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Can the New York Yankees turn independent station WNGS-TV into a winner?
Or can the Yanks at least drive awareness about the channel, which now has a pretty prominent position on Channel 5 on local cable?
According to an informed source, WNGS has snagged the local rights to 21 Yankee games that air on a local broadcast channel in New York City.
For the past two seasons, the games that didn’t air on the Yanks cable channel, YES, were carried locally on Time Warner Cable’s local sports channel.
TWC essentially got the rights to those games by default because no broadcast station made a deal with the Yanks.
TWC has retained the local rights to the 24 New York Mets games that are carried by another New York City channel because, well, no broadcast channel here apparently cares that much about the Mets.
WNGS was smart to grab the Yanks, who are the most popular major league team in town by far. YES, which is carried on TWC, has more than 120 Yankee games.
The 21 Yanks games should make viewers more aware of the quality movies and old series that air on WNGS. I know I sometimes get hooked watching old episodes of “Ozzie and Harriet” at dinner time when the local news gets too depressing.
pergament@msn.com
Alan Pergament was the television critic for The Buffalo News for 28 years. He currently is an adjunct professor at Buffalo State College and Medaille College, teaching courses in communications. He also writes a monthly column on the media for Buffalo Spree magazine.
I think WNGS had carried the Yankees games in the past and then TWC had the Mets/Indians. Either way, it definitely helps them get more viewers since the relaunch.
WIVB is copying Channel 2 again with their new “Thnk b4 u txt” campaign. It’s virtually identical to “Pledge 2 Hang Up” which has been around over a year now. Chris Musial didn’t look that great when he appeared on Wake Up this morning either.
WNGS isn’t in HD on TWC is it?
To bad the Bisons org. Didn’t snag the Yankees when they were searching for a new minor league affiliate. Coke Field would have a lot less empty seats. Who cares about the Mets.