Any stations shutting off analog and going HDTV BEFORE 2/17/2009?

[dhett]

New construction permits - will likely build digital-only

State City of License Calls ATSC Final
----- ---------------- -------- ---- -----
CO Greeley KPJR 45

This one will definitely go on the air as a digital station -- the allocation for Greeley is for a digital station, and wouldn't meet the spacing requirements for an analog station.

You're correct - it is a digital allocation. I intentionally did not differentiate, as I don't see any station building analog just to shut it down within a year. IIRC, KRBK 49 Osage Beach MO and KVSN 48 Pueblo CO are actually analog allocations, but I'd be very surprised if either station began broadcasting in analog this late in the game.

As for the channel 45 allocation in Greeley, I can't think of one analog station or allocation that would have caused a spacing problem.

 

[MikeSFNM]

I've been reading the correspondence on this topic and am learning a great deal from it, since my interest is primarily radio.

However, for my own interest, I have been maintaining a list of applications that are still pending before the FCC--these, as far as I know, are analog. It will be interesting to see if these are granted, instructed to refile as digital, or simply be dismissed, as the FCC has done for any number over the past several years.

Note that my lists seem shorter than the FCC CDBS lists if you call them up. That is because my lists are structured according to city and channel, not applicant. Some have multiple applicants, of course, as you can see by the filing dates. In some cases where there are multiple applications for the same frequency, some have been accepted and some not.

These are the applications TENDERED but not accepted:

UT Vernal *17 7/5/1996
IA Des Moines *43 7/9/96 & 7/24/96; see Accepted
MN Winona *35 7/25/1996
AK Fairbanks 13 9/19/96 & 9/20/96 (two) & 3/31/97 (two)
ID Pocatello 25 9/19/96 (two) 3/28/97 & 3/31/97
MT Billings 14 9/19/96 & 3/31/97 (six)
MS Clarksdale *21 9/19/96 & 3/31/97
WV Fairmont 66 9/20/96 (two)
NV Tonopah *17 9/20/1996
MS Wiggins 46 9/20/1996
CA Redding *16 9/20/1996
NV Fallon *25 9/20/1996
NV Yerington *16 9/20/1996
AR Hot Springs *20 9/23/96 & 10/1/96 & accepted
AL Dothan *39 3/31/97 & accepted


These are the applications ACCEPTED for filing:
MN Winona *35 6/23/2005 (three) & tendered
AL Dothan *39 2/12/1997
TX San Angelo *21 11/19/1996
IA Des Moines *43 10/1/96 (two) plus several tendered
AR Russelville *28 10/1/1996
AZ Page *17 10/1/1996
AR Hot Springs *20 10/1/1996
MS Columbia *45 7/24/1996
MS Hattiesburg *47 7/24/1996
NC Canton *27 9/19/1996
CA Brawley *26 9/20/1996
AZ Coolidge *43 reinstated 10/07

The asterisks indicate a noncommercial channel. Among the TENDERED applications, the ones at Vernal, Des Moines, Winona, and Clarksdale have applications filed for PBS stations (if there is more than one application, the rest are religious groups). Among the ACCEPTED applications, those at Winona, Des Moines, Page, Columbia, hattiesburg, Canton, Brawley, and Coolidge (Phoenix) are planned PBS stations (for at least one of the applications.) Note that the FCC has stated its intent to grant CP's for Columbia and Hattiesburg (Mississippi Public Television), Canton NC (Asheville) (UNC-TV), and Brawley (KPBS-TV San Diego, bring PBS for the first time to the El Centro-Yuma market), and that the period for petitions to deny has long ended. So, these four stations should be granted soon.

 

[vibe]

Someone should pose the question about analog going dark in early 2009 to the Presidential candidates in a debate. I wonder if many of them are aware of this as it has no effect on THEIR lives.
And there are many people who are poor/on fixed incomes who do not have cable/satelite and rely on OTA reception. Like fuel economy standards, I'm confident the deadline will be pushed back for several years at the least.

 

[dhett]

Note that the FCC has stated its intent to grant CP's for Columbia and Hattiesburg (Mississippi Public Television), Canton NC (Asheville) (UNC-TV), and Brawley (KPBS-TV San Diego, bring PBS for the first time to the El Centro-Yuma market), and that the period for petitions to deny has long ended. So, these four stations should be granted soon.

The Yuma portion of the market has had an OTA PBS signal for about a year now. The Londen Group owns LPTV translator K19CX and used to broadcast the signal of KAZT 7 Prescott, but was forced to end broadcasts due to syndication exclusivity rules. They have been broadcasting KAET 8 Phoenix on the station instead. The Brawley application on ch 26 is for a full-service station, albeit a satellite with no local studio, but it will cover the entire market, giving the Imperial Valley its first OTA PBS coverage.

 

[dhett]

Someone should pose the question about analog going dark in early 2009 to the Presidential candidates in a debate. I wonder if many of them are aware of this as it has no effect on THEIR lives.
And there are many people who are poor/on fixed incomes who do not have cable/satelite and rely on OTA reception. Like fuel economy standards, I'm confident the deadline will be pushed back for several years at the least.

