Greetings TV Garth readers! Here’s a look back at all the over-the-air TV mayhem viewed at my new home in Markham, Ontario, Canada from January-February 2017! (I now live on one of the upper floors of a high-rise, which greatly enhances reception!) Only a few weeks after moving in, there was a wild burst of Michigan stations I had never seen before! Stay tuned for anchors, anecdotes and antenna reception, oh my!
Jan. 27, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...The first night I stayed over in my new place, I still hadn’t figured out the best way to catch Buffalo stations. (Signal strength was marginal on my balcony.) But I remembered a trick from Pride 2010 and tried moving the antenna towards my front door. I did a dance of joy when I saw Kathie Lee & Hoda arrive!
Indeed, I was very happy that Channel 2 was still on my side!
Jan. 28, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 17.1 WNED (RF43)...WNED’s signal still had me covered as well! (This station ID was retired not long after I moved!)
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...1st Look host (and former Pussycat Doll) Ashley Roberts got a divatastic make over from RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Ginger Minj, Alaska and Detox!
I was lucky enough to see all three queens during 2016-2017 at Battle of the Seasons, Shady Queens (Fife House benefit) and Werq The World!
- Buffalo, NY, 49.1 WNYO (RF49)...John Cena’s awesome “We Are America” ad was in heavy rotation across many local stations! (It’s part of the Ad Council’s “Love Has No Labels” campaign!)
Jan. 29, 2017:
- Toronto, ON, 9.1 CFTO (RF9)...The Social (with Marci Ien, Cynthia Loyst, Lainey Lui and Melissa Grelo) had a frank, progressive discussion about dating guys who’ve had same sex experiences! Go fluidity!
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...When politics seem dark and depressing, there are (literal) signs of goodness when protesters stand up and make their voices heard!
Meteorologist Heather Waldman stormed into WGRZ and joined their weather team in 2017!
- Buffalo, NY, 2.2 WGRZ2-2 (RF33)...I was mad about My Two Dads as a kid, so I appreciated Antenna TV reacquainting me with the catchy theme and Greg Evigan’s muscle shirts!
- Buffalo, NY, 17.1 WNED (RF43)...I did jazz hands when LGBT icon and “Village Voice” scribe Michael Musto appeared on Theater Talk!
Jan. 30, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 23.1 WNLO (RF32)...I haven’t watched Jane The Virgin, but wanted to after seeing Justin Baldoni literally steaming up the screen!
Jan. 31, 2017:
- Oshawa, ON, 22.0 CHEX-TV-2 (RF22)...I’m not Taunton you when I say Paddy’s Market has been family owned and operated since 1955!
I also caught this local “Discover Durham” segment on CHEX-TV-2!
- Toronto, ON, 9.1 CFTO (RF9)...Colin D’Mello reported on the horrific Quebec City mosque attack.
Salam Elmenyawi and Mohamed Labidi were interviewed about the senseless tragedy and its impact on the Muslim community in Quebec. There were vigils for the victims and open houses were held to promote understanding and fight xenophobia.
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...American Housewife became one of my fave new shows! I love Katy Mixon and her adventures!
Feb. 2, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 23.1 WNLO (RF32)...As a longtime Archie fan, I had to try Riverdale! I was especially hooked when Moose and Kevin almost fooled around in the first episode!
However, despite a talented cast, I bailed after two seasons of Serpents, Ghoulies, Chic and Mr. Lodge’s Secret Society of Super Villains.
I was also annoyed that the awesome Valerie and Josie were often neglected in the larger plots of the show.
Feb. 3, 2017:
- Toronto, ON, 25.1 CBLFT (RF25)...Justin Trudeau attended a funeral ceremony for victims of the Quebec City mosque attack. (Trudeau’s quote on screen translates to: “Around the world, it is more often Muslims who are victims of terrorism.”)
Feb. 5, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...Lady Gaga was all you need to know about the “Big Game” in 2017!
- Buffalo, NY, 49.1 WNYO (RF49)...David Arquette was on Celebrity Name Game with Craig Ferguson! Arquette was one of my crushes as a teen and I love that he gave Adam Lambert a birthday lap dance in 2013!
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Nancy Pelosi was on Meet The Press! She gets a lot of flak, but rallied to get the Affordable Care Act passed and is a staunch supporter of LGBT rights.
Feb. 6, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 49.4 GetTV [WNYO] (RF49)...When she wasn’t surfing or flying, Sally Field was The Girl With Something Extra!
- Buffalo, NY, 17.1 WNED (RF43)...Margaret Cho gave a shout out to Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience during this PBS interview! Cho is awesome and I’ve seen her live in Toronto a few times!
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Whether fighting for social justice, sitcom-ing, or rocking awards shows, Tracee Ellis-Ross is always fierce!
Feb. 7, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...I had concern about the future of this handsome shopper Channel 2 was interviewing!
WGRZ reported on Boulevard Mall, which I saw during a 2009 road trip and probably visited during early 90s cross-border shopping excursions!
