FCC's rejects KTVT's request to move DTV back to channel 11

[Tom_Desmond]

I'm surprised that this hasn't appeared here yet. Back in January, local stations submitted their requests for final channels after the DTV transition, including a couple of negotiated agreements. The bottom line is that the FCC has just ruled on the negotiated agreements, and rejected the one that would have KTVT moving back to channel 11 and KTXA moving to KTVT's current digital channel (19).

Here's what the FCC said in a recently relased R&O:

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22. Fort Worth, Texas. Viacom Television Stations Group of Dallas/Fort Worth L.P. (Viacom), the licensee of KTXA, NTSC channel 21 and DTV channel 18, Fort Worth, and CBS Stations Group of Texas L.P. (CBS), licensee of KTVT, NTSC channel 11 and DTV channel 19, Fort Worth, entered into an NCA whereby CBS elected its currently assigned NTSC channel 11 and released its assigned DTV channel 19 to be elected by Viacom as its digital channel. No objections were received. Our engineering analysis, however, indicates that CBS’s proposed digital operation on channel 11 would result in impermissible interference to the elected NTSC channels for KWTX-TV, channel 27 [sic; I presume this should be channel 10], Waco, Texas (0.3%) and KXII, channel 12, Sherman, Texas, (11.6%), and to the protected DTV channel for and KTRE, channel 11, Lufkin, Texas (0.4%). Accordingly, the NCA is rejected.
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This is then footnoted, with the note specifying that "will also permit CBS to select its assigned NTSC channel as its alternate channel."

So what does this mean? Apparently that the negotiated settlement has been rejected, but that KTVT-DT may still be able to move back to channel 11 anyway. My guess is that they will end up on channel 11, but perhaps at lower power than was proposed in the negotiated agreement that was submitted to the FCC.

Meanwhile, the FCC did approve the negotiated settlements that will place KFWD-DT on channel 9 and KLDT-DT on channel 39.

 

[AlanB]

> Meanwhile, the FCC did approve the negotiated settlements
> that will place KFWD-DT on channel 9 and KLDT-DT on channel
> 39.


I assume that WFAA wants to return to ch.8 when the DTV conversion is complete?

It was also my understanding that UHF was better for DTV than VHF. Why are DTV stations requesting to move to VHF signals?

 

[Tom_Desmond]

> I assume that WFAA wants to return to ch.8 when the DTV
> conversion is complete?

Yes. WFAA, KTVT, and KERA are all proposing to return to their original VHF channels after the transition.

> It was also my understanding that UHF was better for DTV
> than VHF. Why are DTV stations requesting to move to VHF
> signals?

High band VHF (channels 7 through 13) also appears to work well for DTV, and results in a lower electric bill versus UHF. It is also a chance to stay on legacy channels, which could perhaps have some promotional value (even though remapping theoretically would elminate this issue).

 

[BrainDeadPrez]

> > It was also my understanding that UHF was better for DTV
> > than VHF. Why are DTV stations requesting to move to VHF
> > signals?
>

One other possibility is that local cable systems will likely reassign their channel numbers based on a local station's DTV number (like now, on the analog system, where 'analog-8' is typically also 'cable-8')...so a UHF station could feasibly end up amongst the mainstream, 'heritage' portion of the dial if they can request a lower dial position, instead of being lost among the cable-only offerings up the dial.