The Big Switch - Part 1 (September 1995)

KCNC 30 minute special on the 1995 Denver network affiliation switch. Part 1 of 3.

The posting of this video is designed to facilitate criticism, commentary, scholarship, and research relating to the television broadcasting industry, and for purposes of historic preservation, consistent with the provisions set forth in Section 107 of Title 17, United States Code.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• The
• Big
• Switch
• Denver
• 1995
• affiliation
• switch

[HulkieD]

Probably one of the best and most honest explanations of an affiliation switch and the process of affiliation.

[devswartz]

I agree wholeheartedly. For the station that was clearly losing the most--until '98 anyway-- they certainly put a ton of resources and research into this special.

[madden8021]

no one cares about fox that much

[raymieX]

@SCRIPPSCAST2007 The sentence read "Allbritton owning KTUL" and "KMBC being so strong with ABC in general". I know that Hearst owns KMBC...and why otherwise would I address Hearst in the next sentence?

[SCRIPPSCAST2007]

@raymieX KMBC was never an Allbritton station, Hearst owns that station too!!!

[raymieX]

@SCRIPPSCAST2007 I know that, but KJRH and KSHB are the only non-ABC stations Scripps owns today. I was talking about why they didn't jump to ABC too – Allbritton owning KTUL and KMBC being so strong with ABC in general are likely the reasons (oh, and Hearst owns ESPN in partnership with ABC, so you'd better expect good treatment!)

[SCRIPPSCAST2007]

@raymieX KJRH 2 is Scripps-owned NBC, the Allbritton station is KTUL 8 which is ABC!!! The Tulsa market was not affected by the network switch!!!

[SCRIPPSCAST2007]

And speaking of Scripps, In a nutshell, they're were about to lose the NBC affiliation on WMAR Baltimore to WBAL which was about to lose CBS to WJZ which Westinghouse owned at the time. Only KJRH Tulsa, WEWS Cleveland and WPTV West Palm Beach in addition to WXYZ Detroit were unaffected!!! KSHB Kansas City got NBC from WDAF (now Fox O&O), KNXV Phoenix got ABC from KTVK (now Independent), WCPO Cincinnati got ABC from WKRC (now CBS) and WFTS Tampa got ABC from WTSP (now CBS). That's right, 5 of 9!

[SCRIPPSCAST2007]

CBS had to jump two stations to get its right affiliate here in Detroit!!! Once started with now Fox O&O WJBK and then moving to now independent WADL before landing on then independent WGPR, now WWJ-TV -- the only CBS O&O on the UHF dial acquired directly by CBS!!! At one point, CBS was aiming for WXYZ-TV, the Scripps Howard-owned ABC station. But that idea never materialized!!!

[raymieX]

@raymieX Along the way, Meredith's WNEM-5 Flint flipped to CBS in case CBS had Detroit problems (and KPHO went in too on that deal), so Phoenix is the way it is today.

Two TV markets, the old (and good) status quo, and public service sensibilities were lost as the result of this big switch. And what a shame the ensuing 15, 16 years have been since.

[raymieX]

@boutitbenza699 (cont'd 4) In Birmingham, Allbritton got the ABC (which had been abandoned by a Fox-flipped WBRC-6) but the former Foxers weren't Allbritton's. It needed to be rated in Birmingham (so it got WBMA-LP) but needed coverage (so it got former CBSers WCFT-33 Tuscaloosa and WJSU-40 Anniston, formerly in separate markets until after this happened on board). Thus came today's ABC 33/40. WBMG/WIAT finally became the only CBS affiliate in the market which helped them out. That's all for me.

[raymieX]

@boutitbenza699 @boutitbenza699 (cont'd #3) KJRH-2 Tulsa, where the ABC is owned by Allbritton Communications. (Allbritton got a group ABC deal too - they own WJLA-7 in DC)

Allbritton had the CP for an upstart independent, WJXX-25, which became ABC (taken from WJKS-17, which went to The WB). WCIV-4 (Allbritton) and WCBD-2 swapped in Charleston SC.

Anyways, CBS wanted compensation for the loss of WCAU, which it got in channel 4 in Miami; KCNC-TV; and KUTV SLC (KSL got NBC this way) out of NBC.