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KING KONG shuts down ota transmitters
- Thread starter gr229
- Start date
Routine transmitter maintenance probably. Don't want those klystron tubes operating while cleaning them out.
I think they should do the traditional sign-off alot more, with more people dumping cable and satellite for OTA.
I think they should do the traditional sign-off alot more, with more people dumping cable and satellite for OTA.
I would love to see more nightly sign-offs; it does't matter how long the station would be off air. If they signed off for only 30 minutes it would still be great.
So you never once saw KIRO-TV sign off some early weekend morning? They made a habit of it until, oh, at least a year or so ago.
KCTS still does about every two weeks - early Mondays 3 to 5 AM, though not with a full-on treatment.
KCTS still does about every two weeks - early Mondays 3 to 5 AM, though not with a full-on treatment.
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KBTC-TV did do sign-offs every Sunday morning at 2am when I was working there, although no national anthem or technical information. Just the "this concludes our broadcast day" and "hope you enjoyed" stuff, along with a contact number for programming inquiries. I'd hop on the Internet and check transmitter readings every hour while the bars and tone were going, and sometimes when the engineer on duty needed some audio checked, run music in the background 15min before sign-on.
So is there any possibility of seeing more on and off air sign off's in the future? Or are all night infomercials here to stay?
I remember the KBTC color bars at 2AM. KSTW also used to (maybe still does) sign off every few months for routine maintenance. KIRO doesn't do the 25-minute off air time anymore at 3:35AM - wish they still did. Yakima stations don't even sign off anymore. KIMA and KAPP both signed off, every night, until 2011 and 2012 respectfully. KYVE years ago used to go off at 12 Midnight, and KNDO signed off most nights until the later 1990s. KCTS' sign off at 3AM Mondays (sometimes) just says "KCTS will cease broadcasting due to routine maintenance" or something like that. No ERP, no studio information, no national anthem.
Was the '04 KOMO sign off kind of like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RyIjPWMQ1Y ? This was a 1998 sign on tape - still 4th North and Denny Way!
-crainbebo
Was the '04 KOMO sign off kind of like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RyIjPWMQ1Y ? This was a 1998 sign on tape - still 4th North and Denny Way!
-crainbebo
Back when I was with KNDO ('70s), they did the evening news, then Johnny Carson, then signed off until 5 or 6. The only one left in the building was the MC operator, who had the transmitter control in the booth with him and therefore was required to hold a 1st Phone. KIMA and KAPP also signed off, but I don't remember what time.
I recall the Chief Engineer telling me the transmitter was expensive to operate (tubes & electricity) and the 2 inch quad heads were also pretty spendy. Late nite advertising and infomercials were unknown then, so there wasn't much reason to keep the lights on after Carson.
I recall the Chief Engineer telling me the transmitter was expensive to operate (tubes & electricity) and the 2 inch quad heads were also pretty spendy. Late nite advertising and infomercials were unknown then, so there wasn't much reason to keep the lights on after Carson.
I remember "Uncle Jimmy" doing the 11 o clock news on KIMA/KEPR
OK. That tells me you're an old fossil, too!
Who was the guy who did the mid-day movie on 35? I remember, back when the station was in across from the Chinese restaurant, they used to open the garage (studio) door a bit on hot days. Kids figured out they could cause great disruption by tossing a firecracker or two under the door during live bits.
The station wasn't especially well-funded back then. Their VTRs were "portables", sitting on benches. By "portable", I mean it only took 2 guys to haul one around... much like the cameras back then.
Who was the guy who did the mid-day movie on 35? I remember, back when the station was in across from the Chinese restaurant, they used to open the garage (studio) door a bit on hot days. Kids figured out they could cause great disruption by tossing a firecracker or two under the door during live bits.
The station wasn't especially well-funded back then. Their VTRs were "portables", sitting on benches. By "portable", I mean it only took 2 guys to haul one around... much like the cameras back then.
Not sure, I left Kennewick in 1974. KAPP/KVEW was only a few years old. KONA radio had "5 mobile news units". Most of those consisted of take home hand held or lunch box radios.
That's about when I was in Yakima. The owners of KUTI, then the local country station I also worked at, bought what was then KSMK, a small AM over in your neck of the woods. That, and the fact that we fed a lot of programming over to KNDU was about all I knew about the Tri Cities at the time.
Everyone on KIMA is pretty new - except for sports guy Alan Sillence who has been going for 20 years now. Stu Seibel used to be the weather guy for decades and he left in 2007. Now it's Mike McCabe, probably taped and fed from KEPR-19 in the Tri-Cities.
KUTI used to be 980 khz and was "The Country Cutie". KXDD was "104 FM" and was the stereo country station. KXDD is still on after so many decades!
