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Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
I didn’t notice this until just now, but one Buffalo area subcarrier picked up the METV all cartoon channel earlier this fall. That’s great news for fans of vintage classics like Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes, Yogi Bear, Popeye, Mr. Magoo and more.
The problem is you probably can’t see it, even with an antenna. The station is WNYB in Jamestown, N.Y., probably one of the hardest low power broadcasters out there to get in Toronto. It broadcasts on Channel 5, with a digital reading on Channel 26 and the fact that it’s a low power signal on VHF means you likely won’t see it here more often than one or two times a year – if that.
It's too bad. This is one of those ‘when there’s nothing else on, it’s a good distraction’ stations. It’s on 26.3, which used to be The Grio, a network aimed at Latinos in the U.S. The switch apparently took place sometime in late September.
I was wondering if METV Toons was ever coming to this area and it has – but sadly, not in a place where most of us – unless perhaps we live near the border - can see it.
- markow202
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Re: Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
And funny this station used to be a powerhouse coming in clearly all over southern ontario from its tower between Buffalo and Erie and now dust in the wind.
- tvguy
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Re: Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
They have a 10 kw rebroadcaster on Grand Island on Ch. 27. Near the WNED transmitter site. I have never receiced Ch 27 due to adjacent channel overload from CN Tower.
- mojo55
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Re: Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
You can see it online at
- Radio.Intern
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Re: Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
The treatment of classic cartoons on linear TV has always puzzled me in Canada. We had Teletoon Retro which was excellent when it started out with Astral - but then Corus bought it and ran it to the ground. That was 10 years ago. And we haven’t had a classic cartoon outlet on TV since.
Classic TV networks? The only Canadian one left - DejaView is a joke. CHCH counts yes and bravo for pulling their weight - but it’s not a 24/7 retro network.
MeTV as a whole is doing excellent work, and Canadians are shut out from seeing their product (without going to questionable websites). It’s a real shame.
Last edited by Radio.Intern (October 31, 2025 6:02 pm)
- Dave The OTA guy
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Re: Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
Last winter I was able to get WNYB on Channel 27 in St. Catharines...briefly then it disappeared. Their main channel was on 27.3, and METV Toons was 27.5 at the time. Before the re-pack I was always able to get WNYB. Now for some reason with them being on VHF Channel 5 I can't and I'm using a Delhi929: UHF/VHF/FM antenna. Even the 4 bay I have was pulling it in for a time too. I can't get WNGS Channel 67 (RF-7) either. I think living in the shadow of the escarpment is part of the problem.
- mace
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Re: Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
Dave The OTA guy wrote:
Last winter I was able to get WNYB on Channel 27 in St. Catharines...briefly then it disappeared. Their main channel was on 27.3, and METV Toons was 27.5 at the time. Before the re-pack I was always able to get WNYB. Now for some reason with them being on VHF Channel 5 I can't and I'm using a Delhi929: UHF/VHF/FM antenna. Even the 4 bay I have was pulling it in for a time too. I can't get WNGS Channel 67 (RF-7) either. I think living in the shadow of the escarpment is part of the problem.
WBBZ has always been a tropo reception station in the GTA. I have often wondered if communities on the south side of Lake Ontario, being 30 miles closer, would get a reliable signal. Apparently not in St. Catharines. Perhaps folks in Welland or Niagara Falls have better luck.
- Evuguy
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Re: Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
And funny this station used to be a powerhouse coming in clearly all over southern ontario from its tower between Buffalo and Erie and now dust in the wind.
Agree. If I see it a couple times a year, I'm lucky. A while back, I recall seeing a complaint from a Western NY cable operator, stating that they could no longer receive a stable enough signal on WNYO-DT 5 to continue carrying it. WNYO stated at the time that nothing had changed on their side.
- Fitz
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Re: Buffalo Subcarrier Now All Cartoons – But You Can’t See It
This thread just reminded me that in 2020 I got some DX catches from Syracuse ( METV ), Rochester and low powered WVTT from Olean NY. Put the video on YT. The audio is Radio, including Casey Kasem and Kim Mitchell,
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