Feb. 9, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Raoul Peck discussed his James Baldwin documentary I Am Not Your Negro on Last Call with Carson Daly!
- Buffalo, NY, 17.3 KIDs [WNED] (RF43)...PBS Kids made Winter look delightful with their Frosty fun!
Feb. 11, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 29.1 WUTV (RF14)...I almost rolled off my couch in shock when I saw an ad for “Hardline” on FOX 29! (They’ve run ads for female-led phone sex lines for decades, but seeing something aimed at gay men was a first!)
At one point the spokesman even wanders by shirtless with his jeans unbuttoned! We’ve come a long way, baby!
Feb. 12, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 4.1 WIVB (RF39)...I still get Jealous that Twenty One Pilots got to drop their pants in front of a bestudded Nick Jonas at the Grammy Awards!
Laverne Cox also gave a shout out to Gavin Grimm during the ceremony!
During the commercial breaks, Carly Rae Jepsen and Lil Yachty were right on Target with their rendition of It Takes Two!
Feb. 13, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...The “Duty Free Americas” shop that I know from road trips appeared in a story about Canadian tourism!
Feb. 14, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 17.1 WNED (RF43)...Channel 17’s revamped bumpers still feature US and Canadian scenery, with a more simplified ID font!
- Peterborough, ON, 27.1 CIII-DT-27 (RF27)...You can bank on this adorable CIBC campaign involving penguins worried about finances!
This belairdirect ad was shot at my local Markville Mall! (I actually saw them filming it back in January!)
However, I did not see them film the part where a handsome dude strips the belair spokesman of his armor! Talk about being direct…
Here are some “behind the scenes” pics I captured from the shoot!
Feb. 15, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)... Rachel Lindsay made history by becoming the first African-American Bachelorette!
- Buffalo, NY, 17.1 WNED (RF43)...American Masters presented “Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth” which highlighted her status as the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction!
WNED also hit a home run with Ken Burns’ series about the legendary Jackie Robinson, who was the first black MLB player!
- Toronto, ON, 5.1 CBLT (RF20)...The Goods served up Valentine’s Day treats with the tasty Shahir Massoud and divalicious Andrea Bain!
Feb. 16, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Ricky Martin is always able to Relight My Fire without even trying!
Feb. 19, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Kelsey Grammer was proud as a peacock to host The Paley Center Salutes NBC’s 90th Anniversary!
During the NBC special, WGRZ aired ads targeting Canadians including the delicious Mandarin and furniture giant Leon’s!
Feb. 20, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...I was happy to get “The Skinny” from Gio Benitez and Adrienne Bankert on World News Now!
- Detroit, MI, 4.1 WDIV (RF45)...Nick Monacelli reported from Detroit’s East Side with a fabulous “Local 4” van right behind him!
I first saw Priya Mann on CKNX back in 2012 and was all 4 her move to WDIV!
Paul Gross, Rhonda Walker and Kim DeGiulio anchored that morning!
- Buffalo, NY, 4.1 WIVB (RF39)...News 4 presented Black History Month segments sponsored by Substitutes United of Buffalo!
- Detroit, MI, 4.1 WDIV (RF45)...This credible promo featured the 4midable Devin Scillian and Kimberly Gill!
Carla from Detroit endorsed Local 4’s Ben Bailey and so do I!
- Detroit, MI, 4.3 Me TV [WDIV] (RF45)...MacGyver featured a rock star filming anti-drug videos with giant skulls, sultry choreography and a twin sister plotting against her! It was fabulously bonkers!
- Cleveland, OH, 61.2 UNIMAS [WQHS] (RF34)...UniMás advertised Por Siempre Joan Sebastian, a biographical series about the popular Mexican singer!
- Kitchener, ON, 13.1 CKCO (RF13)...At my new place, Kitchener easily flew in (with Darren Stevenson) like one of Laurier’s Golden Hawks!
- Jackson, MI, 18.2 HSN2 [WHTV] (RF34)...After catching WHTV for the first time the previous Fall, they were back with HSN2: Electric Folderoo!
- Saginaw, MI, 25.2 WEYI-CW (RF30)...New Channel Alert…My eyes popped out when I caught WEYI and saw hunky Ahmad Bajjey amid a glorious promo for NBC 25 and FOX 66!
- Woodstock, ON, 31.1 CITY-DT-2 (RF31)...Amanda Brugel and Stephanie Anne Mills were fabulous as couple Michelle and Zoey on Seed!
Feb. 21, 2017:
- Detroit, MI, 4.1 WDIV (RF45)...Rhonda Walker witnessed Brandon Roux shaking up the forecast, while Jason Colthorp did a live report!
Mara MacDonald bowled me over with her bold choice of chapeau!
I love The D, so I thought it was fabulous that WDIV had a whole Live show about it with hosts Jason Carr, Chuck Gaidica and Tati Amare!
