In a late March item, OMW actually foresaw this possible outcome for Greg Phipps’ UPN LPTVer, WLQP-LP/18.
The Lima News reports that come September 1st, “UPN 18″ will become…”ABC 18”. Apparently, Phipps has been trying to land approval for an ABC affiiation in Lima for some time. We’re not sure why it didn’t happen until now…perhaps ABC’s own O&O affiliate up in Toledo, WTVG/13, stood in the way. (We seem to remember, last time we were in Lima, that WTVG had local cable carriage there.)
The move gives Phipps’ three low-power Lima stations affiliations with three of the “Big Four” networks – ABC on 18, FOX on WOHL-CA “FOX 25” and CBS on WLMO-LP “CBS 38”. He tells Lima News reporter Tim Rausch that they’ll have to do some co-branding between the CBS and ABC affiliates, as they “don’t have the ability to produce two newscasts at the same time”, likely at the traditional times of 6 PM and 11 PM.
The move to ABC on 18 means that the recently announced My Network TV affiliation in Lima will indeed land out of pattern, we assume after 11 PM, on “FOX 25”.
Across town at dominant Block Communications full-power NBC affiliate WLIO/35 “NBC Lima”, they’ll take on The CW network…which will not only replace WLIO-operated “WB100” cable channel “WBOH”, but will also air on a subchannel of WLIO-DT.
And thus, like Charlottesville VA, the very small TV market of Lima will officially have every nationwide English-language general entertainment network represented on the local TV dial, even with the area’s second full-power station running a religious format…
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