Do residents of Blairsville even watch Atlanta tv stations? (Columbus: live in, floor)

[cittic10]

The weather people on the Atlanta news channels spend a disproportionate amount of time talking about the tempertures in Blairsville because it's always the coldest place in the state. I get that it's entertaining to see but they spend more time on Blairsville than on much closer cities with much larger populations and it got me thinking... do residents of Blairsville even watch the Atlanta tv stations? Seems like the Greenville, SC or Chattanooga TN stations would come in better since they're a little closer.

[go falcons]

Yes, the citizens of Blairsville do watch the Atlanta area news stations. Many retirees up there are originally from the Atlanta area. Plus alot of people from the Atlanta area own property in the area as well.

[cittic10]

Good to know. I'll try not to be quite so annoyed by it then.

Especially how they continually tease us with snow by talking about the snow that not even 1% of their viewing area may or may not get.

[GRS86]

Plus, Blairsville is within the Atlanta Designated Market Area (DMA), so if you are a DirecTV, AT&T U-Verse, or Dish subscriber, the local Atlanta network affiliates and indies are the local stations that you get. Don't know for sure, but even on cable, I think the Atlanta stations are the only network affiliates available up there.

[Stars&StripesForever]

If I'm not mistaken, I think it works out like this:

Atlanta stations by extreme North Georgia (north of most of metro Atlanta) counties:

Atlanta

Fannin (Blue Ridge)
Union (Blairsville)
Towns (Hiawassee)
Gilmer (Ellijay)
Pickens (Jasper)
White (Cleveland)
Dawson (Dawsonville)
Lumpkin (Dahlonega)
Habersham (Cornelia)
Banks (Commerce)
Gordon (Calhoun)
Floyd (Rome)
Madison
Jackson
Polk

Greenville-Spartanburg

Rabun (Clayton) * Might be Atlanta station or a mix, though*
Hart
Franklin
Stephens

Chattanooga

Catoosa
Walker
Dade
Murray
Whitfield
Chatooga

[GRS86]

Originally Posted by Stars&StripesForever

If I'm not mistaken, I think it works out like this:

Atlanta stations by extreme North Georgia (north of most of metro Atlanta) counties:

Atlanta

Fannin (Blue Ridge)
Union (Blairsville)
Towns (Hiawassee)
Gilmer (Ellijay)
Pickens (Jasper)
White (Cleveland)
Dawson (Dawsonville)
Lumpkin (Dahlonega)
Habersham (Cornelia)
Banks (Commerce)
Gordon (Calhoun)
Floyd (Rome)
Madison
Jackson
Polk

Greenville-Spartanburg

Rabun (Clayton) * Might be Atlanta station or a mix, though*
Hart
Franklin
Stephens

Chattanooga

Catoosa
Walker
Dade
Murray
Whitfield
Chatooga

One other note: DirecTV and Dish subscribers who live in the GA counties of the Chattanooga DMA get both Atlanta and Chattanooga locals in their local package.

[Newsboy]

That's interesting stuff! FYI as far as I know EVERY county outside the official Augusta and Savannah DMA also receives WSB, weather it be via cable, satellite or otherwise. I know that WSB is the default ABC affiliate for the Valdosta / Albany market -- 200 + miles away. And I think both the Maccon and Columbus markets (and some counties in Alabama) also receive an overlay of the Atlanta stations by default. However, thanks to Stone Mountain, you can't pick up ANY Atlanta stations in Athens without cable or satellite even though it's just 65 miles away. For what it's worth we get ZERO Atlanta media presence down here in Savannah, which is now the 90th largest TV market in the nation (about the same size as El Paso for comparison sake and considerably ahead of Charleston, SC which has a bigger metro). The TV news here in Savannah has become VERY big-market and competitive in just the past 2-3 years and that's a good thing for broadcast journalism statewide. The Savannah ABC affiliate WJCL 22 and FOX aftiliate WTGS 28 are operated under a duopoly that shares news resources, and last fall began broadcasting from new state of the art all-digital studios on the top floor of the Savannah Morning News building (no connection) that represent a $7 million investment in the market. No, the talent may not always be on the level of Atlanta but I've toured those studios snd some if the technology puts even CNN to shame, believe it or not. Besides, the very fact that the network affiliates here do 90 minutes of live local news every weekday afternoon -- plus 3 hours in the a.m. and on weekends -- is almost unheard of for a market this size. WTOC-11 in Savannah is an absolute monster -- the WSB of Southeadt Georgia and one of the most profitable stations anywhere in the nation. All this in a viewership area that basically covers just everything east of Vidalia and Statesboro, north to Beaufort, SC and south to Mcintosh County. (Brunswick and Waycross are part of the Jacksonville market and don't receive Savannah stations).

