WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE FUTURE OF SUBCHANNELS ?

[TNGTony]

Really?

 

[SIMPLE VLOGGING]

Old folks like us are pretty much set in our ways. Though we are the larger part of the market, we know what deodorant, coffee, toothpaste, or other incidentals we we are going to purchase, and no commercial is going to change that. To a lesser extent, we are set in our ways about cars, appliances, and other big ticket items too. When "we" don't know about technology, we will ask a younger person who will influence what we buy. People who buy commercials know this. They are selling to those that are most likely to be influenced to like their brand for the rest of their lives. We are just casual bystanders who may get caught in the net, but are generally immune from the influence.

I personally have never once bought anything that a TV commercial advertized, and probably never will. Now have you ever changed your bran of coffee?

 

[SIMPLE VLOGGING]

I do not. I think the best value comes from advertising to those who are most likely swayed now. When they get to be the big spenders, they'll already be on the teat.

Some people just need to buy stuff and have a house full of stuff they never use and some may never make it out of the plastic package but they never would think to give it away to help someone else or to free up room in their house/garage.

 

[SIMPLE VLOGGING]

Once again, I was speaking of the average viewer and research on the subject.

Question.....how many channel do you receive from your antenna and what type do you use. I am getting about 40 over the air channels now.

 

[TNGTony]

I personally have never once bought anything that a TV commercial advertized, and probably never will. Now have you ever changed your bran of coffee?

I don't put bran in my coffee... Generally, I don't like coffee anyway.
Those who say "I never bought anything because I saw it on TV" are lying to themselves. No, you may not have purchased the Ronco Vegetable Steamer available only through this great TV offer, but I know you have been influenced in brand choice over the years, especially your formative years. You may not have gone out to Cash's Big Bargain Barn in South Lebanon, Ohio because you saw it on TV, but if you saw his commercials with his Mary Lou sitting on the lawn tractor, every time you think of a lawn tractor, you think of that store.
But once again, the influence commercials hold is less and less effective as a person ages and becomes more set in his ways. Advertising for general products is significantly more effective on those under 40. There is no research study that refutes that.

 

[TNGTony]

Question.....how many channel do you receive from your antenna and what type do you use. I am getting about 40 over the air channels now.

I get 59 OTA channels (about 35 unique channels) between the Cincinnati and Dayton markets using an RCA powered indoor VHF/UHF antenna I bought for $29 about 20 years ago.

 

[Mr Tony]

You answered the question by perverting the meaning of subchannel to meet your needs.

serioiusly do you sit there and figure out how to use a specific word? The last time I heard the word "perverting" was CHris Hanson and To Catch a Predator

All stations you mentioned have a main channel and a .1 channel.

main and .1 are usually the same thing

subchannels to me (and most folks) are the new diginets. Now if you want to get it on a technicality fine. Whatever gives you a lady boner. But using my old market where we have all 4 commercial stations on their own RF station the only "diginet" (there...happy???) is MeTV. CW was on CBS and MY was on NBC. FOX has none. There are markets that have none of the new diginets and that is what the whole subject is about.

 

[radio]

Well, on the initial topic, I've watched with interest the growth of the "sub channels" from my location. Unlike many areas, my "non market" is well located to pick up Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo, Jackson, and sometimes others that "float in." Almost all of them have the sub-channels. The future of them? As in many things, it will depend on MARKETING, which transitions to eyes on the screens, which transitions to advertising support, which tells a station how they're doing! You can easily pick out the "sub channels" with less support in our area as you see PSA content, not "real" advertisers on them. I'd have to say Flint has the least-supported sub channels if I rated them by amount of ads aired.

In my area, most people on cable and satellite have no "Me-TV" or similar channels. I get ME from (3) markets OTA, Antenna from (2) markets as I recall, and others, but with no requirement to carry, the potential for new eyes is squelched by the cable or satellite carrier! A friend of mine installs antennas in the area, and EVERY one of the people doing cord-cutting are overjoyed to find Me-TV and other retro networks. Average age? Probably 50-65. When we speak of "retro TV" on WION radio, some people call and say, "I've never heard of THAT network" because they're tied to cable or a satellite contract There's just very little marketing BY the channels, or their "Major" channel to make people WANT to either cut the cord, or push their supplier of programming to ADD the channel.

