New Low Power and Translator Stations Proposed to Serve Arizona - Low VHF

[dhett]

I know Sammi Brie addressed many of these, but here is a more comprehensive view.

On March 19, the FCC opened a filing opportunity for new low power and translator television stations. The following stations have been proposed for Arizona and for neighboring states with service into Arizona:

• Ch 2 Benson (Wavelength Dynamics LLC) LPTV; TL 32° 24' 54" N, 110° 42' 58" W (Mt. Bigelow); ERP 3 kW HP DA (225°) 1° EBT; HAAT 1,121 m / 3,677 ft; Note: station would serve Tucson, not Benson; might possibly be canceled due to incorrect information.
• Ch 2 Benson (Wavelength Dynamics LLC) LPTV; TL 32° 24' 54" N, 110° 42' 58" W (Mt. Bigelow); ERP 3 kW HP DA (225°) 1° EBT; HAAT 1,121 m / 3,677 ft; Note: station would serve Tucson, not Benson; appears to be a correction of a previous filing.
• Ch 2 Phoenix (Oasis Television Ministries, Nonprofit LLC) LPTV; TL 33° 35' 47" N, 112° 5' 34" (Shaw Butte); ERP 3 kW HP; HAAT 300 m / 984 ft.
• Ch 2 Phoenix (One Ministries Inc.) Translator; TL 33° 19' 57" N, 112° 3' 59" W (South Mtn.); ERP 1 kW HP DA (20°); HAAT 461 m / 1,512 ft; Note: station would likely rebroadcast KEDB Fort Bragg CA.
• Ch 2 Sacaton (Lowcountry 34 Media LLC) LPTV; TL 33° 29' 30" N, 111° 38' 27" W (Usery Mtn.); ERP 3 kW HP; HAGL 31 m / 102 ft; Note: station would serve Mesa, not Sacaton.
• Ch 3 Phoenix (One Ministries Inc.) Translator; TL 33° 19' 57" N, 112° 3' 59" W (South Mtn.); ERP 1 kW HP DA (20°); HAAT 461 m / 1,512 ft; Note: station would likely rebroadcast KEDB Fort Bragg CA.
• Ch 3 Sacaton (Lowcountry 34 Media LLC) LPTV; TL 33° 29' 30" N, 111° 38' 27" W (Usery Mtn.); ERP 3 kW HP; HAGL 31 m / 102 ft; Note: station would serve Mesa, not Sacaton.
• Ch 3 Tucson (Wavelength Dynamics LLC) LPTV; TL 32° 24' 54" N, 110° 42' 58" W (Mt. Bigelow); ERP 1.5 kW HP 2° EBT; HAAT 1,121 m / 3,677 ft.
• Ch 4 Phoenix (Silicondust USA Inc.) LPTV; TL 33° 19' 57" N, 112° 3' 59" (South Mtn.); ERP 1.8 kW CP DA (10°); HAAT 480 m / 1,575 ft.
• Ch 4 Tucson (Silicondust USA Inc.) LPTV; TL 31° 54' 3" N, 110° 38' 14" (Santa Rita Foothills); ERP 3 kW CP; HAAT 205 m / 672 ft.
• Ch 5 Phoenix (Silicondust USA Inc.) LPTV; TL 33° 19' 57" N, 112° 3' 59" (South Mtn.); ERP 3 kW CP DA (20°); HAAT 480 m / 1,575 ft.
