ANALOG SHUTDOWN TIMIMG

[romer979fm]

I'm confused:
will stations "pull the plug" on the analog signals at 11:59:59pm local time
on Thursday June 11...or is the "off switch" hit at 11:59:59pm Friday June 12?
I know many will remain in "nightlight" mode...but I get mixed signals. Pun intended.

 

[Robnoxious]

Your mileage will vary. Stations will fade into analog sunset on the 12th, doesn't matter at what time just as long as full power analog goes dark on that date. Some stations may do it early in the morning while others may opt to night during the late news.

 

[kenglish]

Full-power Analog stations "lose their license" at 11:59 PM (local time) on Friday night. The FCC says they can switch off at any time during the day or evening on Friday. They are being more lenient this time around, and are only asking stations to file on whatever time period they will go....generally, something like morning, afternoon, early evening, or late, IIRC.

Nightlight stations will continue for either 14 or 30 days, under some form of authorization for "non-programming" material, sort of a cross between "Equipment Test" and "Program Test" authority.

 

[vchimpanzee]

It varies. My stations have been running crawls for weeks, and each one has a different time that day. Some will do it early in the day.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

In my market (Evansville/Owensboro), three stations will cease analog transmissions at 12:00 AM on Friday morning. One will broadcast the full day on Friday (stopping at 11:59 PM), and one will turn off the analog once the engineer gets in at 9AM.

In Nashville, the ABC affil will broadcast until 11:59 PM in analog, everyone else will shut off just past midnight. (info from http://jakesdtvblog.blogspot.com/)

 

[Joey1986]

Here is the list for my market (Los Angeles, CA) per TVNewsTalk (VHF stations only):
http://www.packofseven.tv/tvnt/showthread.php?t=5462

 

[TheRob]

My station moved the switch up to 9:00 a.m., instead of 11:59 p.m. (presumably to hype it on the morning news).

 

[4dude]

All these stations are gonna notice huge drop offs of people watching!! (@ least for awhile)

 

[kenglish]

All those (analog) stations will have NOBODY watching.

They're GONE! ;D

 

[james32746]

All those (analog) stations will have NOBODY watching.

They're GONE! ;D

Here in Orlando

6:45 AM - WKMG
9:00 AM - WESH and WKCF
1:00 PM - WFTV
6:20 PM - WOFL

Unknown - WHLV, WOTF, WRBW

 

[nathannah]

OK, got a new conundrum for you to ponder for Friday night...

The Stanley Cup finals air Game 7 on Friday night from Detroit on NBC. The game goes into sudden death and likely multiple overtimes. You've got WDIV and WPXI in Detroit and Pittsburgh ready to go off the air with their analog signals at 11:59:59, but then the game goes on into say, a fourth overtime (and possibly beyond), into midnight.

Will those stations stay on the air as 'illegal broadcasters' for the length of the rest of the game and inevitable postgame coverage, possibly earning Post-Newsweek and Cox strong fines from the FCC despite serving the public interest in that moment? Will they turn off earlier on before the game and then risk the never-ending wrath of regular Joes in Warren or Monroeville watching on their old Curtis Mathes hooked up in the garage because they were denied seeing their Wings or Pens winning the Cup? And if they dared to shutdown at midnight, would they risk a moment that will top the "Heidi game" in their local lore?

Mind you I've tried to search for the times for WDIV and WPXI's shutdowns, but have come up empty. But you know they're both going to change their shutdown times now that they have possibly the biggest-rated event outside of the Super Bowl this year airing on their stations in hockey-mad towns.

 

[FreddyE1977]

WJAC in Johnstown, PA is listing a 6:35PM shutdown.

WDIV in Detroit tells the Detroit Free Press that they are shutting off Friday
morning and their decision is final, gave seven or not. Locals can probably still get the CBC broadcast out of Windsor.

I suspect that the Canadians will strategically steer their shutdown date away from the Cup Finals.

 

[Neil56]

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram says all the Dallas-Fort Worth analog stations are shutting down at noon tomorrow.

 

[eskipper411]

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram says all the Dallas-Fort Worth analog stations are shutting down at noon tomorrow.

Execept for KERA which switches at 2359 and KDAF which switches at 0800

 

[Jul]

What about in Philly?

 

[azumanga]

Here in Orlando

6:45 AM - WKMG
9:00 AM - WESH and WKCF
1:00 PM - WFTV
6:20 PM - WOFL

Unknown - WHLV, WOTF, WRBW

WHLV is already digital only (since 4/16, when all TBN stations closed their analogs).

 

[james32746]

Here in Orlando

6:45 AM - WKMG
9:00 AM - WESH and WKCF
1:00 PM - WFTV
6:20 PM - WOFL

Unknown - WHLV, WOTF, WRBW

WHLV is already digital only (since 4/16, when all TBN stations closed their analogs).

Well that is wrong, WHLV had to stay analog until 6/12 because their new digital allotment is on ch. 51 and they can't sign on that channel until WOGX-51 signs off its analog transmitter, they never built their DTV-53 facility.

Also a correction, WKMG is signing off it's analog signal at 12:30 PM.

 

[cowboybud]

OK, got a new conundrum for you to ponder for Friday night...

The Stanley Cup finals air Game 7 on Friday night from Detroit on NBC. The game goes into sudden death and likely multiple overtimes. You've got WDIV and WPXI in Detroit and Pittsburgh ready to go off the air with their analog signals at 11:59:59, but then the game goes on into say, a fourth overtime (and possibly beyond), into midnight.

Will those stations stay on the air as 'illegal broadcasters' for the length of the rest of the game and inevitable postgame coverage, possibly earning Post-Newsweek and Cox strong fines from the FCC despite serving the public interest in that moment? Will they turn off earlier on before the game and then risk the never-ending wrath of regular Joes in Warren or Monroeville watching on their old Curtis Mathes hooked up in the garage because they were denied seeing their Wings or Pens winning the Cup? And if they dared to shutdown at midnight, would they risk a moment that will top the "Heidi game" in their local lore?

Mind you I've tried to search for the times for WDIV and WPXI's shutdowns, but have come up empty. But you know they're both going to change their shutdown times now that they have possibly the biggest-rated event outside of the Super Bowl this year airing on their stations in hockey-mad towns.

If you're a hockey fan, you already have cable/satellite.

 

[Joe_Capitano]

The Stanley Cup finals air Game 7 on Friday night from Detroit on NBC. The game goes into sudden death and likely multiple overtimes. ...Will those stations stay on the air as 'illegal broadcasters' for the length of the rest of the game and inevitable postgame coverage...?

Considering that all concerned have known this date was coming for 4 months now, and there exists a hard and fast deadline, I venture all the NBC stations will accordingly make their DTV switchover before the game. Sudden death in a Game 7 is probably not a valid excuse.

If it were me I would rather not find a way to feed ol' "Uncle Charlie."

 

[nathannah]

I was reminded by someone else that Detroit also has CBET 9 (CBC) in Windsor, which will be in analog for at least two more years, and of course in the eyes of most hockey fans is much more preferred over NBC's coverage (no doubt WDIV is easily outrated by their coverage). So I don't have to be worried about Detroit at all.

And it looks like WPXI is going to hard midnight, no matter what. I was just wondering about those few who watch via the rabbit ears if they'll get a "Heidi" moment, and only in their hometowns (no matter what if you're beyond Denver, the game will end in time if you're watching an 11:59:59 transitioner). I guess we'll see tomorrow night...