• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Any other stations doing this?

MarcB

MarcB

While flipping through the channels late last nite I saw the commercial that all the other channels/networks are running for the DTV transition coming in 2009. I saw this in-between the infomericals on WSAH/43, which is owned by Multi-Cultural Broadcasting. Now scrolling at the top of the screen was something to the effect of (I didn't write it down so I don't have it word for word, but this pretty much sums up what I remember seeing). "The old way of transmitting TV signals called Analog will be changing to Digital on February 17, 2009. For more information call 1-800-DTV-2009, visit www.dtvanswers.com, call WSAH at 203-xxx-xxxx, or visit your favorite electronics retailer."
 
KSAT-12 in San Antonio is already doing so with great frequency, first with a crawl on screen and then with a commercial about the change over to analog in February 2009 and that some TV's will go blank after that. They are even selling the boxes for that.
 
MarcB said:
While flipping through the channels late last nite I saw the commercial that all the other channels/networks are running for the DTV transition coming in 2009. I saw this in-between the infomericals on WSAH/43, which is owned by Multi-Cultural Broadcasting. Now scrolling at the top of the screen was something to the effect of (I didn't write it down so I don't have it word for word, but this pretty much sums up what I remember seeing). "The old way of transmitting TV signals called Analog will be changing to Digital on February 17, 2009. For more information call 1-800-DTV-2009, visit www.dtvanswers.com, call WSAH at 203-xxx-xxxx, or visit your favorite electronics retailer."
Click to expand...

I also saw Univision doing a piece about it last night.
 
WSB-TV/Atlanta is placing a ticker on-screen during one of the segments of the 5 PM news, as well as during the sports segment at 6 PM. The ticker just lasts for one minute or so, then it goes away (of course, they annoyed us with the drought information ticker for over a month last Fall).

Univision aired a 30-minute special about the digital transition a couple of weeks ago. The hispanic population is one that has been deemed (along with the elderly and other minorities) as in need of more education regarding the DTV transition.

WXIA/WATL has been airing reeditted NAB spots featuring the news talent (Brenda Wood and Ted Hall, as well as the zillionth mention of the station's 11Alive.com website).

GPB (statewide PBS network) is airing spots featuring the hosts of "This Old House", Kevin O'Connor and Norm Abram. Point is...eight of the nine stations have yet to begin DTV transmissions (flagship WGTV Atlanta has begun).

Most everybody else is showing the NAB produced spot.
 
Having these ads and stuff are great, but they're ineffective when you have idiotic politicians who do not know what they're talking about speaking about the transition. There was a thing on CT-N (Connecticut's version of C-SPAN) with Congressman Chris Murphy (or US House Representative) he was saying "You're TV's will not work in 2009 if you don't get the special Converter Boxes". He made no mention that if you have Cable that you'll be fine. I didn't see the whole thing so I don't know if he was corrected. He was also with 2 people from the Connecticut Broadcaster's Association - Mike Rice (former owner of WILI AM/FM in Willimantic, CT) and Don DeCesare (Owner of WMRD/1150 and WLIS/1420 in Middletown/Old Saybrook, CT)
 
MarcB said:
...... There was a thing on CT-N (Connecticut's version of C-SPAN) with Congressman Chris Murphy (or US House Representative) he was saying "You're TV's will not work in 2009 if you don't get the special Converter Boxes". He made no mention that if you have Cable that you'll be fine......
Click to expand...

That's what the Cable industry wants you to believe!

But, in fact, you may only receive an analog version of the old, main channel programming, and nothing else.
Broadcasters can provide many additional channels of programming on their DTV stations. Cable only has to carry the primary channel, nothing more. Same for satellite.

I try to convince my fellow broadcasters that we should think of the DTV Transition as two different campaigns...
One is the "Don't lose the ability to watch ANY TV...you need a converter", while the other is "Look at what DTV can do for you. HDTV, multicast channels, multi-language audio, enhanced captioning, EPGs, audio services, data services,....get with it and get it free!" campaign. It's a chance (maybe our last chance) to compete with the Cable and Satellite (and phone and fiber-optic) industries.

So, when a station tells people that they are OK if they have Cable or DBS, they are just shooting themselves in their own foot.
 
Let's see. In Hartford/New Haven

Channel 3.1 is the main WFSB/CBS signal.
Channel 3.2 is WSHM-LP from Springfield, MA (because WSHM-LP's signal is very week and can't reach the Springfield-area Cable Head-Ends)
Channel 3.3 is Eyewitness News Now (Channel 3 weather 24/7. Occassionaly something that's important, but not important to pre-empt CBS's programming will be shown here)

Channel 8.1 is the main WTNH/ABC Singal.
Channel 8.2 is WTNH Weather

Channel 18.1 is the main WUVN/Univision Signal
Channel 18.2 is WUTH-CA from Hartford. This is so Telefutura can be on cable.

