NBC 4 and WBNS 10 OTA "HD" signals off due to a "power hit"

[xmusicmatt]

The WBNS-TV tower site was not down during that major wind storm. They had power the entire time, if I'm correct.

Do recall WVKO-FM 103.1 being off the air for several days during that major wind storm. They did not have a back up generator when they lost power and their tower site is in a rural location. That is why they were off the air for almost a weeks time.

However, my point was .. What if power was cut to that site due to a weather event... It seems like having no backup for the OTA DT signals to be a dangerious move .. exp with weather becoming "more rough" in recent years..

I am pretty sure that Sinclair does have a generator at their site to keep WSYX/WTTE on air during a storm -- at least with some OTA signal, I think.

 

[XtraXtra]

The WBNS-TV tower site was not down during that major wind storm. They had power the entire time, if I'm correct.

Do recall WVKO-FM 103.1 being off the air for several days during that major wind storm. They did not have a back up generator when they lost power and their tower site is in a rural location. That is why they were off the air for almost a weeks time.

However, my point was .. What if power was cut to that site due to a weather event... It seems like having no backup for the OTA DT signals to be a dangerious move .. exp with weather becoming "more rough" in recent years..

I am pretty sure that Sinclair does have a generator at their site to keep WSYX/WTTE on air during a storm -- at least with some OTA signal, I think.

Are you sure it isn't a holdover from analog VHF, which ran at substantially less power? It wouldn't surprise me if they had one, though. As cheap as they are, Sinclair also seems to be respected on the engineering side of things.

 

[RFdude1]

I wonder if the audience size they quote for OTA includes those viewers of outlying cable systems who receive the Columbus channels via the OTA signal rather than fiber feeds like the local systems? There are a number of cable systems in the Central Ohio viewing area who depend upon OTA feeds and some of them are good sized systems.

 

[XtraXtra]

I wonder if the audience size they quote for OTA includes those viewers of outlying cable systems who receive the Columbus channels via the OTA signal rather than fiber feeds like the local systems? There are a number of cable systems in the Central Ohio viewing area who depend upon OTA feeds and some of them are good sized systems.

I dont know why this matters, but I bought a USB tuner card for my laptop. I am able to get a signal with the built-in antenna roughly 25 miles out (to Kirkersville). I would think a 25 mile radius covers the bulk of the viewing area population.

 

[schmave]

I wonder if the audience size they quote for OTA includes those viewers of outlying cable systems who receive the Columbus channels via the OTA signal rather than fiber feeds like the local systems? There are a number of cable systems in the Central Ohio viewing area who depend upon OTA feeds and some of them are good sized systems.

I dont know why this matters, but I bought a USB tuner card for my laptop. I am able to get a signal with the built-in antenna roughly 25 miles out (to Kirkersville). I would think a 25 mile radius covers the bulk of the viewing area population.

Do you get all the Columbus stations with that? I agree, that radius should cover most of the viewers even though Columbus' DMA includes a lot of counties in every direction but west.