Off-air TV translator / cable pickups

[kc0ltv]

Anybody aware of translators or cable TV systems, in the past or perhaps even now, picking up "locals" (or non-locals) from long distances, directly over the air (rather than by microwave)? The longest I've heard of is Thunder Bay relaying Green Bay, about 300 miles away, in Bob Cooper's "Pirates" book.

 

[nd2023]

I used to get Fox 25 from Boston on cable instead of WNYE when there's tropo.

 

[Lawppy]

Last summer, my local (Coldwater) cable system picked up NBC 26 from Green Bay over the nearby TCT translator on channel 26. I turned on my radio hoping to hear wall to wall Green Bay FM and I only heard one. WPNE 89.3. Very interesting.

 

[kenglish]

When I was living back home in Macon, GA (1977-78) we had Cox Cable. The OTA pickup of WAGA-TV, channel 5 from Atlanta, was overridden by KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City early one morning (or, maybe WAGA was off the air). We got a good test pattern with ID and everything. Had to leave for work (to sign on the local station), or I would have watched to see how long an opening it was.

 

[gr8oldies]

On my hometown cable system in Ohio in the late 70s pulled in a ch 35 from Grand Rapids MI as I recall after WLIO in LIma signed off. (Or it could have been a 33 after WKJG Ft Wayne signed off.) This was on the cable. Occassionally WHIO-TV in Dayton was overridden bych 7 in Detroit

 

[RadioDze]

Once on Durham, NC cable, when local channel 4, WUNC-TV, signed off, a snowy, but color, picture from Greenville, SC's WYFF replaced it. Also, there is a Durham translator for K-Love station WKVE 106.7 in Semora, NC, W288BU 105.5, on which you can faintly hear Manassas, VA's WJFK 106.7 when WKVE is off the air (a frequent occurance whenever a thunderstorm rolls through Caswell County). Seems like I've heard Orangeburg, SC's 106.7, WTCB, there as well.