Over the air TV and sub-channels

[Dob Hooligan]

HOO-RAY! Took advantage of the perfect TV weather of mild temperatures and calm winds in order to rescan my OTA TV. Added the Grio on 5.5 and Get TV on 5.6. This old man is grooving on the "prime time is crime time" programming block the young lady station announcer told us plays weeknights. Kojak, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels and Hart to Hart all run back to back from 5 to 11. Add in Joe Namath, Jimmie "JJ" Walker or Barbara Niven hawking Medicare benefits every commercial break, plus the Big Mac and recliner dozing, and you realize this is truly "geezer heaven"!

[Roger S]

Rescanned mine and noticed I also get 62-7 Newsy now as well as the 2 you mentioned..... I still pretty much just watch Grit except for the rare occasion I catch Svenghouli on Comet.

[Bunty]

Rescanned mine and noticed I also get 62-7 Newsy now as well as the 2 you mentioned..... I still pretty much just watch Grit except for the rare occasion I catch Svenghouli on Comet.

How many channels did you get after rescanning?

[Dob Hooligan]

How many channels did you get after rescanning?

My shop is in the fairgrounds area and the TV showed 70 channels were picked up during my rescan a couple weeks ago. About 40 of those are mainline entertainment, PBS type, or news programming in English language. The other 30 are pretty evenly split between Spanish language entertainment, shopping and religious programming. 20 to 25 are low power.

[Roger S]

How many channels did you get after rescanning?

I don't remember off the top of my head and I walked off while it was scanning so I didn't see the final count but I'd say I was in the 60-70 range.... Getting a lot of duplicates in the area too... I know I have multiple channels of DABL, GRIT, and Court TV now and a couple of others that slip my mind.

Something else I find odd is that channel 9 hasn't jumped on the bandwagon. They only offer 9-2 and it just shows rebroadcasts of the most recent news broadcast. All of the other local stations, including PBS, have multiple sub-channels offering different programming.

[Dob Hooligan]

I don't remember off the top of my head and I walked off while it was scanning so I didn't see the final count but I'd say I was in the 60-70 range.... Getting a lot of duplicates in the area too... I know I have multiple channels of DABL, GRIT, and Court TV now and a couple of others that slip my mind.

Something else I find odd is that channel 9 hasn't jumped on the bandwagon. They only offer 9-2 and it just shows rebroadcasts of the most recent news broadcast. All of the other local stations, including PBS, have multiple sub-channels offering different programming.

Remember channel 9 owns channel 52 now. I think they put the Scripps block of sub channels on 52 a couple years ago after they bought one or more radio stations in Tulsa from Scripps IIRC. however, I think Scripps bought ION TV since then and that is why Bounce and GRIT are on both 52 and 63.

[Roger S]

Remember channel 9 owns channel 52 now. I think they put the Scripps block of sub channels on 52 a couple years ago after they bought one or more radio stations in Tulsa from Scripps IIRC. however, I think Scripps bought ION TV since then and that is why Bounce and GRIT are on both 52 and 63.

Ahhhhh.... Yeah, I forgot that 52 had been bought by 9.

[scottk]

Something else I find odd is that channel 9 hasn't jumped on the bandwagon. They only offer 9-2 and it just shows rebroadcasts of the most recent news broadcast. All of the other local stations, including PBS, have multiple sub-channels offering different programming.

NEWS9 recently upgraded the over the air signal quality of 9.2, it's less compressed. I'm not technical, but basically it looks like they went from 480p widescreen to 720p , it's not as clean as their main signal for news, but much better than what it was. I still see many businesses running 9.2 in their lobby or coffee shop style setting. It's a quick way to get a detailed local weather forecast and catch up on headlines. (and it doesn't really costs much for News 9 to operate compared to the syndicated programs on other sub channels)
I wish KFOR and KOCO would do a similar news on demand sub channel. KFOR and KOCO use to have 24/7 weather on their sub channels, but that went away years ago.

[Dob Hooligan]

NEWS9 recently upgraded the over the air signal quality of 9.2, it's less compressed. I'm not technical, but basically it looks like they went from 480p widescreen to 720p , it's not as clean as their main signal for news, but much better than what it was. I still see many businesses running 9.2 in their lobby or coffee shop style setting. It's a quick way to get a detailed local weather forecast and catch up on headlines. (and it doesn't really costs much for News 9 to operate compared to the syndicated programs on other sub channels)
I wish KFOR and KOCO would do a similar news on demand sub channel. KFOR and KOCO use to have 24/7 weather on their sub channels, but that went away years ago.