KDBL used to be "Sunny 92.9 KQSN" years ago (before 2002) and was a couple of other formats dating back to their 1984 sign on at 92.9 mHz.
KAPP REALLY sucks now! Their "news" looks like a college news set, Kevin Uretsky is the only person most nights and it is fed from KVEW from Kennewick, not to mention weather comes from a 3+ hour drive away (Spokane) and there are hardly no sports and NO weekend newscasts! Yes, the myth is true - some stations still don't have weekend newscasts. KAPP used to when they used to be across from KNDO on S 24th Ave.
KNDO is also all Tri Cities fed except for commercials and maybe a couple of Yakima reports. Very sad for channel 23.
KUTI used to be 980 khz and was "The Country Cutie". KXDD was "104 FM" and was the stereo country station. KXDD is still on after so many decades!
KDBL used to be "Sunny 92.9 KQSN" years ago (before 2002) and was a couple of other formats dating back to their 1984 sign on at 92.9 mHz.
KAPP REALLY sucks now! Their "news" looks like a college news set, Kevin Uretsky is the only person most nights and it is fed from KVEW from Kennewick, not to mention weather comes from a 3+ hour drive away (Spokane) and there are hardly no sports and NO weekend newscasts! Yes, the myth is true - some stations still don't have weekend newscasts. KAPP used to when they used to be across from KNDO on S 24th Ave.
KNDO is also all Tri Cities fed except for commercials and maybe a couple of Yakima reports. Very sad for channel 23.
Am I understanding correctly...that Yakima is fed FROM Tri-Cities stations? My run-in with those markets (mid/late 70's) was mostly the other way around...Yakima was FEEDING Tri-Cities except for local cut-ins. KNDU wanted to hire me to be anchor there at one point, but I had just bought a house in Seattle and wife had great job so didn't make sense to move there (or try to live in both cities at same time!)
That's right, up until a decade or so, Yakima was the repeater for Tri-Cities. Not sure if KLEW in Lewiston had the same set up but I'm guessing when it was still Cascade and then Retlaw, it may have always been a standalone except for programming like Uncle Jimmy. I think KEPR/KIMA represented the first 'satellite' programming in the US, that is, one stations programming being fed by another via telco or microwave. There was also a KBSN TV in Ephrata for a very short time in the late 50's.
Does KAPP even have place to hang their hat on in Yakima? I drove by there out near the airport some years ago and the place was for sale. KNDO hadn't moved yet. I think if it wasn't for the amount of money (KHQ) Cowles Media dumps into 23 and 25, the area wouldn't have much competition, but their Yakima footprint is definitely diminished. KNDU has had a live truck for sometime, a older Ford Explorer which looks like it came from Q6. KEPR's and KVEW' ENG vans look tired.
Getting back to radio, I remember KMSK, they were in downtown Kennewick on Benton St right off 1st ave. It had a tiny office, the studio booth looked out on the street and I got to go inside a couple of times. They changed to KOTY sometime in the 70's and got a FM simulcast too. KALE was also downtown and had the lions share of the market, followed by KONA and KORD, both MOR.
Does KAPP even have place to hang their hat on in Yakima? I drove by there out near the airport some years ago and the place was for sale. KNDO hadn't moved yet. I think if it wasn't for the amount of money (KHQ) Cowles Media dumps into 23 and 25, the area wouldn't have much competition, but their Yakima footprint is definitely diminished. KNDU has had a live truck for sometime, a older Ford Explorer which looks like it came from Q6. KEPR's and KVEW' ENG vans look tired.
Getting back to radio, I remember KMSK, they were in downtown Kennewick on Benton St right off 1st ave. It had a tiny office, the studio booth looked out on the street and I got to go inside a couple of times. They changed to KOTY sometime in the 70's and got a FM simulcast too. KALE was also downtown and had the lions share of the market, followed by KONA and KORD, both MOR.
There was also KCWT-TV Ch. 27 Wenatchee in the 1980s.
KSMK became KOTY which had a FM I think on 106.5
From wiki
"The station went on the air as KHWK on 1982-05-03. On 1987-04-03, the station changed its call sign to KOTY-FM. On 1993-04-15 to the current KEGX."
wikipedia doesn't have the entire history of 1340 in Kennewick
"KPKW (1945-?)
KOTY (?-1988)
KTCR (1988-2012)
But I think 1963 to 1974 or 5 would of been when they used KSMK
From wiki
"The station went on the air as KHWK on 1982-05-03. On 1987-04-03, the station changed its call sign to KOTY-FM. On 1993-04-15 to the current KEGX."
wikipedia doesn't have the entire history of 1340 in Kennewick
"KPKW (1945-?)
KOTY (?-1988)
KTCR (1988-2012)
But I think 1963 to 1974 or 5 would of been when they used KSMK
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