Watching TV in Worcester MA?

[PaulRAnderson]

Did you ever get channel 3, 18 or 24 from Hartford?

Seeing your location (northwest of Worcester and northeast of Springfield), how is your reception of the New Hampshire stations? What about WVTA-TV (PBS) channel 41 from Windsor, VT?

Assuming you're asking me, the fellow who used to live in Barre, we never hooked up any decent antenna to try.  The first day we moved in I put on a pair of rabbit ears and a loop antenna (well, I put them on the TV) but didn't get a viewable signal from any station.  Cable service was installed the next day.  Looking back, I wish I had done more DXing, as Barre is not near any market but is adjacent to both Boston and Springfield markets and even 52 from Keene should have come in well there.

[PaulRAnderson]

We have indeed strayed from the original question about over-the-air reception in Worcester, although that question has mostly been answered.  Now if someone could report current reception from channel 14 that would be interesting.

Certain nearby areas in central MA and northeastern CT also boasted 3 markets worth of network signals on their lineups.  The cable system from Willimantic, CT comes to mind. 

The Willimantic system is no longer so plentiful.  They carry Hartford-New Haven channels 3, 8, 13, 18, 20, 26, 30, 53, 59 and 61, Boston channels 2, 4 and 5, and Providence channel 36.

Paul

[chuckydoll]

Cable/satellite penetration is 80 percent and you're still got this fantasy about watching TV with rabbit ears? [EDIT]

Worcester is in the Boston DMA for a good reason. Worcester has no ties to Springfield, Providence or even Hartford.

Save yourself the aggravation -- get cable or a satellite dish.

I remember that 27 which is Worcester based has a rim shot into the Boston area, so imagine the same is true in reverse.

WUNI-27 is licensed to Worcester and is the Boston station for Univision, the #1 Spanish network in the US.


[EDIT-inflammatory]

[KML0224]

Keep in mind that some people can't afford cable and a handful want nothing to do it. Also, depending on location, an antenna will be VERY important for receiving digital TV.

[KML0224]

The Willimantic system is no longer so plentiful.  They carry Hartford-New Haven channels 3, 8, 13, 18, 20, 26, 30, 53, 59 and 61, Boston channels 2, 4 and 5, and Providence channel 36.

Paul

The village of Willimantic (within the municipality of Windham) is a portion of the Hartford/New Haven DMA, yet is still receiving at least 4 stations from outside the DMA. What about WGBY-TV from Springfield? Either way, that's better than us here in New Britain with Comcast. We get WGBY-TV for out-of-market and that's it.

Oh, sorry to nitpick, but "channel 13" is now actually low-power channel 50. 

[vibe]

It took me one day to digest Chuck's comments:
1. To some people using the "R" word is just as offensive as using the "N" word.  Dis you know that according to the EEOC, the class of people who are the most discriminated against are the mentally challenged?   
2. There is a large segment of people who can't afford cable or satelite or simply prefer not to spend their money on cable.  With DTV and rising cable rates (for fewer broadcast stations but more religious and shopping channels), OTA is a topic that is worth discussing; it got over 30 posts so far. If 20% of households rely on OTA,(and I'm sure that figure is quite different from state to state) that IS a very significant number. 

[chuckydoll]

I don't use these boards for schoolboy fantasies -- that's for people who've got too much time on their hands.

I don't use these boards to reprint stuff verbatim from magazines -- that can get your site taken down for DMCA violations.

I use these boards to offer a reasonable opinion and sometimes to explain why things are such. Certain people don't like it? Suck it up! To borrow a phrase from my childhood, they can dish it out but they can't take it.

[EDIT].


[EDIT-inflammatory]

[dustintv]

I apologize for resurrecting an old thread, especially one following Chunky's venom, but I do have an observation: I am surprised that Worcester was never considered to become a seperate TV market, given the size of the city. I assumed it didn't for Boston-centric reasions. I assume if it was its own TV market it would be an all UHF market unless someone in power snagged a VHF signal from Boston.

[BRNout]

If you go back to the 1950's, Worcester and its environs made for a pretty decent sized metropolitan area.  More populous than cities that are in today's top 20.  And, the terrain of the area certainly does (partially) block some Boston area signals.  Remember that, when the TV markets were forming, Worcester was a larger city than Providence, Springfield or Hartford (and still bests 2 of the 3) and is just as far from Boston as Providence is. 

They were allotted channel 27, which was never very successful until becoming Univision.  Perhaps the success and failure of local TV in Worcester was tied to the relative failure (early on) of UHF.

Overall, my guess would be that politics came into play with regard to corporations not wanting to cede the western end of the Boston market.  However, I would love to hear from someone who knows the answer for sure.  Interesting topic though.  It certainly seems that Worcesterites get short-shrift when it comes to obtaining local news coverage.

[KML-224]

Much like what happens to those in southern New Hampshire, which is also part of the same market. If Providence wasn't a capitol of another state, my guess is that they would've been lumped in with Boston as well.