Subscribers to Peacock’s premium tier will soon have 24/7 access to their local NBC affiliate stations via a dedicated channel on the streaming service. The geotargeted channel will be available in all 210 NBC affiliate markets on Nov. 30. The move is a significant leap forward for local TV stations in the streaming era.
The broadcast network affiliates want the FCC to “clarify” that its new enhanced sponsorship ID rules for foreign-owned government-supplied programming does not apply to long-form advertising (infomercials). The FCC in April voted to boost broadcasters’ disclosure requirements for programming on airtime leased by a foreign entity. The move comes amidst heightened focus on disinformation campaigns and despite some pushback from broadcasters, who argue the FCC is adding regs to an already overregulated service.
Under the new deal, affiliate stations’ linear streams to run on over the top and TV Everywhere.
Tilting rules governing retrans negotiations in favor of cable and satellite could accelerate the migration of sports programming to the pay media, NBC affiliates say in visit to the FCC last week.
The network outlines its summer programming plans and status of development for the upcoming fall schedule in a Las Vegas meeting with its affiliates.
Raycom-owned ABC affiliate KAIT has announced plans to begin broadcasting NBC starting Jan. 26.
Exclusives
WMGM To Lose NBC Affiliation, Local News
The Atlantic City, N.J., station owned by LocusPoint Networks will no longer broadcast NBC programming after Dec. 31. And its familiar local newscast — operated by the Linwood, N.J.-based Access.1 under contract with LocusPoint — will go away at the same time. WMGM said Access.1 would would take the current news, sales, management and administration teams and seek a new broadcast channel to continue operations.
The multi-year contracts cover 24 NBC affiliates and 16 CW stations.
Delaware Gets New NBC Affiliate
The Delmarva Peninsula now has its own NBC affiliate. WRDE-LD is licensed to Rehoboth Beach, Del., but will serve a large portion of Delmarva (including parts of Maryland and Virginia) starting in June.
The logistics and costs associated with participating in the network’s TV Everywhere initiative topped discussion at a closed-door affiliates meeting Tuesday in Las Vegas. According to the affiliates board chairman, Hearst TV’s Jordan Wertlieb, the mood among the stations is “overwhelmingly very positive,.
NBC To Launch TV Everywhere In June
At a closed-door meeting with more than 100 affiliates Monday at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, NBC showcased its plan to launch its TV Everywhere app, which has not yet been named, and how affiliates can participate in the initiative, sources say.
Following an affiliates meeting in New York, NBC announces that next year its O&Os and affiliates will begin streaming their broadcast signals so they can be received by authenticated cable subscribers on their mobile devices. ABC and Fox and their affiliates have also said they will be offering the so-called TV everywhere service in partnership with cable.
NBC, Affils Working On Streaming Plan
The network and its affiliates have almost worked out an “agreement on a general framework” that would let the stations stream a combination of network and local content to smartphones and other wireless devices.
NBC’s Retrans Proxy Plan Looking Doubtful
The key sticking points: crafting an agreement that would address the varying needs of all affiliates, small and large, and network negotiators handling details of local retrans deals, including negotiating fees for digital subchannels that carry non-NBC programming. For all that’s going on at NAB 2012, click here.
Under the network’s new “proxy” plan, it would receive 50% of the affiliates’ retransmission consent revenue in return for taking over negotiations. “Every affiliate will be treated exactly the same,” said NBC affiliate board head Brian Lawlor of Scripps.
The new offerings on the O&Os are delivering big percentage gains in the key demo, but the shows they replaced were notoriously poor performers. Bottom line is that syndicators like Warner Bros. (Anderson Cooper) and Sony (Lisa Oz) that are looking for slots in major markets for next fall may be able to find them on the NBC stations.
