🚀 go-pugleaf

"Patty Winter" <patty1@sonic.net> wrote in message 
news:50ce0ae1$0$29797$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> MHz Networks, carried locally on one of KCSM's digital channels,
> recently started rerunning "Wallander" (the original Swedish series),
> so I got curious again about what's happened with the sale of KCSM-TV,
> because I want to see the whole series. :-)
>
> Turns out the KCSM saga has taken some twists and turns since I last
> checked:
>
> http://www.media-alliance.org/article.php?id=2182
> http://www.media-alliance.org/article.php?id=2195
>
> First, they rejected the six bids they had received as not viable.
> Then last month, they viewed a presentation about possible upcoming
> FCC spectrum auctions. Yep, they're considering selling off the KCSM-
> TV spectrum. No decision yet, and in any event this particular spectrum
> auction is still in the planning stages, but it's on their radar.
>
>
> Patty
>

FYI: There are some Wallander episodes available on streaming Netfix.

Also, I heard that the Wallander series was cancelled after the actress who 
plays the detective's daughter committed suicide.  Her name was something 
like Joanna Sallstrom.  -very sad 

"Patty Winter" <patty1@sonic.net> wrote

> http://www.media-alliance.org/article.php?id=2182
> http://www.media-alliance.org/article.php?id=2195

In the second article, Media Alliance says that the station was "given" to 
the college in order to serve the community.

Well, the founder, Dr. Jacob Wiens, wasn't given anything.  First, he had to 
apply for an out of market UHF channel, 14, which was licensed to Modesto, 
and go through the song and dance (and expense) of moving the allocation to 
San Mateo.

Second, he had to scrounge up production equipment from various sources, and 
he had to build the transmitter.  This took legwork, and money from the 
College of San Mateo.

And then they had a black & white TV station that couldn't pass color at a 
time when color TV was big.  Being licensed to a non-market (San Mateo is 
not a market), it was nearly impossible to get cable TV stations to carry 
KCSM-TV, which is why today just 50 cable systems carry it, while KTVU is 
carried on nearly 300 systems.

Then KQED television came around and paid TV Guide NOT to carry KCSM-TV's 
listings, which was totally legal, given that TV Guide was a private 
publisher.  It was only after KCSM threatened TV Guide (Triangle 
Publications) license renewal for their stations in Fresno, KFRE-AM-FM-TV, 
that TV Guide began listing KCSM-TV.

It took some horsetrading to fix the signal problem.  First, the transmitter 
was at the CSM College Heights campus, making it invisible in SF.  Second, 
it was only about 50kw, in a market where most UHF stations were about 500kW 
to 3MW.  Third, people simply wouldn't watch black and white when color was 
the rage, and CSM didn't have money to upgrade their production equipment or 
transmitter.

Univision's (then S.I.N.) KDTV coveted the low dial position, back when dial 
positions meant something, so they swapped their channel 60 for channel 14, 
and gave KCSM a bunch of equipment and their transmitter on Mt. San Bruno. 
This part was fine, so that finally KCSM-TV had color and a decent signal.

But that wasn't the end of that.  Several years back, when NBC or its sham 
company bought San Jose's KNTV and wanted to move it to SF, they offered the 
landlord of the antenna site on Mt. San Bruno more than TRIPLE the rent to 
kick out KCSM and put KNTV in its place.  This is the southernmost site on 
Bruno.

So, KCSM had a license and nowhere to go but back to CSM, go through the 
arduous process of re-licensing with the higher power on the CSM campus, 
which they couldn't afford to do given that analog TV was about to go away 
and they had to change to digital anyway.

So, in order to keep their allocation, KCSM had to both build a new digital 
station on Mt. Sutro, and keep the old analog one running from CSM.

As I understand it, unlike the free ride KQED Television gets on Mt. Sutro 
(the consortium of channels 2, 4, 5, and 7 that owns the Sutro site gave 
KQED free space as part of their deal to build Sutro in the first place), 
KCSM has no such agreement, and Sutro is hugely expensive to rent.

After all this expense, it's clear that CSM WAS NOT GIVEN ANYTHING.  In 
fact, they've been screwed over and over again.  I can easily see why the 
college district wants to finally wash their hands of KCSM.

On a personal note, I got my broadcast training at KCSM FM and TV, in the 
same classes as Jon Miller of the Giants and Michael Amatori of KGO Radio. 
It was a great time to get broadcast training, and CSM was an exemplary 
place to do it.  The teaching staff was excellent, the training goals 
realistic, and the reputation excellent as well.

But that was then and this is now.  I'm sorry to see KCSM-TV go, but I fully 
understand the college district's reasoning.  KCSM-TV has been a headache 
for them since the beginning, and now it's costing them $1 million a year to 
operate a station that few people are watching.

