CW 9 WGN

Possible logo configuration

With Tribunes TV division being sold to Sinclair, perhaps they may look into re-establishing the Chicago conglomerates flagships affiliation with the CW, which went to my50 WPWR in Gary as I posted a while ago.  New owners often means new people and new decisions.  It would be like with my38 in Boston.  However, it would cause a seismic shift in the schedule for both stations.  It could take up to a year for Washington to approve and another for operations to be absorbed fully.  The local news might appeal more to the Collar Counties west of town after the sale is complete with Sinclair having a reputation similar to FNC (myNetworks sister station).  I wanted to start a new post instead of just adding onto the old one.  SBC already have CNYcentral near me which includes CW 6.  WGN meanwhile remains a separate animal from sister station WGN America (now NewsNation) which used to have channel 9 outside the Chicago DMA, just as CWs half-sister TBS now have a different agenda to the original channel 17 in Atlanta which remains indie.  In the meantime, WGN 9 is now sister to Newschannel 9 WSYR ABC in Syracuse and CBS 9 WNCT in Greenville, NC.

UPDATE: Even though WGN and the CW are now sister subsidiaries of Nexstar, Weigel flagship WCIU is the affiliate for the Chicagoland DMA today.

UPDATE 2: WGN will return to the CW on 1 September 2024 along with a reshuffling of Nexstar stations that include KLFY 10.2 laFayette Parish, LA and WVBT 43.2 Norfolk, VA, both which have room on their tiers to move down the smaller networks the CW are replacing. Back in Chicago, WCIU will go back to being the U (indie).

TV stars with CNY ties

Vanessa L. Williams in a red carpet-ready red dress!  The L is for local!

There is a plethora of household names that have past personal ties to Central New York as it's too easy to start in a big area.  Been meaning to do this.  Here is a list of ones I know:

Kevin James (attended SUNY Cortland)
Al Roker (attended SUNY Oswego)
Peter Falk* (also attended Hamilton College)

Richard Gere (lived in North Syracuse; appeared on the BBCs MotherFatherSon)
Mike Tirico*

Kevin Michael Richardson*

Bobcat Goldthwait (grew up in East Syracuse)

Tom Kenny (same)
David Muir* (born in Syracuse; formerly on CBS 5; now on ABC)
Jerry Seinfeld (attended SUNY Oswego)
Andrew Daly (attended Ithaca College)

Anne Burrell (grew up in Cazenovia)

Ina Garten*
Ricki Lake (also went to IC)
Ann Coulter (went to Cornell across town)
Keith Olbermann (went to Cornells east campus)
Megyn Kelly* (lived in Syracuse, but later lived in Albany County)
Tom Everett Scott* (does TV occasionally)

Edie McClurg*
Debra Wilson*
Jeff Glor* (formerly of NBC 3 WSTM; originally from WNY)
Bob Costas*

Lindsey Vonn*

Marv Albert*
Ted Koppel*
John Walsh (born in Auburn)
Annette Funicello (born in Utica)
Dick Clark*
Taye Diggs*
Jerry Stiller*
Vanessa L. Williams (pictured; was on Ugly Betty, and is now on Daytime Divas, and is the only local legend on both this and the sister blogs post on CNY)*

*SU alumni

NET: The return?

Classic colour logo.

