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January 30, 2019 12:23 pm  #1


CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

Perhaps what gets me most about this seemingly never-ending argument over a lack of Super Bowl simsub is the completely incorrect assumption by some that only the American feed will be available and that Bell will sit there helplessly as the American-sold spots go out over CTV.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The only real difference is that, in a world where simultaneous substitution normally rules, Canadian cable and satellite viewers will actually have a choice about which channel to watch. (It's never been an issue for those with over-the-air antennas.)

Choice. What a concept! This could be the last time they get the chance, because once the revamped free trade deal is approved by all three countries involved, it's back to the old way for good. 

Meanwhile, Bell Media has put out its annual press release about its Super Bowl plans, It appears they've given up the "Watch To Win" contest idea that they've used to try and attract eyeballs in years past because there's no mention of anything like it for 2019.

Interestingly, the release makes specific mention of the ads that will run during its broadcast, paying specific attention to "PepsiCo Canada’s first-ever SUPER BOWL advertisement featuring Michael Bublé."

Do they think anyone will tune in just for that? Still, it's the first time I can ever remember a media release actually tubthumping the fact that it will be interrupting the show for commercials, while specifically directing viewers how to watch all the U.S. ads online. That's how weird this whole thing has become. 

Glad I'm not a football fan. I'll be using the time to catch up on at least a little of the stuff backlogged on my DVR - some of it as long ago as 2014! (Although if I haven't watched it by now, I should probably just dump it...) Even if it means missing the Michael Bublé spot!

​Canadians will be able to watch American ads during the Super Bowl again this year 

 

January 30, 2019 12:52 pm  #2


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

Actually, the NFL simulcasts  were way worse back in the 80s and early 90s.

Much of it was handled by the local cable rackets switching offices and the clowns there were either not paying attention, or purposely not releasing the simulcast in a timely fashion so  usually,  those watching on the actual originating network-Buffalo, NBC and CBS in those days in this area-would be subjected to an extra 2-5 minutes of Kanadian crap.

This resulted in missing bonus coverage, or post game wrap-ups. I used to call up an yell at them in Hamilshitowne but they did not seem to give a damn.

I believe all the switching now comes out of the main simulcasting network and usually releases within about 30 seconds.

Buffalo affiliates, and possible the networks themselves, should have denied the Kanadian stations their signal as the whole thing was Soviet era broadcasting notion.

 

January 30, 2019 3:53 pm  #3


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

Simsub will be in place through the National Anthem, player introductions and the coin toss. It will be removed at the point of Kickoff. It will return seconds after the final whistle blows.

 

January 30, 2019 4:02 pm  #4


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

i don't watch the stupor bowl but after reading comments about the ctv mix of ads/promos on this board, i'm left to wonder... do people really want to see the american ads as much as seek relief from the 5 or 6 canadian spots run "ad nauseum" on ctv?

on both sportsnet and tsn during hockey or curling, ya, it's the same damn ads every second break.  in fact, i think it's sportsnet curling, two different advertisers use the same music bed!

 

January 30, 2019 4:44 pm  #5


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

Some of the Super Bowl ads are already online

 

     Thread Starter
 

January 31, 2019 12:44 pm  #6


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

RadioActive wrote:

The only real difference is that, in a world where simultaneous substitution normally rules, Canadian cable and satellite viewers will actually have a choice about which channel to watch. (It's never been an issue for those with over-the-air antennas.)

In fact in the HDTV age, it remains an issue in Toronto as it can be difficult to pick up the Buffalo signals reliably, particularly NBC (WGRZ-2) and ABC (WKBW-7) whose transmitters are located south of downtown Buffalo, putting them 80+ miles distant, close to the practical limit of range for viewers in Toronto.

Fortunately the Super Bowl is on CBS this year, which recently relocated the WIVB-4 transmission to a facility on Grand Island, many miles closer to viewers across the north shore of Lake Ontario.
 

 

January 31, 2019 12:49 pm  #7


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

Wow, that's interesting to me. I occasionally have problems with WKBW and there's word that when WUTV relocates to the old WIVB Colden antenna next year as part of the repack, we may experience issues with the Fox station, as well.

But WGRZ (along with WNLO) is probably the most reliable and strongest Buffalo station into Toronto, at least as far as where I live in northern North York. I'm surprised to hear you have trouble with it. Even in the worst weather or reception conditions, it always comes in perfectly here.

     Thread Starter
 

January 31, 2019 1:17 pm  #8


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

RadioActive wrote:

Some of the Super Bowl ads are already online

 

Thanks but that does not change the thinking of those like myself who want to see the Superbowl the EXACT same way Americans see the Superbowl...with NO Canadian interference!!

 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

February 1, 2019 12:32 pm  #9


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

RadioActive wrote:

Wow, that's interesting to me. I occasionally have problems with WKBW and there's word that when WUTV relocates to the old WIVB Colden antenna next year as part of the repack, we may experience issues with the Fox station, as well.

But WGRZ (along with WNLO) is probably the most reliable and strongest Buffalo station into Toronto, at least as far as where I live in northern North York. I'm surprised to hear you have trouble with it. Even in the worst weather or reception conditions, it always comes in perfectly here.

There's stuff happening behind the scenes between Sinclair (WUTV/WNYO) and Nexstar (WIVB/WNLO) that will change things around in repack... it's sounding like WUTV will end up staying put on Grand Island on what would have been WNLO/WIVB's repack channel, with WNLO/WIVB taking what would have been WUTV's repack facility at Colden. 

Stay tuned....
 

