1 of 1- RadioActive
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When Buffalo Broadcasters Worried About Toronto Radio & TV Signals
For years before numerous cable rules became common in the city, many broadcasters in the Toronto market were obsessed about the influence of TV signals from Buffalo and how they were stealing advertisers away from Canadian stations. (Outside of the flurry of panic over Rock 102, I'm not sure it was the same for radio.)
But this fascinating story from 1976 shows that at one time the exact opposite was true. It was the era before simsub, when Canadian stations bought American shows, and would regularly schedule them to air before their U.S. counterparts. It wasn't seen as a big deal until the day everything changed - and the local Toronto TV and radio stations turned on the transmitters on the CN Tower.
Suddenly, the Buffalo stations took notice of their neighbours from the north and they weren't exactly thrilled about the idea of such high-powered signals from outside storming into their market. 
- mace
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Re: When Buffalo Broadcasters Worried About Toronto Radio & TV Signals
I wonder now that we are no longer in the analogue world if the Toronto television stations still have the same penetration into Western New York. Probably not.
- rk12
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Re: When Buffalo Broadcasters Worried About Toronto Radio & TV Signals
CFTO went from 300KW to 13KW with switch to digital.CFTO range is much smaller.CBLT and CHCH have co channel interference from low power Buffalo stations.
- RadioActive
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Re: When Buffalo Broadcasters Worried About Toronto Radio & TV Signals
I'm 100% sure the issue the article brings up no longer applies. The switch from analogue to digital pretty much changed the game. So did simsub, which removed one of their complaints about the pre-release of primetime network programming.
For those who don't remember, in the days before VCRs and DVRs, the early showing of some American shows were the closest thing we got to having extra opportunities to see two shows that may have been on against each other in the U.S. It was great while it lasted, but cable and simultaneous substitution rules brought it to an inevitable end.
As for radio, I'm not sure how many people in Buffalo listen to the few Toronto stations that come in clearly there. There was a time when CFNY had a following in the Queen City. But that was in their Spirit of Radio days. Now Buffalo has plenty of the same formats as we do and lots of choice. (And as a bonus, no forced CanCon!)
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Thread Starter- ckg927
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Re: When Buffalo Broadcasters Worried About Toronto Radio & TV Signals
RadioActive wrote:
I'm 100% sure the issue the article brings up no longer applies. The switch from analogue to digital pretty much changed the game. So did simsub, which removed one of their complaints about the pre-release of primetime network programming.
For those who don't remember, in the days before VCRs and DVRs, the early showing of some American shows were the closest thing we got to having extra opportunities to see two shows that may have been on against each other in the U.S. It was great while it lasted, but cable and simultaneous substitution rules brought it to an inevitable end.
As for radio, I'm not sure how many people in Buffalo listen to the few Toronto stations that come in clearly there. There was a time when CFNY had a following in the Queen City. But that was in their Spirit of Radio days. Now Buffalo has plenty of the same formats as we do and lots of choice. (And as a bonus, no forced CanCon!)
And SPEAKING of CFNY: I may have mentioned this before, but I'll gladly say it again....in 1995, WUFX at 103.3 in Buffalo flipped to alternative as 103.3 the Edge, using the calls WEDG. This created a bit of problem, since CFNY used the positioner 102.1 the Edge. Since it was in Canada it avoided getting into trouble with Jacobs Media who held the trademark on The Edge for US stations. That said, it led to what I still think is one of the funniest commercials I've ever seen. Around this time, CFNY purchased spots on WUTV(which is seen on cable systems in the Golden Horseshoe)promoting themselves. Sort of. The "Edge" part of their logo had the word "CENSORED" covering it up and at the tail end the VO said "102.1 the (BLEEP)." Someone, somewhere HAS to have a copy of that commercial.