WBKB Partners with UpNorthLive

[jmeltonwx]

WBKB has entered an agreement to simulcast news from WPBN/WTOM according to a post on WBKB's website

https://www.wbkb11.com/wbkb-expands-loc ... hlive-news

[Graham Wellington]

Their owner will turn around and demand higher retransmission fees to cover the cost of this major investment.....

[Trophyhead]

Having read the article online, it appears WBKB retains some level of local presence and presentation. Was worried yet another micro-market media opportunity was gone for young talent seeking a first experience.

[TC Talks]

Saginaw is closer to Alpena than Traverse City. This doesn't make a ton of sense.

[MWmetalhead]

Rogers City is already in the Traverse City DMA and within signal range of WTOM and WGTQ. Alpena is a short drive away. So, technically, UpNorthLive is already (supposed to be) serving nearby locales.

We all know WPBN/WGTU is shorthanded when it comes to reporters / MMJs, too.

I agree the mileage separation sucks, but I suspect this arrangement will allow WPBN/WGTU and WBKB to pool resources.

Another item to consider: 7&4 was the de facto NBC affiliate for the puny Alpena market for decades.

[ChrisWL1980]

WNEM 5 also had cable carriage in Alpena when they were an NBC affiliate.
The southern part of WBKB's coverage area undoubtedly has more connection to Tri-Cities media than to Traverse City. Tawas City could care less about Manistee or Harbor Springs.

[MWmetalhead]

That's true. Of course, the Sinclair-owned dumpster fire in Clio barely has a news department of its own at this juncture, so an arrangement with WEYI would not have been feasible for WBKB.

[BirdieKingBobo]

The Amphersand just wanted to add more numbers 7&4&13&10

[ftballfan]

Just a few years ago, I was thinking that if WBKB were to partner with another station, it would be 9&10

[SBaxley]

Just a thought , Morgan Murphy made the WBKB deal with WPBN/WTOM, You think their other Michigan TV station WBUP ABC10 will do same?

[Ben Zonia]

When WNEM was really on Channel 5, 76-82 MHz, it came in well in the coverage area of WBKB. When WTOM was really on Channel 4, 66-72 MHz, also covered much of the Alpena area. When a bank gave us a little TV to watch in the car and on picnics for opening an account, I remember seeing WEYI and WFUM all the way to Oscoda, since UHF LOS was great across Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. Same TV got WFLD-TV 32 in Stevensville across Lake Michigan. WBKB is quite viewable in places like Port Austin and Caseville, even with Digital.

[sinklair]

This feels like Morgan Murphy’s first step toward completely eliminating local newscasts in Alpena.

I wonder what the financial arrangement is for Morgan Murphy and Sinclair.

I’d bet we see both stations continue cost cutting measures in the vain of “newscast expansion”. Alpena’s newscasts will essentially become Traverse City news with a story or two from the sunrise coast. It won’t be the local news station it has always been.

Both Traverse City and Alpena are depressed advertising markets. So this might be the only/best remaining option for somewhat “local” news in one of the smallest media markets.

Just don’t get hopes too high… because, you know, it’s Sinclair producing its crappy, one size fits all, editorial driven news.

[MWmetalhead]

Marquette's likely next. ABC 10's newscasts are the weakest of the four TV news operations there. Some of the on-air talent is indescribably bad.

The fact Marquette now has 4 separately run TV newsrooms is crazy to begin with. For years, TV 6 was the only choice (channel 3 would simulcast WFRV's newscasts from Green Bay).

[organman95]

Another item to consider: 7&4 was the de facto NBC affiliate for the puny Alpena market for decades.

That very well may part of it. I have heard some have missed 7&4's news. Although, you can watch it online, so I don't see why the OTA matters.

[sinklair]

The Marquette model is unsustainable. There’s simply too many stations competing for too small of an advertising pie.

The problem with Alpena getting Traverse City and Cadillac news is that you have to believe viewers on the East Coast care about news from the West side of the state.

You tune in to a local newscast to hear news from your hometown. And that’s not what WPBN will provide WBKB. Hell, that’s not even what WPBN provides for its own market.

With as few reporters working, rarely go more than ten miles outside Traverse City. They are so short staffed that their “News Director” Pat pats himself on the back for directing newscasts. That’s not something he should be proud of. That’s a failure of management and Sinclair corporate to provide a reasonable staffing level.

Now WPBN wants to sell you a line of bull that it will provide better coverage in Alpena. No way, no how.

This is just step one of the Alpena TV market’s demise.