I enjoy the availability of the shows I grew up with, because TV to me, in MOST cases is background while I'm computing, writing, whatever my job needs me to do. I think we're all drawn to the shows we know "word by word" because it's like comfort food, and doesn't require our attention level to be 100%. Furthermore, with an OTA DVR, (my choice is TabloTV) I find myself going to the OTA recordings ALMOST as much as I used to rely on streaming. Much of the public's opinion of ANY media is based on how MUCH we use it. In my case, as an early "cord cutter" I find the proliferation of classic and older TV to be a welcome addition to my choices.

Side note, however: If I were a high-up Program Director at these networks, I'd keep the FACES of many of the old stars of the shows OFF the screen, but use their voices creatively with clips of the shows, stills, or some combination. The LAST thing we all want to see is our favorite stars of yesteryear looking like they're already one foot in the grave! Some have survived time well. Others...well, they need to stay OFF camera. Me-TV is guilty of this problem.

The future of sub channels? Bright! That is, if creative programming is available to buy/barter at the local and (retro/sub channel) network level AND given that creative PEOPLE have the job of programming those channels for a particular audience! Programmers for TV, just like programmers in radio have to stay focused, and include pertinent advertisers in the mix at the local level. I, for one, and not ready for the pushbutton "emergency" pendant, or other things I see advertised on some of the retro networks......YET.

(hopefully not for a long time.)

 

[Mr Tony]

Unlike many areas, my "non market" is well located to pick up Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo, Jackson, and sometimes others that "float in."

that would be AWESOME to have that many options.

 

[Radioguy41]

It appears channel 29 in Phila added 2 more subs, an Hispanic channel, and a game show channel called "Buzzr"? At least they first showed up on a scan today.

 

[navychop]

I expect that "emergency pendant" to be built in to my iPhone some day. If it hasn't already.

 

[radio]

that would be AWESOME to have that many options.

It really is, only that the TabloTV box isn't used to having that many duplicates, so after you set it for "record all" or "record new" you go in and remove the duplicates. Not a big deal....just something one does as one looks over the OTA listings on the TabloTV once a week or so. (un-clicking duplicates so both tuners in my 2-tuner unit can be utilized efficiently).....should have bought the 4-tuner unit! They've been GREAT about doing firmware updates, and I'm sure eventually they'll have a "record all from this channel" option or similar.

I'm amazed at what the antenna does! It's an old "antennacraft" designed for RVs, with built in amp. Did GREAT on UHF in the analog days, does WONDERS now in the "digital" era. Sold by Radio shack for years in the 1980's, and like many things, got discontinued too soon in their catalog, continued by "antennacraft" for a number of years after, into the 1990's. If you see 'em used, grab one. Plastic case, brass-colored elements, meant to fold for RV use, and has great pickup even off the back of the antenna. This one's facing toward the West, but does fine for Flint and other markets, too! Even if it's missing it's power supply for the amp, you can use an aftermarket inline power injector and it'll work fine. Mine is split two ways, one to the main TV, one to the 2-tuner Tablo, and results are incredible! It's not that far off the ground, we're a one story building, and it's underneath a blanket of RF from AM 1430 and FM 92-7.

 

[john262]

The main reason is that the networks, in general, do not own the rights to their old programs. Most of the time the networks do not produce the programs, they buy the first run rights. In the rare cases when the network-owned production company produces a program for the network and the network retains the rights to the program (some are actually sold to competing networks), it sells the syndication rights to others. SoapNet was an ABC attempt to get some mileage from its old shows. We saw how well that worked

I don't understand that logic. Do the subchannels own the rights to those same shows? If subchannels can get rights to those shows why can't someone get those rights to put them on a cable/satellite network? We do have TVLand and Nick at Night which both used to be good but now they mostly show recent reruns and even original shows rather than classic reruns like they used to.

 

[localclassictvfan]

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It really is, only that the TabloTV box isn't used to having that many duplicates, so after you set it for "record all" or "record new" you go in and remove the duplicates. Not a big deal....just something one does as one looks over the OTA listings on the TabloTV once a week or so. (un-clicking duplicates so both tuners in my 2-tuner unit can be utilized efficiently).....should have bought the 4-tuner unit! They've been GREAT about doing firmware updates, and I'm sure eventually they'll have a "record all from this channel" option or similar.

