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Analog Channels of One Station that Became Digital Channels of Another

J

Joey1986

I thought of another fun topic for the National TV board. What are some cases of the analog channel of one station becoming the digital channel of another?

For example, in my market (Los Angeles, CA), channel 31, which was originally the analog home of Twentynine Palms-licensed multilingual indie KVMD, is now the digital home of CW affiliate KTLA (virtual channel 5.1). KVMD is now on RF 23, mapping to virtual 31.1. Another example of this in my market is channel 24, which was the analog home of San Bernardino-licensed PBS station KVCR; and became the digital home of Oxnard-licensed CNN Latino affiliate KBEH (virtual channel 63.1). KVCR is now RF 26, mapping to virtual 24.1. A third example is channel 44, which was the analog home of Palos Verdes-licensed multilingual indie KXLA (now on RF 51, mapping to virtual 44.1); and became the digital home of Barstow-licensed KILM (formerly KHIZ) on virtual channel 64.1.

What are some examples in your market? And BTW, my fellow L.A.-market dwellers on this board are more than welcome to add in any examples I may have missed from L.A.

I am only including full-power stations in this, so no LPTVs, Class As, or translators allowed! ;)
 
I can't think of anybody like that for Hartford/New Haven. As an example, WTIC-TV (FOX) channel 61 of Hartford uses channel 31 for their digital. There was never an analog channel 31 here, due to WVIT-TV (NBC) channel 30 of New Britain. The only broadcasters now using their old analog channels for their digital broadcasting here are WCCT-TV (CW) channel 20 of Waterbury/Hartford [analog transmitter was in Prospect while the digital transmitter is in Farmington] and WHPX-TV (ION) channel 26 of New London.
 
Here in Pittsburgh WPCW (Analog 19, MyTV) is broadcasting digitally on 11, the long time home
of WPXI. Also WBGN, a local LPTV station, had to vacate analog channel 59 as it was outside the
zone, and went digital on 16, long-time home of WQEX/WINP. And speaking of WPXI, they just signed
on a translator in New Castle, PA on 33, long-time home of WYTV in nearby Youngstown, Ohio.
 
FreddyE1977 said:
Here in Pittsburgh WPCW (Analog 19, MyTV) is broadcasting digitally on 11, the long time home
of WPXI. Also WBGN, a local LPTV station, had to vacate analog channel 59 as it was outside the
zone, and went digital on 16, long-time home of WQEX/WINP. And speaking of WPXI, they just signed
on a translator in New Castle, PA on 33, long-time home of WYTV in nearby Youngstown, Ohio.
Click to expand...

I thought WPCW was the CW?

Youngstown/Cleveland/Pittsburgh:

analog 19 was WOIO-TV Cleveland WPCP Pittsburgh- Digital:WYFX Youngstown
analog 21 was WFMJ-TV Youngstown Digital: WJW Cleveland fill in translator for Canton, construction permit for WSSS-LP Steubenville, Ohio
analog 27 was WKBN-TV Youngstown Digital:WPCP Wbgn repeater New Castle, W27DG-D Repeater for WIVM Canton in Millersburg,Ohio

Kind of sucks the the Youngstown area could not get any more TV stations out of this as there are only 2 operators in town WFMJ-NBC/WBCB-CW, (vindy) and WKBN-CBS, WYTV-ABC, WYFX-FOX, MY-YTV-MYTV, and the weather ch (lin) as there is no real competition even though WBGN repeater, WJW'S two repeaters, and WPXI's repeater does bring in RTV,HSN,Live Well,Antenna TV, and ME TV into the market but they do not target the area they just repeat the Cleveland and Pittsburgh stations to extend their ranges into the fringe area.
 
Here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island:

WUNI 27 (UNI) Worcester, MA became digital 29; WFUT 66 (FUT) became digital 27.
WWLP 22 (NBC) Springfield, MA became digital 11; WGBY 57 (PBS) became digital 22.
WPRI 12 (CBS) Providence, RI became digital 13; WNAC 64 (FOX) became digital 12.
 
