Is there a reason why San Antonio doesn't launch another full power TV station?

[hifidistortion]

The city has grown enough I would figure there should at least be 2 more of them. There seems to be plenty of throw away low power (-LD) stations around. IMO, KCWX if it could should move to SA, and KNIC should of went full power as well. Let's not even talk about the subchannels :-\

 

[w9wi]

The city has grown enough I would figure there should at least be 2 more of them. There seems to be plenty of throw away low power (-LD) stations around. IMO, KCWX if it could should move to SA, and KNIC should of went full power as well. Let's not even talk about the subchannels :-\

I thought KNIC *did* go full-power... 1,000kw is all the FCC will give you for a digital...

By my count there are 12 full-service stations in the San Antonio market. That's three more than the next larger market (Providence, Rhode Island) and the same number as the next market larger than Providence. (Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville, SC/NC. Since two of the G-S-A stations relay two other G-S-A stations there are only ten unique services in that market)

Not entirely certain why KCWX didn't move their transmitter further south when they converted to digital.

 

[fredcantu]

No way KCWX could move to Elmendorf. That's more than 70 miles from KCWX's community of license which is Fredericksburg. They could move their tower closer to NW San Antonio. But that's an expensive proposition. And everyone's antennas would still be aimed at Elmendorf! So what would they really gain?

BTW-- The FCC divvied out full power TV channels decades ago. Big cities got more than small towns. When all the big city channels were gone, TV operators went to the FCC promising to providing "first service" to communities that didn't have their own TV stations. And by a happy coincidence these stations threw a signal over a nearby big city. Because of this San Antonio now receives:
KCWX 2 Fredericksburg
KNIC 17 Blanco
KPXL 26 Uvalde
KMYS 35 Kerrville
And KVAW 16 Eagle Pass and KYVV 28 Del Rio are trying to get on that list (quite a reach.)

 

[tripinva]

But KCWX could operate from the KMYS tower. In fact, I don't see anything wrong with channel 35 for digital operation; if they wanted to, KCWX could buy the analog 35 gear from KMYS, convert the transmitter to digital and install a mask filter, and have great coverage.

- Trip

 

[Mediafrog+]

I'm rather surprised the Austin market doesn't have one or two more full power stations.

 

[mmnassour]

Under the analog allocations, there was no chance for VHF, given our location. And as KHFI/36 demonstrated when it went on in the mid 60s, UHF was a foreign thing in central Texas.

 

[KTN Corp]

IMO, KCWX if it could should move to SA

Back in analog, a Channel 2 from Elmendorf would be short-spaced with KPRC-TV and, thanks to the frequency, interference.

 

[fredcantu]

The sticking point is being able to put a good signal over your community of license. KCWX got on the air because it promised to provide service to Fredericksburg... not SA or Austin. KMYS's tower is 45 miles from Fredericksburg and we're talking hilly terrain. So that tower can't provide a city grade signal to KCWX's community of license.

http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=1133368&map=Y

 

[fredcantu]

Under the analog allocations, there was no chance for VHF, given our location. And as KHFI/36 demonstrated when it went on in the mid 60s, UHF was a foreign thing in central Texas.

In the beginning... Austin was allocated channels 7 & 9 as commercial stations. But I understand the LBJ family was instrumental in helping UT get channel 9 on the air as a non-comm.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Under the analog allocations, there was no chance for VHF, given our location. And as KHFI/36 demonstrated when it went on in the mid 60s, UHF was a foreign thing in central Texas.

In the beginning... Austin was allocated channels 7 & 9 as commercial stations. But I understand the LBJ family was instrumental in helping UT get channel 9 on the air as a non-comm.

I recall that Channel 9 was a San Antonio allocation, as KLRN used to always have "San Antonio-Austin" as part of the legal ID during the 60's and 70's, when the station was transmitting from the tower north of New Braunfels. LBJ was rather sleazy in some of his motives; apparently the "educational" designation was moved to 9 at some point to help keep a second commercial V out of the Austin market to compete against KTBC. LBJ was the biggest reason Austin didn't see its second commercial station sign on until 1965 (KHFI/42), long after other similar/smaller markets had already gotten two or three commercials stations.

Somewhere on the Internet there is an explanation about the allocation designation switches for Austin, and the machinations about getting KLRN on the air, but I don't have time at the moment to dig that up...

 

[tripinva]

The sticking point is being able to put a good signal over your community of license. KCWX got on the air because it promised to provide service to Fredericksburg... not SA or Austin. KMYS's tower is 45 miles from Fredericksburg and we're talking hilly terrain. So that tower can't provide a city grade signal to KCWX's community of license.

http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=1133368&map=Y

There's no such thing as city-grade anymore so far as the FCC is concerned. There's a minimum amount of signal required, which for UHF is 48 dBu, and if that contour covers the city of license, then you're in good shape. Even if it was based on actual coverage and not the contour line, orange represents 51-61 dBu, and I see lots of orange in the Fredericksburg area. The KMYS tower would work fine.

- Trip

 

[w9wi]

Channel 9 was assigned to San Antonio in both the initial 1952 allocation table and the proposed 1951 table.

However, there were two previous proposed tables in 1948 and 1949 which I haven't seen.

 

[fredcantu]

I see lots of orange in the Fredericksburg area. The KMYS tower would work fine.
- Trip

Maybe in the area... But zoom down to the street level and you'll see most of the city of Fredericksurg south of Main Street is either in the red or get no signal at all from the KMYS tower. It's low because it's along the lovely Barrons Creek. City Hall and the court house are in the red zone. There's even a red spot over the post office.

 

[compubit]

I know it wouldn't be a popular decision, but IMHO, KCWX provides little "true" value to the city of Fredricksburg (no newscast, no local programming) - since I'm assuming that nearly everyone in Fburg has either cable or sat to receive the other channels anyway - why not move the COL to San Antonio (or the area) - since it's no longer about Channel 2 and protecting KPRC on VHF-Lo.

Now if KCWX were to air some truly local programming targeting Fburg or the Hill Country (vs. San Antonio)...

J

 

[w9wi]

I know it wouldn't be a popular decision, but IMHO, KCWX provides little "true" value to the city of Fredricksburg (no newscast, no local programming) - since I'm assuming that nearly everyone in Fburg has either cable or sat to receive the other channels anyway - why not move the COL to San Antonio (or the area) - since it's no longer about Channel 2 and protecting KPRC on VHF-Lo.

FCC won't let 'em. You can't delete a city's only station.

 

[dhett]

I know it wouldn't be a popular decision, but IMHO, KCWX provides little "true" value to the city of Fredricksburg (no newscast, no local programming) - since I'm assuming that nearly everyone in Fburg has either cable or sat to receive the other channels anyway - why not move the COL to San Antonio (or the area) - since it's no longer about Channel 2 and protecting KPRC on VHF-Lo.

FCC won't let 'em. You can't delete a city's only station.

I know the FCC is hesitant to do that, but it's been done before. See KMSB, formerly of Nogales AZ, now licensed to Tucson with a digital signal that no longer serves Nogales at all.