Two More Join Superstation Ranks WSBK BOSTON
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L TOP OF THE WEEK I Two more join superstation ranks Eastern Microwave puts cable and home satellite to make satellite of the [400,000 homes] within 18 months,' WSBK -TV Boston and distribution of signals profitable, he said. he said. KTLA Los Angeles on bird Cable alone could not support the venture To prevent piracy, WSBK -TV and KTLA wil because operators, faced with dwindling be scrambled from the outset, using th( Home dish owners and cable operators channel capacity and high compulsory li- industry standard Videocipher II system throughout the country have two more cense fees on new distant signals, are reluc- WWOR -TV has been scrambled since Marc} broadcast signals they can pull down off a tant to add new signals, he said. 1986. satellite: Gillette Broadcasting's WSBK -TV Korta also acknowledged that the eco- Although EMI and others are sellini Boston and Tribune Broadcasting's nomics of the business have been improved broadcast signals directly to consumers wit} KTLA(TV) Los Angeles. by the availability of low -cost satellite tran- home earth stations, the legality of the prat Eastern Microwave Inc. announced last sponders. Korta would not say what EMI is tice is not clear. Indeed, the broadcast net week it will begin distributing today (Feb. paying for the Satcom I -R slots, but GE's works have sued Satellite Broadcast Net 15) the two high -profile independent sta- Kurt Thoss said that transponders can be works for distributing the satellite signals o tions via GE Americom's Satcom I -R for the leased on the bird for $55,000 per month. three network affiliates in the home satellit( home satellite and cable markets. Under GE's "four-year grow with" plan the market. According to Gil Korta, EMI national monthly lease payments grow from $44,000 Legislation is now pending in the Hous( marketing director, EMI has been consider- the first year to $80,000 in the fourth year. Copyright Subcommittee that would clarify ing turning the stations into superstations for Although its far western orbital slot (139 that distributing at least the signals of inde several months, but made its final decision pendent stations to the home is legal an to go ahead just six weeks ago. The general would establish a mechanism for sharinl managers of the two stations were informed revenues from the new market with th( Feb. 1, he said. programing's copyright holders. Korta sai( According to Korta, WSBK -TV and KTL,\ LA EMI is "neutral" about the bill. As it nov were tapped because of their first -rate pro- stands, the bill covers only superstations or graming schedules. In addition to top mov- LOS ANGELES the satellite prior to June 1987. Unless thi ies and syndicated programing, he said, the IL grandfathering clause is changed, Korn stations broadcast professional sports. said, EMI would be forced to "pull down' WSBK -TV airs the Boston Bruins (National WSBK -TV and KTLA. Hockey League) and the Boston Red Sox KTLA becomes the fourth Tribune static,' (Major League Baseball), while KTLA airs to go on the satellite. United Video distrib the Los Angeles Clippers (National Base - utes WON -TV Chicago and WPIX(TV) Nev ketball Association) and the California An- York, and Netlink distributes KWGN-T' gels (MLB). Denver. Regional appeal of the signals is already Although Tribune for years has raffle( well established, Korta said. EMI has been ...11111/811, against satellite distribution of its stations distributing WSBK -TV to cable systems over which it has no control, it has soften( throughout New England for 20 years via 111.1M. its stand over the past year. Most significant microwave, he said. And those cable sys- it has come out strongly against the reimpo tems now reach some two million homes, he sition of the syndicated exclusivity rules ly said. KTLA is distributing by other micro- WSBK BOSTON the FCC, which could lead to cable system wave carriers in the Southwest -as far north being forced to delete from superstation as San Francisco and as far east as Tucson, degrees west longitude) makes it difficult for syndicated programs that are aired by loca Ariz., he said. EMI has not forced cable dishes on the East Coast to "see," Satcom I- stations. C systems that now receive WSBK -TV by mi- R has emerged as a superstation bird. In crowave to shift to satellite reception, Korta addition to the two EMI signals, the satellite said, but it will encourage them to do so. now carries six Denver stations (KCNC -TV. According to figures prepared by Arbi- KUSA -TV, KMGH -TV, KRMA, KDVR and KWGN- Superstation tron for BROADCASTING, WSBK -TV and KTLA TV) for Network USA and KTVT(TV) Dallas are among the top 10 stations in attracting a for United Video. According to a BROAD- universe significant audience outside their markets CASTING survey, 20 broadcast signals are (ADI). now available by satellite, counting the new WTBS(TV) Atlanta "We obviously are not thrilled," said Mi- EMI signals. WGN -TV Chicago chael Eigner, vice president- station man- For cable systems, WSBK -TV and KTLA will WWOR -TV New York ager, KTLA. "They informed us they were be priced the same as WWOR -TV New York: WPIX(TV) New York going to take it. We told them we were not 10 cents per subscriber per month with a KTVT(TV) Dallas happy because it would cause us contractual $3,000 montly cap and discounts for opera- WXIA(TV) (NBC) Atlanta problems with some of our suppliers. They tors that take more than one of the com- WBBM -TV (CBS) Chicago said they understood, but that they were pany's signals. WABC -TV (ABC) New York going to do it again anyway." EMI plans to market the signals to the KCNC -TV (NBC) Denver new five -year The statioh just signed a dish owners through third parties such as KUSA -TV (ABC) Denver with the Angels, giving the Home Box Office and Tempo Enterprises. deal California KMGH -TV (CBS) Denver station the rights to broadcast 60 games a Korta said he understands HBO will offer all KRMA(TV) (PBS) Denver year, Eigner said. This could have ramifi- three EMI signals (including wwoR -Tv) for Denver cations for the deal," he said. $36 a year, and that Tempo plans to offer the KDVR(TV) (FOX) -TV EMI, which distributes WWOR -TV New package for $39 a year by itself and for $49 KWGN (Ind) Denver York to cable systems serving 12 million a year with Tempo's own superstation, 'Rim- WDIV(TV) (NBC) Detriot cable homes via satellite (Galaxy I) and er Broadcasting System's WTBS(TV) Atlanta. WJBK -TV (CBS) Detroit microwave, has wanted to put WSBK -TV on Korta said there are about two million WXYZ -TV (ABC) Detroit the satellite for a long time, but it was not homes with dishes, but that only about WTVS(TV) (PBS) Detroit until the home satellite market opened up 400,000 with the descramblers necessary to KTLA(TV) (Ind) Los Angeles that it became economical to do so, Korta receive the EMI superstations and other ca- WSBK -TV (Ind) Boston said. EMI is counting on revenues from both ble programing. "We would like to be in half Broadcasting Feb 15 1988 60 .