WBTS Boston

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ejb1980

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WBTS-LD Boston the future home of NBC Boston, is now live on Directv as an independent station. It's channel 10 in the Boston DMA.
 
Update: It appears that Directv is giving us the Cozi TV subchannel instead of WBTS. The schedule for WBTS is shown, but when you tune there it is actually Cozi TV. Currently, the guide shows "Harry" but when you tune to channel 10, it's "Murder She Wrote". I watched for station ID, but didn't see one. The guide for WNEU is back, though.
 
Update: It appears that Directv is giving us the Cozi TV subchannel instead of WBTS. The schedule for WBTS is shown, but when you tune there it is actually Cozi TV. Currently, the guide shows "Harry" but when you tune to channel 10, it's "Murder She Wrote". I watched for station ID, but didn't see one. The guide for WNEU is back, though.

Unless you want to watch 24 hours of a countdown clock there is nothing to see on WBTS, it isn't transmitting any programming. January 1st is when it will begin as the NBC affiliate for Boston.
 
Unless you want to watch 24 hours of a countdown clock there is nothing to see on WBTS, it isn't transmitting any programming. January 1st is when it will begin as the NBC affiliate for Boston.

Very incorrect. WBTS, which is now on Directv instead of Cozi, airs a schedule of NECN programming, Dateline, the syndicated shows that WBTS will have, some older shows, CSN Sports report, etc. It has been airing programming for a few weeks.
 
Not a countdown clock...
 

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Unless you want to watch 24 hours of a countdown clock there is nothing to see on WBTS, it isn't transmitting any programming. January 1st is when it will begin as the NBC affiliate for Boston.

Apparently, "countdown to NBC Boston" is what they are calling themselves until January 1st.
 

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WBTS-LD Boston the future home of NBC Boston, is now live on Directv as an independent station. It's channel 10 in the Boston DMA.
This is major news. Wow. How could WHDH 7 lose the affiliate status? WBTS is a complete joke of a station with a measly fraction of the coverage area of WHDH. I guess many over the air viewers will tune to the Providence station. Why doesn't D* just carry WJAR-10 then? WBTS should not be a must-carry station due to it being a LD status.

For that matter, I would not be surprised to see WMUR-9 in Nashua try to become an NBC affiliate.
 
This is major news. Wow. How could WHDH 7 lose the affiliate status? WBTS is a complete joke of a station with a measly fraction of the coverage area of WHDH. I guess many over the air viewers will tune to the Providence station. Why doesn't D* just carry WJAR-10 then? WBTS should not be a must-carry station due to it being a LD status.

For that matter, I would not be surprised to see WMUR-9 in Nashua try to become an NBC affiliate.

WMUR Manchester wouldn't switch to NBC.

WBTS-LD is relayed OTA on WNEU 60-2, which is basically from Manchester. WHDH lost it because NBC wanted to own their own station in Boston. They own WNEU Telemundo so the relay system lets them do what they wanted to do. It theoretically will entice more people to NBC-owned Comcast to get NBC if they can't get it OTA.
 
I REALLY hope that they improve the PQ of the HD feed of WBTS when they go NBC. It's truly awful now, the HD barely looks different than the SD.
 
I'm curious, are they currently a Low Power channel by chance ...

Yes. WBTS Boston is a LP (LD) relay of WNEU Manchester NH, with the OTA subchannels in a different order. And by the sound of it, it will be that way for a while. WBTS 8-1 and WNEU 60-2 are the same (future NBC) and WBTS 8-2 and WNEU 60-1 are the same (Telemundo). There is also Cozi TV and Telexitos or something like that OTA.
 
Yes. WBTS Boston is a LP (LD) relay of WNEU Manchester NH, with the OTA subchannels in a different order. And by the sound of it, it will be that way for a while. WBTS 8-1 and WNEU 60-2 are the same (future NBC) and WBTS 8-2 and WNEU 60-1 are the same (Telemundo). There is also Cozi TV and Telexitos or something like that OTA.
Being LP is probably why your seeing different picture quality on the channel, maybe during the day its full and evening LP ... don't know, but possible ...
I would presume that they will be Full power whenits all said and done.
 
Being LP is probably why your seeing different picture quality on the channel, maybe during the day its full and evening LP ... don't know, but possible ...
I would presume that they will be Full power whenits all said and done.