In article <kal9s2$vs1$1@dont-email.me>,
 "QN" <hidingfromyou@example.com> wrote:


> >
> 
> FYI: There are some Wallander episodes available on streaming Netfix.
> 
Those are the BBC versions which many feel are nowhere as good as the 
Swedish versions

> Also, I heard that the Wallander series was cancelled after the actress who 
> plays the detective's daughter committed suicide.  Her name was something 
> like Joanna Sallstrom.  -very sad 

The Swedish series was not canceled after the suicide of Johanna 
S�llstr�m, there was a second 13 part series which some think is even 
better than the first 13-part series.

In article <xyz-360630.21110816122012@news.eternal-september.org>,
Gerry  <xyz@abc.net> wrote:
>In article <kal9s2$vs1$1@dont-email.me>,
> "QN" <hidingfromyou@example.com> wrote:
>
>> Also, I heard that the Wallander series was cancelled after the actress who 
>> plays the detective's daughter committed suicide.  Her name was something 
>> like Joanna Sallstrom.  -very sad 
>
>The Swedish series was not canceled after the suicide of Johanna 
>S�llstr�m, there was a second 13 part series which some think is even 
>better than the first 13-part series.

And now there's a third season that's going to start airing in Sweden 
next month.

But back to KCSM...as I've mentioned before, a live stream of MHz 
Worldview is available online, so should anything happen to KCSM
before the available episodes of "Wallander" have been aired, I
could always go that route. But it sounds like, whether the station
gets sold or the district takes it off the air and sells the spectrum
(and I'd expect a delaying lawsuit from Media Alliance if they try 
that), the status quo is going to remain for some time yet--likely 
enough for me to catch at least the first two seasons of "Wallander," 
and maybe also season 3, depending on when MHz gets it.


Patty

Patty Winter <patty1@wintertime.com> had written:
| 
|  But back to KCSM...as I've mentioned before, a live stream of MHz 
|  Worldview is available online, so should anything happen to KCSM
|  before the available episodes of "Wallander" have been aired, I
|  could always go that route. But it sounds like, whether the station
|  gets sold or the district takes it off the air and sells the spectrum
|  (and I'd expect a delaying lawsuit from Media Alliance if they try 
|  that), the status quo is going to remain for some time yet--likely 
|  enough for me to catch at least the first two seasons of "Wallander," 
|  and maybe also season 3, depending on when MHz gets it.

I wonder what standing Media Alliance even has. It seems to be a bunch of
busybodies. The Commission has been pretty clear about wanting to turn
spectrum over to mobile uses; the college is willing; it seems all the
Media Alliance will do is enrich some lawyers. The college clearly
doesn't want to keep subsidizing the TV station and, nice as MHz is (and
it is), that seems a pretty slim thread for keeping the station going.

If Media Alliance were to make itself useful, it would go after KQED and
its lack of locally oriented programming, instead of trying to drain off
a community college's limited resources.

-- 
Mark Roberts - E-Mail address is valid but I don't use Google Groups
If you quote, please quote only relevant passages and not the whole article.

In article <aj96g8Fiq8vU1@mid.individual.net>,
Mark Roberts  <markrobt+usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>If Media Alliance were to make itself useful, it would go after KQED and
>its lack of locally oriented programming, instead of trying to drain off
>a community college's limited resources.

Mark, you're talking about KQED-TV, right? Because KQED-FM has lots
of locally produced news.

I agree about KQED-TV, if that's what you're referring to. They have
a pitiful amount of original programming. Lessee...TWINC, Quest, and
a restaurant review show, right? I can't figure out what all the people 
in that big building are doing.


Patty

On Dec 17, 10:33 am, Mark Roberts <markrobt+use...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I wonder what standing Media Alliance even has. It seems to be a bunch of
> busybodies. The Commission has been pretty clear about wanting to turn
> spectrum over to mobile uses; the college is willing; it seems all the
> Media Alliance will do is enrich some lawyers. The college clearly
> doesn't want to keep subsidizing the TV station and, nice as MHz is (and
> it is), that seems a pretty slim thread for keeping the station going.
>
> If Media Alliance were to make itself useful, it would go after KQED and
> its lack of locally oriented programming, instead of trying to drain off
> a community college's limited resources.

By the same token, perhaps KQED should donate some of its abundant
funds to keep this training facility going rather than profit from the
extinction of its only local competition.

In article <aj96g8Fiq8vU1@mid.individual.net>,
 Mark Roberts <markrobt+usenet@gmail.com> wrote:

> I wonder what standing Media Alliance even has. It seems to be a bunch of
> busybodies. The Commission has been pretty clear about wanting to turn
> spectrum over to mobile uses; the college is willing; it seems all the
> Media Alliance will do is enrich some lawyers. The college clearly
> doesn't want to keep subsidizing the TV station and, nice as MHz is (and
> it is), that seems a pretty slim thread for keeping the station going.

This reminds me of the heyday of FCC complaints and license challenging 
back in the seventies. It was not uncommon for prospective purchasers 
and new licensees to consider the consequences of trying to extricate 
themselves from any given station.