I'm amazed at what the antenna does! It's an old "antennacraft" designed for RVs, with built in amp. Did GREAT on UHF in the analog days, does WONDERS now in the "digital" era. Sold by Radio shack for years in the 1980's, and like many things, got discontinued too soon in their catalog, continued by "antennacraft" for a number of years after, into the 1990's. If you see 'em used, grab one. Plastic case, brass-colored elements, meant to fold for RV use, and has great pickup even off the back of the antenna. This one's facing toward the West, but does fine for Flint and other markets, too! Even if it's missing it's power supply for the amp, you can use an aftermarket inline power injector and it'll work fine. Mine is split two ways, one to the main TV, one to the 2-tuner Tablo, and results are incredible! It's not that far off the ground, we're a one story building, and it's underneath a blanket of RF from AM 1430 and FM 92-7.

Dont quote me on this, 6.2 WLNS supposed to get cozi soon. I didnt get the confirmation from Media General but a few others tell me they heard the same with 3 saying its a guarantee along with KLFY and couple other MG stations that had LWN.

 

[localclassictvfan]

I hope the future of subchannels keeps growing. I love the 3 i have with more to come.

KATC ABC 3.1, CW 3.2, a 3.3 probably a couple years.
KLFY CBS 10.1, 10.2 waiting for the actual Cozi agreement to fall through, no answer for a DT3.
15.1 FOX, 15.2 KLAF-MNT (NBC 7/1), 15.3 MNTV.
22.1 Heroes & Icons, 22.2 Antenna TV.
24.1 KLPB, 24.1 PBS 2, 24.3 Create.
32.1 ThisTV, (32.2 Grit distant future)
40.1 KAJN Family Vision
46.1 KLAF-MNTV (NBC)
50.1 METV, 50.2 Heroes, 50.3 AntTV, 50.4 audio, 50.5 Audio, 50.6 Movies! TBD

Heroes and Icons launches 7/1 on 22.1 and 50.2 with Antenna moving 22.2 and 50.3. Weigel is looking try and add Movies and Decades to the station that is the MeTV affiliate. I finally got ahold of the grit owner and chances of a launch out here is looking good.

Since i have a 60 dollar antenna i also catch
2.1 WBRZ ABC, 2.2 News 2, 2.3 Weather X
9.1 WAFB CBS, 9.2 Bounce, 9.4 WBXH-MNT
33.1 WVLA-NBC, subchannel possible later
44.1 WGMB FOX, 44.2 CW 21. Been showing GritTv on the DT2.
WLFT 30 supposed to go with a bigger tower in the future so i may get that one full time.

 

[TNGTony]

I don't understand that logic. Do the subchannels own the rights to those same shows? If subchannels can get rights to those shows why can't someone get those rights to put them on a cable/satellite network? We do have TVLand and Nick at Night which both used to be good but now they mostly show recent reruns and even original shows rather than classic reruns like they used to.

The sub-channels buy the syndication/rerun rights. It is generally more lucrative for a company to sell the syndication rights than it is to run a network with all the headaches involved and buy their own rerun rights (yes, they would have to buy their own programs to reair), find advertisers, get distribution.
Nick at Nite/TV Land could buy any programs they like. They are owned by Viacomm/CBS and could buy whatever syndication rights they want. They choose to play back what they play back because according to their marketing department, they get more viewers and make more money. Just that simple.

 

[localclassictvfan]

Tivo came out with a new dvr. 49.99 just for ota only. Check out their website

 

[osu1991]

Tivo came out with a new dvr. 49.99 just for ota only. Check out their website

$50 just gets you the box. It's $50 plus $15 a month if you actually want to use the box or $399 total for lifetime service . Which does work very well.

 

[localclassictvfan]

$50 just gets you the box. It's $50 plus $15 a month if you actually want to use the box or $399 total for lifetime service . Which does work very well.

I have the one that you can use for ota and cable. Of course last year it was 269.99 for it.

 

[Mr Tony]

Tivo came out with a new dvr. 49.99 just for ota only. Check out their website

Its been out since last September. I bought one the 1st day they were out

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...el-targets-cord-cutters.341137/#axzz3co1nYHWH