NET were the predecessor of PBS, which took over in October 1970 and NET was absorbed by WNDT downstate to become flagship WNET 13.  Since there are several indie stations in the country that are neither PBS (anymore in some cases as I'll get to in a bit) or commercial, there could be a new network for them to join.  Just as commercial indies in the past few decades turned to Fox, the WB, UPN, the CW and my Network TV, their non-profit rivals could have a place of their own.
The coasts have WNYE in the tri-state and KCET (which I explained in an earlier post) in LA.  Others like them include WPDS in Largo, FL and WLAE in New Orleans, LA just to name a few.
In the Commonwealth, there can be two pubcasters per nation.  The UK has the BBC and Channel 4, Canada with the CBC (English) and Ici Radio Canada-Télé (French) as well as Ontarios TVO for Anglophones and TVFO for Francophones, Australia with the ABC (as different from Americas as the two Woolworths are, as I told Cody Simpson and Kylie Minogue) and SBS (closer in aspect to PBS compared to Aunty), and New Zealands TVNZ and Māori (not directly owned by Wellington).  In the US, PBS is TV while NPR is radio.  They have their own fish to fry with funding fears.  Not sure how this would work as far as that.  Washington directly owning a network isn't quite the way it goes, and PBS are collectively owned by their member networks being non-profit and uncommercial.
As I said the other week, NET Journal would work now as hot button issues exist today that the documentary series could cover.  It paved the way for Ken Burns and POV.
The state PBS network in Nebraska are called NET but they would have to change their name to Nebraska PBS or Cornhusker PBS if they had to for TV, and NPR Nebraska for radio.  Don't think WNET would go back to their old callsign however.  There have been other unrelated networks called NET due to the generic nature of the name.  Just as there could be dark commercial stations left lingering across the country, it'd be a task trying to make an affiliate in every DMA.  The FCC have a licence for both kinds of stations.  Public ones are in the same boat as registered charities and houses of worship as far as tax-exempt status and not making profits.  Contributions from the audience can be written off.  The Ford Foundation bankrolled NET before CPB was formed.  Since not even the major commercial networks have an affiliate in every town the antithesis of such would have a more uphill challenge.  WPBS, WSKG and WCNY back in Upstate NY have two transmitters each but they don't have the same shows as the competition of course so it's not like how CBS in Utica and NBC in Watertown had been lacking a local voice until recently.  NET could even be on existing PBS member stations' tiers if ion affiliates can have as many as six channels on a set.
UK imports like Still Open All Hours are three series behind so NET could have the newest ones as Britbox, a joint venture of the BBC and itv online isn't for everyone.  Streaming is the latest threat to public television although Independent Lens and Masterpiece can be viewed that way these days.
NET could be another source of smart programming needed in a world of mindless "reality" shows and graphic scripted series trying to turn a fast buck.
Maybe a different name would work as NET could get confused with Netflix.

WCNY and World

PBS 24 Syracuse 22 Utica

WCNY, the public station for CNY no longer carries World, a joint venture of two major east coast stations and two organisations that contribute to the network.  It could be carried on 22/24.5 and HowTo on 22/24.6 (ION 56 has the largest tier group of stations in the Syracuse DMA to date).  However, the Trump administrations proposed austerity measures put public funds to the country's answer to a pubcaster (although not the de facto network like with other countries due to the large scope of the US media) on the line.  This isn't a political blog; just pointing out how things are being cut to the bone as it is now.  WCNY did away with pledge drives a few years ago in a trailblazing move and the budget cuts may prompt members and viewers (like you) to contribute out of pocket directly.  Sesame Street has already moved first run episodes to HBO of all places last year yet still symbolises the network to this day.  All I watch on 24 these days is Keeping Up Appearances which isn't in the PBS package but is syndicated to several member stations by BBC Worldwide Americas and has a cult following in North America.  If I were to ever send money to WCNY again I'd get a beaker even though I have the one for flagship WETA 26 in Washington, DC that I bought at the charity shop which I use for my coffee every morning.  May have watched the station the two times when I visited the beltway.  They have a subchannel specialising in UK imports.
Since KCET on the west coast fell out with PBS several years ago leaving their competitor KVCR (also on 24) in Orange County to be an LA area member station alongside KLCS, KOCE and KQEH, they've become an indie public station that PBS doesn't really even need anymore.  One could be started here.  On DT1, some NETA and APTV-distributed shows not already on 24.1 could air.  Waiting for God (even more elusive than the other Auntie show here in the US) could be brought back to the area along with other shows from the Beeb (such as As Time Goes By which was just dropped from WCNYs lineup) and itv/LWT (like Dame Judi Denchs other classic with her late husband A Fine Romance).  Good Afternoon was a public affairs/community discussion type show that was on when I was growing up so something similar could air today with a new name like PM Syracuse.  Maybe even have instructional programming akin to the UKs Open University or something like public access to fill the hours.  World could be on .2.  Old films on .3 which the other place used to have (mostly obscure if not public domain titles) but now have them spread out in one way or another.  The studio could be WCNYs old one in Galeville and the rerun-heavy commercial networks mentioned in a previous post can just take the former CBS 5 one back in town as both vacant buildings were designed for TV use but could be adapted as other properties if another kind of business buys them instead leaving other places that used to be offices or retail for the new station to operate from.  As for where on the dial (who uses that here anymore?!) to air, there isn't a dark station like I've seen in other towns so anywhere that doesn't clash with another frequency here or in the next region would be allocated by the FCC.  Maybe it could air on 62.1-4 in Syracuse and 59.1-4 in Utica on the digital successor signals to WCNYs former translators.  If it were possible to get all these networks in the area then we'd almost be in league with the big cities.
V-Me, FNX, NHK World from Japan and Link TV (part of KCET) also could fill up the new tier.  Only so many films would work due to rights and budget concerns.  The UK lineup could have Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Only Fools and Horses, EastEnders (new ones as old one with retired and/or deceased characters and stars like Wendy Richards Pauline Fowler), Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and To the Manor Born which also no longer air or never have in Central or Northern New York.  Irish classic Ballykissangel could also have reruns again here.  Other programmes too left field in nature for commercial broadcast in America would make sense as well.  Informercials not so much as they are still commercial and even televangelists (who buy air time the same way but have tax exempt status) don't usually go on public stations.  A documentary series like NET Journal which PBS's predecessor had in the turbulent '60s would be relevant to todays issues but would have a new name of course.  Originally programming could be developed as well.
WNED in Buffalo which get a lot of support going around Lake Ontario to Toronto, could put World on 17.4.  There may be more member stations that don't have it on their tier right now.
Seems one thing I haven't looked on this blog is sports, but that's really not my area, but a show that looks at life behind the scenes without ripping off ESPN too much would be close enough if not school teams playing.  Life can be like a sports league and TV is no exception which each time hoping to win the championship and this new station could be the new underdog in the Syracuse DMA.  More of these could be started across the country.  This new station could be the counterpart of channel 28 this side of the Mississippi Valley.

