WLUK

It's been mere months since LIN Media, the parent company of Green Bay FOX affiliate WLUK, entered into a shared services agreement with ACME Communications, the owner of CW affiliate WIWB.

Now LIN is exercising an option in the agreement to purchase the struggling station and "certain assets" of Dayton, Ohio station WBDT for a combined price of $11.5 million.

If you've been watching WIWB lately, you may have noticed one substantial change -- the rebranding of the station from the previous "Wisconsin's CW" to "CW14."

The change is one of many underway at the fledgling station, which recently came under WLUK's control after parent company LIN Media signed a shared services agreement with WIWB station owner Acme Communications.

According to an article in the Green Bay Press-Gazette, more changes are coming for the station.

WLUK is taking a smaller local TV station under its wing, under an agreement announced today.

Remember those free TV antennas Time Warner Cable was giving out during its retransmission dispute with WLUK last summer?

You can leave those in the closet.

A contract renewal spat recently made public -- and ugly -- between Fox Networks and Time Warner Cable won't threaten FOX's broadcast network shows like American Idol and NFL football games on WLUK.  It also won't affect MyNetworkTV stations like WACY.  Stacy Zaja, Director of Community & Media Relations for Time Warner Cable Wisconsin told us Friday evening that a lack of a contract renewal by January 1st would only threaten FOX broadcast programming in a handful of major markets, and not in Wisconsin.  Fox is seeking a reported $1.00 per subscriber fee in those markets, while local FOX affiliates like WLUK typically receive about 25 cents a head.

If you're having problems getting WLUK's digital signal over-the-air, even after re-scanning your digital tuner, chances are it's your antenna.

That's what WLUK station spokesperson Pat Krohlow tells The Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Most reception problems have to do with the station's decision to switch their digital broadcast from UHF channel 51, which they used in tandem with their previous analog signal, to VHF channel 11.  WLUK is the only Green Bay television station broadcasting in the VHF band.

Many who purchased antennas during the transition to digital got models only suited for UHF reception, even though they may have been marketed as "HD" or "digital" antennas.  Antennas need to be a combination VHF/UHF model in order to pick up WLUK's signal.  Other factors may also contribute to bad reception.

Viewers having trouble tuning WLUK by antenna and needing assistance are encouraged to contact Pat Krohlow by phone at (920) 494-8711, or by e-mail at patrick.krohlow @wluk.com.

On its Twitter feed this afternoon, FOX Broadcasting is spreading the word to heads-up DVR owners that tonight's season premiere of House will need a minute more of your hard drive space.

The broadcast will air tonight on WLUK FOX 11 from 7:00 PM until 9:01 PM.  Viewers who want to ensure their DVR picks up the very end of the show will need to double-check that their scheduled recording goes until 9:01.  Most DVRs allow users to manually adjust start and end times, however an extra minute on the end of House may conflict with other 9:00 PM hour recordings.

A similar situation happened a few years ago on Gilmore Girls when the network's scheduling the last act a minute over the hour caused DVR viewers headaches when the last moment of the show was cut off.