[JoDan]

Originally Posted by cittic10

The weather people on the Atlanta news channels spend a disproportionate amount of time talking about the tempertures in Blairsville because it's always the coldest place in the state. I get that it's entertaining to see but they spend more time on Blairsville than on much closer cities with much larger populations and it got me thinking... do residents of Blairsville even watch the Atlanta tv stations? Seems like the Greenville, SC or Chattanooga TN stations would come in better since they're a little closer.

You got something against Blairsville? Just kidding, of course. I watch WSB every morning. That way I don't have to go out on my porch and read the thermometer. Lately it's been too cold.

[GRS86]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

That's interesting stuff! FYI as far as I know EVERY county outside the official Augusta and Savannah DMA also receives WSB, weather it be via cable, satellite or otherwise. I know that WSB is the default ABC affiliate for the Valdosta / Albany market -- 200 + miles away. And I think both the Maccon and Columbus markets (and some counties in Alabama) also receive an overlay of the Atlanta stations by default. However, thanks to Stone Mountain, you can't pick up ANY Atlanta stations in Athens without cable or satellite even though it's just 65 miles away. For what it's worth we get ZERO Atlanta media presence down here in Savannah, which is now the 90th largest TV market in the nation (about the same size as El Paso for comparison sake and considerably ahead of Charleston, SC which has a bigger metro). The TV news here in Savannah has become VERY big-market and competitive in just the past 2-3 years and that's a good thing for broadcast journalism statewide. The Savannah ABC affiliate WJCL 22 and FOX aftiliate WTGS 28 are operated under a duopoly that shares news resources, and last fall began broadcasting from new state of the art all-digital studios on the top floor of the Savannah Morning News building (no connection) that represent a $7 million investment in the market. No, the talent may not always be on the level of Atlanta but I've toured those studios snd some if the technology puts even CNN to shame, believe it or not. Besides, the very fact that the network affiliates here do 90 minutes of live local news every weekday afternoon -- plus 3 hours in the a.m. and on weekends -- is almost unheard of for a market this size. WTOC-11 in Savannah is an absolute monster -- the WSB of Southeadt Georgia and one of the most profitable stations anywhere in the nation. All this in a viewership area that basically covers just everything east of Vidalia and Statesboro, north to Beaufort, SC and south to Mcintosh County. (Brunswick and Waycross are part of the Jacksonville market and don't receive Savannah stations).

Having been a Cable TV consultant, I can attest to the fact that most of what you say is true. Based on some info that I have in my office, here are some additional cable carriage facts:

Outside of the Atlanta DMA, WSB is most widely carried throughout the Albany DMA, and the Georgia side of the Tallahassee DMA. Mediacom, which is the big cable provider to most of the Albany DMA, and the GA counties of the Tallahassee DMA, carries WSB on all of its systems except for the one that serves Columbus. Up until last year, Albany didn't have a primary ABC affiliate, so that left the door wide open for WSB's extensive carriage in South GA. So folks in Tifton, Albany, Moultrie, Fitzgerald, and most other South GA cities do receive WSB without blackouts.

Other WSB carriage outside of the Atlanta DMA by individual DMA:
Augusta: none, based on the info I'm privy to.
Savannah: Vidalia, Hazlehurst
Columbus: Americus, West Point, GA / Lanett, AL. Not available in the immediate Columbus - Phenix City area
Macon: Available on Cox Cable Middle GA which serves Macon, Warner Robins and surrounding counties. However, all ABC network programming, plus any syndicated programming showing on Channel 2 that's also available from any Macon stations are blacked out, so basically, they only get Channel 2 Action News, Hard Topics, and other locally produced programming. WSB is available in Forsyth without blackout.
Greenville / Spartanburg: Toccoa, Hartwell
Chattanooga: Dalton, Chatsworth. DirecTV and Dish subscribers on the GA side of the Chattanooga DMA get all of the Atlanta, as well as the Chattanooga locals.

The Atlanta DMA also covers Randolph and Cleburn Counties, AL and Cherokee County, NC, so the Atlanta locals are the default locals in those counties.

[Brian]

Comcast subscribers in Gordon county (Calhoun) and Floyd county (Rome) and Charter subsribers in Whitfield county (Dalton) and Murray county (Chatswoth) get both Atlanta and Chattanooga stations.

Charter subscribers in the southern part of Floyd county (Rome/Cave Springs) only get Atlanta stations.