Television stations are increasingly affiliating with multiple networks at once, capturing extra revenue and audience share without building or buying new full-power stations.
In Miami, WSVN has become a dual affiliate of both Fox and ABC, carrying ABC programming on a low-power station. Gray Television has pursued the same approach in St. Louis, pairing CBS with ABC and again placing the secondary network on a low-power outlet.
These arrangements let owners monetize additional network programming, advertising inventory, and retransmission consent fees while avoiding the high capital costs and spectrum constraints of launching separate full-power facilities.
Low-power stations and digital multicast channels make the dual affiliations technically feasible and relatively inexpensive to operate. The practice appears to be spreading as broadcast groups seek ways to strengthen local market positions amid cord-cutting and intensified competition for viewers and ad dollars.
Industry observers note that the model offers clear financial and ratings upside with limited incremental risk, suggesting more stations may follow the Miami and St. Louis examples in the coming years.