This kinda off in the weeds, but I wonder if channel 9 owner Griffin Communications made a deal with Cox when sub-channels first started along the lines of-

Griffin will provide 24 hour local news in exchange for an enhanced placement in the basic package and lower channel number. This is how we have it on channel 53 on Cox, while the other local sub-channels were in the 200s until the last couple years. Even though some of the sub-channels are in the 100s on Cox nowadays, it still is a challenging and fragmented area of the lineup.

[scottk]

This kinda off in the weeds, but I wonder if channel 9 owner Griffin Communications made a deal with Cox when sub-channels first started along the lines of-

Griffin will provide 24 hour local news in exchange for an enhanced placement in the basic package and lower channel number. This is how we have it on channel 53 on Cox, while the other local sub-channels were in the 200s until the last couple years. Even though some of the sub-channels are in the 100s on Cox nowadays, it still is a challenging and fragmented area of the lineup.

Before Digital TV was main stream and sub channels were common, and when everyone still had cable...KWTV partnered with COX in 1996 to provide NewsNow53, which was placed on channel 53 on the analog COX cable system. It was originally only in OKC, but when the Multimedia Cablevision and Cox merger happened , News Now 53 spread out to the suburbs. A similar agreement occured in Tulsa with Griffin's KOTV and a looping newscast channel.

25 years later and News Now 53 is News 9 Now, but COX keeps it at channel 53...because well...it's always been that way. Same reason KOCO 5 remains at Channel 8 on the COX lineup, it's bleed over from the analog days when 5 on the cable system didn't look as good as channel 8, same could be said for FOX on channel 12 instead of 25. Which is where the "basic cable" lineup would drop out.

[Bunty]

My shop is in the fairgrounds area and the TV showed 70 channels were picked up during my rescan a couple weeks ago. About 40 of those are mainline entertainment, PBS type, or news programming in English language. The other 30 are pretty evenly split between Spanish language entertainment, shopping and religious programming. 20 to 25 are low power.

20 to 25 are low power. Okay, that explains why I can only get 51 in Stillwater with an amplified indoor antenna.

[Dob Hooligan]

MeTV leaving Cox?

I have noticed the last few days that the TruReal channel logo is being displayed on the Cox channel guide in the channel 222 spot. The programming is, and is listed as, MeTV, which has occupied that spot for 10 years-ish. I'm guessing TruReal will be taking the spot by the end of the year and MeTV will be leaving. Although this is heartbreaking for me, I am more interested in what is says about future trends in cable TV.

To get off in the weeds a bit; Hearst Communications owns KOCO and I'm guessing their carriage agreement with Cox for MeTV is expiring. The fact that Hearst is letting it expire makes me wonder if it is no longer worth it to be on cable. And Hearst appears to be upgrading their commitment to OTA subchannels with the addition to KOCO of a Shopping channel, the Grio and GetTV in 2021. Scripps owns TruReal and controls KOPX , OTA channel 62. They have added 4 subchannels to KOPX this year and Scripps owns several subchannel networks (Bounce, Laff, Grit, TruReal, etc).

This has me wondering if the value of OTA channels on cable is diminishing in the eyes of the OTA providers?

[Bunty]

I don't watch the shopping channels or even the rerun channels. I'd still rather see popular cable channels take up the sub OTA TV channels, like Fox News, CNN, CNBC, HGTV, and ESPN for starters. That is a way to send the value of OTA channels up. Station owners ought to seek doing that and try to unblock whatever is holding it up. But I guess we have to keep trying to protect the cable TV companies from going further downhill.

[Dob Hooligan]

I don't watch the shopping channels or even the rerun channels. I'd still rather see popular cable channels take up the sub OTA TV channels, like Fox News, CNN, CNBC, HGTV, and ESPN for starters. That is a way to send the value of OTA channels up. Station owners ought to seek doing that and try to unblock whatever is holding it up. But I guess we have to keep trying to protect the cable TV companies from going further downhill.

