Local stations going away?

[RT-Cat]

Everyone must have seen the TV commercials that tell you to call or write your Senators and congressmen/Ladies in Washington to save local TV. But the ads do not state what is the problem. Even their web site tells nothing. So, what is the problem???

RT.

 

[Paradox-SJ]

They are auctioning off spectrum that our local stations operate in...

 

[RT-Cat]

They are auctioning off spectrum that our local stations operate in...

OMG! What are they going to do next!!!!!!

RT.

 

[SamCdbs]

Actually the ads are very dishonest and deceptive. The FCC is proposing to repurpose unused TV channels for other uses. Say there is no channel 26 in your are, the FCC might auction that off. It has nothing to do with anyone losing local TV stations that already exist, and nothing to do with anyone who gets local stations via DBS or cable.

Very dishonest by the NAB. Typical.

 

[eacalhoun]

Actually the ads are very dishonest and deceptive. The FCC is proposing to repurpose unused TV channels for other uses. Say there is no channel 26 in your are, the FCC might auction that off. It has nothing to do with anyone losing local TV stations that already exist, and nothing to do with anyone who gets local stations via DBS or cable.

Very dishonest by the NAB. Typical.

The thing is - if I understand this correctly - the FCC has already eliminated channels 51 and up for TV stations as of the digital transition two years ago. This - in itself - has reduced the coverage areas via "interference" for many stations versus their analog coverage areas because of short-spacing (the distance between two stations on the same channel) or the proximity of adjacent channels. The exception to adjacent channel interference is for stations whose towers are in close proximity or their antennas are on the same tower. Bottom line - the number of US TV stations that could reside on channels 2-69, must now reside on channels 2-51 and I guess the FCC is trying to trim that down even more.

 

[rfguygg]

They are auctioning off spectrum that our local stations operate in...

The feds are hungry for $$$ and have zero technical expertise. Wireless spectrum = easy money. Who still uses an antenna anyway?

It's no easy (or inexpensive) feat to change the transmission channels on the stations end. I believe many may throw in the towel this time. (Especially if the gov offers to "buy back" their spectrum.) There was mention of consolidating local stations to a single channel to conserve bandwidth. I don't wanna think about that! The end of free HD, at least. Maybe that was the master plan with DTV all along.

I'd recommend anybody interested follow this closely. Do your own research.

 

[dwarren2]

According to one of our local stations in Rochester, NY, this proposal was in the Democratic plan. It was not in the final bill. So there is no worry.

 

[RT-Cat]

The feds are hungry for $$$ and have zero technical expertise. Wireless spectrum = easy money. Who still uses an antenna anyway?

I think you will find many people still have an antenna. OTA modules are sold (for dish) almost everywhere. I use mine when watching a local channel and it rains. Out goes local from dish but still there with OTA.

Thanks for all the info to all.

RT.

P.S. Speaking of rain, not very heavy right now - Dish OUT!

 

[hudgreen]

[P.S. Speaking of rain, not very heavy right now - Dish OUT![/QUOTE]

Keep in mind that (depending on your "look angle"of your dish) the heavy rain or thunderhead may be many miles away and still be affecting your signal.

 

[whatchel1]

According to one of our local stations in Rochester, NY, this proposal was in the Democratic plan. It was not in the final bill. So there is no worry.

Not a democratic plan but Micheal Coops plan.

 

[RT-Cat]

Keep in mind that (depending on your "look angle"of your dish) the heavy rain or thunderhead may be many miles away and still be affecting your signal.

Nice test pattern. I remember those after the late night movie ended years ago. (remember only 8 or 9 channels?)
Yes, I know. But it seems the rain must ALWAYS be heavy South of me, cuz it does not take much and out it goes.

RT.

 

[Barry Erick]

Keep in mind the "virtual channel" you tune in.. say the analog was Ch 8 and now the digital is called Ch 8, that is not the channel they are on, but the virtual channel. The actual channel might be 34.. Ch 8 would still be acvailable for auction and not affect off air. Problem is, when analog was turned off, these channels were auctioned, so the dems were trying to sell off the same sprectrum twice to make it look nice on paper. The Virtual/actual channel got people, including NAB, all screwed up.

