Chapter 1: The Beginning
Welcome to an alternate history on how the 1994-1996 broadcast television realignment worked differently, and today we're going to cover the first two days, with contributions from others.
In 1994, spurred by an affiliation agreement between ABC and Scripps-Howard Broadcasting that saw ABC lose its affiliation from WJZ-TV in Baltimore to NBC affiliate WMAR-TV in Baltimore, CBS struck a deal on its own with Westinghouse, covering all 5 TV stations on July 14, 1994.
Fox and NBC were considered for WCAU, but NBC won out. How the realignment worked differently if WCAU became a Fox station? But let's start this thing out with this day in an alternate history.
July 20, 1994
Outlet Communications, a Providence-media company who owns WCMH in Columbus and WJAR in Providence, NBC affiliates and WYED-TV, independent affiliation in the Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Fayetville) and Goldsboro announced negotiations with South Jersey Radio, the Brunson grant, and Combined Broadcasting to purchase three stations to serve the Philadelphia market: WMGM-TV in Wildwood/Atlantic City, WGTW-TV in Millville, and WGBS-TV in Philadelphia, for a combined total of $10 billion. It is excepted that if Outlet proceeded, then WGTW and WGBS would became satellite stations of WMGM-TV, a NBC affiliate.
Meanwhile, CBS announced negotiations to trade WCAU-TV to Fox Television Stations, in trade for KDAF-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth, WATL in Atlanta (two of the outlets that was soon losing Fox to CBS outlets KDFW-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth and WAGA-TV in Atlanta) and KSTU-TV in Salt Lake City. As part of the agreement, Fox and CBS agreed to swap the transmitter facilities in Chicago, both for channel 32 and channel 2. If Fox and CBS agreed, then Fox will launch WFLD-TV on VHF Channel 2, and CBS would launch WBBM-TV on UHF Channel 32.
Fox meanwhile, negotiated to trade 70% of WCAU-TV to New World Communications in trade for minority stakes in KDFW-TV, WJBK-TV, WITI-TV and WAGA-TV. Fox shortly notified that WTXF-TV would lose its Fox affiliation to United Paramount Network.
CBS would trade its controlling interest in the stations KDAF-TV, WATL-TV (ITTL, IOTL both KDAF and WATL this became WB stations), KSTU and WBBM to Group W in return for a minority interest in KYW-TV. Westinghouse owns 55% and CBS owned 45% of the stations.
(This is the POD, IOTL these never happened and WCAU became a NBC affiliate)
In 1994, spurred by an affiliation agreement between ABC and Scripps-Howard Broadcasting that saw ABC lose its affiliation from WJZ-TV in Baltimore to NBC affiliate WMAR-TV in Baltimore, CBS struck a deal on its own with Westinghouse, covering all 5 TV stations on July 14, 1994.
Fox and NBC were considered for WCAU, but NBC won out. How the realignment worked differently if WCAU became a Fox station? But let's start this thing out with this day in an alternate history.
July 20, 1994
Outlet Communications, a Providence-media company who owns WCMH in Columbus and WJAR in Providence, NBC affiliates and WYED-TV, independent affiliation in the Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Fayetville) and Goldsboro announced negotiations with South Jersey Radio, the Brunson grant, and Combined Broadcasting to purchase three stations to serve the Philadelphia market: WMGM-TV in Wildwood/Atlantic City, WGTW-TV in Millville, and WGBS-TV in Philadelphia, for a combined total of $10 billion. It is excepted that if Outlet proceeded, then WGTW and WGBS would became satellite stations of WMGM-TV, a NBC affiliate.
Meanwhile, CBS announced negotiations to trade WCAU-TV to Fox Television Stations, in trade for KDAF-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth, WATL in Atlanta (two of the outlets that was soon losing Fox to CBS outlets KDFW-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth and WAGA-TV in Atlanta) and KSTU-TV in Salt Lake City. As part of the agreement, Fox and CBS agreed to swap the transmitter facilities in Chicago, both for channel 32 and channel 2. If Fox and CBS agreed, then Fox will launch WFLD-TV on VHF Channel 2, and CBS would launch WBBM-TV on UHF Channel 32.
Fox meanwhile, negotiated to trade 70% of WCAU-TV to New World Communications in trade for minority stakes in KDFW-TV, WJBK-TV, WITI-TV and WAGA-TV. Fox shortly notified that WTXF-TV would lose its Fox affiliation to United Paramount Network.
CBS would trade its controlling interest in the stations KDAF-TV, WATL-TV (ITTL, IOTL both KDAF and WATL this became WB stations), KSTU and WBBM to Group W in return for a minority interest in KYW-TV. Westinghouse owns 55% and CBS owned 45% of the stations.
(This is the POD, IOTL these never happened and WCAU became a NBC affiliate)
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