All the channels you list are paid a per household premium for the right to carry them on Cox, or whatever cable or satellite system they are on. I recall ESPN is the highest at about $10 per month. Fox News is highest rated, and I think second most expensive. I think the least expensive on the list is about $3 per month. They have high overhead and are built for paid subscribers as well as commercials on programming. I think Tegna and Sinclair are among the operators working to provide channels that fit in the categories you want. Sinclair has Stadium, a sports channel, and they have a news channel IIRC (whose name I don't remember). Tegna is working on a news channel. Defy TV, Newsy and others are trying to provide cable style programming, but they have small budgets. Gonna take them a few years to get to what you are looking for.

[Dob Hooligan]

MeTV leaving Cox?

I have noticed the last few days that the TruReal channel logo is being displayed on the Cox channel guide in the channel 222 spot. The programming is, and is listed as, MeTV, which has occupied that spot for 10 years-ish. I'm guessing TruReal will be taking the spot by the end of the year and MeTV will be leaving. Although this is heartbreaking for me, I am more interested in what is says about future trends in cable TV.

To get off in the weeds a bit; Hearst Communications owns KOCO and I'm guessing their carriage agreement with Cox for MeTV is expiring. The fact that Hearst is letting it expire makes me wonder if it is no longer worth it to be on cable. And Hearst appears to be upgrading their commitment to OTA subchannels with the addition to KOCO of a Shopping channel, the Grio and GetTV in 2021. Scripps owns TruReal and controls KOPX , OTA channel 62. They have added 4 subchannels to KOPX this year and Scripps owns several subchannel networks (Bounce, Laff, Grit, TruReal, etc).

This has me wondering if the value of OTA channels on cable is diminishing in the eyes of the OTA providers?

Appears I am nuts. Cox corrected the channel guide to show MeTV on 222 last Sunday. And I also noticed they have picked up several smaller channels. Including digital sub-channels, such as LAFF and some of the crime and mystery channels in english. As well as some spanish language channels.

[Dob Hooligan]

More good news! KOCO Channel 5 had added sub-channel 5.4 and is carrying Story Television on it. Story is a brand new channel developed by Weigel Television (the people behind MeTV on 5.2, Decades, and Heroes & Icons. Neither of which is on in OKC). It launched March 28 and is primarily programming from the History Channel library. my TV's channel guide shows it as Twist TV, for some reason, but the programming is Story.

[MST3KServo]

Anyone else having issues picking up channel 42 or any of its subchannels? It shows up as available, but nothing comes in, but "Mode Not Supported".

[Dob Hooligan]

Anyone else having issues picking up channel 42 or any of its subchannels? It shows up as available, but nothing comes in, but "Mode Not Supported".

My mother in law lives in Edmond, a couple miles from their tower (shows to be near I-35 and 2nd Street). I asked her to check it and could get any signal.

Any idea how long it been down? DTV America owns it and they run scores of low power stations nationwide.

[MST3KServo]

My mother in law lives in Edmond, a couple miles from their tower (shows to be near I-35 and 2nd Street). I asked her to check it and could get any signal.

Any idea how long it been down? DTV America owns it and they run scores of low power stations nationwide.

I first noticed it Friday. It seems they are transmitting still, I do show a very good signal strength on the tv for their channel, but none of the seven channels are coming through.

I cannot say I watched the channel much, but was curious to see they were "off."

[oklip955]

I first noticed it Friday. It seems they are transmitting still, I do show a very good signal strength on the tv for their channel, but none of the seven channels are coming through.

I cannot say I watched the channel much, but was curious to see they were "off."

I am east of I 35 a few miles and just checked my tv and it shows no signal. They must be off the air for some reason.

[MST3KServo]

Well it looks like KBZC ch. 42 is back "on the air" again. I am seeing all sub channels as well.

[Roger S]

I'm not seeing them on the SW side of OKC but I may need to rescan to get them back.

[Dob Hooligan]

I'm not seeing them on the SW side of OKC but I may need to rescan to get them back.

I have had hell getting KBZC in the Village through the years. I just chalked it up to KBZC being a low power station. Have you been able to get it in SW OKC? I might have to get back on the wierdo antenna chase again!

[Roger S]

Nope.... I just rescanned and not seeing it at 29th and Morgan

[Bunty]

Nope.... I just rescanned and not seeing it at 29th and Morgan

If using an indoor antenna, put it up as high as possible.