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re: Sportscaster Mike Raita let go at Birmingham TV station ABC 33/40
Posted on 1/12/17 at 9:10 pm to Tuscaloosa
Posted on 1/12/17 at 9:10 pm to Tuscaloosa
quote:
Any idea why?
Reportedly he was overheard on air to exclaim "DAMN YOU, YOU LITTLE DEBBIE-EATING MIDGET!!" at the end of their local sports news update on the NC game.....
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Posted on 1/12/17 at 9:13 pm to BowlJackson
quote:
So question for the Bham older guys. It says 33/40 went on air in 1996. What was before that? Was there a different ABC affiliate? Im pretty sure I've seen where WBRC hasn't always been Fox. Was there just no ABC channel at all in Birmingham prior to that? Or was there still ABC but instead of local news they played national news or something?
ABC 33 40 was a combination of the Tuscaloosa (channel 33) and Anniston (40) CBS stations. Somehow Birmingham did not have a CBS station. Then WBRC was ABC , then switched to FOX. Channel 42 became the CBS affiliate. Then 33/40 essentially closed down the tuscaloosa and Anniston stations and opened a station in Birmingham, and has been ABC.
I'm a little hazy on all the time frames, but I think this is at least what happened.
Channel 13 WVTM has always been NBC.
Posted on 1/12/17 at 9:25 pm to East Coast Band
Thanks for the answer 
That's pretty interesting. I'd always wondered why 33/40 was the only one with two numbers.
I had no idea that local stations could even switch affiliations like that until a few years ago when I saw a pic of WBRC in the 80s with the ABC logo
That's pretty interesting. I'd always wondered why 33/40 was the only one with two numbers. I had no idea that local stations could even switch affiliations like that until a few years ago when I saw a pic of WBRC in the 80s with the ABC logo
Posted on 1/12/17 at 9:37 pm to BowlJackson
I remember going to my grandparents in Demopolis and thinking it was wild they had multiples of every network
Birmingham for all of them, Meridian and Montgomery split as the 2nds
Birmingham for all of them, Meridian and Montgomery split as the 2nds
Posted on 1/12/17 at 10:00 pm to Triple Daves
Yeah Anniston had FOX2 out of Atlanta and the other networks were out of Birmingham up until like the mid 90's. It was weird looking back.
Posted on 1/12/17 at 10:04 pm to Chazzy McRamzee
quote:
I think he's the only Birmingham tv sports guy that went to Bama.
Dunaway did not go to Alabama, he went to the University of Montevallo.
This post was edited on 1/12/17 at 10:07 pm
Posted on 1/12/17 at 10:15 pm to Tuscaloosa
quote:
Any idea why?
Just like 'ol Harvey...too much Bama in'im
Posted on 1/12/17 at 10:22 pm to BoddaBoom7
quote:
Yeah Anniston had FOX2 out of Atlanta
Channel 2 was an ABC affiliate.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 6:45 am to biggsc
We talking about a sports guy at a UHF station in a TV market that is smaller than Kalamazoo Michigan.
Take it to the bama board.
Take it to the bama board.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 6:50 am to BowlJackson
Sounds like Sinclair is making some huge budget cuts. They axed a lot of people at their DC station about a week or so ago.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 6:58 am to East Coast Band
quote:
Somehow Birmingham did not have a CBS station.
Channel 42 in B'ham was always CBS back as far as I recall into the early 70's. They just didn't have a local newscast for years.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 7:20 am to Chazzy McRamzee
quote:No....he'll be doing it from his house.
How the heck do you can the sports director for the top news station in Bham?
I enjoyed his nightly sports show on WABM 68. Is that show gone too?
Posted on 1/13/17 at 8:59 am to Triple Daves
quote:
I remember going to my grandparents in Demopolis and thinking it was wild they had multiples of every network
It was similar in Dothan. Not every network, but we had two NBC Channels. WTVY is a local CBS affiliate and probably the biggest station for local news, WDHN is ABC, WDFX is Fox, but for some reason it is based out of Ozark and not Dothan, and they get NBC out of Montgomery and Panama City.
I also have relatives in southwest Alabama, and they pick up the Meridian, Montgomery, and Mobile stations. At least on their local cable provider. They have WSFA out of Montgomery for NBC and also get the Meridian channel. They get the Mobile CBS as well as the Meridian one. I forget which pair it is for Fox, but it is either Mobile or Montgomery. And I know they get WTOK for CBS from Meridian and WEAR out of Pensacola.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 9:07 am to TU Rob
WTVY- Home of Super Burrhead and Come innnnn satelite. Also you get a $20 bill if you can find anyone who will beat our prices... anyone.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 9:18 am to justausedcarguy
The Zone is/was unwatchable.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 9:21 am to silverstreak02
quote:
Sounds like Sinclair is making some huge budget cuts.
As someone whose company deals with media in about 20 different states, I can tell you that Sinclair is one of the worst run media companies in the country. Their leadership is sketchy (putting it mildly).
Posted on 1/13/17 at 9:31 am to agswin
quote:
We talking about a sports guy at a UHF station in a TV market that is smaller than Kalamazoo Michigan.
We're also talking about sports in the city that consistently has the highest ratings in the country for just about any college football game of high profile.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 9:55 am to agswin
quote:
We talking about a sports guy at a UHF station in a TV market that is smaller than Kalamazoo Michigan.
Kalamazoo is 44. Bham is 45. There is a difference of approximately 13,000 TV HHs between the two markets (and Kalamazoo is a hyphenated market with Grand Rapids and Battle Creek.
Either way, we are talking about something that takes place in SEC country and impacts a guy who has been covering SEC sports for 30 years. It isn't a ratings related decision, as ABC is a top 2 news ratings station in the market.
Posted on 1/13/17 at 10:38 pm to Crimson Wraith
quote:
Channel 42 in B'ham was always CBS back as far as I recall into the early 70's. They just didn't have a local newscast for years.
Yep. When I was a kid in the early 70's, WBRC channel 6 was the ABC affiliate, WAPI channel 13 was the NBC affiliate that later changed to WVTM, and WBMG channel 42 was the CBS affiliate in B'ham.
Posted on 1/14/17 at 12:17 am to TU Rob
I have a relative in cullman that picks up 2 of some network channels, one from Huntsville and one from Birmingham and it's 2017 
I've also been in a house in East Alabama in just the last few years that could pick up multiples of channels from Montgomery and Atlanta
I've also been in a house in East Alabama in just the last few years that could pick up multiples of channels from Montgomery and Atlanta
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