Since there are many who have questions about this subject, I thought I would publish an actual e-mail from one of our viewers who wrote to us from Vista. To protect his identity, I have removed his e-mail address, phone number, and last name:
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From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:03 PM
To: Viewer Feedback
Subject: Viewer Feedback: Network switch
name: David xxxxxxxxx
email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
city/neighborhood: Vista
phone: 760-9xx-xxxx
message: Because I am the curious type, I would like to know why the network switch? I watch Fox mostly, so when Fox moves I just use my remote to move to where ever it is. I know stations have played the switch o roo in other cities, but to Joe viewer, it's just a click on the dial. What is the purpose for station swapping? Curious minds want to know.
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Dear David, you asked some good questions and I think you deserve a complete answer. Evidently you missed it, but during our newscasts we have actually done stories and announcements about the affiliation switch. This change was not our decision or choice, but it will be happening on August 1st.
In regards to the “why”... I am afraid I cannot actually answer that part of the question. To be honest, we still don’t know
why FOX decided to make the move to another station. A little historical fact is XETV was the very first and original FOX affiliate.
22 years ago, when Rupert Murdoch started the new FOX Network, XETV was the very first station, along with the six owned and operated FOX stations, to sign up. Since that time XETV has been one of their top affiliates in the country, a constant member of the #1 Club, and even honored as Station of the Year.
XETV has not only been the #1 station in prime-time, but we are also San Diego's #1 AM news and Late news, as well as the #1 access and #1 late fringe programming. Ironically, in the months preceding FOX's denial to our affiliation renewal we were told XETV was their "model affiliate", and FOX even sent their interns to XETV in order to understand our station operation.
In other words, there was no reason for us to imagine that FOX would ever contemplate making an affiliation switch in San Diego. Unfortunately, in these troubled times, it seems as though there is no honor or loyalty any more. With no warning or discussion of any kind, FOX informed us they were not renewing our affiliation agreement and our only explanation from FOX was "these things happen".
All we can surmise was this change was initiated because the Tribune Company, who is the owner of the TV station receiving the FOX affiliation, preemptively offered FOX Network some type of additional compensation to make the affiliation change. However this is speculation since despite our 22 years of being their San Diego partner, FOX never provided us an opportunity to know or compete with Tribune’s affiliation offer.
Making this decision all the more confusing is the fact that the station FOX is moving the affiliation had no local news and will be required to building one “from the ground up”.
David, the good news is the change of FOX only affects our M-SUN 8-10pm programming, and sports. All the other programming on XETV/San Diego 6 will remain the same.
This is an important concept to understand since unlike ABC, CBS or NBC, our Morning Show, Daytime programming (including San Diego Living), Early Fringe (including That 70’s Show, Simpsons, and Seinfeld) and Late Night programming are all locally owned and not controlled by FOX Network.
Effective August 1st, we will join with the CW Network as a CW affiliate station, which means they will provide our prime programming M-F 8-10pm and Saturday 5-10pm. We will also have CW Kids programming Saturday 5-7am, and Saturday 9am-12Noon…we will still have our San Diego 6 Weekend News Saturday/Sunday 7-9am.
CW stands for CBS/Warner Bros, the two owners of the CW Network and two of the most successful producers of television programs, which includes America’s Next Top Model, the New 90210, Smallville, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Stylista, Privileged, etc. (you can go to
www.cwtv.com for all the details).
Just as important to our viewers, XETV/San Diego 6 produces almost 40 hours of Local News and other local programming each week:
*M-F 5-9AM San Diego 6 in the Morning
*M-F 9-10AM San Diego Living
*M-SUN 10-11pm San Diego 6 News (Sunday news is 10-1030pm and That Sunday Sports Show is 1030-11pm)
*M-F 11@11pm News (in case you miss the 10pm we have all of today’s news and tomorrows weather in 11 non-stop minutes-no commercials)
*SAT/SUN 7-9AM San Diego6 in the Morning Weekend Edition
As you know by watching San Diego 6 News, we have great news teams. At 10pm, Jim Patton, Heather Myers, Aloha Taylor, CS Keys deliver news, weather, and sports along with our terrific reporters and support staff.
