Atlanta Analog Stations Shutdown - What did you see?

[BarryATL]

WPCH uncerimoniously shut off the analog signal at 12:02 AM. Two minutes into Family Guy. Kinda sad to have that signal so casually discarded. I spent many many hours growing up with WTCG/WTBS with the roof top antenna.

WGCL has a large crawl across the faces of David Letterman. It is Spanish and English.

WAGA has a smaller crawl across the top of the screen in Spanish and English.

 

[fussbudget]

WGCL made the switch at 10 a.m. with not so much as a word.

 

[BarryATL]

Lead story on WSB noon news is the converstion and they are broadcasting live from the transmitter building. They are going to show the engineers flipping the switch.

 

[BarryATL]

WAGA has the engineer that signed them on in 1949 there to shut down the analog at 12:30.

 

[jal41]

Major Atlanta stations are now digital

No fancy signoff statements - just pictures of people cutting off the transmitter as the last images

WSB-TV had longtime reporter Don McClelean and Ray Moore sign off the transmitter. The CE that signed on WXIA (as WLTV/8) in 1951 did theirs.

 

[BarryATL]

WAGA had the 99 year old CE at sign on Paul Cram hit the switch. They enven showed a pictures of the house they first broadcast from. They did an interview with Paul... lots of pictures of the old facilities and transmitter rooms... the reporter even refered to the station as wagga.

Out of the three stations, I will give a nod to WAGA as the best coverage. They did a little history and had lots of pictures.

 

[BarryATL]

I just finished watching WAGA's noon news. In the second half of the newscast they did a very extensive (by local news standards) interview with Paul Cram and had his family present. The anchor read a few lines for the original script when WAGA signed on the air in 1949. Lots more pictures. WAGA's coverage and the respect they showed to their heritage put their coverage leaps and bounds ahead of all of the other stations.

Mr. Cram even read the script to close out the newscast. Cudos to WAGA.

 

[fussbudget]

Coincidentally, there was a major "Sporadic E" opening as the Atlanta stations signed off. Minnesota TV stations that had not yet made the transition, were coming in on Channels 2 and 5. Weak signals at best.

 

[historybuff]

I flipped between WSB, WAGA, and WXIA and agree that WAGA had by far the best coverage of the switch. How fitting to have the engineer who signed the station on in 1949 to hit the "off" button on the analog signal........ I expected more from WSB and was sadly disappointed at their lack of attention to the station's history. Look's like Don got all dressed up for nothing..... Kudos to WXIA for having the engineer from 1951 to off their analog signal.

 

[BarryATL]

WPBA did somthing a little odd. The analog signal played the normal end of the night sign off with ERP, studio location, etc. The funny part: "We invite you to tune in later this morning at 6 AM for more great programming."

 

[upstate29651]

I wanna see some youtubes of these. Where are they?

G

 

[IT_Guru]

Coincidentally, there was a major "Sporadic E" opening as the Atlanta stations signed off. Minnesota TV stations that had not yet made the transition, were coming in on Channels 2 and 5. Weak signals at best.

Because of my job I still live in Atlanta but also live in Ohio part of the year as well. I was hoping to be home in Atlanta today with the digital transition taking place but I still got to watch WSB sign off their analog from OH. On Ch 5 I was getting Miami so didn't get to see WAGA

 

[bpatrick]

Somebody mentioned E-skip, picking up KTCA/2
and KSTP/5 from the Twin Cities. I also get stations
on 2 and 5, WFMY and WRAL respectively, and had
no E-skip on those (WFMY shut down analog at 10 AM),
but I did get KYTV/3 Springfield, MO around noon Friday;
they were winding up the "Today" show (it was 11 AM
out there).

Only thing missing about WAGA's changeover: someone
mentioned that the station was referred to as wagga,
which it was for years. Now if they could have found
a dog that resembles the terrier mascot they used for
years and was named Wagga...

It was also nice to hear about Ch. 11 incorporating
some of their history, since they're not especially known
for their history; few Atlanta legends (like Ray Moore)
are associated with 11 and I daresay you'd have to start
around 1976 to find any memorable personalities there.

You'd think that, as the oldest station in town, WSB would
have done more references to the past.