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Nineteen months after a failed attempt to switch Bangor sister station WCKD’s affiliation to the Fox Network, officials at WVII (Channel 7) and parent company Rockfleet Broadcasting, Inc., have found another way to make their Fox hunt successful.
They created a new station.
Bangor’s newest television station, WFVX (Ch. 22), is garnering rave reviews since first going on the air on April 13.
“The response has been fabulous and it’s really such a pleasure because nobody ever calls to say good things, no matter what you’re doing,” said Mike Palmer, vice-president and general manager of WVII. “But we’re getting calls from people saying it’s fabulous, both from cable subscribers and from people who just have rabbit ears and regular TV.”
WFVX has replaced WCKD (Ch. 30) on Adelphia Cable systems in Bangor and other markets and is situated on cable channel 10. WCKD is still operating as a United Paramount and PAX Network affiliate, but is only available on an over-the-air (non-cable, non-satellite) basis. Adelphia has also axed its Fox Network feed on channel 27 as WFVX will air all Fox programming.
“With our two stations now, we’re a player,” said Palmer. “The weak sister has grown up and we’re a player in the market now.”
Fox programming is heavy on sports coverage with TV rights to Major League Baseball, NFL (National Football Conference), and NASCAR auto racing.
WFVX will also air local sports programming including high school basketball games, which are moving over from WCKD, and possibly even some local professional baseball.
“We’ve had conversations with the [Bangor] Lumberjacks about putting some games on the air, although we’re far from a deal,” Palmer said. “Maybe we will, maybe we won’t. I’d like to, but we’ll see.”
Palmer said WFVX is the product of “very tricky negotiations” with two separate parties over a three-month period.
“In mid-January, we took a look at the market and thought we’d take a gamble by trying to get a Fox affiliate on the air because the market is very underserved for younger demographics,” Palmer explained. “We feel this is a good deal for those who don’t watch 60 Minutes, Wheel of Fortune, or Funeral Home Theater. It’s the young, cool, hip programming that only Fox has.”
The official transfer of ownership will occur in two weeks.
“We were negotiating simultaneously with Fox and a guy from California who owns hundreds of television permits around the country. He just waits for people to call him and negotiate a price for them.”
Other programming besides local hoop telecasts is switching from WCKD to WFVX, such as the 10 p.m. newscast and three-hour “So Goes the Nation” morning show. The show will be simulcast on WCKD for the time being.
“One of the greatest benefits of this is the value of promotional possibilities, where we can run promos for our 6 o’clock news during Fox shows,” Palmer said. “The value of that, even if we didn’t sell any ads on the station, is unbelievable.”
Palmer said WCKD will remain on the air, almost as a public service to people who like to watch shows like Star Trek, UPN Smackdown, Charmed and Buffy. UPN programming is available on Adelphia’s Bangor cable system’s channel 11, which is occupied by UPN Boston affiliate WSBK.
Bangor moving on up
After slipping from No. 155 to 158 four years ago, the Bangor television market has moved up to 153. Bangor passed Anchorage, Alaska (156), Minot, N.D. (155); and Binghamton, N.Y. (154) in the most recent Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook market ratings. Next up is Rochester, Minn., ranked No. 152 as of last November.
Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600, or aneff@bangordailynews.net
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