Minneapolis only has one
23...is now the 2nd PBS station (formerly analog 17)...maps to 2-3
on analog it was CW23 (they use RF22)
 
In Philly, WTXF, Fox-29 was analog 29 and now is digital 42. WUVP, Univision 65, was analog 65 is now digital 29.
 
Yes, it is the CW, sorry. Get all those networks I never watch confused.
 
Little Rock AR:

KATV 7>>>>>KETS 7 (2-n)

KLRT 16>>>> KLRA-LD 16 (47-1)

KKYK-LP 22 >>>> KATV 22 (7-n)

El Dorado AR

KTVE 10 >>>>> KETZ 10 (12-n)
 
None in Phoenix. None in Tucson. None in Yuma. None in Las Vegas. It's mostly a phenomenon that occurred where markets are much closer together and free channels were at a premium.
 
Also in Cleveland:

WDLI 17 (licensed to Canton) >>>>> WKYC 17 (3.x) Cleveland
WEAO 49 Akron >>>>> WDLI 49 (17.x)

mavtv said:
FreddyE1977 said:
Here in Pittsburgh WPCW (Analog 19, MyTV) is broadcasting digitally on 11, the long time home
of WPXI. Also WBGN, a local LPTV station, had to vacate analog channel 59 as it was outside the
zone, and went digital on 16, long-time home of WQEX/WINP. And speaking of WPXI, they just signed
on a translator in New Castle, PA on 33, long-time home of WYTV in nearby Youngstown, Ohio.
Click to expand...

I thought WPCW was the CW?

Youngstown/Cleveland/Pittsburgh:

analog 19 was WOIO-TV Cleveland WPCP Pittsburgh- Digital:WYFX Youngstown
analog 21 was WFMJ-TV Youngstown Digital: WJW Cleveland fill in translator for Canton, construction permit for WSSS-LP Steubenville, Ohio
analog 27 was WKBN-TV Youngstown Digital:WPCP Wbgn repeater New Castle, W27DG-D Repeater for WIVM Canton in Millersburg,Ohio

Kind of sucks the the Youngstown area could not get any more TV stations out of this as there are only 2 operators in town WFMJ-NBC/WBCB-CW, (vindy) and WKBN-CBS, WYTV-ABC, WYFX-FOX, MY-YTV-MYTV, and the weather ch (lin) as there is no real competition even though WBGN repeater, WJW'S two repeaters, and WPXI's repeater does bring in RTV,HSN,Live Well,Antenna TV, and ME TV into the market but they do not target the area they just repeat the Cleveland and Pittsburgh stations to extend their ranges into the fringe area.
Click to expand...
 
Evansville, IN:

WTVW 7 >> WEHT (Virtual 25)

Tulsa, OK

KTUL 8 >> KJRH (Virtual 2)

Kansas City, MO/KS

KCWE 29 >> KMBC (Virtual 9)

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

KXTX 39 >> KLDT (Virtual 54)

San Antonio, TX

KENS 5 >> KCWX (Virtual 2) (though KCWX also straddles the Austin market, while KENS never did)
 
In Chicago there were a few.

WGBO, WXFT, and WLS were on digital above 50

WLS is channel 7 (RF 44 -> Which was WSNS analog)

WGBO is channel 66 (RF 38 -> Which was WCPX analog)

WXFT is channel 60 (RF 50 -> Which was WPWR analog)
 
In Detroit, WJBK/2 (Fox) moved to RF Channel 7, the old analog home of WXYZ (ABC). WXYZ is now on RF 41.

In Buffalo, WBBZ/67 (Me TV) moved to RF Channel 7, the old analog home of WKBW (ABC). WKBW is now on RF 38. This is a slightly different situation, as WBBZ is licensed to Springville, south of Buffalo where WKBW is licensed, whereas both Detroit examples are actually licensed to Detroit.

And in Burlington, VT, WCAX/3 (CBS) moved to RF Channel 22, the old analog home of WVNY (ABC). WVNY moved to RF 13.
 
Birmingham/Tuscaloosa:

WUOA 23 analog now broadcasts on Digital 6, the analog home of WBRC, which now broadcasts on Digital 50.
 
