Television "Rebranding"

[jfraz]

I was thinking the other day about WLBT and its slogan "3 on your side." When the digital transition occurs will they have to change to "7 on your side" since their digital channel is 7?

 

[w9wi]

I was thinking the other day about WLBT and its slogan "3 on your side." When the digital transition occurs will they have to change to "7 on your side" since their digital channel is 7?

No. Nobody but the FCC, the WLBT Engineering Department, and you will even know that WLBT is on channel 7.

Really, the FCC doesn't care how WLBT brands itself. They can use "86-13/16ths on your side" if they want. The Commission does require that WLBT send out a signal ("virtual channel table") on their digital station that tells viewers' TVs to cause WLBT to continue to come in on channel 3.

When June comes along there will be no difference in the number viewers punch in to watch WLBT. If they were watching off-air on channel 3 they will continue to punch in "3". If their cable system was carrying WLBT on channel 4, they will continue to punch in "4" on the cable box.

Look at it this way:

- There is no such physical concept as "channel 3". TV channel 3? CB channel 3? Marine radio channel 3? The third channel programmed into officers' radios by the Jackson Police Department Radio Shop? They're all "channel 3" but they represent four different physical concepts.

WLBT broadcasts an analog video signal on 61.25MHz. When you watch WLBT on your analog over-the-air TV, you punch in "3" on the remote. Your TV looks up "3" in an internal lookup table and knows to tune to 61.25MHz. It finds WLBT's analog signal there.

WLBT is currently broadcasting a digital TV signal on 186.31MHz. When you watch WLBT on your digital over-the-air TV, you punch in "3" on the remote. Your TV looks up "3" in an internal lookup table and knows to tune to 186.31MHz. It finds WLBT's digital signal there.

The analog lookup table is published in FCC Regulation 73.603 and is programmed into all analog TVs at the factory. The digital lookup table is loaded into the TV when you do a channel scan. (the contents of the table vary depending on the market -- in Madison, Wis., punching in "3" would cause your TV to tune to 686.31MHz) It's built from information broadcast by the stations as part of their datastream. Since analog TVs have been insisting on a channel scan when first set up anyway, as far as the viewer is concerned nothing has really changed.

In June WLBT will move its digital signal to 174.31MHz. It will change its datastream accordingly. You'll rescan, your TV's lookup table will change -- and you'll continue to punch in "3" to watch WLBT.

 

[fybush]

In June WLBT will move its digital signal to 174.31MHz. It will change its datastream accordingly. You'll rescan, your TV's lookup table will change -- and you'll continue to punch in "3" to watch WLBT.

And you and I will continue to answer this same question in at least three dozen other markets, I'll bet...

 

[bobrall]

Finally, an answer I can understand. It's confusion like this that will make television just a fad. It will never last.
AM radio and newspapers will dominate forever.

 

[RadeoEngineer]

I think they should go with " 3 dot 1 on your side."

 

[bobrall]

I think they should go with " 3 dot 1 on your side."

I like it!

 

[K4WRF]

In June WLBT will move its digital signal to 174.31MHz. It will change its datastream accordingly. You'll rescan, your TV's lookup table will change -- and you'll continue to punch in "3" to watch WLBT.

And you and I will continue to answer this same question in at least three dozen other markets, I'll bet...

And that is why you guys make the BIG bucks......

LOL!

Best,

w/

 

[bobrall]

Digital television signals cannot be received from most moving objects. Boats, Cars, Aircraft...etc

 

[tzbarber]

Digital television signals cannot be received from most moving objects. Boats, Cars, Aircraft...etc

....and you shouldn't be watching it while operating any of those!

 

[jfraz]

And you and I will continue to answer this same question in at least three dozen other markets, I'll bet...

Sorry to waste your time there buddy. I only brought it up because WLBT had so many filings and engineering studies done to change their digital channel assignment. Perhaps you could go ahead and address this topic in every one of these boards! However, if you did such a preemptive assault on the ignorant you might not have as much to complain about.

To the original poster: I respect your knowledge on this subject and your willingness to share. Thank you!

 

[bobrall]

Digital television signals cannot be received from most moving objects. Boats, Cars, Aircraft...etc

....and you shouldn't be watching it while operating any of those!

I was in the back seat singing...

 

[w9wi]

And you and I will continue to answer this same question in at least three dozen other markets, I'll bet...

Sorry to waste your time there buddy. I only brought it up because WLBT had so many filings and engineering studies done to change their digital channel assignment. Perhaps you could go ahead and address this topic in every one of these boards! However, if you did such a preemptive assault on the ignorant you might not have as much to complain about.

To the original poster: I respect your knowledge on this subject and your willingness to share. Thank you!

(Actually, *you're* the original poster )

I think Scott's comment was specifically directed at me. Between the two of us, I think we've answered this question on pretty much every board on R-I that has anything to do with television !!

I don't think branding entered into WLBT management's thought process when they decided to try to change their DTV channel assignment. In the digital world there's no relationship between RF channel assignment and what the viewer will punch up to watch your station.