laff to this point is the lack of sitcoms available, as mentioned above. The Freshman started at 9 CDT last night, sandwiched between 4 episodes of Drew Carey which started at 7, followed by 2 more of Drew Carey directly afterwards at 11. That is going to get old fast. Hope they can get the rights to other shows soon, or simply faze out the sitcoms altogether and show non-stop movies.
 
Robnoxious said:
It did launch in Los Angeles, I'm watching it right now.
Over the air, Laff is on 7.3
My guess is TWC is still pulling the Live Well feed from 7.2 and down converting it to SD on channel 1246.
See what the top of the hour ID of channel 1246 reports as, it will likely be KABC-DT 7.2 or TWC has a direct feed from KABC that hasn't been flipped yet for whatever reasons.

The show lineup is straight out of the early 90's ABC; Didn't Spin City, Grace Under Fire, Drew Carey and Ellen run as a block on Tuesdays or Wednesdays back in the day?
I know the latter three did because I remember a cross over event when characters from each of those shows appeared on the other shows, it had something to do with all of the characters being in Las Vegas at the same time for various reasons.

It's not a bad lineup, but rolling the same 4 shows will get old quickly, especially since they air them 3-4 times a day.
What I really like is Laff will be airing old live action Disney movies; I caught The Apple Dumpling Gang the other night and tonight they are rolling the original 1976 Freaky Friday with Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris.
They will be airing Son Of Flubber with Fred MacMurray over the weekend.
I hope they continue this route and run other silly live action Disney fare that hasn't been seen in years like The Cat From Outer Space, Escape To Witch Mountain, Gus, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Midnight Madness etc.
Click to expand...

They just did their top-of-the-hour identification and the OTA channel positions were still listed as both 7.2 AND 7.3. Maybe the station itself didn't yet get around to updating the TOH ID. But regarding Laff's availability in L.A., I stand corrected.
 
Yeah, I checked 7.2's TOH ID and it's the one with a blue background IDing as KABC 7.2/7.3 with all of the cable positions on TWC, Charter, Direct, Dish etc.
Laff's TOH ID on 7.3 is just a small screen bug overlay on the left corner that says "KABC-DT Los Angeles"
 
The TOH is probably just a video existing in the master playback server which plays automatically; since the FCC doesn't penalize for advertising channels a station isn't on (all it cares about is if you have the calls and city; you could call it KABC-DT929 for all they care since the -DTX and .X channel ID standards are totally voluntary; RTN boned multiple station ID's over the years with incorrect subchannels and never got fined for it because they still had the official calls and COL) and LWN is basically just a hard drive running archived programming with the occasional new Steven & Chris thrown in now, the new ID is probably a 'when we get to it' concern, while the LAFF ID is now just put in at the station's headend without needing the five-second video LWN needs like Trib and Weigel do with This and Heroes & Icons, along with the other Katz networks.

An odd thing though is that LWN is still being carried by Media General stations even though ABC said they would stop the feed on the 15th. My MG station (WBAY) had Decades lined up but backed out once LWN got more time (they're still feeling bitter heat from people mad they dumped RTN just before went into public domain low-power hell and want it on to the bitter end so they can say 'blame ABC, not us').
 
Laff is airing in SD in Philadelphia on WPVI 6.3 with Live Well in HD format on 6.2. Verizon FIOS has already updated the listing in their linear channel on screen guide as such.
 
On WSB 2.3 here in Atlanta. WSB was the first major station here to embrace subs and now they are laughing all the way to the bank. It's pretty easy money, just insert a local add every so often. Now about all the major players here have subs, but Me-TV is on 2.2 and that is a really a big crown.
 
My understanding is that Laff (along with Grit, Escape, and GetTV) are leasing the subchannel directly, which means WSB collects a check every month regardless of what programming is on 2-3 or how many viewers it has, and inserts no local ads.

- Trip
 
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