The Last Day of Analogue TV

[Markxxx]

I saw this on usenet and was wondering, what will the last day of analogue TV be like. I realize the February 2009 deadline is just the last date for stations to turn off their analogue signal and become all digital.

But I was thinking on the last day, you simply shut down the analogue transmitter and (if needed) crank up the digital transmitter.

Then I got to thinking this might not be possible for some station. It's my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) that transmitters are built for a particular channel. And if one TV station is planning to use a channel that is currently in use by an analogue TV station (In the Chicago area both Chs 38 and 50 are currently in use and will be used for digital by station who now have their digital channels above Channel 51).

So I got to thinking it could be awhile before the channels get signed off and their digital signals up and running.

Anyway and thoughts about what this will be like. The only thing I will say is I think that after the dust settles we will see a shift in channel assignments like we did in some markets (like Ohio) in the 50s when the FCC misjudged the distance required between channels.

 

[w9wi]

I saw this on usenet and was wondering, what will the last day of analogue TV be like. I realize the February 2009 deadline is just the last date for stations to turn off their analogue signal and become all digital.

But I was thinking on the last day, you simply shut down the analogue transmitter and (if needed) crank up the digital transmitter.

Then I got to thinking this might not be possible for some station. It's my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) that transmitters are built for a particular channel. And if one TV station is planning to use a channel that is currently in use by an analogue TV station (In the Chicago area both Chs 38 and 50 are currently in use and will be used for digital by station who now have their digital channels above Channel 51).

So I got to thinking it could be awhile before the channels get signed off and their digital signals up and running.
...

Hard to say. It's looking like the FCC expects all analog and interim DTV operations to shut down on Transition Night. If you're going to have to have a new DTV facility after Transition - if your permanent DTV channel is not the same as your current interim DTV channel - then you're going to have to build the new facility "in the background" in the months leading up to Transition. Or, you're going to have to go dark between Transition Day and whenever you complete your new facility.

It does look like the FCC may allow one to test their new DTV facility on the air early, before Transition, provided they have the permission of whoever may be using that channel in the interim (or for analog operation). In many cases where a station's DTV channel is changing on Transition Day, their new DTV channel is the same as their analog channel so this permission will be trivially easy to obtain(grin). In these cases, often the station's old analog antenna can be used for DTV, so parallel construction should be relatively easy.

No permits have yet been issued for stations to move their DTV operations to their permanent channels. (with one possible exception - WVPX-23/DTV59 Akron Ohio which has filed for a DTV on channel 23) I wonder if the floodgates will open in mid-/late-September? That's 18 months to Transition - which means any permit issued after that date won't expire until after Transition. I'm just not convinced the FCC bureaucracy can handle all the applications they're going to have to process.

Luckily, the station I work for is staying put - our permanent DTV channel is the same as our interim channel - so we'll be watching this from the sidelines.

 

[dave73]

In the Chicago market, WLS 7 will have to stay on 7, since their digital is on 52. So I expect WLS-TV to work on putting up new equipment to transmit on 7 on transition day.
Most stations will stay on their digital assignment, as many find they do better on their digital assignment than on their analog. In the case of WYIN TV56, licensed to Gary Indiana; they had plans to stay on their digital 17, even before the FCC decided to ax 52 - 59, simply because the lower channel doesn't need as much power to transmit, and that being at the beginning of the dial makes it easier for people to find their channel. I get their digital channel better than their analog in the COL.

The real problem will be WXFT who will lose both assignments of 59 (digital) & 60 (analog) & WGBO will also lose both 53 (digital) & 66 (analog). WBBM also will have a problem, as the lower VHF doesn't work as well for digital, and they don't want to keep either channel 2 or 3. They requested 11, but I don't know what will happen with that once the current channel 11 goes to 47. I do know WLFI 18 Lafayette Indiana has their digital on 11, and they plan to stay on 11. So if WBBM TV goes to 11, they'll have smaller coverage than WTTW 11 gets now.

 

[arklatexradio]

Just to clarify ALL Analog TV will not be going away in 2009 just full power stations LPTV and translators will still be analog

 

[Markxxx]

According to the Wikipedia WBBM is now going to move to Channel 12, which is a bit better than channel 11. The two closest 12's being in Milwaukee and Champaign on analogue TV

 

[w9wi]

In the Chicago market, WLS 7 will have to stay on 7, since their digital is on 52. So I expect WLS-TV to work on putting up new equipment to transmit on 7 on transition day.