 

[R0ss]

Nice test pattern. I remember those after the late night movie ended years ago. (remember only 8 or 9 channels?)
Yes, I know. But it seems the rain must ALWAYS be heavy South of me, cuz it does not take much and out it goes.

RT.

8 or 9 channels! Wow I grew up right out side Boston and we had 4 channels then when UHF came along we ended up with 6. Not sure when the UHF channels came but it had to be around the midto late 60's

Ross

Sent from my DROIDX using SatelliteGuys

 

[whatchel1]

8 or 9 channels! Wow I grew up right out side Boston and we had 4 channels then when UHF came along we ended up with 6. Not sure when the UHF channels came but it had to be around the midto late 60's

Ross

Sent from my DROIDX using SatelliteGuys

On December 29, 1949, KC2XAK of Bridgeport, Connecticut, became the first UHF television station to operate on a regular daily schedule. The first commercially licensed UHF television station was WWLP in Springfield, Massachusetts; [3] however, the first commercially licensed TV station on the air was KPTV, Channel 27, in Portland, Oregon, on September 18, 1952. This TV station used much of the equipment, including the transmitter, from KC2XAK. The big expansion to 530 UHF channels came in the 1960.

 

[smithduluth]

I think that local broadcasting in general is swirling around the drain as the competition for entertainment and information keeps increasing. The profits pie can only be sliced so many ways.

 

[RT-Cat]

8 or 9 channels! Wow I grew up right out side Boston and we had 4 channels then when UHF came along we ended up with 6. Not sure when the UHF channels came but it had to be around the midto late 60's

I had the advantage of being in and area where I could pick up "the big cities" from the other side of Lake Michigan. It wasn't 100% all the time, but still were viewable most of the time.

I think that local broadcasting in general is swirling around the drain as the competition for entertainment and information keeps increasing. The profits pie can only be sliced so many ways.

Well, I am not to sure on that. TV ads for businesses that are in the "local" coverage area are an important part of their customer base. Without these locals, they would have to go to newspapers and radio. Most are already on the net.

RT.

 

[SaltiDawg]

... Not sure when the UHF channels came but it had to be around the midto late 60's. ...

Ross,
There were UHF stations before the 1960s but it was not until 1965 that TV manufacturers were told they must include a UHF tuner along with the VHF tuner on new TVs. I built my first TV in 1967 - vacuum tube color set 295 Sq Inch picture - I included a UHF tuner but there was no UHF stations I could receive in south East Connecticut at the time.

In those days there were serious technological issues with UHF receivers in TVs that made it hard to have two channels separated by less than say six channels to avoid causing interference with each other... those issues are long gone and the shift to digital transmission and ICs have made this type of interference largely a non-issue.

 

[R0ss]

Ross,
There were UHF stations before the 1960s but it was not until 1965 that TV manufacturers were told they must include a UHF tuner along with the VHF tuner on new TVs. I built my first TV in 1967 - vacuum tube color set 295 Sq Inch picture - I included a UHF tuner but there was no UHF stations I could receive in south East Connecticut at the time.

In those days there were serious technological issues with UHF receivers in TVs that made it hard to have two channels separated by less than say six channels to avoid causing interference with each other... those issues are long gone and the shift to digital transmission and ICs have made this type of interference largely a non-issue.

Thanks for the history lesson. I don't know when 38 and 56 in Boston went on the air but I can remember my dad going to radio shack to get a loop antenna for the tv so we could watch uhf. Of course knowing my dad unless there was something he wanted to watch on either of those channels he wouldn't have been on a hurry. I swear we we're the last family in america to have a color tv too.

Ross

Sent from my DROIDX using SatelliteGuys

 

[Corrado]

... Who still uses an antenna anyway? ...

I'm thankful to receive 18 channels OTA in my area. I was curious about this myself. I'm sure $$$ are at the bottom of it.

 

[RT-Cat]

I swear we we're the last family in america to have a color tv too.

Color WOW! All my friends whould ask "Did you see (whatever) last night." Or "Wasn't that show about (whatever) the other day great." All I could say was, "we don't have TV." Ahaaaa, life in the 50's. At least I had less bills then. (0)

RT.