Spectrum: Long live Time Warner

After nearly a year of waiting, the Time Warner Cable name has finally gone the way of its predecessors Warner Amex, NewChannels and Adelphia (in CNY anyway).  TWC commercials have been phased out, TWC News now is called Spectrum News (which may now be added to pre-existing Spectrum systems such as Alpena, MI), and Spectrum vans are now on the streets (some older ones and third-party contractors may still have the old guard on them yet to be covered).  Spectrum Centre in Raleigh, NC is now renamed while other venues with naming rights had them sold to others or closed.  Still waiting for the Rochester office to get new signs.  The Rome one has theirs but it's a small building in a small town.  The old bus station in Syracuse still has News 10 Now's logo and I haven't been by the East Syracuse office in a while.

TWCs former corporate parent turned namesake are being sold to AT&T, owner of DirecTV.  Even Time and Life magazines aren't owned by them anymore.  Someone years ago said the company would split into several separately traded entities (AOL, Warner Music Group, etc.).

MyNetworkTV

Modified from former CLE 43 logo.

MyNetworkTV is one of the last new TV networks to launch prior to DTV being standard and after The WB and UPN folded in the CW.  A weak sister of Fox, it tried having Anglophone telenovelas (usually a Hispanophone phenomenon, yet ABCs version of the Ugly Betty franchise held its own) but the ratings were as bad as some of the sister networks obscure short-lived series!  It is not a network per se, now but rather a syndicated package, yet affiliates don't identify as indie the way WPCH (née WTBS) in Atlanta does.  SVU (also on similar rival ION) has repeats as do several other shows on MNTV.  Due to the large scale nature of the American TV industry, it would be tedious to list every small market that has yet to get their own, as a network would have roughly 200 stations nationwide.  Watertown, NY is only just about to get their station (albeit the same channel as AntennaTV) and Alpena, MI now share it with the sister networks station there as MNTV are a lower priority.  Plattsburgh, NY (the last area in my state left to get one after down US 11), Columbus, GA (halfway between Atlanta and Florida), and Ft Myers, FL (my only contact there would never watch it anyway) are just a couple places left to conquer.  Now W45EC-D in Erie, PA could become my 45 WECD (pictured).  Just when you think there couldn't be another space to fill!  The next one west in Cuyahoga County is now called CLE 43 WUAB to avoid confusion perhaps with CNY's own my 43 WNYS.

CKWS

Serving Eastern Ontario and beyond.

I've known about CKWS in Kingston, ONT for years as they had listings in TV Guide as they could be reached not only across St Lawrence River in Watertown but also in Utica down NY 12 on cable.  They may even have been available in Syracuse in the '80s.  They were an affiliate of Canadas pubcaster the CBC until a couple years ago when station owners Corus switched it to rival network CTV.  CBC is either available on cable or satellite at least per CRTC regulations, or from a repeater of the Ottawa flagship CBOT.  There is a secondary affiliation with Global for news.  There could be a tier with CTV on DT1, CTV Two on DT 2, Global on CT3, and CBC on DT4.  Gatineau (CRTC) would have to approve this, and it might not work that way there as it would across the seaway.  Third-party owned stations aren't as common in Canada and almost like the US, occur more in smaller markets like Kingston.  Having the same kind of branding is also not widely known there, so it otherwise could be called CTV 11, or CBC 11 in the recent past.  All the major networks have to appear on Cogeco, Vidéotron (eastern Ontario and Québec cable systems, respectively, although both are based in the latter), Shaw Direct and Bell TV (Canada's answers to Dish Network and DirecTV in no particular order).  Even in Canada, some people are trying to save money by using an antenna and watching online (where they can bypass Cancon mandates to watch international programming).