They are not going full power, that is the issue many will have come January 1st. People right in Boston can get WBTS, north of the city can get WNEU, and south of the city can get WJAR Providence RI for NBC, but there are a lot of holes and the Cape, Worcester, and many other places will lose NBC OTA. WHDH (current NBC) has good coverage and the WNEU/WBTS mess will lose coverage BUT allow NBC to own the station in the Boston market.

A major network in a major city on a low-power channel and out-of-state subchannel. Very smart. /sarcasm
 
Maybe someone from NBC Boston reads this forum... The HD PQ is much better today. The NECN programming is very clear and smooth today.
 
This is major news. Wow. How could WHDH 7 lose the affiliate status? WBTS is a complete joke of a station with a measly fraction of the coverage area of WHDH. I guess many over the air viewers will tune to the Providence station. Why doesn't D* just carry WJAR-10 then? WBTS should not be a must-carry station due to it being a LD status.

For that matter, I would not be surprised to see WMUR-9 in Nashua try to become an NBC affiliate.
WBTS is a must carry, any of the major four networks must be carried if even one is carried (negotiations aside). The fact it is LD has no bearing nothing is in the law about what power their transmitter must be. That is taken into account by the section that describes the responsibility of the station getting the signal to the Satellite provider.
If you are interested enough you can search the internet to learn why NBC is doing this, too long to explain.It's more than wanting to own the station but it is part of it.
 
WBTS is a must carry, any of the major four networks must be carried if even one is carried (negotiations aside). The fact it is LD has no bearing nothing is in the law about what power their transmitter must be. That is taken into account by the section that describes the responsibility of the station getting the signal to the Satellite provider.
If you are interested enough you can search the internet to learn why NBC is doing this, too long to explain.It's more than wanting to own the station but it is part of it.
Not by Dish do they have to be carried..any way low power stations are excluded by must carry laws

Sent from my SM-G920V using the SatelliteGuys app!
 
WBTS is a must carry, any of the major four networks must be carried if even one is carried (negotiations aside). The fact it is LD has no bearing nothing is in the law about what power their transmitter must be. That is taken into account by the section that describes the responsibility of the station getting the signal to the Satellite provider.
If you are interested enough you can search the internet to learn why NBC is doing this, too long to explain.It's more than wanting to own the station but it is part of it.
Sorry, but this is incorrect. It's must carry only in the sense that any carrier missing a major network would lose customers to its competitors. However LD stations do not qualify for FCC mandated "Must Carry" status under any conditions. Must carry stations have to be full power channels. Nothing stops a satellite or cable carrier from negotiating a carriage agreement, Dish, Direct, or Cox are under no legal obligation to carry an LD channel.

Must carry requirement:
  1. The station has to ASK for must carry status within the designated election period as established by the FCC. If a station does not ask to be included in the local package within the designated time period, the DBS provider is under no obligation to carry the station, though they still may chose to do so.
  2. The station MUST be an FCC licensed full-power station to the DMA in question. Licensed low power channels and Class A Stations DO NOT qualify for must carry status. Stations licensed to foreign countries (Canada - c stations and Mexico x stations) DO NOT qualify for must carry status.
  3. The station may NOT ask for any consideration or compensation in return for allowing the satellite company to carry the channel. If a station asks for ANYTHING it waives its right for must carry status until the next election period (usually 3 years)
  4. The station may NOT be a repeater or substantially duplicate another channel's programming within the same DMA unless they are in different states. This means that if there are two channels in the same DMA that mostly show the same programming at the same time and are both in the same state, ONLY ONE has to be carried under the must carry rules. But if the two stations are in two different states, BOTH have to be carried under the rules if they ask.
  5. The station MUST provide a good quality signal to the satellite company's local point of presence (POP). Good Quality is subjective and the FCC has been involved in a few disputes, but if a station's over the air signal is not satisfactory, the TV station must provide their signal via fiber or other conveyance at THEIR expense.
  6. Non-commercial/Educational stations (PBS and EDU) have different but similar rules
 
One more thing, Must Carry applies only to the x.1 channel and not the sub-channels. At one time the FCC was considering a "bit-for-bit Must Carry" of digital channels regulation, but they abandoned that idea shortly after the digital switch-over.
 
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