Mark said:
In Chicago there were a few.

WGBO, WXFT, and WLS were on digital above 50

WLS is channel 7 (RF 44 -> Which was WSNS analog)

WGBO is channel 66 (RF 38 -> Which was WCPX analog)

WXFT is channel 60 (RF 50 -> Which was WPWR analog)
Click to expand...

Here's more for Chicago:

WYCC was on analog 20 (now 21 for digital), but WPVN-CD now uses 20 for digital (their analog channel was 24)

WFLD was on 32 for analog (now on 31 for digital), but WMEU-CD is now on 32 for digital (their analog channel was 48)

Now whenever WBBM-TV gets their UHF digital translator on the air, their translator will be on 26 (their analog was on 2 with no translator), which used to be WCIU's analog channel (now on 27 for digital)
 
I have a Magnovox converter for my over-the-air TV. If I punch in the true digital channel number, it will take me to the station but display the station's old analog number. For instance, if I punch in either 6 or 44, it takes me to WCSH 6 Portland, which broadcasts on Digital Channel 44.

But if it's late at night with Boston TV stations coming in, and I rescan, then punching in 44 will take me to WGBX Boston, which is Digital Channel 43 but still identifies as Channel 44.

I'm sure for the average viewer, the whole channel mapping thing was the right way to go for TV stations that were identified for decades by their analog number. But it really creates some oddities in the digital age, where most poeple don't know the real channel number of the station they're watching.
 
EJ204 said:
I have a Magnovox converter for my over-the-air TV. If I punch in the true digital channel number, it will take me to the station but display the station's old analog number. For instance, if I punch in either 6 or 44, it takes me to WCSH 6 Portland, which broadcasts on Digital Channel 44.

But if it's late at night with Boston TV stations coming in, and I rescan, then punching in 44 will take me to WGBX Boston, which is Digital Channel 43 but still identifies as Channel 44.

I'm sure for the average viewer, the whole channel mapping thing was the right way to go for TV stations that were identified for decades by their analog number. But it really creates some oddities in the digital age, where most poeple don't know the real channel number of the station they're watching.
Click to expand...

I personally would rather go by the RF channel number than the virtual channel number. I have a Magnavox converter box that does the same thing too. Punching in the RF channel doesn't work if another station is already using it for their virtual channel. Because most stations aren't broadcasting on their former channel number, this has caused problems for those using antennas to pickup the signal, & some people are using the wrong antenna for specific stations. There are cases where a station was broadcasting on UHF for analog, but got a VHF license for digital, & chose to stay on VHF for post-transitional digital. You also have cases where a station was on VHF for analog, but was given a UHF license, & that station returned to VHF (either voluntarily or forced to, due to a channel they might have been on was out-of-core), that station never tested out their VHF signal for digital, & had even bigger problems than the one that was on UHF for analog, but VHF for pre-transitional digital.

As for the VHF/UHF thing, VHF does in fact work for digital. It just means you have to have the right antenna for VHF (VHF-LO, which is 2-6 requires an outdoor antenna optimized for those channels). Most stations that are on VHF chose 7-13, since it works better than 2-6 (especially with some rabbit ears for 7-13, whereas it doesn't work at all for 2-6, but will with the right outdoor antenna).
 
EJ204 said:
But it really creates some oddities in the digital age, where most poeple don't know the real channel number of the station they're watching.
Click to expand...

For all practical purposes, no one knew much about the channels they were watching prior to the digital age. There really were no channel numbers. They were just frequencies mapped to channel numbers because it was easier to dial up, say, "6" than the actual frequencies you want to watch. The difference was that your old channel map was done at the TV factory. Now, it's done on your converter box or TV itself.

I do agree, however, that it does cause some oddities. After all, you still need to know what kind of antenna to buy, and, if you don't know where your stations actually broadcast, you can easily get the wrong antenna. Of course, I can't imagine most people spent a lot of time on their antennas prior to the digital age. After all, most antennas would get a snowy picture of channels they weren't optimized for, and the difference now is that weak signals, previously represented as snow, are simply bypassed.
 
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