WJMN dumping CBS?

[innate-in-you]

I think it can be said for many TV operators in the digital age in the U.P. that a medium powered main transmitter - preferably on VHF - coupled with digital translators in major population centers would be the most effective way to maximize OTA reach.

Indeed, most U.P. viewers were accustomed to picking up channels 3, 6 and 13 over the air in the analog age, and eventually, channel 10.

TV station owners are disincentivized from maximizing over-the-air reach, unfortunately.

Absolutely. Many central U.P. viewers from Escanaba westward were once served by at least one translator; most rebroadcast WLUC or WLUK, but WFRV/WJMN, WAEO/WJFW, and WLRE/WGBA translators were around, too. Escanaba once had a translator rebroadcasting WWTV.

In the early 2000s, Escanaba had a translator, I believe on RF Channel 40 (which, of course, can't still be on that channel).

My usual vacation spot was Indian Lake (near Manistique). UHF tropo over the long stretch to the Indiana Shore was fabulous, and every lowband VHF channel except 3 was open unless trop was in.

I am curious about something in Manistique. In the VHF-UHF Digest, someone reported logging a translator in Manistique on channel 55.

The first year we went to Indian Lake (2002?), there was no translator in Manistique.

[WC8KCY]

Yup, W40AN was a translator for Green Bay's channel 11, WLUK (FOX). It didn't get out far, at least if we're speaking northbound.

I am unaware of any translators in the region using channel 55 in the analog age. Full power stations in both Milwaukee and Wausau used channel 55. Tropo allowing a Milwaukee station, especially UHF, to be received near Lake Michigan's northern shore is very plausible.

W40AN, in the early 1990s, did get out quite a ways. An 4-bay UHF bowtie install just south of Perronville on CR 551 yielded excellent reception of W40AN. I also viewed the station at in Rock.

W55AE was a short-lived WLUC-TV O&O translator serving Manistique. It was applied for in November 1974, granted a CP in March 1975, licensed in May 1975, and mentioned as a DX catch in the November 1975 VHF-UHF Digest. I don't recall seeing W55AE listed on WLUC translator IDs from the late '70s.

Prior to WJMN's launch, WFRV was rebroadcast on W04AN Gwinn, W07AK Republic, W08AK Crystal Falls, W74AN Escanaba, and W77AA Iron Mountain. W77AA became a WJMN translator in June of 1970.

[WC8KCY]

Around Rapid River, W40AN's predecessor, W72AJ, had better coverage. 72 came in crystal-clear on Whitefish Hill and was viewable as far east along US-2 as St. Jacques. This, despite W40AN putting out ~22,000 watts versus 100 for W72AJ. Both translators got progressively weaker as the years passed, as did WLUC's W76AI and W14CE translators.

We had Channel Master's largest UHF Yagi atop a 47' tower just east of Ensign, and that brought in W18CU Sister Bay quite well--better than W14CE, W20BZ, and W40AN from Escanaba. WIWB, WGBA, WACY, WGTU, and WFUP were reliable, but only at night. Milwaukee's 58, 36, and 18, WCMW, and WFQX's W40AY/W54CR translators were the most frequent analog-era DX catches, with 21 and 58 booming in like a local most of the time. WHA, WXON, WKBD, WLEF, WXMI, and WOTV were occasionally viewable.

After the digital transition, this rig brought in WLUC-DT, WJMN-DT, WBAY-DT, and W17DZ-D reliably, with WFRV-DT and WGBA-DT dependable at night.

[SBaxley]

To me Erie, P.A.'s WSEE/WICU is becoming Lilly Broadcasting's version of Sinclair Broadcasting's South Bend, Indiana's WSBT TV , A news hub for the smaller network affiliates newscasts, in Lilly's case a whole Caribbean cable TV Network & a couple of US Virgin Island network affiliate stations and now WMZQ Marquette,Michigan

[SBaxley]

Could THIS be a preview of things to come in the future for WJMN??
the Nexstar owned station has a new national morning newscast, NEWSNATIONs, "MORNINGs IN AMERICA"

[CJ]

Could THIS be a preview of things to come in the future for WJMN??
the Nexstar owned station has a new national morning newscast, NEWSNATIONs, "MORNINGs IN AMERICA"

Sometimes I wonder this too. With a majority of local stations owned by a couple of companies and then pushing NewsNation and The National Desk, at what point does Disney, Comcast, etc., start bringing their Good Morning America, The Today Show to the consumer via internet along with other network shows and bypass having affiliates? Everyone fights for their own ad revenue. It seems like sports would be the only thing holding them back. I don’t think Sinclair could bid for the rights of the NFL like Disney can.

[SBaxley]

Mega Danke Schoen's to the youtube channel STUDIO31 for bringing us the gift of a full vid of 19NEWS THIS IS HOME at 6 & 11!
and well, even tho the broadcast is produced out of the Lilly Broadcasting's WSEE/WICU studios in Erie,P.A. ,from a secondary studio obviously; until Lilly can find a suitable building in Marquette to build or refurbish as a Station HQ. [ which is supposedly what they plan to do soon ]

The opens were drone shots of some places in Marquette and looked a bit rushed,The L3's and transitions were ok, and if you noticed in some of the zoomerviews [ zoom interviews ] you could plainly see the "ERIE NEWS NOW" labeled ALERT DESK behind Haley Potter they might want to fix that.
As for Haley, she did a good job covering "Da U.P.", chief weather anchor John Stehlin was savvy with the U.P. weather forecast [ they do the 10pm newser for the CW Erie ], as for sports, no sports on either 6 or 11pm newscasts , the end cap "LOCALLY OWNED LILLY BROADCASTING THIS IS HOME" was eh! looked like it was done on adobe. beyond that I give it around a 5 out of ten.

[SBaxley]

[youtube] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IjRTw04diy8 [/youtube]. Here it is mw

[paul8539]

So WJMN is no longer a satellite of WFRV?

[mvcg66b3r]

So WJMN is no longer a satellite of WFRV?

No.

[paul8539]

I also remember a translator on channel 55 in Alpena for a short time. Not long after that, some company bought up all of the channel 55's and used those frequencies for a paging service, or something like that.

[ftballfan]

So WJMN is no longer a satellite of WFRV?

No.

WJMN hasn't been a full satellite of WFRV for several years. They aired some different syndicated programming and had separate newscasts (I don't think WJMN was repeating any of WFRV's newscasts the last few years, especially after JMN started their news department)