Owned-and-operated station
2477490
223617153
2008-07-04T22:20:00Z
216.232.206.206
/* Canada */
{{redirect|O&O||Oo}}
In the [[broadcasting]] industry (especially in [[North America]]), an '''owned-and-operated station''' (frequently abbreviated as '''O&O''') usually refers to a [[television station]] or [[radio station]] that is owned by the [[television network|network]] with which it is associated. This distinguishes such a station from an [[affiliate]], whose ownership lies elsewhere other than the network it is linked to.
For example: in the [[Boston]] television market, [[WBZ-TV]] carries [[CBS]] programming, and is owned by the CBS network. As such, WBZ-TV is an O&O. On the other hand, [[WCVB-TV]] and [[WHDH-TV]] carry [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[NBC]] programming respectively, but neither is owned by its parent network. As such, these two stations are considered affiliates.
The concept of O&O is more clearly defined in North America (and to some extent, several other countries such as [[Australia]] and [[Brazil]]), where network-owned stations had historically been the exception rather than the rule. In such places, broadcasting licenses are generally issued on a local (rather than national) basis, and there is (or was) some sort of regulatory mechanism in place to prevent any company (including a broadcasting network) from owning stations in every market in the country. In other parts of the world, many television networks were given national broadcasting licenses at launch; as such, they have traditionally been mostly (or entirely) composed of O&Os, rendering a separate notion for such a concept redundant.
== Usage of the term ==
In the broadcasting industry, the term ''owned-and-operated station'' refers exclusively to stations that are owned by television and radio networks. On the other hand, the term ''affiliate'' only applies to stations that are not owned by networks, but instead are contracted to air programming from one of the major networks. While in fact there may be an affiliation agreement between a network and an owned-and-operated station (as suggested under "Ownership Info" on the FCC TV Query [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=WABC-TV search] for [[WABC-TV]]), this is not necessarily required, and may simply be a legal technicality formalizing the relationship of separate entities under the same parent company. In any event, this does not prevent a network from effectively dictating an O&O's practices outside the scope of a normal affiliation agreement; for instance, network programming is very rarely preempted by O&Os, despite individual affiliates' rights to do so.
The term ''station'' correctly applies to the ownership of the station. For example, a station owned and operated by the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] network is referred to as an ''ABC station'' or an ''ABC O&O'', but normally should not be referred to as an affiliate. Likewise, a station not owned by ABC but contracted to air ABC’s programming is correctly referred to as an ''ABC affiliate''; that is, the station is affiliated with ABC.
However, informally or for promotional purposes, affiliated stations (or non-O&Os) are sometimes referred to as a network ''station'', as in ''“[[WJLA]] is an ABC station”'' even though that ABC affiliate is owned by [[Allbritton Communications Company]]. Correct formal phrasing could be, ''"ABC affiliate WJLA is an Allbritton station."'' Similarly, one may informally refer to "ABC affiliates" in regards to all stations (including O&Os) that air ABC programming, or to "the ABC affiliation" in regards to the transfer of rights to ABC programming from an affiliate to an O&O.
Some stations that are owned by networks but air another network’s programming are referred to as an affiliate of the network they air. For example, [[WBFS]] in [[Miami, Florida|Miami]] is owned by the [[CBS]] network's [[CBS Corporation|parent company]] but airs programming from [[MyNetworkTV]]; it is a ''MyNetworkTV affiliate.'' Prior to the Fall 2006 shutdown of the CBS-owned [[UPN]] television network, WBFS aired that network's programming; therefore, WBFS was a ''UPN O&O.''
The stations airing [[The WB]] television network were another exception. The ownership of The WB was shared between [[Warner Bros.]] (a subsidiary of [[Time Warner]]), the [[Tribune Company]] and, for a portion of The WB's existence, [[ACME Communications]]. While Tribune-owned stations such as [[WGN-TV]] [[Chicago]], [[WPIX-TV]] [[New York]] and [[KTLA-TV]] [[Los Angeles]] aired programming from The WB, they did not fit the standard definition of an ''O&O''; they were nonetheless often referred to as ''WB O&Os''. A similar exception existed when the UPN network launched in 1995 by co-owners [[Chris-Craft Industries|Chris-Craft]] and [[Viacom (1971-2005)|Viacom]]. Each of the companies owned a number of stations that aired the network. However, the stations were also not considered O&Os under the initial standard definition. This ambiguity ended with Viacom's buyout of Chris-Craft's share of the network in 2000, which came not long after its merger with [[Westinghouse Electric (1886)|the previous CBS Corporation]]. The stations were referred to informally as ''UPN O&Os''. (Chris-Craft later sold its stations to Fox.)
