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In an informal review conducted by this publication, no television stations reported making money from their digital services. Some stations have been blocked from offering services by their national affiliates. Other companies have gone out of business. One problem is a lack of a business plan to generate earnings.

TV network affiliates will be rejecting the plans of CBS, ABC and Fox networks to seek financial support due to the increased rates of the broadcasting rights for the NFL and the top-rated TV program 'ER.' TV network Pres Neil Braun is proposing the transformation of the network-affiliate relationship into a joint venture. This move has drawn minimal support from affiliates.

INDEPENDENTS, AFFILIATES POST BIG 1991 LOSSES: More than half of all independent TV stations lost at least $300,000 each in 1991 and 25% of all network affiliates at least $475,000, [...]

CBS AFFILIATES VOW TO CONTINUE COMPENSATION FIGHT: CBS shifted direction slightly last week in its determination to reduce amount of compensation it pays TV affiliates, but stations we talked to [...]

CBS COMPENSATION CUT TO HURT AFFILIATES CBS affiliates' loss of 20% of network compensation will 'go right to the bottom line' of stations and reduce their asset value, according to [...]

Black-owned non-commercial KMPT-TV San Francisco is struggling financially causing it to cease broadcast in Mar 1993. A company spokesperson, however, has announced that the station is back on air. The station is supposed to removed from the Viacom-owned cable system in San Francisco on Mar 31, 1993 but has been permitted to buy time on commercial KOFY-TV San Francisco to generate needed funds.

An Ernst and Young survey for Broadcast Cable Financial Management Assn (BCFM) showed that the aggregate revenues in 1992 of the three major television networks grew by 6.9% as compared to 1991. BCFM reported that total revenues for 1992 were pegged at $7.57 billion despite only a 0.7% gain in 4th qtr 1992 revenues. The primetime and daytime sectors declined but the news and late night sectors gained. Sports rose by 45.78% to $692.8 million mainly because of the Winter and Summer Olympics.

CBS DROPS SPORTS COMPENSATION: CBS TV Network last week informed affiliates that it would end all compensation for sports programming Jan. 1 and that, with reluctant acquiescence of TV affiliates [...]

The average profit of a median TV station was $1.25 million in 1982. Ninety-two percent of revenues came from various advertising sources, the rest from network compensation. Half the TV stations eared more, half less.

The FCC requires that networks not have financial interests in programming, which NBC opposes. Affiliates have not yet decided to support NBC.

Mark Fowler, chairman of the FCC, met with President Reagan in September to discuss the FCC financial interest rules for television stations. A House Subcommittee launched an investigation which was released on February 2. It found the president and chairman had not acted properly to assure FCC independence.