• Ch 5 Sacaton (Lowcountry 34 Media LLC) LPTV; TL 33° 29' 30" N, 111° 38' 27" W (Usery Mtn.); ERP 3 kW HP; HAGL 31 m / 102 ft; Note: station would serve Mesa, not Sacaton.
• Ch 5 Tucson (Fair Play 4U LLC) LPTV; TL 32° 24' 54" N, 110° 42' 58" W (Mt. Bigelow); ERP 3 kW HP DA (261°) 1° EBT; HAAT 1,121 m / 3,677 ft.
• Ch 5 Tucson (Silicondust USA Inc.) LPTV; TL 31° 54' 3" N, 110° 38' 14" (Santa Rita Foothills); ERP 3 kW CP DA (320°); HAAT 205 m / 672 ft.
• Ch 6 Phoenix (VPlay Inc.) LPTV; TL 33° 4" N, 112° 3' 44" W (South Mtn.); ERP 0.1 kW HP DA (312°); HAAT 404 m / 1,325 ft;
• Ch 6 Tucson (Fair Play 4U LLC) LPTV; TL 32° 24' 54" N, 110° 42' 58" W (Mt. Bigelow); ERP 3 kW HP DA (243°) 1° EBT; HAAT 1,121 m / 3,677 ft.
• Ch 3 Henderson NV (VPlay Inc.) LPTV; TL 36° 0' 36" N, 115° 0' 23" W (Black Mtn.); ERP 3 kW HP; HAAT 319 m / 1,046 ft.
• Ch 3 Las Vegas NV (Karlo Maalouf) LPTV; TL 35° 56' 46" N, 115° 2' 37" W (Arden Pk.); ERP 3 kW HP DA (340°); HAAT 543 m / 1,781 ft.
• Ch 3 Las Vegas NV (One Ministries Inc.) Translator; TL 36° 0' 36" N, 115° 0' 23" W (Black Mtn.); ERP 3 kW HP; HAAT 325 m / 1,066 ft; Note: station would likely rebroadcast KEDB Fort Bragg CA.
• Ch 4 Henderson NV (VPlay Inc.) LPTV; TL 36° 0' 36" N, 115° 0' 23" W (Black Mtn.); ERP 3 kW HP; HAAT 319 m / 1,046 ft.
• Ch 4 Las Vegas NV (Karlo Maalouf) LPTV; TL 35° 56' 46" N, 115° 2' 37" W (Arden Pk.); ERP 3 kW HP DA (340°); HAAT 543 m / 1,781 ft.
• Ch 4 Las Vegas NV (One Ministries Inc.) Translator; TL 36° 0' 36" N, 115° 0' 23" W (Black Mtn.); ERP 3 kW HP; HAAT 325 m / 1,066 ft; Note: station would likely rebroadcast KEDB Fort Bragg CA.
• Ch 5 Henderson NV (Fair Play 4U LLC) LPTV; TL 36° 0' 36" N, 115° 0' 23" W (Black Mtn.); ERP 3 kW HP; HAAT 319 m / 1,046 ft.
• Ch 5 Las Vegas NV (Grigsby Way Broadcasting LLC) LPTV; TL 36° 0' 31" N, 115° 0' 20" W (Black Mtn.); ERP 3 kW H / unknown V EP; HAAT 341 m / 1,118 ft.
• Ch 5 Las Vegas NV (Karlo Maalouf) LPTV; TL 35° 56' 46" N, 115° 2' 37" W (Arden Pk.); ERP 3 kW HP DA (340°); HAAT 543 m / 1,781 ft.
• Ch 5 Las Vegas NV (One Ministries Inc.) Translator; TL 36° 0' 36" N, 115° 0' 23" W (Black Mtn.); ERP 0.4 kW HP; HAAT 325 m / 1,066 ft; Note: station would likely rebroadcast KEDB Fort Bragg CA.