Following the merger of the UPN and The WB networks, [[CBS Corporation]] (former owner of UPN) and Warner Bros. Entertainment became co-owners of the new [[CW Television Network]]. The network launched in September 2006 on most UPN stations owned by CBS Corporation, and most WB affiliates owned by Tribune (which exchanged its ownership of The WB for affiliation on most of its stations with the new CW network). Certain UPN/WB affiliates in markets with both Tribune and CBS ownership either picked up a MyNetworkTV affiliation or became [[independent station]]s. The standard definition of an O&O again does not apply to The CW, but the CBS-owned stations that carry the network may be referred to as ''CW O&Os''.
Some O&Os choose to refer to themselves as ''network-owned stations'' instead, reflecting the fact that while they may be ''owned'' by a national network, much of the actual ''operation'' is usually left to the discretion of the local station.
== Distribution of O&Os ==
[[Image:Seven broadcast centre.JPG|thumb|250px|Seven's O&Os have their master control operations centralized at the network's [[HSV-7|facilities in Melbourne]].]]
=== Australia ===
In [[Australia]], [[Seven Network]] and [[Network Ten]] own and operate their stations in the five largest [[List of cities in Australia|metropolitan areas]] ([[Sydney]], [[Melbourne]], [[Brisbane]], [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]] and [[Adelaide]]). These television markets together account for two thirds of the country's population.[http://www.oztam.com.au/pdf/tv_ratings/Universe_Estimates_2007.pdf] In addition, Seven also owns and operates its [[STQ|local station]] in regional [[Queensland]].
[[Nine Network]], on the other hand, has O&Os in three of the five metropolitan markets (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane), and two regional markets ([[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] and [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]]). Other than the affiliate in central Australia ([[Imparja Television]]), the rest of Nine's affiliates (including the stations in Perth and Adelaide) are owned by [[WIN Television]].
The two national public broadcasters, [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] and [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]], own and operate all of their local stations.
=== Canada ===
In [[Canada]], due to the population being concentrated to fewer urban centres (compared to the United States), as well as more lenient policies regarding media ownership (for example, an ownership cap on TV stations does not exist, except for within one [[Designated market area|DMA]]), many television stations have become (or gone on air as) O&Os. The [[Global Television Network]], for instance, currently consists solely of O&Os. (The only exception is [[CJON-TV|CJON]] in [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John’s]], which carries Global programming, although it is nominally an [[independent station]].)
[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] also owns and operates a majority of its local stations (most of which are located in major urban centres); the few remaining affiliates are located in smaller regional markets like [[Lloydminster]] and [[Thunder Bay, Ontario|Thunder Bay]].
The [[CBC Television|CBC]], with its role as the publicly-funded broadcaster, has at least one O&O in every single [[Provinces and territories of Canada|province and territory]], although the three O&Os in the territories are operated collectively as [[CBC North]]. Although the majority of Canadians are served by CBC O&O stations, the CBC also has by far the most private affiliates of Canada's three main English television networks. The French arm of the CBC, [[Television de Radio-Canada]] however only has one main O&O feed, CBAFT (based in Moncton, NB) to cover provinces in the Atlantic time-zone but there are stations throught the said time zone to entirely rebroadcast CBAFT's feed.
Along with the major networks, some media conglomerates also run second-tier [[television system]]s (e.g. [[Canwest]]'s [[E! (Canada)|E!]] and [[CTVglobemedia]]'s [[A-Channel]]). Due to the nature of these systems, their local stations tend to be owned by the company itself, and such stations can be considered O&Os as well (a major exception being E!, which has [[CFJC-TV|an affiliate in]] [[Kamloops, British Columbia|Kamloops]], and will eventually have [[CKPG-TV|one in]] [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]] and [[CHAT-TV|one in]] [[Medicine Hat, Alberta|Medicine Hat]]).
=== Philippines ===
In [[the Philippines]], networks such as [[ABS-CBN]], [[National Broadcasting Network|NBN]] and [[Radio Philippines Network|RPN]] own and operate almost all of their local television stations, although a few affiliates also exist. As regional stations mostly rebroadcast/relay programmes from their parent network's flagship station (usually based in [[Metro Manila]]), the terms ''network'' and ''station'' can be used interchangeably to refer to either one.
