"must carry" status for DT only stations

[Poledo]

WFBD-DT channel 48 is a new tv station serving the Mobile-Pensacola-Fort Walton television market. According to posts on AVS forums they have been on the air over a month, yet no local cable systems are carrying them. I thought that new stations that signed on with only a digital signal still got to envoke "must carry" rules, am I wrong? If I'm wrong then what was the point of signing on a DT only station that can only reach a few dozen viewers?

 

[w9wi]

> WFBD-DT channel 48 is a new tv station serving the
> Mobile-Pensacola-Fort Walton television market. According
> to posts on AVS forums they have been on the air over a
> month, yet no local cable systems are carrying them. I
> thought that new stations that signed on with only a digital
> signal still got to envoke "must carry" rules, am I wrong?
> If I'm wrong then what was the point of signing on a DT only
> station that can only reach a few dozen viewers?

WFBD-DT is indeed entitled to must-carry protection. If they wish to be downconverted to analog (to be available to subscribers who don't have digital cable) then the cable company can require WFBD to provide the downconversion equipment. Which is not exactly expensive.

http://ftp.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/Orders/2001/fcc01022.pdf
http://www.tvtechnology.com/features/On-RF/f-DL-Coverage.shtml

There are delays in the must-carry process. I can't find the rules right now, but after a new station comes on the air it has a window to declare its desire for must-carry. After a station notifies a cable system, that system has some time to begin carraige. I want to say 90 days -- I'm pretty sure it's more than a month.