Many S.F. Viewers Lose NBC

SAN FRANCISCO —  More than 100,000 television viewers can no longer watch NBC programs after the network cut ties with a local station that emitted stronger signals than its new affiliate.

As of Tuesday, NBC dropped its affiliation with San Francisco-based KRON after the network bought KNTV in mid-December. San Jose-based KNTV’s signal is too weak to blanket the San Francisco Bay Area’s other major cities.

That means many viewers in San Francisco and Oakland lost their NBC access Tuesday, unless they had cable or a satellite dish.

More than 2 million of the 2.4 million television households in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose market have cable or a satellite dish, but the remainder rely on antennas to catch the signal, according to NBC.

Even before NBC’s switch, 100,000 households couldn’t get NBC programs from KRON due to the Bay Area’s mountains or other impediments. With KNTV’s weaker signal, an even greater chunk of the nation’s fifth-largest television market won’t be able to see such popular shows as “West Wing” and “Friends.”

Station managers say they hope to boost KNTV’s signal within a few years.