NBC 26 WNYD

Had to edit the picture due to Fox/Disney split.

    They say that one thing leads to another, and it always does.  Also, just when you think the entire country is covered, somewhere falls through the cracks.  Someone mentioned getting NBC 7 & 4 from Traverse City which lead me to finding out the resort town of Alpena, MI until recently were in the same boat as fellow Great Lakes city Watertown, NY as far as not having NBC or MyNetworkTV to call their own, making this the next frontier to conquer.  However, I've only been to the Midwest once in my life, so I know even less about there myself than New Yorks North Country which I have been to several times.  Then again, NBC 45's owner are based in southern Georgia, so it's not uncommon for a station owner to be based out of town and/or state as it's not uncommon, even in Roscommon.  The FCC just cares that a licence is paid for and regulations are followed.
    Through a shared sales agreement, cable-only CW 21 WBAE (yes, that's a real station!) could be simulcast on 26.3 as predecessor The WB had cable based affiliates for smaller markets in the past.  One of the little networks like ThisTV could be on 26.4.  Channels 18 and 31 are also available to create new tiers with these newer netlets as the possibilities are almost endless now.  New call letters would have to be found as the ones they had look more like the kind for translators such as W63AE in Oneonta which simulcasted ABC 20 WUTR in Utica back in Upstate NY in analogue days to Otsego County and the northern Catskills, yet these new stations will be over in the Wolverine State, which like much of the Midwest largely lacks elevation which can disrupt signals especially in the elements.  Sky truly is our (if) only limit now.
If there's another lesser known area missing a certain channel based there I'll eventually hear of it and come out of my occasional writers block.  Meanwhile, Alpena sounds like a nice place to visit during the summer, so I could see how it goes there, but that's a story for another day.

UPDATE: The major networks are now on WBKB 11, with CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox and MyNetworkTV together respectively. A real WBAE licenced with the FCC is a radio station in Portland, ME. WNYD is an unused station in the NYC Tri-State (which makes more sense, even though there's more than enough on air there, while Alpena is the polar opposite, with only two DMAs even smaller than them). Now a silent signal registered in Thunder Bay could be revived for the smaller networks, but that would take research for another post.

Smaller networks

The most elusive of them all.

In the past decade or so, new networks like ThisTV, Antenna TV and RTN have cropped up on DTV giving people more choice over the air.  Older generations recall being lucky to have three channels on the dial!  Now they can see the shows they grew up with on most of these netlets.  MeTV and Antenna TV have picked up rights to several classics.  Series shown had reruns aired in syndication and on cable in the past after their network run had ended (yet off-network repeats usually start after Series 4 when there are enough to pad out a cycle to avoid too much repetition in a short span of time).  Some have yet to even appear on DVD, BluRay or streaming (The Golden Girls for example are on a few cable stations and now Hulu, twenty-five years after the original series left NBC and twenty after terrestrial broadcast rights expired in the US).  Other chestnuts had not aired at all in years and are now available for a new generation to enjoy although the ratings for these fledgling networks may be bubbling under in the Nielsens as they are low priority next to the big boys today.
Only Albany, Syracuse (now on WONO 11.2), and Buffalo have a ThisTV affiliate Upstate at this time.  Watertown (45.3), Rochester (36.1), Binghamton (20.2), Elmira (39.2) and Plattsburgh (3.3) have space for it.  In my area, if the existing tiers won't expand for the other networks, a new one could open and could get the old CBS 5 studio in the city or the one for WCNY (PBS) in Galeville (Liverpool).
Decades, H&I, Justice, Newsnet, TBD (an actual network, not an undetermined one; currently in CNY and WNY), Movies! and CoziTV are now in the Syracuse DMA, while Escape, Cheddar, GetTV (on air for a time in CNY but now just on Dish with national feed), The Country Network, Localish,  The Works, Light TV (sister to ThisTV; owned by Byron Allen of Funny You Should Ask), MHz Worldview, Newsmax (also on cable and satellite), Quest, Retro, Rev'n, Stadium, WeatherNeation, World (formerly available through WCNY), and YouToo (which is even older than Fox) all also have yet to reach CNY airwaves, although some may be available on cable and satellite as even Fox had a national feed for small markets yet to catch up with the rest of the country with their own station as recently as over a decade ago, but now these poor mans versions of Nick at Nite/TV Land provide an alternative for those tired of todays headlines, reality shows and reboots yearning for a simpler time.  They do have something for the kids if not what I may have watched in my day to meet FCC E/I programming requirements, even if no one really watches at all.
TheCoolTV is down to just a couple stations despite playing more music videos than MTV, BET, VH1 and MuchMusic for that matter combined as late payment of royalties to station owners if not record companies in addition to people watching them online may as well shut the network down.  The Tube previously had the same thing but could also be seen on cable.  I remember The Box with a 900 number back in the '90s where my43 and AMG are today.
If these newbies have new series it might not work due to their low-man status on the totem pole.  Catalogue or library titles account for much of their budgets as far as royalties, rights and residuals.  Old or new there is more competition than ever in America yet only the front line networks get feedback at the water cooler the next business day as opposed to the old guard from when you used the tap.  Still it's good to have more choice when some parts of the world are lucky to even have the bare essentials.