- Buffalo, NY, 7.2 LAFF [WKBW] (RF38)...I enjoyed seeing LAFF’s repeats of Ellen from the time it was called These Friends of Mine!
- Bay City, MI, 5.2 WNEM-D2 (RF22)...New Channel Alert…I felt like a Lucky Star when I caught WNEM from Madonna’s hometown of Bay City, MI! Their MyTV subchannel aired a news promo with Morgan Gordon, Craig McMorris, Sara Simnitch and Chris Easlick!
You can’t spell Easlick without “lick”! Er…. Chris takes an Easlicking and keeps on ticking! Uhh….Chris Easlick is a fine meteorologist! That is all!
I also wanted to high-five this awesome station ID on My TV!
- Flint, MI, 66.1 WSMH (RF16)...I was chowing down on tasty tropo like the wings displayed in this Checkers/Rally’s ad!
- Mount Pleasant, MI, 14.2 WCMU-26 (RF26)...New Channel Alert…At my old house, I saw WCMU via Flint’s WCMZ transmitter. But I never expected to see their flagship station cut through Jamestown, NY’s powerful WNYB!
- Bay City, MI, 46.1 WBSF (RF46)...New Channel Alert…I didn’t need a snow day to appreciate WBSF schooling me with their awesome IDs!
Simms Chevrolet in Clio, MI motored through with a faux sportscast including Mary McGraw, Richard Centilli and others!
- Manistee, MI, 21.2 WCMW-21 (RF21)...New Channel Alert…I thought something fishy was going on when I caught a second WCMU transmitter in the same night!
- Owen Sound, ON, 4.1 CIII-DT-4 (RF26)...New Channel Alert…At my old place, I couldn’t get anything to overtake Jamestown’s WNYB. Yet, Owen Sound’s Global was the second station to leapfrog TCT this evening with a soda-themed Canadian Pickers!
- Alpena, MI, 11.1 WBKB (RF11)...New Channel Alert…The program featured Comics, but the signals being Unleashed were no joke!
- Roscommon, MI, 18.1 WURO (RF18)...New Channel Alert…Low powered WURO visited Me with an array of retro programming!
- Roscommon, MI, 18.6 WUROACT (RF18)...I thought “Action” was ushering in a wildly progressive era of subchannels until I realized they were showing MMA and not…other stuff.
- Alpena, MI, 6.2 WCML-24 (RF24)...New Channel Alert…I was udderly amazed to pick up a third WCMU transmitter, complete with ID! (Of the three, WCML is the most “tropo-friendly” at my new place!)
- Vanderbilt, MI, 45.1 WFUP-FX (RF45)...New Channel Alert…WFUP-FX is a satellite station of Cadillac’s FOX affiliate WFQX! (Also, their call letters stand for Fox Upper Peninsula and not F U Up!)
- Vanderbilt, MI, 45.2 WFUP-CB (RF45)...Likewise, WFUP-CB is a satellite of Cadillac’s CBS affiliate WWTV!
Feb. 22, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...AM Buffalo was runway ready with longtime anchor Linda Pellegrino and Courtney Corbetta!
Feb. 25, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 17.1 WNED (RF43)...The Talk: Race In America featured an amazing segment about teaching children the importance of activism! (Check out the girl holding the “Stonewall Was A Riot” sign!)
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Entertainment Tonight talked about reality series Mariah’s World and Carey’s relationship with Bryan Tanaka!
A friend and I saw Mariah later in 2017 when she toured Toronto with Lionel Richie! It was fun seeing Mariah’s World folks like Tanaka, Mary Ann Tatum and Kristofer Buckle! (Plus Trey Lorenz and Takeytha Johnson!)
Feb. 26, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...ABC was promoting their epic mini-series When We Rise, which brought LGBT milestones to prime-time!
Mahershala Ali won Best Supporting Actor for Moonlight at the Academy Awards™ looking as stunned as viewers would during the Best Picture category!
Indeed, Janelle Monáe was on stage to navigate the Tightrope of suspense when Moonlight won for Best Picture after La La Land was mistakenly announced.
I was Rally excited to see “Only Love” for Western New York’s LGBTQ students!
Aaron Mentkowski, Hannah Buelher and Matt Bove anchored Eyewitness News that night!
Feb. 27, 2017:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Channel 2 was also covering the rally to support LGBTQ students at Niagara Square!
The signs were epic – especially one that read, “It’s not about bathrooms as it was never about water fountains.”
- Buffalo, NY, 17.1 WNED (RF43)...Black Ballerina was an amazing documentary profiling the challenges and successes experienced by dancers Raven Wilkinson, Joan Myers Brown and Delores Browne!
Feb. 28, 2017:
- Toronto, ON, 9.1 CFTO (RF9)...k.d. Lang provides an appropriate close to this recap, since I have a Constant Craving for long distance reception and admire how she’s expressed her Sexuality!
Stay tuned to TV Garth for more reports documenting this BOLD NEW ERA of faraway frequencies!