From 5-9am, we have the best morning news team in San Diego with Marc Bailey, Lynda Martin, and Ruben Galvan. Our morning show has many other great features, including Dr. Kanner with “Your Family Matters”, Donald Buffamanti with “Auto Spies”, Sherri Palmeri with “Day Trippin’”, Dusty Skellett with “Scratching the SURFace”, Kelli Gillespie with weekly Hollywood movie reviews and celebrity interviews, and many others.
On Monday, August 4th we will add a brand new viewer benefit feature to our newscasts at 11pm with “11@11”. “11@11” is going to be 11 straight minutes of "today's news and tomorrows weather" with no commercial interruption, which is exactly the type of late news our viewers need for their hectic and rushed lifestyle.
This means if for some reason you missed our full and in depth #1 10-11pm San Diego Newscast, “11@11” will provide you will all the important news of the day as well as tomorrow's weather forecast. After a short commercial break we will follow “11@11” with a five minute sportscast and then have a lifestyle segment about San Diego, followed by a minute feature from comedy.com before we start Seinfeld at 11:30pm.
Finally, if you would like to watch one of the best written comedy/satires on TV, on Monday August 4th we will also be moving South Park from 12Midnight to air at 5-6pm (this is a specially sanitized version for broadcast TV, edited by a wonderful and very talented Mom from Poway). This change will give us an even stronger comedy line-up from 4-8pm: King of the Hill (4-5pm), South Park (5-6pm), That 70's Show (6-7pm), and Simpsons (7-8pm).
In closing, I wanted to make sure you saw one of the press releases that announced our change to the CW Network on August 1st:
On August 1st, 2008 XETV Channel 6 becomes “San Diego 6 The CW” and the proud new home of The CW Television Network. “We believe that The CW’s new fall line-up, with the new 90210 joining the critically acclaimed Gossip Girl, will be a very exciting and promotable schedule that will fit perfectly with the #1 local station in San Diego. We are looking forward to a great new partnership,” said VP/General Manager, Richard Doutre Jones.
The station logo and primetime programming will change, but the rest of the program schedule will remain the same. “We will continue our popular 5a-9a morning newscast, and 9-10am San Diego Living, as well as our full hour of news at 10PM. We also have our top-rated syndicated programs including The Simpsons, That 70’s Show, South Park and Seinfeld. Viewers will wake up with San Diego 6 in the Morning anchors Marc Bailey, Lynda Martin and man about town Ruben Galvan weekdays 5-9a. San Diego 6 News @ 10PM will continue to bring balanced news coverage to San Diego, with anchors Jim Patton, Heather Myers, meteorologist Aloha Taylor and C.S. Keys on sports. According to the May ’08 Nielsen Media Research rating survey, our 10pm and morning newscasts were rated number 1 among adults 18-54,” said Jones “XETV has been serving San Diego for over 55 years. We will continue to bring viewers the balanced news they trust and the great entertainment programming they love”.
The CW fall 2008 prime time schedule lineup includes returning hits America’s Next Top Model, Smallville, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and this year’s wildly-anticipated new show, 90210.
“We are thrilled to be affiliated with XETV, the number one station in San Diego,” said John Maatta, Chief Operating Officer, The CW. “This station has a huge local identity, which perfectly complements The CW Network. The combination of XETV and The CW will be an explosive one which will rock the San Diego market. This vibrant and happening West Coast market now has a vibrant and happening combination with the hook-up of The CW and XETV. This will be a great thing for the station, the network and most importantly, the viewers in San Diego.”
XETV signed on the air in January 1953 as San Diego’s second television station. From 1956 to 1972 XETV operated as an ABC affiliate. The station became independent in 1972 and was the first station to affiliate with the fledgling FOX network in 1986.
Richard Doutre Jones
VP/GM Bay City Television, Inc.
XETV/San Diego6
8253 Ronson Road
San Diego, CA 92111
