Sinclair Moves CW to Omaha Subchannel, Continuing Trend

For the third time this year, Sinclair Broadcast Group has moved a regional network affiliation from a station it programs, but does not own, to a subchannel of a station it does own.

The Omaha CW affiliation has moved from Mitts Telecasting’s KXVO/15.1 to Sinclair’s KPTM/42.3. KPTM announced the move in a brief post on its website on Sept. 14 advising viewers to rescan.

KXVO/15.1 is now carrying Sinclair’s TBD network. It had been Omaha’s CW affiliate since the network launched in 2006 and was a WB affiliate before that.

TV listings indicate KPTM-DT3 assumed KXVO’s former spot on channel 15 on DirecTV and DISH Network and on channel 11 on Cox Cable.

KPTM carries FOX on 42.1, while 42.2 runs DABL except for the two-hour MyNetworkTV block from 7 to 9 p.m.

The change follows Sinclair’s move of CBS in Sioux City and FOX in Cedar Rapids to subchannels of its own stations earlier this year. The reason for the moves was not announced.