It is no secret that Lorenzo, Jeremy and their group (of which I was a 
part) bought KSND (Gilroy) with the intent of changing it from a class A 
station that could be heard nowhere to a class B that could be heard in 
much of the Bay Area. The major consideration in the group's meetings, 
and what gave rise to the legendary ersatz format (originally called 
"progressive country") was ensuring that NO ONE would care if the 
station changed hands after the value increased from the facilities 
change and the three-year waiting period had elapsed.

As history reminds us, the exercise turned out to be "The Producers", 
radio edition when listeners came out of the woodwork to protest the 
sale of this "unique" radio station that had so many followers. 
Salvation came to the owners when the buyer, Harvey Levin, swore that he 
would make no changes in the station's format or programming after the 
sale. 

(Harvey was true to his word, but passed away shortly after the sale and 
his estate unloaded it to a corporate owner who installed archtypical 
programming immediately thereafter.)

-- 
John Higdon
+1 775 253 3838

Patty Winter  <patty1@wintertime.com> wrote:
> ...
>I agree about KQED-TV, if that's what you're referring to. They have
>a pitiful amount of original programming. Lessee...TWINC, Quest, and
>a restaurant review show, right? I can't figure out what all the people 
>in that big building are doing.
> ...

Fluffing self-help gurus?

    --bks

"Patty Winter" <patty1@wintertime.com> wrote

> I agree about KQED-TV, if that's what you're referring to. They have
> a pitiful amount of original programming. Lessee...TWINC, Quest, and
> a restaurant review show, right? I can't figure out what all the people
> in that big building are doing.

Well, it's a lot more than it used to be.  Now they at least list their 
productions at the top of their programming page: 
http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/

I'm sorry, though, cooking shows are just too low to be considered a 
worthwhile use of a non-comm station when we have the Food Network and the 
Cooking Network, and the Travel Channel, etc.

What's interesting is that KQED Radio versus KQED Television are following 
the same tracks as NPR versus PBS; by that I mean KQED-FM and NPR are both 
relevant, informative vehicles, while KQED(TV) and PBS are lame repositories 
of programming better suited to the commercial cable channels.

In article <kaonff$igf$1@dont-email.me>,
David Kaye <sfdavidkaye2@yahoo.com> wrote:
>"Patty Winter" <patty1@wintertime.com> wrote
>
>> I agree about KQED-TV, if that's what you're referring to. They have
>> a pitiful amount of original programming. Lessee...TWINC, Quest, and
>> a restaurant review show, right? I can't figure out what all the people
>> in that big building are doing.
>
>Well, it's a lot more than it used to be.  Now they at least list their 
>productions at the top of their programming page: 
>http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/

Okay, it is a few more than I thought. Except "Imagemakers" is just
a compilation of films that other people have already made; is "Truly 
CA" the same? I'd forgotten about "Spark," which is locally produced.

Still, it's hardly anything next to the output from WGBH or WNET.


Patty

On Dec 17, 9:40 pm, Patty Winter <pat...@wintertime.com> wrote:

> David Kaye <sfdavidka...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> >Now they at least list their
> >productions at the top of their programming page:
> >http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/
>
> Okay, it is a few more than I thought. Except "Imagemakers" is just
> a compilation of films that other people have already made; is "Truly
> CA" the same? I'd forgotten about "Spark," which is locally produced.

Somehow I got the idea that Truly CA was an upcoming series from Huell
Howser.

Patty Winter <patty1@wintertime.com> had written:
| 
| 
|  Mark, you're talking about KQED-TV, right? Because KQED-FM has lots
|  of locally produced news.

TV, correct.
| 
|  I agree about KQED-TV, if that's what you're referring to. They have
|  a pitiful amount of original programming. Lessee...TWINC, Quest, and
|  a restaurant review show, right? I can't figure out what all the people 
|  in that big building are doing.

And I think "Check, Please" (or as I call it, "Crack, Please") is a
syndicated concept, kind of like "Romper Room" for would-be
gourmands. There's a "Check, Please" in Kansas City, for
example. So maybe give it 75% credit for being local.

-- 
Mark Roberts - E-Mail address is valid but I don't use Google Groups
If you quote, please quote only relevant passages and not the whole article.

On Dec 19, 7:19 pm, Mark Roberts <markrobt+use...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Patty Winter <pat...@wintertime.com> had written:
> |
> |
> |  Mark, you're talking about KQED-TV, right? Because KQED-FM has lots
> |  of locally produced news.
>
> TV, correct.
> |
> |  I agree about KQED-TV, if that's what you're referring to. They have
> |  a pitiful amount of original programming. Lessee...TWINC, Quest, and
> |  a restaurant review show, right? I can't figure out what all the peo
ple
> |  in that big building are doing.
>
> And I think "Check, Please" (or as I call it, "Crack, Please") is a
> syndicated concept, kind of like "Romper Room" for would-be
> gourmands. There's a "Check, Please" in Kansas City, for
> example. So maybe give it 75% credit for being local.

Check, Please seems to have originated at WTTW in Chicago, in 2001.
The format is licensed to other public TV stations by Check Please,
LLC. The domain checkplease.com was already taken before the show
started, but if one enters checkplease.tv, it redirects to the WTTW
show.