 

February 1, 2019 12:55 pm  #10


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

But didn't WIVB just move to the WNLO site? (Which vastly improved reception in Toronto.) Isn't it really expensive to alter this again?

And just exactly what does this bafflegab-filled document mean?

     Thread Starter
 

February 1, 2019 1:56 pm  #11


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

DRTJO wrote:

I believe all the switching now comes out of the main simulcasting network and usually releases within about 30 seconds.

It's still done by the cable companies, but the Canadian broadcasters are watching all their simsubs like a hawk.

 

February 1, 2019 7:11 pm  #12


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

RadioActive wrote:

But didn't WIVB just move to the WNLO site? (Which vastly improved reception in Toronto.) Isn't it really expensive to alter this again?

And just exactly what does this bafflegab-filled document mean?

It means they're doing exactly what I just said they were going to do. 

WIVB gave up its RF channel 39 operation from Colden (South Hills) last year because Nexstar could get multiple millions of dollars for the spectrum. In the short term, it didn't cost Nexstar anything to then put WIVB on the existing WNLO transmitter on RF 32 on the WNED-TV tower on Grand Island - all they had to do was change some lines of configuration code in the DTV encoder so that "4.1" with CBS programming was going out over WNLO's signal along with CW on "23.1," all on RF 32. 

The WNLO/WIVB share retained its current RF 32 in the upcoming repack, and for a variety of spacing reasons having to do with co-channel and adjacent-channel stations in adjoining markets, that RF 32 signal cannot move from Grand Island back down to Colden, which is where Nexstar owns the old WIVB tower and where it thinks it can best serve its OTA viewers. 

Sinclair, meanwhile, is being forced to move WUTV from RF 14 to RF 36 as part of the repack (channel 14 will then be reused by some other station that's being repacked elsewhere). When the repack technical filings were made a few months ago, a lot of us in the engineering community were puzzled about two things that didn't make any sense at first: Sinclair applied to put the new WUTV 36 facility not on the tower it already owned on Grand Island, but rather on the old WIVB tower way down in Colden, which Nexstar owns. And instead of continuing to lease space from WNED, Nexstar applied to move WNLO/WIVB 32 a mile west to the WUTV tower just down Whitehaven Road on Grand Island.

And now we know why they did that: because behind the scenes, Nexstar and Sinclair were negotiating this trade. WNLO/WIVB will end up operating on 36 from Colden, while WUTV will operate on 32 from the same old tower it has always used on Grand Island. (And after many years of trying, Sinclair will also get to move WNYO to that Grand Island tower as the repack moves it from RF 34 to RF 16. You'll see 49.1 much much better in Toronto when that happens. But I digress.)

What's in it for Nexstar? They get to stop paying rent to WNED on Grand Island and go back to operating rent-free from the tower they already own in Colden. The signal won't be as good in Canada, but it will get better for WIVB/WNLO viewers south of Buffalo, and they're actually in the Nielsen Buffalo TV market and more desirable for WIVB/WNLO's advertisers. (The Colden tower also has Entercom's WTSS 102.5, the old WBEN-FM, as a paying tenant, so it's remained in operation even after WIVB signed off down there.) 

What's in it for Sinclair? Nothing obvious - the spectrum auction proceeds pay them for WUTV's move, regardless of whether it's to 36 in Colden or 32 on Grand Island. My guess, and it's just a guess, is that somewhere else in one of the hundred or so other markets where Nexstar and Sinclair both have stations, there's some similar trade that will benefit Sinclair and be neutral to Nexstar. (Won't be here in Rochester, since both Nexstar's WROC and Sinclair's WHAM are at the same location!)

Does that start to make some kind of twisted sense?
 

 

February 2, 2019 2:09 am  #13


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

Looking forward to seeing the AnythingButSuper Bowl ad from the Washington Post, voiced by Tom Hanks.

If the public thinks afterwards that the sixty second ad didn't get the message across, the headline "Democracy Cries In Darkness" or something along those whines will pop up on all the usual antisocial media platforms.

Do you think we could get CTV to spare us from having to watch Moron 5 during the halftime show? Just call it dimsub.

 

February 2, 2019 8:13 pm  #14


Re: CTV On Its Super Bowl Plans & How It Will Fight No Simsub This Year

fybush wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

But didn't WIVB just move to the WNLO site? (Which vastly improved reception in Toronto.) Isn't it really expensive to alter this again?

And just exactly what does this bafflegab-filled document mean?

It means they're doing exactly what I just said they were going to do ...Does that start to make some kind of twisted sense?
 

Well yes and no. I'm sorry to hear we may lose some signal strength from both WIVB and WNLO, especially since the former was already putting a spotty signal into Toronto before they moved and the latter was one of the strongest into the GTA and always came in here no matter what the conditions. 

It sounds like viewers here lose in this deal (not that the stations involved care about Canadian viewers, but still.) Channels 4 and 23 may get weaker, while WUTV stays more or less the same, if I read you right. So those of us antenna-ites (is that an actual word?) north of the border end up a lot worse for all of it.

Plus WKBW is already often a challenge up here, as well. So outside of WGRZ, which has a terrific signal into most of the GTA, a lot will depend on the weather and other factors as to just what we'll be able to get on a reliable basis out of Buffalo. And since I rarely watch anything on Channel 49 - which already comes in pretty well where I am - that improvement won't help me much, either. 

As George Orwell might have put in 1984 newspeak - "Double plus ungood."  But thanks for the cogent update. I really appreciate you being so detailed.   

     Thread Starter