A few ?'s about translators

[wbhist]

I would have a question as to when the translators for each of these New York metro area stations first took to the air (about 1971 or so?), and which calls, if any, were used for each one:
- Channel 53 (for WCBS-TV 2)
- Channel 57 (for WNBC-TV 4)
- Channel 64 (for WNEW-TV 5)
- Channel 66 (for WABC-TV 7)
- Channel 71 (for WOR-TV 9)
- Channel 73 (for WPIX 11)
- Channel 75 (for WNET 13)
- Channel 79 (for WNYC-TV 31)
And these, years later:
- Channel 62 (for WNJU-TV 47)
- Channel 60 (W60AI, for WBTB/WTVG/WWHT 68)

 

[RadioDaze]

I also remember WRDC in
Raleigh/Durham identifying itself as "28/70"; 28 being its
assigned channel in Durham and 70 its translator in Raleigh
(and, I suppose, a few points east).

I'd love to know the call sign of the former WRDU-TV's channel 70 translator, but I haven't been able to locate it anywhere online. I'm guessing it went away when they moved from their Terrel's Mountain tower to the 1,300-foot tower in Apex (which is now in Rolesville supporting WCPE-FM).

Did some research using the search feature on davidgleason.com and finally found the call letters of WRDU-TV's Raleigh translator in an old broadcasting magazine. It was W70AV.

 

[Markxxx]

I would have a question as to when the translators for each of these New York metro area stations first took to the air (about 1971 or so?), and which calls, if any, were used for each one:
- Channel 53 (for WCBS-TV 2)
- Channel 57 (for WNBC-TV 4)
- Channel 64 (for WNEW-TV 5)
- Channel 66 (for WABC-TV 7)
- Channel 71 (for WOR-TV 9)
- Channel 73 (for WPIX 11)
- Channel 75 (for WNET 13)
- Channel 79 (for WNYC-TV 31)
And these, years later:
- Channel 62 (for WNJU-TV 47)
- Channel 60 (W60AI, for WBTB/WTVG/WWHT 68)

Those were used while the World Trade Center was being built. The reception was compromised in some of the boroughs while this was being built.

 

[Ultimajock]

I would have a question as to when the translators for each of these New York metro area stations first took to the air (about 1971 or so?), and which calls, if any, were used for each one:
- Channel 53 (for WCBS-TV 2)
- Channel 57 (for WNBC-TV 4)
- Channel 64 (for WNEW-TV 5)
- Channel 66 (for WABC-TV 7)
- Channel 71 (for WOR-TV 9)
- Channel 73 (for WPIX 11)
- Channel 75 (for WNET 13)
- Channel 79 (for WNYC-TV 31)
And these, years later:
- Channel 62 (for WNJU-TV 47)
- Channel 60 (W60AI, for WBTB/WTVG/WWHT 68)

Those were used while the World Trade Center was being built. The reception was compromised in some of the boroughs while this was being built.

...did WCBS-TV/2 use the Channel 53 translator longer than the others were in use? The story was that, after the transmitter for WCBS-TV atop the WTC was first tested, CBS Chairman William Paley found that he got atrocious reception at his home in Connecticut, so he ordered the Empire State Building transmitter maintained until the bugs in the WTC transmitter could be worked out. CBS kept the ESB transmitter maintained thereafter as a backup, which is why WCBS was the only VHF station in New York City to keep transmitting after the 9/11 attacks that destroyed the WTC. (NBC had to shift to Telemundo O&O WNJU/47 Linden NJ, and ABC shifted to WNYE-TV/25, whose transmitter is at the Conde Nast Building)...

 

[w9wi]

...did WCBS-TV/2 use the Channel 53 translator longer than the others were in use? The story was that, after the transmitter for WCBS-TV atop the WTC was first tested, CBS Chairman William Paley found that he got atrocious reception at his home in Connecticut, so he ordered the Empire State Building transmitter maintained until the bugs in the WTC transmitter could be worked out. CBS kept the ESB transmitter maintained thereafter as a backup, which is why WCBS was the only VHF station in New York City to keep transmitting after the 9/11 attacks that destroyed the WTC. (NBC had to shift to Telemundo O&O WNJU/47 Linden NJ, and ABC shifted to WNYE-TV/25, whose transmitter is at the Conde Nast Building)...

Actually, the channel 53 translator still exists, is still on the air -- but more on that in a moment...

What saved WCBS on 9/11 was a backup transmitter on the same channel 2 as the main transmitter. The rumor I heard was that the site was on an automatically-renewing lease, and someone forgot to cancel the lease. That's strictly a rumor though.

As for channel 53... That was eventually sold and programmed separately. It would eventually move to channel 42, and then convert to digital operation, ironically enough on channel 2! At some point along the line the call letters were changed to WKOB.

