WBME getting Bounce TV subchannel

[mrschimpf]

A new network for mainly African-American audiences which starts in late September

Can't say there's anything to complain about here at all...it's only on WBME, which still has enough room for a couple more subchannels and it should still be 100 times better than RTV (trust me, when WITI dumped it, they did it at the right time), plus it seems to have an actual purpose. At least it isn't yet another weather subchannel. The only concern I have is what's holding up MeToo Milwaukee at this point (maybe the master control upgrade?).

[Jack 1000]

A new network for mainly African-American audiences which starts in late September

Can't say there's anything to complain about here at all...it's only on WBME, which still has enough room for a couple more subchannels and it should still be 100 times better than RTV (trust me, when WITI dumped it, they did it at the right time), plus it seems to have an actual purpose. At least it isn't yet another weather subchannel. The only concern I have is what's holding up MeToo Milwaukee at this point (maybe the master control upgrade?).

This is NOT the end of ME-TV correct?  Just a sub-channel for ME-TV?

Jack

[PONIES]

The only reason I don't like this is because it encourages the creation of subchannels. Every subchannel needs to go bankrupt and every employee at these crappy subchannels needs to be fired. Every single one of them either spams the weather with commercials (I can get the weather far more efficiently from the Internet without ads, why do I need this crap?), boring music (A television channel for audio only? Really? Who thought this was a good idea?) or a bunch of re-runs of old programming with commercial spam and channel logos that can usually be found on DVD season sets or on other digital services like iTunes/Amazon/Netflix without the commercials and logo spam. And they're all SD anyway which is unwatchable in 2011. So what's the point of subchannels? Just to waste bandwidth and ruin HD picture quality it seems.

That said, if there are going to be subchannels, a channel like WBME should really be the dumping ground for all of them. Right now they're a full 19 Mbps OTA spectrum channel. If all the subchannels in the Milwaukee market were taken off the HD channels and dumped onto this SD channel which has all this bandwidth to itself it would be a huge improvement. The FCC really needs to get its act together and enforce a mandate like this.

[techguy1975]

Mandate what?  that TV stations can't have subchannels?   I don't think they can do that.  Oh, and unless you pay for Amazon/Netflix, you do get commercial spam there too..

[PONIES]

They should mandate that the subchannels must only be allowed to go on frequencies with the most free space - I.E. standard definition channels like WBME which basically have a full ATSC 19 Mbps channel to themselves.

[Jack 1000]

It looks like it is going to replace ME-TV on channel 49 for broadcast TV.  What I need to find out is, if channel 49 is going to be Bounce TV, where is current ME-TV programing going to reside?  FYI, I have TWC.  I would presume that ME-TV will move to cable Digital Basic on something like the 980's area.  I just don't want to lose the current shows on ME-TV.  I like that channel!  The reason being that there are so few stations that devote themselves to classic TV with shows from the 50's-80's without split-screens and keeping commercials to a minimum.  Me TV and Antenna TV provide that return to classic TV programing.

Jack

[WITI6fan]

I doubt this would replace WBME's primary channel, but wouldn't be shocked if it did, knowing Weigel :bang:

[mrschimpf]

The announcement said 'subchannel' for both it and their Chicago Me station, so I'm sure it's going to 49.2 or 49.3, definitely. I highly doubt Weigel would move MeTV to a subchannel at this point for a network they don't even own, especially when some of those programs on MeTV beat the Sinclair duopoly at times (and it's absolutely beating the snot out of 'R'TV in markets where they compete).

[ArgMeMatey]

(and it's absolutely beating the snot out of 'R'TV in markets where they compete).

I'm not arguing, just wondering if there is ratings data that supports this, or if it's an opinion.

[mrschimpf]

I'm not arguing, just wondering if there is ratings data that supports this, or if it's an opinion.

It is definitely not doing well, because RTV refuses to release ratings data anymore (so probably my opinion but other things bear it out). Their schedule since June when they lost the rights to the NBC-Universal library has been made of a few refugees who don't have studio connections, Saturday night has become a minefield of poor Canadian content from the early 2000's, they air moldy 15 year-old episodes of the LA era of "Crook and Chase", Sunday afternoon is now filled with car hobbyist shows, and the addition of "DaVinci's Inquest" and "Cold Case Files" to their late night schedule show that they have no idea what they're doing anymore (you get down to airing  those two shows, it screams desperation).

Most of their affiliate base has defected to Me and Antenna and their Facebook page has become a complaint board because where they do find new affiliates, it's on very low-power stations that make WMLW look like TBS in comparison.

[WPXE ION]

They should mandate that the subchannels must only be allowed to go on frequencies with the most free space - I.E. standard definition channels like WBME which basically have a full ATSC 19 Mbps channel to themselves.

I believe the FCC rules say that, broadcasters only need to carry their "Legacy Channel" (the one with the licensed staqmped to it) in Standard format, meaning 4:3. Inother words HD is not required, and if I'm reading articles correct broadcasters might go back to this format in the future to offer more channels in a different format.

Remember when Satellite was "Conditional Access?"

Stand by everyone...TV will change again.

You also said something about giving up channels....the FCC is already trying to do that, but they dont see the innovation in the future of TV.

TV stations should go Bankrupt?:huh?: Ion just went through Bankruptcy and we are still here. Bankruptcy does not mean the company goes away if used for the right purpose.

[jjallou]

So, Bounce is on the air on 49-2. It looks like crap and macroblocks. The audio is hardly audible and is left channel only.

Apparently it's not ready for prime time. What's the point?


OK now the audio is fixed!
Now how about a program guide?

[PONIES]

It looks like crap and macroblocks.

This sounds like a typical American TV channel.

[mrschimpf]

So, Bounce is on the air on 49-2. It looks like crap and macroblocks. The audio is hardly audible and is left channel only.

Apparently it's not ready for prime time. What's the point?


OK now the audio is fixed!
Now how about a program guide?

Charter added it today to their systems...uggh. It's apparent that the people who started this channel have nothing in order at all. Major macroblocking and bad audio, and I know it's not a WBME issue as their MeTV and Telemundo feeds on Charter are AOK. Also, no program guide yet on Windows Media Center.