=== United States ===
{{further|[[Owned-and-operated television stations in the United States]]}}
In the [[United States]], the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) currently mandates that the total number of television stations owned by any company (including a television network) can only reach a maximum of 39.5% of the country. Given this restriction, television networks only have O&Os in a fraction of the 210 [[designated market area]]s around the country (the remainder of the markets are served by affiliates owned by other media companies). Periodically, networks may sell O&Os to comply with this FCC restriction.
O&Os tend to be found in large urban centers like [[New York City]] and [[Los Angeles]], although they have also been found in markets as small as [[Green Bay, Wisconsin]] (DMA #69, 2006-07) in the past.
== Branding ==
<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Circle7logo.png|thumb|93px|right|The [[Circle 7 logo]], originally designed for ABC O&Os.]] -->
A network’s O&Os often share similar branding elements among themselves, reinforcing their common identity as stations owned by the same network. This kind of sharing may also present some savings to the parent network (ie. the owner), as its O&Os can use the same graphics and music rather than to each commission its own branding package. Examples include the [[circle 7 logo]] (originally designed in the early 1960s for ABC’s aforementioned O&Os, all of which broadcast on channel 7 at the time), the ''I Love Chicago (Chicago My Home)'' musical signature for local newscasts (originally used by WBBM-TV, later spread to other CBS O&Os), and the "[[CBS Mandate]]" (a set of branding guidelines currently used at several CBS O&Os).
Networks in Canada took corporate branding to its logical conclusion; references to local callsigns and channel numbers have almost completely been eliminated from the O&Os (although some O&Os may occasionally refer to their channel numbers in passing) except during station [[sign-off|sign-offs]].
Currently, other television station groups (e.g. [[Hearst-Argyle]]) also implement common branding packages among its stations (even when affiliated with different networks). Some of the branding elements originally found only at the O&Os are now used by regular affiliates as well (e.g. the aforementioned circle 7 logo, and use of the ''I Love Chicago'' theme music by some CBS affiliates that are not O&Os, such as [[KPHO]]). Nonetheless, such practices and elements can still be traced back to the O&Os, which represented the earliest television station groups under common ownership, before the emergence and proliferation of nationwide station ownership groups in the subsequent decades.
== Ties to the networks ==
Positions at network O&Os are frequently sought after by those who wish to eventually work for a television network. Indeed, many O&Os have served as a stepping stone for television personalities at their parent networks. For example, [[Matt Lauer]] and [[Al Roker]] worked for NBC's flagship O&O in New York City, [[WNBC-TV]], before becoming hosts on ''[[Today (NBC program)|The Today Show]]''; Roker had began his career with NBC at former O&O [[WKYC-TV]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]], which was known as a '[[farm team|farm station]]' which developed talent for the larger O&O stations and network. Whether or not one gets a job at a network obviously depends on one's abilities, and working at an O&O does not guarantee a network job down the line; however, the presenter does potentially receive additional exposure to the network.
Presenters at the O&Os also occasionally take on duties at the network level alongside their existing capacities at the local level. For example, several local anchors at [[CTV Television Network|CTV]]'s O&Os have filled in for [[Lloyd Robertson]] in the past on the network's [[CTV National News|national newscast]]; and weathercasters from CTV's [[Toronto]] and [[Vancouver]] O&Os ([[CFTO]] and [[CIVT]], respectively) present the weather segments on [[CTV Newsnet]]. A number of personalities at New York City radio and TV stations have also done assignments for both a station and a parent network at the same time, due to their proximity to network studios and offices.
Parts of a network's operations may also be co-located with one or more of its O&Os. For example, production of Global's [[Global National|national newscast]] is controlled from its [[CHAN-TV|Vancouver O&O]], while CTV's network headquarters are co-located with CFTO at ''[[9 Channel Nine Court]]'' in [[Scarborough, Ontario]] (the address refers to CFTO's over-the-air channel number). [[NBC]]'s national network operations in both New York and Los Angeles are housed in the same facilities as their local stations [[WNBC-TV]] and [[KNBC-TV]], respectively, and both of these O&O's are considered flagship stations of the network.
== UHF vs. VHF ==
=== Early development ===
In the early days of American television, it was not uncommon for a network to have at least one or two [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] O&Os. However, the FCC did not require new television sets to be equipped with UHF tuners until 1964. In such circumstances, the network typically underperformed in markets where it had UHF O&Os, and figured it was better to have its programming on a [[VHF]] station with an easily receivable signal, even if it was merely an affiliate. The network would sell or even shut down its UHF O&O once it had arranged an affiliation agreement with a VHF station in the same market.
For example, in 1955, CBS bought UHF stations WGTH-TV channel 18 in [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]] and WOKY-TV channel 19 in [[Milwaukee]], and changed their call letters to WHCT-TV and WXIX-TV respectively. However, CBS' ratings were astonishingly low in those markets. In 1959, CBS decided to move its Hartford and Milwaukee affiliations to VHF stations WTIC-TV channel 3 (now [[WFSB]]) and [[WITI-TV]] channel 6 respectively, and sold off WHCT (now [[WUVN]]) and WXIX (now [[WVTV-TV|WVTV]]). (Ironically, CBS was sent back to the UHF dial in Milwaukee following an affiliation switch in 1994, which saw WITI (Channel 6) becoming a [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] station. The CBS affiliation moved to [[WDJT-TV]] channel 58.)
Similarly, NBC bought WBUF-TV channel 17 in [[Buffalo, New York]] in 1955 and WKNB-TV channel 30 in Hartford in 1957, and changed WKNB's call letters to WNBC-TV. (Present-day WNBC in New York City used the WRCA-TV calls until 1960.) The network wanted to see if a UHF station could effectively compete against VHF stations, and attempted to make the stations more competitive by investing in significant equipment upgrades. However, WBUF consistently ranked behind its VHF competitors, WGR-TV (now [[WGRZ-TV]]) and WBEN-TV (now [[WIVB-TV]]). Similarly, WNBC consistently rated behind VHF competitor WNHC-TV (now [[WTNH]]). WNBC faced an additional problem as its signal was not strong enough to cover [[New Haven]] and western Connecticut (nearly all of Connecticut is part of the Hartford market).
By the time the FCC allocated additional VHF stations to Buffalo ([[WKBW-TV]]) and Hartford (WTIC-TV, now WFSB), NBC decided its experiment was a lost cause, and put WBUF and WNBC up for sale. While it found a buyer for WNBC (which managed to retain its NBC affiliation, unlike the CBS stations), there were no takers for WBUF, and it went off the air in 1958. NBC then affiliated with WGR-TV, where it remains to this day. NBC donated WBUF's license and some of its equipment to [[PBS]] station [[WNED-TV]], which took over the channel 17 frequency in 1959.
=== 1980s and beyond ===
With the spread of UHF tuners and (in particular) cable television, the technical problems which plagued early UHF television stations had largely disappeared by the 1980s. Despite that, in many television markets, UHF stations continued to carry a sort of stigma with them, and VHF stations continued to receive higher ratings, often simply by virtue of viewer loyalty. As such, the "Big 3" networks (ABC, NBC and CBS) were still not inclined to acquire UHF O&Os; however, ABC did keep Fresno's KFSN channel 30 after merging with [[Capital Cities Communications]], as KFSN was the highest-ranking station in a market where all full-power TV stations were on the UHF band.
As many VHF stations in the United States were already affiliated with one of the Big 3 networks, the Fox network had little choice but to affiliate with UHF stations in most markets upon its launch in 1986. The network even had UHF O&Os in markets like Chicago ([[WFLD]]/32), [[Houston]] ([[KRIV (TV)|KRIV]]/26) and [[Dallas]] ([[KDAF]]/33; now a [[CW Television Network|CW]] station owned by the Tribune Company). However, by the time Fox acquired the rights to [[National Football Conference|NFC]] football games in the early 1990s, it became convinced that the network would not be viable without more VHF affiliates. As such, in 1994, the network arranged a deal with [[New World Communications]] which saw nearly all New World stations (most of which were VHF stations) becoming Fox affiliates. Fox then bought out New World Communications in 1997, and those VHF stations (including [[KDFW|one in Dallas]]) became Fox O&Os in the process. The network, however, did acquire more UHF O&Os in subsequent years, e.g. Philadelphia's [[WTXF]]/29 (acquired in 1995) and Orlando's [[WOFL]]/35 (acquired in 2002).
As a result of the New World deal, CBS lost its longtime Detroit affiliate [[WJBK|WJBK-TV]] channel 2 to Fox. CBS then unsuccessfully sought to affiliate with other stations in town before eventually deciding to purchase WGPR-TV channel 62, and changed the station's calls to [[WWJ-TV]] in 1995. The station continues to receive low ratings, and after a brief attempt at running an 11pm newscast from 2001 to 2002, is currently the only CBS O&O without a local news presence. CBS also bought [[KEYE-TV]] channel 42 in [[Austin, Texas]] from [[Granite Broadcasting]] in 2000, five years after the station gained the CBS affiliation from [[KTBC]] channel 7, another former New World station which switched to Fox.
