"Live Well Network" plug pulled by Disney-ABC Television Group

[Blue Dogs]

Mike McGuff of mikemcguff.com and Michael Malone of Broadcasting and Cable both reporting the Disney-ABC Television Group.2 sub channel Live Well Network will be closing down at the beginning of 2015 so ABC stations like KTRK Ch 13, can focus on local programming. In Houston, the network airs on 13.2/13.3 and Comcast Cable.

http://mikemcguff.blogspot.com/2014/06/live-well-network-plug-pulled-by-disney-abc.html?m=1

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/abc-discontinue-live-well-network/131646

Reaction from y'all regarding the Live Well Network being pulled?

[mollusk]

moo.  Never watched it in the first place.

 

Edit:  m e h.  (I was trying to quote an apathetic mensch, not a cow.  Danged autocorrect.)

[Subdude]

I should probably know this, but how does one interpret "13.2/13.3"?  Are those different tv channels?  Is it on two frequencies?  Are those fractional broadcasting frequencies?  

 

Signed,

Relic 

[Ross]

With digital TV, there are many additional channels available. With a digital tuner for over the air broadcast, you will see the extra channels. Channel 20 uses 20.2 as a classic movie channel. There are about 50 channels available in Houston.

[sevfiv]

For those of us that refuse cable I think it is one of the better ones - though local programming sounds promising, I'm curious what that'll be..

[Purpledevil]

50 channels? You need a new antenna, lol! I pick up 93 channels OTA, from the north side of Houston.

As for Live Well, besides "Deals" with Katisha Cosley, we never watch it. It just doesn't appeal to me or my wife. As for the difference between 13.2 & .3, .2 is the standard definition feed, .3 is the hybrid digital feed. That's the only difference.

As for what's replacing KTRK's two subs, expect programming that is hyper local. i.e. "ABC 13 News Now" and "ABC 13 Weather Now". Disney seems to be on a real local kick currently, and another classic sitcom or movie channel doesn't appear to be on the horizon, according to the release.

[Ross]

I probably get more than 50, but I didn't feel like rolling through the channels to count all of the 5 or 6 channel 14's, the 22's, and all those foreign language channels in the 50's. I actually spend more time watching Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon, though. We love not spending $120 per month on cable.

[ChannelTwoNews]

As for Live Well, besides "Deals" with Katisha Cosley, we never watch it. It just doesn't appeal to me or my wife. As for the difference between 13.2 & .3, .2 is the standard definition feed, .3 is the hybrid digital feed. That's the only difference.

 

 

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the network. In theory, it sounds like a good idea, and the angle of having the O&O stations (like KTRK) contribute their own programming was promising. KTRK did as well with both Mirror/Mirror & Deals. I think the failing is that there already are countless shows and channels like this across the spectrum, both OTA and through pay services. They weren't doing much to differentiate themselves from the pack. 

 

Personally, it's been interesting to see where that network has landed outside of a few major markets, and how the standard def feed is used more often than not. Where I currently live it's exiled to a subchannel of a low-powered station that covers only part of the city proper.

 

The prospect of a local programming and/or weather sub-channel sounds like pretty close to what actually was there beforehand, IIRC, and a better use of the bandwidth. I think it was 13.2 that used to have the HS football games, station-produced documentaries and reruns of Debra Duncan's old show. You could pretty much set your watch by when they would run their special on Tropical Storm Allison at one point.

 

Hopefully the new channels will be a bit more relevant than the current ones.

[Blue Dogs]

ChannelTwoNews, we can expect both Cosley and Spera to be staying at Ch. 13