I know that the most VHF channels that you can get in one Metropolitan area without spacing problems are 7. 2-4-5-7-9-11-13. So far I know these cities have 7 VHF Channel line up. New York, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, El Paso, and Alberquerque in the United States. What other places around the world that has the perfect 7 VHF channels? So far I know Manila Philippines, Mexico City, and Guadalajara Mexico. Any other places around the world?
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Pre Digital NTSC 7 VHF Channels
- Thread starter e-dawg
- Start date
e-dawg said:
Note that most countries outside the Western Hemisphere use a different channel plan. ISTR South Korea and the Philippines are the only two non-American countries using our channel plan. Under the European channel plan if you have to have a blank channel between channels, the most you could get in one city would be six.
I know of two markets that actually had three side-by-side full-power analog VHF channels.
In the Greenville-New Bern-Washington, NC market, you had channels 7, 8 and 9. There was just channels 7 (WITN, Washington) and 9 (WNCT, Greenville) until 1989, when WFXI in Morehead City signed on VHF channel 8. Of course, the antenna was directional and positoned well southeast of 7 and 9's combined stick near Grifton, NC to protect them and co-channel WRIC in Petersburg, Virginia.
Something similar happened next-door in the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA-NC, market with channels 2, 3 and 4. Since 1965, you already had a channel 2 (WUND, Columbia) and a channel 3 (WTKR, Norfolk) operating side-by-side, and non-directional, though separated by 70 miles or so. WUND was technically in the Greenville-Washington-New Bern market until relicensing to Edenton in the mid-2000s. In 2001, WSKY in Manteo signed on VHF channel 4, with a directional antenna, but much closer to WTKR's transmitter in Driver, Virginia. Channels 2, 3 and 4 served a large common area and, towards the end of analog TV, all did so as a part of the same TV market.
There may be other examples out there as well. Another interesting note on VHF is that channels 4 and 5, as well as channels 6 and 7 can operate in the same market beside each other since there's sufficient space between the frequeicies at which they operate. It's very common to see channels 4 and 5 assigned to the same market (Raleigh-Durham, Washington, Charleston, New York City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Seattle, Nashville, Boston, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, et al) and, to a lesser extent, channels 6 and 7 (Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Omaha are the only ones that come to mind). I'm not sure why the popularity for the 4-5 combos versus the 6-7 combos, though alot of that depended on surrounding markets and what was alloted there.
In the Greenville-New Bern-Washington, NC market, you had channels 7, 8 and 9. There was just channels 7 (WITN, Washington) and 9 (WNCT, Greenville) until 1989, when WFXI in Morehead City signed on VHF channel 8. Of course, the antenna was directional and positoned well southeast of 7 and 9's combined stick near Grifton, NC to protect them and co-channel WRIC in Petersburg, Virginia.
Something similar happened next-door in the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA-NC, market with channels 2, 3 and 4. Since 1965, you already had a channel 2 (WUND, Columbia) and a channel 3 (WTKR, Norfolk) operating side-by-side, and non-directional, though separated by 70 miles or so. WUND was technically in the Greenville-Washington-New Bern market until relicensing to Edenton in the mid-2000s. In 2001, WSKY in Manteo signed on VHF channel 4, with a directional antenna, but much closer to WTKR's transmitter in Driver, Virginia. Channels 2, 3 and 4 served a large common area and, towards the end of analog TV, all did so as a part of the same TV market.
There may be other examples out there as well. Another interesting note on VHF is that channels 4 and 5, as well as channels 6 and 7 can operate in the same market beside each other since there's sufficient space between the frequeicies at which they operate. It's very common to see channels 4 and 5 assigned to the same market (Raleigh-Durham, Washington, Charleston, New York City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Seattle, Nashville, Boston, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, et al) and, to a lesser extent, channels 6 and 7 (Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Omaha are the only ones that come to mind). I'm not sure why the popularity for the 4-5 combos versus the 6-7 combos, though alot of that depended on surrounding markets and what was alloted there.
In Boston you had analog channel 4, 5 and 7, with the transmitter of WLNE-TV (ABC) channel 6 nearby in Tiverton, RI, which is on the MA border. Tiverton, RI and Needham, MA can't be too far apart.
According to indo.com and their distance calculator, it's only 43 air miles between those two cities.
According to indo.com and their distance calculator, it's only 43 air miles between those two cities.
RadioDaze said:
Interesting side note: in some Latin American countries, there are Muzak-type transmitters in the 72-76 MHz band, between Channels 4 and 5 (Latin America uses the U.S. frequency plan for TV.) Some VHF DX'ers have heard these stations here in the U.S. when skip conditions are good.
RadioDaze said:
FM radio is right above channel 6. Herringbone picture is very annoying to watch--caused by high-powered FM station(s) in or close to the non-comm band. It's also too weird for the average person to hear the channel 6 audio on their FM radio tuned to the lower part of the band. WFIL-TV/WPVI was the largest market for this to happen due to necessity (adjacent channels, with one exception, are assigned to NYC and DC).
