Another station turns off it's analog transmitter

james32746 · Mar 24, 2006

Over the last few days I noticed that WACX-55 (Leesburg/Orlando) is no longer on the air. The station a few months back launched it's digital signal on channel 40.

Here is what it says from their website (http://www.wacxtv.org).

DIGITAL SWITCH

As mandated by the FCC in Washington DC, all TV stations must begin switching to "digital transmission" and....that day has come for SuperChannel WACX TV. Sometime during the first week of March 2006, WACX channel 55 will become WACX DT Channel 40 from our new tower location in east Orlando, Florida.

This will primarily affect ONLY VIEWERS using home antennas. Cable, satellite and internet viewers should not be affected. Over the coming weeks and months, every TV station in the area is required to do the same.

If you watch SuperChannel using your home loop or outside antenna, you may want to purchase a new HDTV TV ...with tuner. Or you may want to purchase a "HDTV Receiver Box" from Circuit City, Wal-Mart or other electronic dealers. This will allow you to watch WACX on digital channel 40 using your present TV set.

SUMMARY: Ways to watch digital WACX in the Central Florida area:

1. Digital or HDTV TV set with digital tuner...
2. HDTV receiver box connected to your home TV antenna tuned to channel 40...
3. Cable TV on same cable channel as before...
4. Satellite: DirecTV ch 55, Dish Network...ch 55, SkyAngel Network, ch. 9709
5. Internet at www.wacxtv.com
Thank you,

WACX DT
407 263 4040 ext 213

[email protected]

______________
James Westerfield

Markxxx · Mar 24, 2006

I couldn't get the link to work. I have it as <a target="_blank" href=http://www.wacxtv.com>www.wacxtv.com</a>

They are affiliated with the TBN Network according to that website______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.

Garrett · Mar 25, 2006

Over the coming weeks and months, every TV
> station in the area is required to do the same.

This is a stretching of the truth. Nobody needs to flip the switch for another few years (2009, I believe). I bet they likely couldn't afford to keep two transmitters running, and so this is their spin control.

And being that it's TBN anyway, I wonder who'll even notice.

rugrats1 · Mar 25, 2006

> I bet they likely couldn't afford to keep two transmitters running, and
> so this is their spin control.

Or, they might've made a special deal with a telecommunications company to cut to digital early -- I read somewhere that a telecom company is trying to entice all stations on channel 55 (where WACX was) to cut to digital, so they could use the spectrum that 55 resided on.

w9wi · Mar 25, 2006

> switch for another few years (2009, I believe). I bet they
> likely couldn't afford to keep two transmitters running, and
> so this is their spin control.

I think Qualcomm paid them to shut down early. My understanding is they have nationwide rights to the channel 55 spectrum.

Some other stations that have gone the same route recently include WLNY-TV (channel 55 on Long Island, an independent), KWDK-TV (channel 56 in Tacoma, Wash.; Daystar religious); WGNM-TV (channel 64 in Macon, Ga.), and WFGC-TV. (channel 61 in Palm Beach, Fla.. The latter two stations are both CTN religious.)

In the first three cases, Qualcomm filed comments supporting the early shutdowns.

As you say, no station is *required* to shut down their analog until February 2009.

OldAkronite · Mar 25, 2006

> In the first three cases, Qualcomm filed comments supporting
> the early shutdowns.
>
> As you say, no station is *required* to shut down their
> analog until February 2009.

Agreed. It isn't mandatory, but encouraged, for stations on Channel 55.

Here, our WB affiliate is on 55, and I doubt they'll shut down early. Not only are we in a top-20 market, and the station is a general-entertainment WB (soon to be CW) affiliate, but the station doesn't even have its DT stick up yet!

-OA______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a>

rugrats1 · Mar 25, 2006

> Some other stations that have gone the same route recently
> include ...
> WGNM-TV (channel 64 in Macon, Ga.), and WFGC-TV. (channel
> 61 in Palm Beach, Fla.. The latter two stations are both
> CTN religious.)

In WGNM's case -- they're still on both analog and digital:

http://www.wgnm.com/announcements.htm

And I quote from them:

"We will continue to simulcast on Channels 64 and 45 until such time as the FCC requires broadcast station to turn in their analog channel allocations."

w9wi · Mar 25, 2006

> In WGNM's case -- they're still on both analog and digital:
>
> http://www.wgnm.com/announcements.htm
>
> And I quote from them:
>
> "We will continue to simulcast on Channels 64 and 45 until
> such time as the FCC requires broadcast station to turn in
> their analog channel allocations."

They paid a lawyer somewhere to at least draw up the paperwork to get permission to shut down the analog early. (it's not just something where they made a spur-of-the-moment pronouncement: they actually filed something with the FCC) I don't do much work with lawyers but I'm pretty sure they don't come cheap<grin>, seriously I don't think they would have bothered to file if they didn't intend to actually close the analog transmitter at some point in the not-too-distant future. My guess is they have a date in mind sometime in the next few months.

Note that the copyright on that webpage is 2004. I'd say they've changed their mind since that page was written. My guess is that with the recent significant increases in utility rates, they decided it was just too expensive to run two transmitters.