because as of January 1, as we learned in this other thread, Channel 7 is no longer going to be the local NBC affiliate but will instead be an independent station.
Yesterday's Globe had a good article with some of the background to this switch and a guide as to where you can find NBC and NECN starting in about 60 days time.
Since I know many of you have already used up your free allotment of Globe articles looking for CHB articles to rage at, here are the nuts. And the bolts.
Yesterday's Globe had a good article with some of the background to this switch and a guide as to where you can find NBC and NECN starting in about 60 days time.
Since I know many of you have already used up your free allotment of Globe articles looking for CHB articles to rage at, here are the nuts. And the bolts.
If you want to watch the new NBC Boston station on Jan. 1, pay close attention.
Over-the-air viewers will find the station on Channel 8, while many cable and satellite subscribers (Comcast, Dish, and DirecTV) will need to tune to Channel 10. As for Verizon Fios or RCN customers, NBC is still negotiating the number with those providers. That means everyone check your local listings.
Confused? It’s one downside of the network’s decision to drop its longtime affiliation with WHDH-TV (Channel 7). The shakeup — the biggest in the local TV market in two decades — will also affect some cable subscribers who watch New England Cable News. The high-definition version of NBC Boston will appear on channel 810, which currently broadcasts the HD version of NECN. That version of NECN will move to channel 840 starting on Dec. 1. Cable giant Comcast Corp. owns both NBC and NECN.
WHDH’s broadcast signal reaches 7.1 million viewers over the air. To try to match WHDH’s coverage, NBC will broadcast from two locations: WNEU (Channel 60) out of Merrimack, N.H., and WBTS (Channel 8) out of Needham. NBC Boston will share a signal with WNEU, which is owned by Comcast and currently broadcasts Spanish-language network Telemundo Boston. NBC Boston recently acquired a Needham transmitter to establish WBTS.
To prepare over-the-air viewers for the switch from Channel 7, NBC on Nov. 10 will broadcast “Countdown NBC Boston” on Channel 8. During that time, viewers will need to rescan their television or set-top boxes to add Channel 8 or 8.2 to their lineup. Instructions can be found on NBCBoston.com, which will also launch on Nov. 10.