FIRST ON THE BLOG: A major shakeup in Michiana TV news is about to happen next week and affiliation changes are taking place as well…
Today, the blog has learned that WSBT 22 will acquire the FOX affiliation from WSJV 28. This means that WSBT 22 will carry FOX as FOX Michiana on WSBT 22.2. Because it will broadcast in HD, the WSBT 22 First Alert Weather Channel on WSBT 22.3 will be effectively discontinued. And because FOX is moving away from WSJV 28, it will switch to H&I: Heroes and Icons. All of these changes take place next Monday, August 1st.
But its not just that, it’s also about television newscasts. WSJV 28’s news operation is in its final week with the operations being shut down on Sunday. From Monday August 1st, the day FOX Michiana launches, WSBT 22 will air two LIVE weekday morning news hours from 7:00-9:00am on the channel (WSBT 22 News – First in the Morning on FOX Michiana) and will expand its half-hour 10:00pm newscast to a full hour (WSBT 22 News at 10:00 on FOX Michiana). Currently, the channel is home to SBT2, WSBT 22’s Independent channel on WSBT 22.2 but will soon air FOX programming instead. I’m not sure yet as to what WSBT 22 will offer for local news on weekends on the new subchannel, as to whether the 10:00pm newscast will remain as a half-hour or expand to a full hour as well.
The new 7:00-9:00am WSBT 22-produced newscast for FOX Michiana will compete against WBND 57 (ABC)’s two-hour weekday morning extension on its sister station, WCWW 25 (CW) and the new hour-long 10:00pm newscast, produced by WSBT 22, will also compete against WBND 57’s half-hour 10:00pm newscast for WCWW 25. They’ll also compete on weekends at 10:00pm.
Meanwhile over at WSJV 28, the news operations are shutting down and Heroes and Icons will be shown instead with just two employees based at WSJV 28 while the rest are being shipped to Quincy Media’s other stations or being laid off. And Quincy Media will continue to own and operate WSJV 28, just under an H&I affiliate.
According to WSBT 22, the new FOX Michiana channel will be found on the following:
- Antenna/Over-the-Air: Channel 22.2 (as we’ve previously mentioned before)
- DISH Network: Channel 30
- Comcast Cable: Channel 16
Bob Montgomery and Leanne Tokars will anchor the extra two hours of local morning news from 7:00-9:00am with WSBT 22 First Alert Weather from AMS/Member Meteorologist Cari Peugeot. Rick Schutt will continue to anchor the 10:00pm news but in a new and expanded hour-long format with WSBT 22 First Alert Weather from AMS-CBM/Sealed Chief Meteorologist Matt Rudkin.
Another reminder starting next Monday August 1st…
- WSBT 22
- Channel 22.1 = CBS – WSBT 22
- Channel 22.2 = FOX – FOX Michiana
- Channel 22.3 = None (the 24-hour local weather channel is discontinued)
- WSJV 28
- Channel 28.1 = H&I – Heroes and Icons
- Channel 28.2 = None (H&I moves to 28.1 to replace the FOX affiliation)
Again, all of these changes take place starting next Monday, August 1st. This is going to be a hectic time for those living in Michiana indeed. In the end, the market will soon go back to three news operations once again and a great example of consolidation taking shape. Stay tuned to the blog for more developments if anything else takes place…
changingnewscasts.wordpress.com 
Wasn’t WSJV-TV news the lowest rated news station in South Bend? WSJV really never expanded any newscasts at all.
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Yes they were. Even when WBND came over, they were still the lowest.
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I think I heard WBND had made large gains since they expanding their news operation.
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Yes they have.
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What news station is number one in the South Bend market?
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I believe it’s WNDU.
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Actually it’s WSBT
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How do you know it’s WSBT?
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What about Directv customers?
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WSBT is working patiently with DirecTV to try to provide “FOX Michiana” on its systems.
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Another story claimed as first but taken from multiple websites. Why don’t you just eliminate the FIRST ON THE BLOG and report everything as is?
And why is Jeremy the only person that posts comments?
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I understand your concern but did TVSpy report it first last night? Nope. Neither did FTVLive until the details came through. And I don’t compete against the South Bend Tribune on these stories. When I say FIRST ON THE BLOG, it’s because I beat TVSpy and TVNewsCheck and FTVLive to the punch on these stories.
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Bits and pieces were reported in multiple places, including FTVLive. Why do you only consider those three websites in determining whether you’re first? Any website or print should, including the South Bend Tribune. If their first, then their first. That’s like ABC news saying they have a story first because they compete against NBC and CBS, even if CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC really got it before.
You have a good thing going here, but you gotta clean up your sloppiness.
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Because Jeremy always reads this blog and is also interested in local news.
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Ditching 22.3 is a marketing mistake for you guys.
I know you’re going to say “– But you can still get weather anytime with our App”…..
I have a smartphone, but I’m not alone when I say I don’t like wasting battery and airtime just to get the latest radar on a tiny screen. By ditching 22.3 you are doing a disservice to a lot of viewers who can’t access or don’t want to mess with apps.
