FCC makes a mistake re: KTXA?

[radi0avenger]

So an interesting situation cropped up.

Here's the link to the FCC's website for KTXA's info: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=51517 - transmitting from Cedar Hill.

Now check THIS out:

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=127891

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=LD1336796.html

These guys are broadcasting ON CHANNEL 18 (same as ktxa). Only they're at the green building downtown Dallas. Get the picture? No, you won't. Neither signal wins!

 

[fredcantu]

Full power trumps LPTV, so KPFW will have to do some new channel hunting.

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

Full power trumps LPTV, so KPFW will have to do some new channel hunting.

KPFW will be able to fire up RF-18 once KTXA builds its new RF-29 facility, still a few months out. Much of what happened over the past few days is explained here starting with message #5677 :

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=529070&page=190

 

[JHBrandt]

KPFW has been granted an STA to use channel 29 temporarily and will coordinate with KTXA to swap frequencies in September.

"THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR DIGITAL SERVICE USING A STRINGENT EMISSION MASK. BASED ON AN OET-69 STUDY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF KTXA (WHICH IS CURRENTLY USING CHANNEL 18 WITH ITS OWN STA--THUS NECESSITATING THIS STA), ALL OTHER PROTECTIONS ARE MET.

IGLESIA WAS GRANTED A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT TO COMMENCE OPERATIONS DIGITALLY ON CHANNEL 18. THIS WAS NECESSARY DUE TO THE NEED TO VACATE ITS PRIOR CHANNEL (CHANNEL 61) TO ACCOMMODATE IMPENDING OPERATIONS BY VERIZON. AS OPERATIONS WERE ABOUT TO COMMENCE ON CHANNEL 18, HOWEVER, IT WAS LEARNED THAT STATION KTXA RECENTLY FILED A REQUEST FOR ISSUANCE OF AN STA (BEDSTA-20100225ABT) TO OPERATE TEMPORARILY ON CHANNEL 18. SPECIFICALLY, STATION KTXA SOUGHT SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO DISCONTINUE BROADCASTING ON CHANNEL 19 (ITS POST-TRANSITION FREQUENCY) AND RESUME OPERATIONS ON CHANNEL 18 (ITS PRE-TRANSITION DIGITAL ASSIGNMENT), IN ORDER TO ALLOW ITS CO-OWNED SISTER STATION, KTVT (WHICH HAS RECEIVED COMPLAINTS FROM VIEWERS UNABLE TO RECEIVE ITS HIGHBAND VHF SIGNAL) TO BROADCAST TEMPORARILY ON CHANNEL 19. ALTHOUGH THAT STA REQUEST HAS NOT YET BEEN GRANTED, KTXA EVIDENTLY ALREADY HAS COMMENCED OPERATIONS ON CHANNEL 18.

KTXA, HOWEVER, FILED AN APPLICATION IN SEPTEMBER 2009 TO SPECIFY CHANNEL 29D AS EVENTUAL ITS DIGITAL CHANNEL (BPCDT-20091021ACP). IGLESIA'S COUNSEL HAS BEEN ADVISED THAT KTXA INTENDS TO MOVE FROM CHANNEL 18 TO CHANNEL 29 IN SEPTEMBER 2010."

The real fun and games will be after the swap, when viewers (who've been ignoring the messages at the bottom of their screens about rescanning their TVs and/or converter boxes) tune to channel 21 and get Spanish church services instead :

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

The real fun and games will be after the swap [September 2010], when viewers (who've been ignoring the messages at the bottom of their screens about rescanning their TVs and/or converter boxes) tune to channel 21 and get Spanish church services instead :

That's a long way off and many things might happen between now and then with the FCC's Broadband Plan as well as other unknowables. I wouldn't be real surprised if KTXA never migrates to RF-29 and the current STA on 18 just becomes final.