Sorry, not buying.

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,89727.0.html

 

[tripinva]

Well, Trip Ericson has returned to Radio Info after quite a while away. Man is this site slow. Also, I couldn't figure out how to get into my old account anymore...

Don't leave out WLFG-68/49, their analog transmitter on 68 died and they're now digital-only on channel 49.

- Trip

 

[genius]

Well, Trip Ericson has returned to Radio Info after quite a while away.  Man is this site slow.
- Trip

In short you've come back since nothing ever happens on the other board. Welcome back...

 

[tripinva]

In short you've come back since nothing ever happens on the other board. Welcome back...

While the other board is slower post-wise, haha, this one is a lot slower speed-wise. A LOT. Not as bad as when it first changed, but still not as snappy as it should be on a high speed connection.

If I only came back because nothing happened on the other board, I'd have been back a long time ago.

And another note for the list, WMBF is apparently supposed to sign on digital-only. It's presently listed as an analog that will flash-cut and does have an analog CP, but last I heard that station was planning to sign on digital-only.

- Trip

 

[dhett]

While the other board is slower post-wise, haha, this one is a lot slower speed-wise. A LOT. Not as bad as when it first changed, but still not as snappy as it should be on a high speed connection.

More activity = more competition for resources = more waiting = slower speed

Less activity = less competition for resources = less waiting = faster speed

Thanks for the updates on WLFG and WMBF. WLFG requested STA to go DTV only, which was granted, but the FCC has not canceled their analog license. For whatever reason, when I saw WMBF's CP, I thought they were already on the air in analog. I didn't notice that they weren't on the "licensed" list. I plead sleep deprivation.

 

[dhett]

Another early analog shutoff request

WWAZ-TV 68 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, has requested to shut down analog and go digital-only on channel 44.

Source: FCC Public Notice

 

[tripinva]

More activity = more competition for resources = more waiting = slower speed

Less activity = less competition for resources = less waiting = faster speed

AVS Forum has a lot more traffic than this place and manages to be a lot faster. I don't know if it's the software's fault or what, but this place is so much slower than any other "major" website that I visit in any category. (Though it does beat Digg, not that that's saying much)

Don't worry yourself about WMBF, I think even FCC documents list it as an analog simply because they have an analog CP.

And I'm surprised it took this long for WWAZ to shut off their analog... did it ever sign on a full-market analog signal? Heck, did it ever sign on a full-market DIGITAL signal?

- Trip

 

[azumanga]

And I'm surprised it took this long for WWAZ to shut off their analog... did it ever sign on a full-market analog signal? Heck, did it ever sign on a full-market DIGITAL signal?

I think WWAZ was already on the air the last few years on analog. There were plans to affiliate the network with Azteca America (hence the "AZ" in the calls), but the deal went sour, leading to WWAZ remaining a full-powered FamilyNet repeater. And until recently, its owner, Pappas Telecasting, didn't even bother with must-carry; apparently, they recently invoked must-carry on Time Warner in Green Bay, no doubt due to preparations to close its analog tranny.

 

[Markxxx]

I guess the AVS forum could be useful but it's too messy without much structure to it.

 

[tripinva]

Add to the list WSWG in Valdosta GA, which officially turned its analog license in to the FCC yesterday.

- Trip

 

[w9wi]

And I'm surprised it took this long for WWAZ to shut off their analog... did it ever sign on a full-market analog signal? Heck, did it ever sign on a full-market DIGITAL signal?

Yes, WWAZ did (does?) have a full-power analog signal. I wouldn't call it "full-market" as the transmitter is actually located outside the ADI.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=TV1020052.html, the protected service contour covers much of Milwaukee and parts of Madison but doesn't even come within 20 miles of reaching Green Bay.

I've seen the station (analog) at my mother's place just northwest of Milwaukee. That wasn't possible when they were on their low-power STA. Don't know about the DTV as I haven't had a digital set up there since WMVS and WTMJ were the only DTV stations in the area.
_________________________________________________
WSWG analog had been off the air for a year as of yesterday. They're the first major network affiliate (CBS) to drop an analog signal - but they told the FCC their entire coverage area is also covered by co-owned CBS affiliate WCTV Tallahassee; anyone who lost CBS service over channel 44 could get it over channel 6 instead.

 

[ngriffin]

I doubt many people watched the station OTA, unless they lived east of I-75. It is really only there to serve cable and satellite in the Albany, GA market. The schedule is nearly the same as WCTV, with a few exceptions where WALB or WFXL has the rights to a program. It does allow WCTV to sell ads separately for the Albany market.

 

[dhett]

That's odd, because the WSWG grade B contour doesn't even include Albany, and the WCTV grade B contour does. And Gray Television is correct: the WCTV signal competely encompasses WSWG's, so except to provide a city-grade signal to Valdosta, and unless there is a terrain shielding issue, WSWG is completely redundant as a CBS affiliate.