Relegating an important public weather service to an “app” is not a good trade-off. (i.e. Apps are not always the better way to do things). Not all of your viewers want your existing weather app to replace an actual channel.
22.3 is really a great service, especially during serious weather events. You are missing an opportunity by killing it. I don’t get how the decision was made that this is progress. Apparently it’s driven only by other ratings. The number of viewers who watch commercials on 22.3 might surprise you! The number of small business lobbies and waiting rooms that tune to it, etc, etc.. There is nothing else like in the South Bend viewing area. *** Please reconsider!
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This is NOT WSBT. Please go to their Facebook page to complain.
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Sorry! I already made a brief complaint on their Facebook page. I guess they think I am the only person who does not like the loss of the weather channel (they would be wrong).. After a Google search this seemed to be the only other forum that was discussing anything related to the topic…..
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But we’re not a forum. We’re a blog. Look around first before you comment.
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Phillip, they can’t reconsider their decision because it’s a technical impossibility. HD signals take up a larger chunk of the frequency spectrum than do SD signals. WSBT is carrying Fox on 22.2 in HD unlike the existing 22.2 & 22.3 which are in SD. Current TV bandwidth for each channel is 6MHz, only two HD channels fit into that, 22.1 & 22.2. The only way they could keep the weather is to broadcast FOX in SD….and that’s not happening.
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I understand the technical reasons. In my opinion, WSBT should have been put more research into the value of their full-time weather channel, and not just assumed it would not be missed by only a few people. This will be a marketing 101 blunder that they may never even realize they have done to themselves. As mentioned above, I already posted briefly on WSBT’s Facebook page, and apparently they were too afraid to even respond (or had no good answer to respond with). They have made their bad decision, so I will look elsewhere for a service that can’t be found in this area, and therefore, have to do without important **LOCAL** weather info that doesn’t require an app, and can’t be found on the The Weather Channel or other sources…
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Since your weather channel is off my husband doesn’t turn on the TV.
I watch TV but the weather station was the most important one for him since he doesn’t care about TV.
We will invest in another weather radio since the last one went out.
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Again, complain to WSBT’s Facebook page.
This is The Changing Newscasts Blog, NOT WSBT.
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Relax Roly. Either you take the good comments with the bad comments, or disable the comments feature altogether, which might not be a bad idea, since you’re never able to take constructive criticism. But if you do that then you might upset Jeremy.
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My wife and I are very disappointed to learn that you are discontinuing 22.3 on free TV. We relied on it extensively for up to the minute updates as well as extended forecasts. It was an excellent and reliable source for all our weather needs. The nearly 20 stations of free TV in our area need a weather station such as the one that you have discontinued.
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Again, this is NOT WSBT. Go to their Facebook page if you want to complain.
I’m just the messenger here.
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Roly! What did you do with my weather channel 22.3???? Joking!
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Do that again and you’ll get banned from commenting. I’m very serious.
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Liked the 22.3 weather checked on all the time that a lost to bad, now 22.2 and 28.1 are the same , hate to lose channels when you only have regular tv and can’t afford cable very disappointed,
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I AM NOT WSBT. Go to their Facebook page and complain there.
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why can’t they speak their feelings? don’t think the majority of them are asking you to do anything about it, just commenting on the article. if you don’t want comments then maybe you should give up blogging.
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Because these folks think I’m a part of WSBT when I’m not. I’m just a messenger around here and if people want to complain that they lost a weather channel, then they should go to WSBT’s Facebook page and complain there. Again, I don’t work for WSBT or for any news organization and yet I feel like these comments are directed towards me something to do with it and I don’t know why.
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It is great that michiana residents get better programming (SD to HD) But at the loss of 24 hour weather? I like the convenience of instant, up-to-the-minute weather information. ..weather is a big deal here in Michiana. Strong storms can occur in a short amount of time. It is not only a convenience, but a safety issue as well.
PLEASE! somebody bring back or provide 24 hour weather broadcast! !! Our storm safety depends on it!!!
Thanks!
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As I told plenty of people before you, this is NOT WSBT. Contact them on their Facebook page and complain there, not here.
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“Relax Roly. Either you take the good comments with the bad comments, or disable the comments feature altogether, which might not be a bad idea, since you’re never able to take constructive criticism. But if you do that then you might upset Jeremy”
Maybe Vic is the one that is upset. Since Vic posted that comment.
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roly this is america and people should be able to voice their opinion. by the way i dont like any of the changes . i liked.wsjv news and programming. i also loved the wsbt weather channel it was better than the weather channel for local weather. and roly chill out and let us have freedom of speach and dont be a communist censor
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Yes but people think I work for WSBT when clearly I’m not yet people complain anyways. All complaints should go to WSBT and not to me. After all, I’m just the messenger, not the one who took out the weather channel.
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FOX 28 News will be missed in South Bend.
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It hasn’t aired a newscast in three years.
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