Friday, March 31, 2006

Another STO Update - This Time Over-Air

In addition to the list of cable providers mentioned below, SportsTime Ohio has announced agreements with stations in the Columbus market (WWHO/UPN) and Erie PA market (WICU/NBC-WSEE/CBS) to carry the over-air Indians games shown in Cleveland on WKYC/3.

The over-air network also includes previously announced affiliates WYFX "FOX 17/62" in Youngstown, and WLIO/35 (NBC) in Lima. We're wondering if they're still trying to sign up a Toledo broadcast affiliate, where the cable games will be seen on market dominant provider Buckeye Cablesystem. If they can't get one of the broadcast stations to sign up, perhaps Buckeye's "WT05", the WB-to-become-CW affiliate, will step in...

Though the release says the WKYC games will be in HDTV on WKYC "and the 'over the air' network", it's our understanding that the HD broadcasts won't be available to the other market affiliates...and the broadcast games will only be seen in HD on WKYC itself.

But that could be academic in the case of many of the affiliates. WYFX is a pair of LPTV/Class A stations with no HD feed, though the station does plan to provide an HD feed to cable systems. And neither WICU nor WSEE are even broadcasting their networks' HDTV programs on their digital transmitters...yet, at least...

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