Classic TV channel Me-TV has added new affiliates, raising its coverage to about 60% of the U.S. from 45% earlier this year.
While Me-TV is mostly carried on broadcasters' digital sub-channels, the net has some stations where it is the primary affiliation.
"They look at our schedule and see that for the fall we have over 50 different shows a week. It's the strongest classic TV lineup out there," says Neal Sabin, president of content and networks of Weigel Broadcasting, who helped create Me-TV.
The new digital Me-TV affiliates include Hubbard Broadcasting's KSTP-TV, the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis; two Journal Communications stations, WSYM-TV, the Fox affiliate in Lansing, Mich., and WGBA-TV, the NBC outlet in Green Bay, Wis.; Midwest Broadcasting's KFMB-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Diego; and Landmark Television's KLAS-TV, the CBS affiliate in Las Vegas. KLAS is replacing another digital service, LATV, with Me-TV. Me-TV is also being carried on Roberts Broadcasting's WRBU-TV, St. Louis, a MyNetwork affiliate.
Me-TV also has become the primary affiliation of Southwest Media's KCSG-TV in Salt Lake City.
"A lot of the groups have added stations," Sabin says. "They started with one or two and they've added more because it's working for a lot of people. And because MGM and Weigel have been out pounding on the doors and telling our story."
In Milwaukee, where Weigel's WBME-TV carries Me-TV as its primary affiliation, WBME already beats the local CW and MyNetwork affiliates in some dayparts.
Sabin says that in August, WBME had a 0.8 household rating sign-on to sign-off, compared to 0.6 for WVTV-TV and 0.6 for WCGV, winning from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
"We're proving to advertisers there really is a business here," Sabin says. "It's easy for stations to sell."