Key

CP - circular polarization
DA - directional antenna
EBT - electronic beam tilt
EP - elliptical polarization
HAAT - height above average terrain
HAGL - height above ground level
HP - horizontal polarization
MBT - mechanical beam tilt
STA - Special Temporary Authority
TL - transmitter location

 

[Mediafrog+]

Many of these entities have applied for large numbers of LPTVs across the country. I’ve wondered whether they are actually planning television services, or if datacasting or 5GTV is the ultimate goal.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Looks like a lot of MX'd applications in there, and with the religioncasters having submitted a significant number of them, no chance for them to get points for local presence.

 

[fybush]

Looks like a lot of MX'd applications in there, and with the religioncasters having submitted a significant number of them, no chance for them to get points for local presence.

These are commercial applications and so the points system doesn't apply. It's going to be an auction.

 

[K.M. Richards]

These are commercial applications and so the points system doesn't apply. It's going to be an auction.

My mistake. It all gets confuddled in my mind.

What was probably my thought process was that usually for commercial applications, the auction comes first, but now it hits me like a brick upside of my head that for LPTV there are no allocated channels, so the process is driven by applications. And then my mind obviously further fuzzled the already-gone awry line of thought and equated it with LPFM, which does have a points system.

I think what I really need is for the FCC to have a single process for all services. (Like that will ever happen.)

 

[Mediafrog+]

These are commercial applications and so the points system doesn't apply. It's going to be an auction.

Any guesses as to an auction timeline? How long is the filing window?

Some of the applications in the greater Houston area are in exurban locations where there are relatively few people. Given some of the proposed signal overlaps by the same companies on the same channel, it would seem they are effectively creating single frequency networks. But for data or something else?

 

[powergate92]

Many of these entities have applied for large numbers of LPTVs across the country. I’ve wondered whether they are actually planning television services, or if datacasting or 5GTV is the ultimate goal.

I believe 5GTV capabilities are only standard for UHF at the moment, not VHF.

REC takes positions on 5G broadcasting by UHF LPTV stations

REC supports the new 5G technology, but not at the expense of essential TV services in rural and underserved areas; and without departing from the traditional role of free-to-air broadcasting.

recnet.substack.com

The 5G Broadcast standard only applies to UHF (Channels 14~36) and there is no standard for VHF spectrum (Channels 2~6, 7~13).

 

[fybush]

There is no filing window in this case. LPTV is now a rolling application process. The MX groups will be determined by who files first, with all apps filed on the same day (or maybe two days, I haven't been paying super close attention) considered to be filed simultaneously.

 

[K.M. Richards]

There is no filing window in this case. LPTV is now a rolling application process. The MX groups will be determined by who files first, with all apps filed on the same day (or maybe two days, I haven't been paying super close attention) considered to be filed simultaneously.

At least I managed to remember that much. (I had wondered why @dhett had referred to "the FCC open[ing] a filing opportunity" in his original post and now I see that I was correct in wondering that.)

I have also noticed in the FCC Daily Digest that there have been a lot of dismissed LPTV applications, although I have not bothered to cross-reference against the list from the FCC notice of the filings to see if the dismissed ones were on that list, but I suspect they are.

 

[dhett]

I took the language from this post: https://www.fcc.gov/document/media-bureau-revises-lptv-filing-opportunities, and another that explained why it was not a filing window.

Perhaps it was more accurate to say that the FCC lifted the filing freeze.

 

[dhett]

To date, no Arizona or nearby applications have been reported by the FCC as being canceled or dismissed, but my monthly updates (if I can get free time available to post monthly instead of waiting 6 months or more) will report any applications that are granted, canceled or dismissed.

 

[DavinaR]

I thought low vhf does not work well for digital tv signals, why all the low vhf applications all of a sudden if they are for TV station service?

 

[KeithE4]

I thought low vhf does not work well for digital tv signals, why all the low vhf applications all of a sudden if they are for TV station service?

They're available? Most UHF channels, at least in metro Phoenix, are already taken.

 

[dhett]

KeithE4 is correct: all UHF channels in Phoenix already are being used, and the only high-VHF station left is channel 7, which needs to protect KAZT-TV Prescott. Channels 8, 10, 12 and 13 are in use, and channels 9 and 11 have already been requested for K06QW-D and K04SE-D, respectively.

Keith Leitch, owner of the One Ministries Inc. stations, has even stated that he requests low-VHF stations because they're not in demand. If he's fortunate, he can come back later and request a different channel.