Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When the hell is there going to be LOCAL TELEVISION STATION IN South Jersey Again? I don't like only getting PHILLY STATIONS & NJTV with NO WPIX!!!!!!!!!!!
The real reason that NJ was shortchanged on TV licenses was that in the early days of television in the 1940s, there were only 12 channels available on VHF: NYC got 5 (2,4,7,9 and 13); Philadelphia 3 (3, 6, 10), Bingo 1 (12) and Lancaster 1 (8).
Channel 11 was fought over by Robert McCormick owner of the NY Daily News and Louis Baltimore owner of WBRE radio in Wilkes-Barre. In 1947, the FCC ruled in favor of NYC stating that a TV station license would be useless in such a hilly location as NEPA. NJ happened to be too close to Philly and NYC to get a license. NEPA had to wait until 1953 when the UHF band opened up to get a TV station.
WOR was originally licensed to NY and it moved to NJ and became WWOR 9 licensed to Secaucus NJ, with the help of a US senator. At some point in the 90s, it had a 10pm newscast but the newscast was still NYC region focused. Possibly it a had some more NJ coverage than the other VHF stations it competed against, but I can't say with any certainty. After FOX bought the station, the WWOR 9 newscast disappeared as it competed with WNYW's newcast.
While on one hand, I think the NYC to Secaucus licensing switch didn't amount to much, there might be have an issue if Channel 9 moved more south such as in Central NJ to keep it some distance away from trying to just be another NYC signal. It's signal would conflict with WUSA 9 in Washington DC. Even if DC wasn't an issue, I'm not sure Channel 9 would have much NJ news in the end anyways, with FOX anyways likely buying it up and closing up the newscast.
If NJ was an important early primary state like that of New Hampshire, however, maybe it would stay more local with local news. Hearst operates WMUR 9 with an ABC affiliation along side with the ABC in Boston, and apparently, rakes in a lot of political ad revenue from WMUR before the NH primaries.
The Philly stations have plenty of South Jersey and Jersey shore coverage.
We BADLY need a TV station here in Haddon Township/ Atlantic City!!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
