WHDH snubs Leno

[Garrett Wollman]

<<On Thu, 2 Apr 2009 19:53:27 -0700 (PDT), Maureen Carney <m_carney@yahoo.com> said:

> Now that Hearst is selling its share of NECN to Comcast perhaps
> there is a change in strategy. WMUR-DT is on Comcast in the
> Framingham area, at least. Maybe Hearst can flip that to NBC without
> losing much.

Scott and I went over this on the phone a few minutes ago.  Here's
what you do: flip 9.1 to NBC, and put a DTS transmitter on the 10
("46") tower in Bridgewater.  Maybe add another DTS site in Boston
proper (perhaps on the Pru once the 68 antenna's gone).  Put ABC
programming with New Hampshire advertising on 9.2 to feed local
content to cable.  9.1 would entitled to must-carry throughout the
Boston market, so the cable guys would have to comply.

> I'm not sure the Leno show works either, but someone had to try
> something outside the box.

In a lot of ways, Leno doesn't need to "work" for NBCU to be happy --
he can be in fourth place at 10:00 and they're still making more money
than they are with hour dramas in that slot.  The affils, of course,
are another story.

-GAWollman