[BC] Re: ABC Starguide

[Tom Taggart]

We already had to scramble when ABC abruptly cancelled Christmas music programing without notice. Poor computer does not like the over-stuffed hard drive, but on one station we only hit net for top-of the hour news. The ABC Classic Rock station has been having problems. 

My ABC starguides dropped from around 14~15 to 11.  Couple of days ago they were dropping out, down around 9~8 but stabilized. You West coast guys have it made, the satellite is over you. We're looking out west at 15 degrees above the horizon.

Our Premier Starguide has stayed the same--locked, but bouncing all over the place from TI.

AMC8 has power supply problems.  ABC uses full transponder, Premier, Jones and some other providers use partial transponders shared with state networks. 

Unfortunately with this long-drawn out ABC~ Citadel sale I doubt that anyone at ABC radio networks/Dallas is making long-term decisions.  (Disney is keeping ABC radio network, ESPN and RAdio Disney.  ABC News and ESPN come out of the east coast; Disney has studios in Dallas, but also in Florida.

When the businesses finally split there is an open question as to what Citadel will do with the rest of the long-form program services.  As well as who keeps the main transponder (and the bill). Remember this transponder is also used for intermittant services such as NASCAR (both PRN & MRN)run through ABC NY. We may see ABC news/ESPN going to a different bird, and a shared transponder to cut down satellite costs.
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