Mayor Graham's View: WDT: NBC to launch affiliate in Watertown......May Offer News

Mayor Graham's View: WDT: NBC to launch affiliate in Watertown......May Offer News

NBC 45 WVNC

Took me a while to find this official logo.

The wait is over, North Country!  Jefferson County has waited well over three generations for this!  NBC finally have an affiliate to call their own in the border community.  I knew this day would come.  The call letters could stand for Watertown - Viggo (Mortensen of Lord of the Rings franchise fame, who grew up in the area) - North Country.  It's early days right now as they won't even have their own news operation for another year.  Perhaps once the digital tier is established with the FCC, MyNetworkTV could be on 45.3 (sharing space on DT 2) and two other fledgling networks on the other two or more channels (Antenna TV just got DT2 which has MyTV on it).  Spectrum, Verizon FiOs, NewVisions (Tug Hill), Dish and DirecTV would have it replace NBC 3 from my neck of the woods in accordance with the FCCs Must Carry rights unless it's low-power then rights must be sorted out (the local paper still lists WSTM).  Some first-run syndicated series like Celebrity Name Game (until its cancellation) and Wendy are included in the schedule alongside all-new SVU and soon Syracuses very own (ex-FNC) Megyn Kelly (who I call local girl).  I was prompted on Facebook when one asked about Laff to find this after looking at local affiliates for that network.  SagamoreHill Broadcasting from Augusta, GA own the new station and I applaud them for founding it.  WBQZ and WLOT (which could get ThisTV and other lesser known networks) were tied up in legal red tape and it is ironic neither may have considered licencing Americas first network for the St Lawrence corridor up to across from Cornwall, ONT.  As a low-power station, this is probably one of the few stations on this side of the seaway that older TVs can pick up without a converter (the FCCs Canadian counterpart the CRTC in Gatineau, QC have gradually phased out analogue signals in favour of digital in recent years themselves, as I could get CKWS in Kingston, ONT on an old school telly several years ago when it was still a CBC affiliate that are now under rival CTV).  Hopefully Lester Holt gave a shout out as his predecessors have in the past to latter-day franchises.  The late network brass Brandon Tartikoff would be proud that this small town three hundred miles from New York City finally have an NBC station based right in their own backyard. In any case, DT1 will be NBC Watertown and DT2 will be Antenna TV.  No official sites apart from Facebook for the station or owner are available at this time.  If I can find another portable pre-2009 TV at the charity shop I could use it to test for the signal if there's still an analogue channel otherwise it gets nowt and I'm lucky one chain back in town will take it for free.  A pocket model for DTV exists and that would be nice for long road trips and I do make it up I-81 once a year as last time I mentioned to a pensioner on the bus how the Peacock Networks airwaves had yet to grace the northern skies.  Then the other week on a Golden Girls facebook group I bring up their old home and how people would have had to have cable, satellite (when it was mega-dishes) or a strong antenna on the roof just to get NBC 3 or 5 (Plattsburgh and Burlington) when it was still on up to 25 years ago this May.  At least today those who have to have a smaller aerial don't have to miss out anymore (the ladies left syndication two decades ago for cable and lately went on Hulu, taking them off free TV in North America).  Now Alpena, MI across the Great Lakes region from the Thousand Islands can be the Peacock Networks next frontier to conquer with a new affiliate, but I don't know the first thing about that area, so that'll be for another day (maybe even today).