 

[JHBrandt]

That's a long way off and many things might happen between now and then with the FCC's Broadband Plan as well as other unknowables. I wouldn't be real surprised if KTXA never migrates to RF-29 and the current STA on 18 just becomes final.

That would certainly make more sense. But their channel 29 permit has a significantly larger coverage area. Could KTXA increase their power to the full 1000 kW if they stay on channel 18? I know interference with KTVT isn't an issue but what about KYTX near Nacogdoches? Their coverage areas would overlap near Athens.

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

That's a long way off and many things might happen between now and then with the FCC's Broadband Plan as well as other unknowables. I wouldn't be real surprised if KTXA never migrates to RF-29 and the current STA on 18 just becomes final.

That would certainly make more sense. But their channel 29 permit has a significantly larger coverage area. Could KTXA increase their power to the full 1000 kW if they stay on channel 18? I know interference with KTVT isn't an issue but what about KYTX near Nacogdoches? Their coverage areas would overlap near Athens.

I really hate to be a cynic -- and I hope that in September 2010, I'll look back on my posting as being wrong -- but here's my take.

Even in a market like D/FW with a higher than average OTA viewership, I think that getting cable coverage is job #1 and KTXA has that. Plus, KTXA is the little sister to the big brother, CBS11 (KTVT). As long as KTXA is available to the decreasing OTA audience (with a fine 220 kW on RF-18), I'd wager that making the circle larger is much of a priority.

Remember that the crisis arose back in July 2009 shortly after the DTV transition and well before the broadband plan was on the radar screen. Furthermore, KTVT got what they wanted before Cowboy season started by going to RF-19, which probably does get some OTA viewers.

If I were in change of spending money down at CBS, I'd just keep the status quo and keep extending the KTXA STA.

 

[tripinva]

You're assuming KYTX will consent to a continuous extension.

- Trip

 

[JHBrandt]

As of today KPFW is broadcasting on RF channel 29. Since we already have a virtual channel 29 (KMPX) they kept 61 as their virtual channel. 61-1 and 61-3 are JEMIR (audio simulcast on KZFW analog channel 6). 61-2 and 61-4 are Musica Cristiana TV (sort of like TBN's JCTV, but in Spanish). Apparently JEMIR is no longer on 50-4; screen just says "no video input."

Incidentally, I did a rescan and found 61 channels today! Three of those are analog but that leaves 58 digital subchannels. DFW clearly has plenty of TV bandwidth; too bad so much of it is religious, shopping, duplicates (e.g., two 11-1's), or test patterns.

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

Incidentally, I did a rescan and found 61 channels today! Three of those are analog but that leaves 58 digital subchannels. DFW clearly has plenty of TV bandwidth; too bad so much of it is religious, shopping, duplicates (e.g., two 11-1's), or test patterns.

64 in total here (also counting the analogs). I suppose the difference is KXII's 3 subchannels.

By the way, I caught KPFW/61 for a few moments early on Sunday morning (circa 0200). They had not yet gotten the PSIP corrected so their RF-29 was also the virtual channel before they shut it down. I wonder why they're running with only 7 kW instead of 15 kW?

 

[JHBrandt]

64 in total here (also counting the analogs). I suppose the difference is KXII's 3 subchannels.

Yep, it is. (I subtracted KXII from my totals before posting.) The total will likely grow a bit more if/when KLEG/44 converts to digital.

KPFW comes in stronger than it did before. From my home KPFW's about 15 degrees off-axis from Cedar Hill, so the fact that my 8-bay UHF antenna is less directional at lower frequencies helps more than their reduced power hurts.

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

As of today KPFW is broadcasting on RF channel 29. Since we already have a virtual channel 29 (KMPX) they kept 61 as their virtual channel.

A rescan last night (SAT 17 APR 2010) now finds KPFW using a virtual channel of 18, which will ultimately be its RF channel in September 2010. That presumes that CBS goes forward with the plans to relocate KTXA to RF-29 (from 18).