diff --git a/Channel-Maparr/matching_core.py b/Channel-Maparr/matching_core.py
index d7e9147..bfa7c98 100644
--- a/Channel-Maparr/matching_core.py
+++ b/Channel-Maparr/matching_core.py
@@ -702,9 +702,21 @@ def _trailing_number(name):
         'KIND', 'KING', 'KINGS', 'KISS', 'KITE', 'KNEE', 'KNEW', 'KNOW', 'KNOWN',
     })
 
+    # OTA branding context that immediately follows a station callsign: a channel
+    # number (optionally prefixed by a broadcast suffix), e.g. "KING 5", "WAVE 3",
+    # "WOOD TV8", "WHO 13". Used to rescue a denylisted common-word callsign in a
+    # loose position WITHOUT also rescuing bare program words ("King of the Hill",
+    # "Doctor Who"), which never carry this trailing number. bug-098.
+    _OTA_NUMBER_CONTEXT = re.compile(r'^\s+(?:TV|DT|CD|LP|LD)?\s*\d{1,3}\b', re.IGNORECASE)
+
     def _is_callsign_allowed(self, callsign):
         """A candidate callsign is allowed if it is not denylisted, OR the plugin
-        supplied a known-real callsign set that contains it (DB rescue)."""
+        supplied a known-real callsign set that contains it (DB rescue).
+
+        NOTE: this full rescue is used only at the PARENTHESIZED priorities (1/1b),
+        where the parentheses are an unambiguous OTA signal. The end-of-name and
+        loose priorities deliberately do NOT use it for denylisted words -- see
+        bug-098 hardening in _compute_callsign_with_confidence."""
         return (callsign not in self._CALLSIGN_DENYLIST
                 or (self._known_callsigns is not None and callsign in self._known_callsigns))
 
@@ -746,18 +758,28 @@ def _compute_callsign_with_confidence(self, channel_name):
         if paren_suffix_match:
             return paren_suffix_match.group(1).upper(), True
 
-        # Priority 3: Callsigns at the end
+        # Priority 3: Callsigns at the end. A denylisted common word at the end
+        # ("WOLF KING", "Doctor Who") is NOT rescued here -- end position alone is
+        # too weak a signal for a word that is also a real callsign. Non-denylisted
+        # callsigns (and suffixed forms like "KING-TV") still match. bug-098.
         end_match = re.search(r'\b([KW][A-Z]{2,4}(?:-(?:TV|CD|LP|DT|LD))?)\s*(?:\.[a-z]+)?\s*$', channel_name, re.IGNORECASE)
         if end_match:
             callsign = end_match.group(1).upper()
-            if self._is_callsign_allowed(callsign):
+            if callsign not in self._CALLSIGN_DENYLIST:
                 return callsign, True
 
-        # Priority 4: Any word matching callsign pattern (low confidence)
+        # Priority 4: Any word matching callsign pattern (low confidence). A
+        # denylisted common word is rescued here ONLY in OTA branding context --
+        # immediately followed by a channel number ("KING 5", "WAVE 3", "WOOD
+        # TV8", "WHO 13") -- never as a bare program word ("King of the Hill",
+        # "Doctor Who", "Will Ferrell"). bug-098.
         word_match = re.search(r'\b([KW][A-Z]{2,4}(?:-(?:TV|CD|LP|DT|LD))?)\b', channel_name, re.IGNORECASE)
         if word_match:
             callsign = word_match.group(1).upper()
-            if self._is_callsign_allowed(callsign):
+            if callsign not in self._CALLSIGN_DENYLIST:
+                return callsign, False
+            if (self._known_callsigns is not None and callsign in self._known_callsigns
+                    and self._OTA_NUMBER_CONTEXT.match(channel_name[word_match.end():])):
                 return callsign, False
 
         return None, False
diff --git a/Channel-Maparr/plugin.json b/Channel-Maparr/plugin.json
index 7b2aa49..f2a927e 100644
--- a/Channel-Maparr/plugin.json
+++ b/Channel-Maparr/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "Channel Mapparr",
-  "version": "1.26.1791324",
+  "version": "1.26.1801833",
   "description": "Standardizes broadcast (OTA) and premium/cable channel names using network data and channel lists. Supports M3U stream import, category organization, and fuzzy matching across 42K+ channels in 11 countries.",
   "author": "PiratesIRC",
   "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/Channel-Maparr/plugin.py b/Channel-Maparr/plugin.py
index cfd4749..18edefc 100644
--- a/Channel-Maparr/plugin.py
+++ b/Channel-Maparr/plugin.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 class PluginConfig:
     """Configuration constants for Channel Maparr."""
 
-    PLUGIN_VERSION = "1.26.1791324"
+    PLUGIN_VERSION = "1.26.1801833"
 
     # Channel Database Settings
     DEFAULT_CHANNEL_DATABASES = "US"
diff --git a/scripts/core_manifest.json b/scripts/core_manifest.json
index 7d8ff5b..02a880a 100644
--- a/scripts/core_manifest.json
+++ b/scripts/core_manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  "matching_core.py": "2ac7ac4cb283306152701bfd977ff2f13700d63d8023fdfa280b1480f5a969dc"
+  "matching_core.py": "d9a2d065584fb797789f3afe3d51dbd94d3d28a1666361b1f22c8eec6b03943b"
 }