(Fom MediaDailyNews)
New House Commerce Head Looks At Media Ownership
Thursday, Nov 9, 2006 8:00 AM ET
U.S. REP. JOHN DINGELL, D-MICH.--THE incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee in January--isn't keen on easing media ownership rules, and is concerned about whether the public interest is being served. He's said that his panel will examine telecom measures, and will be less accommodating than the Republicans.
(Editor's Note: Translation...Duopolies may be in trouble. NEXSTAR and SJL/Lilly better think twice about buying twice.)
New House Commerce Head Looks At Media Ownership
Thursday, Nov 9, 2006 8:00 AM ET
U.S. REP. JOHN DINGELL, D-MICH.--THE incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee in January--isn't keen on easing media ownership rules, and is concerned about whether the public interest is being served. He's said that his panel will examine telecom measures, and will be less accommodating than the Republicans.
(Editor's Note: Translation...Duopolies may be in trouble. NEXSTAR and SJL/Lilly better think twice about buying twice.)
10 comments:
EXCELLENT NEWS!!!
Maybe SJL/Lilly and Nexstar will be forced to divest themselves of one or both their Erie properties?
Maybe the Democrats controlling both houses of Congress could be a good thing!
Sincerely
Proudly Anonymous
I love these kneejerk reactions like the one from Anonymous #1 above.
Do you remember Channel 66 when Gannon College originally owned & operated it (it was called WETG back then) ?
No local news or any of the other stuff you guys salivate over. Basically just a pipe for Fox primetime network shows. I don't even remember what they broadcast the rest of the time, but I doubt it had much of an audience.
Can you honestly say that Nexstar/Mission doesn't do a better job of running it than before it was a duopoly ?
Kneejerk reaction?
Do you realize that FOX 66 (before being run by Nexstar/Mission) was operated by Channel 12 out of 35th & State.
I was one of the "few" people who used to watch Channel 66 when it was WETG. I actually liked the religious programming.
Gannon sold the station to Erie Broadcast Partners, LLP. EBP boosted the transmitter power, added some syndicated shows and watched as FOX stole the NFL NFC package away from CBS.
Around 1994-95 the rumblings started that WICU wanted to operate 66 out of its 35th & State studios.
At the time John Kanzius was President of JET Broadcasting and opposed the move. Isn't it amazing that the station Kanzius didn't want WICU to run now runs out of the building Kanzius used to work in? Although owned and operated by another company.
My point is that a lot of the "structural" improvements were made before Nexstar/Mission took over the show.
Enjoyed your "kneejerk reaction" comment.
I think you are right about WETG now that you mention it. Didn't they sign on early in 1986 while Fox network didn't begin operations until fall, 1986 ? The schedule could very well have been similar to today's Pax network....also I think they talked about using it to broadcast in-school programs to the parochial schools of the Erie Diocese. [remember this was pre-Internet] Somewhere in there, the Diocese also applied for a bunch of MMDS/LMDS microwave channels for this purpose but I'm not sure anything ever came of that. Does anyone know ?
And I do remember Fr. McSweeney being involved, but for some reason I thought AJ Miceli was the GM. Or was that later on ?
Finally, wasn't there a local group of investors (I think my eye doctor was one of them) who owned 66 for a little while in the mid 90s after Gannon ? Wasn't this right before the LMA with 12 ? What was the deal there ?
I think my last post about WETG crossed paths with yours, in that you answered some of my questions while I was still typing it :-) Thanks !
Also noted your observation about JK and the license challenge Jet filed back then against the 12/66 arrangement. That can all be found in the FCC files if you dig for it. Yes, ironic is the word but it doesn't stop there. Interested observers should do some searching on the FCC Media Bureau website for the file on KRRT-TV ---now KMYS-TV--- in Kerrville, Texas (by strange coincidence, it is on Channel 35 !). Back in 1995 or so, the very same JK (& MJ, in an entity known as JJK Broadcasting) were involved in a hotly contested & scrutinized transaction before the FCC for the purchase of KRRT license and subsequent "absentee owner" LMA to the co-owner of cross-town KABB who quickly cut staff, consolidated operations, etc. at KABB studios. Sound familiar ???
From what I remember, WETG had a very interesting line up when it signed on in '86. They were an independent station that carried "Bonanza" and "I Love Lucy" with commentary from Fr. Tom McSweeney. There was also a Contemporary Christian music video program on called "Light Music" with some weird graphics from what I remember. I think they were only on in the evenings from 6 - 10pm in the early days. Fox was reluctant to give channel 66 it's Fox affiliation until they saw how much Erie tuned in & liked the new network. It was definitely a good move to sign on with Fox. Who would have thought that they would become such an "over the air" sports powerhouse way back when. NASCAR Nextel Cup (with the Daytona 500 every year beginning in '07), The NFL, MLB with the World Series and the College BCS beginning in 2007. Moves that caught the other networks asleep at the wheel.
Agreed. FOX has been very progressive as far as turning into a sports powerhouse.
It is interesting, though, that Erie viewers have yet to warm up to the idea of a 10 O'Clock newscast. That show has never really had any sort of ratings. You'd think that since you basically get Action News at 11 at 10 that more people would start tuning in.
What makes the last poster think there's no interest in a 10pm newscast. Sadly mistaken. Find a ratings book from last May or February (only at 12) at see what I mean.
What are (were) the ratings for Fox's 10pm show? Most of us can't get a ratings book from ICU to find out. Just curious.
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