KTN Corp said:
WITI Milwaukee also broadcasted on channel 6 as well, and I believe they promoted their audio being available on 87.7. Radio station WMWK had to co-locate on WITII's tower in order to be allowed to broadcast on 88.1, since 88.1 would otherwise interfere with the audio (possibly video as well) of channel 6 if they didn't. Since WITI is no longer analog and didn't go back to channel 6, WMWK no longer has to protect WITI. WITI however broadcasts their audio again on the radio, but only available on HD Radio from WMIL-FM 106.1 HD3, after working out a deal with Clear Channel Milwaukee to allow the audio on the station.
Dave said:
KWQC-6 Davenport, IA (Quad Cities) also promoted, at the end of their newscasts (at least during the '90s) that their newscasts could be heard "in your car" on 87.7.
RadioDaze said:
There's a KAUZ-6 signoff from 2001 that promoted this too..."...KAUZ-TV operates on channel 6 and 87.7 on your FM dial by authority of the Federal Communications Commission!" Many channel 6 stations in the country promoted it, especially for things like hurricane and tornado season.
Dave said:
I'd say WMWK ended up with a really good deal for going on the WITI tower rather than one of the other towers. They transmit at the lowest wattage of any Milwaukee station but now that analog 6 is gone, they ended up with a signal without any noise for almost an entire MhZ and that means it easily gets into Sheboygan and Lake County, Illinois in most places without much struggle. For an 1,100 watt signal, that's not bad at all, though it certainly helps they're also a completely mono operation.
Found another 6/7, in Puerto Rico...
Boise (KIVI and KTVB)
Denver (KRMA and KMGH)
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (WTVJ and WSVN)
Omaha (WOWT and KETV)
San Juan, PR (WIPR and WSTE)
Spokane (KHQ and KSPS)
Wichita Falls/Lawton (WAUZ and KSWO)
While on the pre-digital 6/7 kick, I put together a list of all the 4/5 markets I could think of...
Albuquerque (KOB and KNME)
Anchorage (KTBY and KYES)
Boston (WBZ and WCVB)
Brownsville/McAllen (KGBT and KRGV)
Charleston, SC (WCIV and WCSC)
Dallas/Fort Worth (KDFW and WXAS)
El Paso (KDBC and XEJ)
Grand Junction (KFQX and KREG)
Honolulu (KITV and KGMB)
Juneau (KUBD and KATH)*
Kansas City (WDAF and KCTV)
Los Angeles (KNBC and KTLA)
Mayaguez, PR (WNJX and WORA)
Minneapolis/St. Paul (WCCO and KSTP)
Nashville (WSMV and WTVF)
New York City (WNBC and WNYW)
Oklahoma City (KFOR and KOCO)
Raleigh-Durham (WUNC and WRAL)
Reno (KRNV and KNPB)
Riverton, WY (KCWC and WGWL)
St. Louis (KMOV and KSDK)
Salt Lake City (KTVX and KSL)
San Antonio (WOAI and KENS)
San Francisco (KRON and KPIX)
Seattle (KOMO and KING)
Washington (WRC and WTTG)
*-KATH is LPTV
Boise (KIVI and KTVB)
Denver (KRMA and KMGH)
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (WTVJ and WSVN)
Omaha (WOWT and KETV)
San Juan, PR (WIPR and WSTE)
Spokane (KHQ and KSPS)
Wichita Falls/Lawton (WAUZ and KSWO)
While on the pre-digital 6/7 kick, I put together a list of all the 4/5 markets I could think of...
Albuquerque (KOB and KNME)
Anchorage (KTBY and KYES)
Boston (WBZ and WCVB)
Brownsville/McAllen (KGBT and KRGV)
Charleston, SC (WCIV and WCSC)
Dallas/Fort Worth (KDFW and WXAS)
El Paso (KDBC and XEJ)
Grand Junction (KFQX and KREG)
Honolulu (KITV and KGMB)
Juneau (KUBD and KATH)*
Kansas City (WDAF and KCTV)
Los Angeles (KNBC and KTLA)
Mayaguez, PR (WNJX and WORA)
Minneapolis/St. Paul (WCCO and KSTP)
Nashville (WSMV and WTVF)
New York City (WNBC and WNYW)
Oklahoma City (KFOR and KOCO)
Raleigh-Durham (WUNC and WRAL)
Reno (KRNV and KNPB)
Riverton, WY (KCWC and WGWL)
St. Louis (KMOV and KSDK)
Salt Lake City (KTVX and KSL)
San Antonio (WOAI and KENS)
San Francisco (KRON and KPIX)
Seattle (KOMO and KING)
Washington (WRC and WTTG)
*-KATH is LPTV
In Canada most cities either don't have enough stations for this to be possible, or they are too close to the U.S. border where these channels are already taken up, which is the case for Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Calgary is probably the closest one:
2 - CICT (Global)
4 - CFCN (CTV)
5 - CKAL (Citytv)
9 - CBRT (CBC)
13 - CIAN (Access)
All the other stations there are on UHF. Channel 7 is used in Lethbridge for CISA; I'm not sure if there's a Channel 11 closer than Edmonton's CBXFT or not.
2 - CICT (Global)
4 - CFCN (CTV)
5 - CKAL (Citytv)
9 - CBRT (CBC)
13 - CIAN (Access)
All the other stations there are on UHF. Channel 7 is used in Lethbridge for CISA; I'm not sure if there's a Channel 11 closer than Edmonton's CBXFT or not.
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