Channel 20.1 is the main WTXX/CW Signal
Channel 20.2 has been off the air since "THE TUBE" went off the air.

Channel 24.1 does not exist. (There is a CPTV DT feed that airs on cable that comes from other CPTV affiliates).
Channel 24.2 does not exist.

Channel 26.1 is the main WHPX/ION Signal
26.2, 26.3, and 26.4, is Worship, ION Life, and Qubo.

Channel 30.1 is the main WVIT/NBC Signal
Channel 30.2 is NBC 30 Weather Plus

Channel 59.1 is the main WCTX/MY TV Signal
Channel 59.2 does not exist.

Channel 61.1 is the main WTIC-TV/FOX Signal.
Channel 61.2 does not exist.

Oh yeah. It'll be a real tragedy if these DT stations aren't available on regular cable.
 
MarcB said:
Let's see. In Hartford/New Haven:

Channel 8.1 is the main WTNH/ABC Singal.
Channel 8.2 is WTNH Weather
Channel 59.1 is the main WCTX/MY TV Signal
Channel 59.2 does not exist.
Click to expand...

Marc, a slight correction is need here: WTNH isn't running 8-2 anymore. WCTX has NewsChannel 8's Storm Team 8 Doppler on 59-2.
 
kenglish said:
I try to convince my fellow broadcasters that we should think of the DTV Transition as two different campaigns...
One is the "Don't lose the ability to watch ANY TV...you need a converter", while the other is "Look at what DTV can do for you. HDTV, multicast channels, multi-language audio, enhanced captioning, EPGs, audio services, data services,....get with it and get it free!" campaign. It's a chance (maybe our last chance) to compete with the Cable and Satellite (and phone and fiber-optic) industries.

So, when a station tells people that they are OK if they have Cable or DBS, they are just shooting themselves in their own foot.
Click to expand...

It's a shame that more folks in the broadcast industry don't see it the same way that you do. Instead, too many just seem to see their transmitter as a means of distributing their signal to outlying cable headends.
 
Saw a really nice, animated "snipe" on KSTU (Fox O&O) here in SLC yesterday.
 
MarcB said:
Great. More worthless crap the TV stations have to air because it's mandatory. Just like those stupid Ratings Bugs.
Click to expand...

Maybe if you ever have kids, or date someone with kids, or are allowed in the general vicinity of kids, you'll appreciate those ratings bugs, that have been in place since 1996.
 
Ron said:
MarcB said:
Just like those stupid Ratings Bugs.
Click to expand...

Maybe if you ever have kids...you'll appreciate those ratings bugs, that have been in place since 1996.
Click to expand...

But does anyone with kids actually use them, or the V-chip technology that's tied into the ratings? The main reason why you see ratings more frequently (and on cable and ABC, more larger) is that few people were paying attention to them.
 
Here in Cincinnati they are scrolling a banner on the bottom of the screen or top of the screen telling you abou the change over.
 
This is a post from the New York TV board:

w9wi
rimember

Offline

Posts: 1078


Re: DTV Question
« Reply #3 on: Yesterday at 08:52:14 am » Quote

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote from: BobRoss on Yesterday at 03:01:40 am
From what I hear, these PSAs and on-screen tickers are mandated by the FCC.


They are. Proceeding FCC 08-56, released on the 3rd of last month. To be a bit wordy, stations have three options:

1. Two :15 or longer PSAs and two :60 crawls per day-quarter (6a-noon, noon-6p, 6p-midnight, midnight-6a)
Three, after October 1st.

2. 16 :30 or longer PSAs (or 32 :15 or longer) per week and 16 crawls per week during each quarter between 5am and 1am. 25% to air between 6 and 11:35pm ET/PT. (5 and 10:35pm CT/MT)
Plus, a 30-minute program on the transition, aired at least once before 2/17/09 and between 8am and 11:35pm. (doesn't specify which timezone...)
From Nov. 10th, a "100-Day Countdown" is required with all of the following airing at least once daily:
- 5-15 sec. countdown graphic
- 5-15 sec. animated countdown graphic
- 5-15 sec. countdown or animated countdown with audio
- 2-5 minute segment on the countdown (apparently the FCC expects this to air as a segment in a newscast, though that's not required)

3. This option is available only to non-commercial stations.
60 seconds a day of PSAs, with at least 7.5 minutes per month between 6pm and midnight.
From May 1st this requirement doubles, and doubles again from November 1st.
Plus, one 30-minute or longer program, aired between 8am and 11:35pm (again, timezone not specified...) at least once before Feb. 17th.

My employer has chosen option 1, and I've seen Option 1 crawls on one of our competitors. The rules don't specifically require that you tell viewers they don't need a converter if you have cable, but they do require that the PSAs not include misleading information. We, and our competitor, *have* included text in our crawls indicating you don't need a converter if you have cable or satellite.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom