1.17.12 Bee-otch of the Day: LIN Media

BECOME AN AFFILIATE OF T-SHIRT HELL AND MAKE SOME MONEY! DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" BEE-OTCH OF THE DAY ON FACEBOOK! ------------------- Name: LIN Media Age: 51 Occupation: media conglomerate Last Seen: Providence, RI Bee-otched For: making WOTV 4 even worse --- When you polish a turd, no matter how much you rub it, it's still a turd. West Michigan has the honor of having not one, but two ABC-TV affiliates: WZZM-13 Grand Rapids for the north end and WOTV-41 Battle Creek/Kalamazoo for the southern portion. It's kind of a long story as to why the two stations have ABC, and it's kinda boring. OK, I'll tell it to you anyway: in the 1950's, there were two TV stations in west Michigan: WOOD-TV 8 Grand Rapids and WKZO-TV 3 Kalamazoo (now WWMT). Both stations aired all three major networks in the beginning, including the ill-fated DuMont Network. However, in the late 1950's, the owners of both stations felt that the two towns were too close together, and the FCC ruled that GR and K'zoo were in the same market. So, both 3 and 8 moved their transmitters to central locations between the two cities, which allowed 3 to air more CBS programs and 8 with NBC. Both stations aired a few shows from ABC, and since the area was big enough for a third TV station, somebody made the idea a reality by convincing 3's owner, John Fetzer to move another station he owned, WWTV-13 in Cadillac/Traverse City to channel 9, which helped boosted its power and created a channel 13 for Grand Rapids. However, at the time, 13 was still going to interfere with the channel 13 in Toledo - ABC/NBC outlet WSPD (now full-blown ABC WTVG) - so they were forced to transmit from the Muskegon area, missing the Kalamazoo area by a longshot. They did broadcast a low-powered signal on channel 12 in Kalamazoo until 1971 when WUHQ-41 signed on from the Air Force Base in Battle Creek. Mind you, cable didn't exist back then, and neither did TV sets with UHF capabilities until 1964. However, 13's owner, Gannett almost bought 41 in 1990, creating a simulcast, but the merger was flanked when 8's owner, LIN bought the station instead. Now, you should know why 1) there's two ABCs in west Michigan and 2) why I can't get laid. For years, despite having no signal in Kalamazoo or Battle Creek, WZZM has been the dominant ABC of west Michigan. Oddly enough, I don't have cable, and through my rabbit ears, WOTV comes in clear as a bell while WZZM doesn't exist. I always wondered how that worked, but that's west Michigan for ya. Sadly, WOTV is at the bottom of the ratings, and it's been that way forever. Recently, WOTV and its sisters, WOOD-TV and MyNetworkTV outlet WXSP have been running promos stating that a new TV station for women is coming its way. I was thinking that either 1) WXSP would be toast or 2) they were going to get something like the Living Well Network on their .2s. But, that's not the case. Just in the past few days, it became apparent as to which station would get the makeover, and it's WOTV. Yep! The promos, featuring Maranda, Jordan Carson and a few others are telling viewers that a new ABC station is coming to town, and it's for WOMEN! Yeppers! Stick my finger down my throat and gag. So far, the new name for the station hasn't been revealed or more details have been released, but as far as I know, the new WOTV would be the first of its kind: a major network TV station aimed exclusively for women only. True, it would still clear the whole ABC schedule, but local and syndicated programming-wise, it would be nothing but shows for women. Already, WOTV airs Dr. Oz, The Wendy Williams Show, Better, and the soon-to-be-canceled Nate Berkus. And yes, speaking of ABC, they did recently can a few soaps for a new cooking show The Chew and a lifestyle program, The Revolution. I do wonder if the irritating eightWest will move to WOTV. Doubt it. Ya know, this new "ABC station for women" concept is so goddamned retarded that it makes me want to purchase a struggling network TV station myself and introduce aNaked News concept to their newscasts. Hey! The FCC might be out of the indecency-fining business soon, so it could happen. For years, there have been radio stations for women (WSRT 106.7 in northern Michigan comes to mind) and they've all bombed. Now, a network TV station for women? Jesus on a pancake. All I can say to LIN is good luck because I hear lots of laughing at a certain competitor over at their studios in Walker. An all-womens' station might work for a .2, but not for an ABC affiliate. I think over time, LIN will once again abandon this concept and WOTV will be a regular TV station again. And maybe when that happens, they'll replace the radar they air overnights on the weekends with girls jumping on trampolines. --- Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome! Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com ! Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!