Or vice versa, depending on whose side you believe. The latest contract dispute blackout affects Tribune Broadcasting owned stations in Spectrum Cable cities, and WGN America as well (which Spectrum is slamming in their "it's their fault" looped message as a channel nobody watches!) Will have to see how it all plays out, and if it leads to more cord cutting, or increase in Satellite subscriptions
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Spectrum Pulls The Plug On KTLA
- Thread starter CaliRadioFan
- Start date
I was flipping around, and I almost forgot that the Tribune channels were gone--KTLA, WGN America, and Antenna TV. Hell, even during the loop about the dispute, Spectrum had threw a little shade at WGN America, "as a channel very little people watch".
Truth hurts.
Truth hurts.
Just WGN America was pulled off Spectrum here. Wenatchee subs, on the other hand, have lost KCPQ and KZJO. It isn't a big problem as they carry two FOX stations anyways, KAYU being the other. Be glad Xfinity is the one that serves Seattle-Tacoma! And, MyNetworkTV is just a programming service ala ION. Some syndicated reruns have been pulled off Spectrum, KZJO airs blackish, Mom, Two and a Half Men etc. and in Spokane, some of those sitcom reruns air on KSKN which is not provided in Wenatchee.
How could it be a channel very few people watch when it has so many big shows from the major networks like Cops, Blue Bloods, Last Man Standing, Married with Children, In the Heat of the Night, etc.?
Yeah, KCPQ Tacoma/Seattle won't be much effected in that market, as I don't believe Spectrum has any real penetration in that market. KTLA in Los Angeles, a very popular CW station (especially with its news) is greatly effected. Complicated by the fact that Tribune owns KTLA, so you won't get the Spectrum scroll there for sure. I could care less about WGN America being off Spectrum on my system. I rarely watched that channel.
Good riddance WGN America! Hopefully, Spectrum can find a good replacement, but I won't cross my fingers...hello a new shopping network...Direct TV, I may be giving you a call back.
Keep in mind that for cable systems, the 55 and over audience is core. The cord cutters tend to be at their highest among Millennials, and the seniors love their old shows.
Older demos may be a challenge for ad sales, but for cable it's where the fewest cord cutters are found.
Dunno, but WGNA was not among the top 30 cable networks, total day, in either the persons 2+ segment, or persons 18-49 for calendar 2017. That's despite a Tribune press release claiming WGNA was the #1 fastest growing entertainment network in the 18-49 demo in 2017. So apparently they went from a Tennis Channel size audience to a Golf Channel size audience.
It's kind of ironic that most cord cutters appear to be millennials because if you look at many of the programs that are available over the air, particularly on the digital subchannel networks, many of them appear to be older programs geared toward older audiences when you look at networks like MeTV, Antenna TV, Heroes & Icons, Decades, etc. Add to that the fact that just about all of the commercials that run on said networks are geared more toward the senior demographic. Even during the weekend E/I blocks for children, you see a lot of ads that look like they're better suited for Fox News or The Price Is Right.
Keep in mind that cord cutters aren't actually cutting the cord. They're just not subscribing to traditional cable TV. But they need to receive internet somehow, and the only way to do that is via a cord. That cord is often provided by the cable company, although it could be coming from the phone company. Unfortunately, Google's foray into internet service has been stymied by the traditional cord companies like AT&T and the cable companies.
And the cable companies love the Internet service. They do not pay rights fees for every station and network, and the costs for interfacing with the backbone are much lower by comparison to those rights.
Of course, they'd like to sell you the full bundle with phone, tv and Internet. But I think the most profitable is the web service.
Of course, as cellular speeds increase and data packages get fatter, some will opt out of any wire coming into the residence.
I was at a homeowner meeting late last year when one of the topics was the bulk cable agreement. A small group of residents wanted the HOA to opt out of the bulk agreement because they "don't use any of it". Those people were strictly wireless... and that was surprising in a community where the vast majority of residents are seniors or approaching that status.
I hope you're being facetious...each and every one of those shows you just mentioned air elsewhere, and on other multiple outlets, no less. There's nothing, especially now, that differentiates WGN America from any other rerun-heavy cable network...hell, I find the programming on Antenna TV a lot more entertaining what WGN America puts out everyday.
Don't forget the lottery drawings/lottery game shows! I miss flipping over on a Saturday night for Illinois Instant Riches and Illinois' Luckiest.
Is that still on WGN America? I agree, that was kind of a fun show. I don't think it runs on the America net anymore, but I could be wrong.
To be fair, WGN America has aired a few original programs in recent years, such as Underground, Outsiders, Salem, 100 Code and Shoot the Messenger. Later this month, they'll be premiering another original series called Pure.
Here are the details
https://deadline.com/2019/01/tribune-and-charter-settle-carriage-dispute-1202533473/
https://deadline.com/2019/01/tribune-and-charter-settle-carriage-dispute-1202533473/
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