Sharing TV stations ID

[Garrett Wollman]

<<On Sat, 20 Jan 2018 15:10:56 -0500, "Jim Hall" <aerie.ma@comcast.net> said:

> I haven't been able to catch any official station IDs yet, so I am wondering
> how that works with stations that are sharing bandwidth. For example, does
> CW56 still ID itself as "WLVI-TV Cambridge/Boston" or is it identified as
> "WHDH-TV 7.3 (or whatever it is) Boston".

They are separate licenses with separte virtual channels and separate
call signs.  Just like in the old days with share-timers.  (In fact, I
think legally that's how the FCC treats these "channel sharing"
arrangements -- they're just sharing on a microsecond-by-microsecond
basis rather than by the hour.)  They each maintain their independent
must-carry rights on cable and satellite.

It is possible (as in the case of WGBX with WYCN-CD) for low-power and
class-A stations to share channels with full-power stations, or even
vice versa, and the rules applicable to each class of station continue
to apply even though they're using a shared transmitter facility.
Class-A stations are generally not entitled to must-carry, but are
also not subject to ownership limits.

By the way, the sale of WYCN-CD to NBC was consummated on Thursday.

-GAWollman