 

[radiorob2.0]

...did WCBS-TV/2 use the Channel 53 translator longer than the others were in use? The story was that, after the transmitter for WCBS-TV atop the WTC was first tested, CBS Chairman William Paley found that he got atrocious reception at his home in Connecticut, so he ordered the Empire State Building transmitter maintained until the bugs in the WTC transmitter could be worked out. CBS kept the ESB transmitter maintained thereafter as a backup, which is why WCBS was the only VHF station in New York City to keep transmitting after the 9/11 attacks that destroyed the WTC. (NBC had to shift to Telemundo O&O WNJU/47 Linden NJ, and ABC shifted to WNYE-TV/25, whose transmitter is at the Conde Nast Building)...

Actually, the channel 53 translator still exists, is still on the air -- but more on that in a moment...

What saved WCBS on 9/11 was a backup transmitter on the same channel 2 as the main transmitter. The rumor I heard was that the site was on an automatically-renewing lease, and someone forgot to cancel the lease. That's strictly a rumor though.

Following 9/11 there was a story about the WCBS-TV/ESB situation. After the 1993 attacks there were concerns over having all operations atop of WTC 1. At some point, all the TV stations looked into a back up master antenna atop of ESB with a CBS engineer leading the campaign. I don't remember if CBS already had the facility in place or started the ball rolling for a back up system, regardless the other stations decided a separate back up facility wasn't needed. Supposedly the CBS engineer that was heading the back up project was fired or held responsible for creating what was viewed at the time an "unnecessary expense". Then 9/11 happened and while the other signals scrambled for a transmitter site WCBS-TV fired up their back-up at ESB.

Important lesson learned, back ups are worth the expense.

 

[KML0224]

I thought the WCBS-TV main transmitter was at the Empire State Building? I remember WWOR-TV mentioning how the 1993 attack knocked their antenna signal off the air. Our cable system here in New Britain, CT was still carrying the non-syndex stuff from them at the time and that signal was unaffected.

 

[azumanga]

I thought the WCBS-TV main transmitter was at the Empire State Building?

Now, it is, but after the WTC facilities were activated, WCBS broadcasted from there while they kept the ESB facilities for backup.

I remember WWOR-TV mentioning how the 1993 attack knocked their antenna signal off the air. Our cable system here in New Britain, CT was still carrying the non-syndex stuff from them at the time and that signal was unaffected.

That's because the national EMI Service originated from Syracuse, picking to the original WWOR feed somehow from the studios (microwave or fiber?), then adding the replacement programs where needed before uplinking to the satellite. I heard that after the 1993 attacks closed down the transmitters, many cable systems in the NYC area temporarily replaced the original WWOR with the EMI version, which was normally available outside the NYC market only unless you have a satellite dish.

 

[dhett]

-- When were translators first authorized as a service by the FCC, and what was (were) the first licensed translator(s) to go on the air?

The Commission finally began authorizing translators in 1956.

I found a few interesting articles in David Gleason's Broadcasting/Telecasting Magazine collection from the mid-1950s.

In November 1954, B/T reported on illegal booster operations in north central Washington State, which, of course, were shut down by the FCC. What was unusual was that the locals defied the FCC, broke the seals that they had put on the boosters, and restarted them. The locals then began legal action to allow the boosters, and that action ended up as hearings in the US Senate, who instructed the FCC to find a way to authorize TV repeaters. (A Small Town + TV Repeater Idea: FCC Headache)

In response, the FCC authorized an experimental 200-W translator in one of the four communities in January 1955, which looks like the first step taken by the FCC in making translators legal. (One Way Out)

-- Was the term "translator" used from the beginning, and how/why/by whom was the term coined? (It always struck me as a little clunky, though I assume the intent was to convey the concept to the viewing public that the signal would be "translated" to a different channel.)

Not in the unlicensed days. The illegal units were generally called "boosters".

It's unclear from the Nov 1954 B/T article whether the illegal Washington operations were on the same channel, or on a different channel, but it refers to them as either "boosters" or "TV relays". The Jan 1955 B/T article refers to the experimental operation as a "translator" satellite that would rebroadcast KXLY's channel 4 signal on channel 16.

At the same time, the FCC was also considering an LPTV service for cities with less than 50,000 residents. (Little Tv's Proposed)

 

[dhett]

Another article on a proposed LPTV service in the 1950s: 'Coffee Pot' TV Plan Draws Mixed Reaction

This Adler Communications Labs advertisement from 2/28/1955 explains the difference between "booster", "translator" and "modulator".

 

[Bob1370]

WCBS-TV never removed their original 1952-vintage Empire State Building antenna when they moved their main transmitter to the WTC, and kept a backup transmitter connected to it, so in both 1993 and 2001 when WTC was attacked, they lost only a few minutes of air time.