A Cleveland TV station has ended the longest-running video slide apologizing for missing programming in TV history.
When "The Tube Music Network" shut down operations on October 1, 2007, Raycom Media's WUAB/43 in the Cleveland market put up an electronic slide on digital subchannel 43.2 - telling viewers that the network had been pulled off the air, and asking them to refrain from calling either the station or their local cable operator.
That slide appeared on WUAB-DT/43.2 for over a year and four months, until finally coming down this week.
In its place is a new banner - with the legend "This Cleveland".
"This", as reported here earlier, is "This TV" - the MGM-backed programming service that is coming to WUAB and other Raycom stations soon in a nationwide deal between the "diginet" channel and the Alabama-based owner of WUAB and CBS affiliate WOIO/19.
No, we don't know when the subchannel will light up with actual programming, but we'd put a bet on it happening fairly soon.
What will you see on "This TV"? The channel is mainly programmed with MGM-owned movies of some vintage, along with a couple of sitcoms (we recall seeing "Mr. Ed" on the schedule).
We haven't broken out the "MGM Movie List", but we suspect you'll see the studio's movies with rights that haven't previously been sold to another broadcaster or cable/satellite outlet. Any "big name" MGM movies are probably in someone else's library.
But it's another "different" programming choice for area digital TV viewers.
We don't know for sure, but we suspect that sometime after "This TV" lights up on 43.2, it'll show up somewhere in the Time Warner Cable digital cable lineup...probably up there around where WOIO's "WeatherNow" is in the 370s.
We seem to recall that TWC did indeed carry "The Tube", but at some point decided it didn't want to waste even digital cable bandwidth for a message that the service had ended...
11 comments:
WUAB barely beats Cincinnati's WXIX-19 for exactly the same dubious achievement. WXIX also ran The Tube as its only digital sub-channel, 19.2, until its loss in late 2007. Just like WUAB, WXIX simply ran a slide apologizing for its absence for over a full year.
And finally, just like WUAB, WXIX put "This TV" on several weeks ago as 19.2. Incidentally, Time Warner Cable definitely offered The Tube on its digital tier of service in the Cincinnati area.
The next strangest choice for a sub-channel here in southwest Ohio? WDTN-2 in Dayton, which offers 2.1 as its HD channel, and 2.2 with exactly the same programming as 2.1, except it's explicitly in standard definition.
Go figure.
Thank-goodness, the 'Tube' slide is now gone. I think the only people still watching that stupid graphic were a bunch of stoned 'dead heads' going "...cool man, the show's about to start..." Use your own comic imagination on this one!-) Looking forward to what MGM has to offer on the WUAB 43.2 DTV channel.
- Andrew, MALL727.net -
Still waiting for Retro Television Network to come to the Cleveland area..In the meantime, am putting up a bigger dish (Free-To-Air) to get many of the RTN affiliates, plus some other stations out there..
There are two possible scenarios to bringing Retro Television Network to Cleveland - one would be for WUAB TV to put it on 43.3 digital. And maybe this is a little more imaginitive, but less likely, RTV leases space from WVIZ TV to put it on one of their subchannels. With the economy in the tubes, WVIZ would have an extra source of income. Public television already does allow limited commercials like that for GMC and Chevy trucks on 'This Old House', if their funding is cut, that would be an imaginitive way to bridge the gap. Just an idea I would throw out. However, at some point RTV is coming to Northeast, Ohio. Its possible stations may wait for the June digital switchover before commiting to leasing space out on a subchannel?
- Andrew, MALL727.net -
I sort of doubt This TV would care for WUAB putting what is regarded as a competing network on another digital subchannel of their affiliate..
I could see a slight possibility of WKYC ditching it's Weather Plus in June and putting RTN onm 3,2 or placing RTN on digital 3.3.
One possibility that No one's really mentioned is 5, 8, or 55 getting in on RTN..If they care to add subchannels..I would seriously doubt Channel 25 would do as you suggest..
I like watching RTN when the conditions are right. Both WPXI Pittsburgh and WTOV Stubenville carry RTN on their digital sub-channels. I can get WTOV-9 analog on a regular basis (even though it's nearly 100 miles away). I hope the digital signal will be strong enough when it goes back onto 9. It seems like most of the markets surrounding Cleveland carry RTN on some channel; Youngstown doesn't though.
One good way to possibly figure the chances of RTN landing on WKYC is to check and see if any RTN affiliates are on other Gannett owned TV stations. If Gannett carries RTN on other stations they may very well land it on 3 eventually-hopefully:)
The reason I mention this is because WPXI, WTOV, and WJAC are owned by the same company, and all stations carry RTN on their sub-channels.
I just checked the list of RTN affiliates, (on Wikipedia anyway) and at least one "E.W. Scripps" owned station and at least one "Local TV" owned station in other markets carries RTN, so it's possible either 5 or 8 may pick up RTN eventually.
Oh no. I hope RTN doesn't go to WKYC. I like the current weatehr channel they have(it is far superior to WOIO) and adding a third subchannel would be a nightmare.
5 and 55 are beautiful-no subchannels and I hope their owners keep it that way.
A perfect place for RTN would be on 67. Maybe make it 67-1 and keep the 24/7 current infomercials on 67-2. And we saw that old 67 logo in the video of WOAC analog shutting off, it would be perfect to work into the branding of the Retro TV Network.
The more subchannels, the better in my book. Looking forward to what 43.2 has in store for us. Would like to see some older quality movies and sitcoms since none of the local channels run quality older programming anymore.
Andy Griffith show, Mr. Ed, Leave it to Beaver, Gilligan's Island, Beverly Hillbillies, Happy Days etc..
Just discovered TimeWarner Cincinnati has added "This TV" to an upper digital tier channel -- down here in beautiful southwest Ohio, it's on 920.
Absolutely no announcement anywhere in local media, and definitely nothing posted on TWC's updated (and not improved) website. It once had a spot where changes/additions in channel lineups were listed, but as far as I can tell, that has completely disappeared now.
Funny how this new channel was added without any trouble, but a local low-power broadcaster got nothing but grief several years ago, even though it offered unique UPN programming.
let's put the tube on fta and do reruns or try agian because more people know about it now and contact Les Gerland see if he wants to do it. or some one else or maybe me later on like in a few years.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
or one of you play reruns or try to bring it back please please please please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
or you can work at the place if he brings it back please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I got an email from sky vision saying it is on amc3 87w fta c band
if not then let's bring it back to contact me email me at matthew6715b@hotmail.com so come on please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and if it comes back make it fta on ku or c band or both and advertise it and use the same logo's and all the same stuff please just some more advertisers but still limit but more and advertise please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can do it later like in a few years but rather some on else do it or him please contact him and say all the stuff i said please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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