It Doesn't Always End Well For Former Fox Affiliates
We’ve been writing a whole lot of late about stations going it alone after splitting up with a network over their affiliation; Fox seems to be the network I’m writing about the most these days.
I just got off the phone with Darnell Washington, a station sales veteran and the happy owner of four low power stations in the south and Midwest that will affiliate with NBC come the fall.
Washington mentioned being a part of Destiny Communications’ KTGF in Great Falls, Montana, a former NBC affiliate that become a Fox.
Washington says Fox ended up taking the affiliation away. While other stations losing their affiliations are heaping up on the local and off network programming to take a shot at being a winning independent, it didn’t work out so hot for KTGF. After a short run as an independent station, Washington says the station ended up going dark.
According to my BIA Kelsey book, Fox currently airs in Great Falls, which is DMA No. 190, on ABC outlet KFBB’s dot-2 channel.
Ahmed commented:
I second the meniton of WFMU as one of America's most eclectic stations. I would also meniton KGNU in Boulder. While I think their daytime programming could be more adventurous, I meniton them because they have managed to have a strong news and public affairs department that mixes a vibrant locally produced news/info with syndicated material. As far as the balance between news and music time, that has held steady over a long period of time, despite financial pressures due to purchasing a building for a badly needed new studio, and picking up an AM station in Denver that costs a lot of money.
Garth Ancier commented:
As some who's programmed broadcast and cable nets my entire career, I am dumbfounded when station owners foolishly believe they can go it alone as "indies". Yes, you may have a strong stick serving your market, but the only exclusive programming you can provide is local news - and that doesn't make for a long term business. With hundreds of channels competing for your viewers, non-exclusive reruns, non-exclusive sports, non-exclusive film windows, etc. makes your station irrelevent to viewers and ad buyers. Just ask KRON in San Francisco.
make for a commoditized, unimportant destination