NBC would not buy a UHF O&O again until 1995, when it acquired [[WNCN]] channel 17 in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]-[[Durham, North Carolina]]. It subsequently repurchased channel 30 in Hartford, now [[WVIT]], in 1996 and bought [[San Diego]]'s [[KNSD]] channel 39 in 1997.
Currently, most American networks have at least one O&O on the UHF dial. Some, such as [[Univision]] and [[ION Television|ION]], even have mostly UHF O&Os.
== Ownership and network changes ==
In general, an O&O is very unlikely to experience changes in its ownership, since it is often a significant source of revenue for its owner; and since its owner is also its parent network, the chances for an O&O to ever switch networks are also rather low.
However, in instances where the network finds an O&O no longer financially viable, it may choose to sell the station to a new owner (as was the case with the aforementioned early UHF O&Os). Even profitable O&Os might be sold off, often as a result (or in anticipation) of mergers and corporate deals. In addition, a network might decide to sell some of its O&Os and use the money raised to (at least temporarily) alleviate financial problems. Depending on the new owner, the station might continue to carry programming from the same network, affiliate with another network, or even become another network's O&O.
The following are examples of transactions involving O&Os:
=== Australia ===
*[[STW-9]] in [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]] and [[QTQ-9]] in [[Brisbane]] became [[Nine Network]] O&Os in 1987 when the stations' parent company, Bond Media (headed by [[Alan Bond (businessman)|Alan Bond]]), purchased the network. After the collapse of Bond Media in the early 1990s, STW-9 was sold to [[Sunraysia Television]] (and remains as the Nine Network affiliate in Perth, currently under the ownership of [[WIN Television]]) while QTQ-9 remained a Nine O&O.
*Perth's [[NEW-10]] went on the air in 1988 as a [[Network Ten]] O&O. However, the station was sold off [[1989|the next year]] as the network faced financial problems. The network (under CanWest Global) re-acquired the station in 1995, and NEW-10 has remained a Ten O&O ever since.
[[Image:Ckvu-joeleary1.jpg|thumb|right|160px|"We can get rid of this baby!" [[CKVU]]'s Joe Leary takes the [[Global Television Network|Global]] mike flag off his microphone on the station's last day as a Global O&O.]]
=== Canada ===
*[[Vancouver]]’s [[CKVU]] was originally a Global O&O. However, in 2000, its parent company [[CanWest Global]] purchased the television stations from the [[Western International Communications|WIC]] group, which included [[CHAN|CHAN-TV]] in Vancouver and [[CHEK]] in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]]. The [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|CRTC]] does not allow any single company to own more than two stations in a Canadian television DMA, so Global had to sell one of the stations. It opted to keep CHAN due to its higher ratings and network of rebroadcasters that reaches 97% of [[British Columbia]]. CKVU was eventually sold to [[CHUM Limited]], and has since been re-branded as a [[Citytv]] station.
=== United States ===
{{further|[[Owned-and-operated television stations in the United States]]}}
== See also ==
* [[Owned-and-operated television stations in the United States]]
* [[Concentration of media ownership]]
== References ==
* [http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html 210 Designated Market Areas] - Nielsen's estimate of TV households in each market area in the United States, and associated rankings
* [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3514/morgue.html The UHF Morgue]
* [http://austv.hostforweb.com/cgi-bin/cgi2/index.rb?page=Television%20History%20Reference§ion=Television%20History%20Reference&mode=0 Television History Reference - Australian Television Archive]
== External links ==
=== United States ===
* [http://abclocal.go.com/ ABC-owned Television Stations] - List of ABC O&Os
* [http://www.cbscorporation.com/our_company/divisions/cbs_stations/index.php CBS Television Stations Group] - List of CBS and CW O&Os
* [http://www.nbcuni.com/About_NBC_Universal/Company_Overview/overview02.shtml NBC Universal: Company Overview] - List of NBC and Telemundo O&Os
* [http://www.newscorp.com/operations/tvstations.html Fox Television Stations, Inc.] - List of Fox and MyNetwork TV O&Os
=== Canada ===
* [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20031023/corp-stations CTV.ca: Local Stations] - List of CTV O&Os
[[Category:Broadcasting]]
[[Category:Television terminology]]
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