WLS could potentially have negotiated an agreement with some other station to use one of their channels, thus ending up somewhere other than 7. However, they didn't and will indeed leave their DTV on channel 7. (if you have to rate all the channels for which is best for a permanent DTV assignment, channel 7 would probably be in first place...)

Most stations will stay on their digital assignment, as many find they do better on their digital assignment than on their analog. In the case of WYIN TV56, licensed to Gary Indiana; they had plans to stay on their digital 17, even before the FCC decided to ax 52 - 59, simply because the lower channel doesn't need as much power to transmit, and that being at the beginning of the dial makes it easier for people to find their channel. I get their digital channel better than their analog in the COL.

The vast majority of viewers will have no idea that WYIN-DT is on channel 17; on almost every TV, you'll still have to punch in 56 to watch WYIN. Their TVs will internally remap logical 56 to RF 17, but that process will be invisible to viewers.

The real problem will be WXFT who will lose both assignments of 59 (digital) & 60 (analog) & WGBO will also lose both 53 (digital) & 66 (analog). WBBM also will have a problem, as the lower VHF doesn't work as well for digital, and they don't want to keep either channel 2 or 3. They requested 11, but I don't know what will happen with that once the current channel 11 goes to 47. I do know WLFI 18 Lafayette Indiana has their digital on 11, and they plan to stay on 11. So if WBBM TV goes to 11, they'll have smaller coverage than WTTW 11 gets now.

WXFT has negotiated an agreement with WPWR for use of channel 50. WPWR-DT will remain on channel 51.
WGBO has negotiated an agreement with WCPX for use of channel 38. WCPX-DT will remain on channel 43.
WBBM did succeed in getting channel 11 approved; I think they indeed did so by reducing power. They've been assigned 1.18kw @ 497m. My employer has a DTV facility on channel 10 with 42kw at 415m - WBBM's coverage will indeed be rather limited. (but I suppose it beats channel 3, even at higher power)

 

[vibe]

You have an election coming up before that date. With 1 in 5 TV HH'd still relying on OTA because they don't want or can't afford cable/satelite, this could be an important issue.

 

[dhett]

After my trip last month to Wilkes-Barre PA, I wonder. The areas my father lives in and has his church in are middle- to lower middle-class. Yet nearly every home had a satellite dish attached. I'm beginning to think that there are actually very few people who are OTA-only because they can't afford cable or satellite. Instead, I'm thinking that the majority of those 20% OTA households are like me, who don't have cable or satellite because they don't want it, or "can't afford" it because it's not a high-enough priority to afford.

Once digital television sets are at a price that analog sets have been, and they're almost there now, and once people start becoming aware of the digital transition - the latest FCC survey shows that 61% of Americans still have no clue what's coming - I think you'll see a lot of digital television sets being bought, and the need for converter boxes much lower than originally thought. What helps is the fact that American retailers are not allowed to buy analog TV sets for resale anymore.

 

[gr8oldies]

Simple...just sign off the analogue transmitter overnights in the months leading up to the change...keep feeding the cable and dish/direct TV and most people won't notice the difference. By the way, hs "transition night" even be set?

 

[anotherguyTN]

Once digital television sets are at a price that analog sets have been, and they're almost there now, and once people start becoming aware of the digital transition - the latest FCC survey shows that 61% of Americans still have no clue what's coming - I think you'll see a lot of digital television sets being bought, and the need for converter boxes much lower than originally thought. What helps is the fact that American retailers are not allowed to buy analog TV sets for resale anymore.

13 inch SDTVs are available at Wal Mart now for $95.00. This was considered a very good price for a 13 inch TV a few years back. The prices will probably go even lower as we get closer to Christmas, and eventually to transition time.

 

[w9wi]

By the way, hs "transition night" even be set?

Yes. February 17, 2009.

 

[CW]

You have an election coming up before that date. With 1 in 5 TV HH'd still relying on OTA because they don't want or can't afford cable/satelite, this could be an important issue.

It is my understanding the final election for stations has already been done. Some VHF hiband stations will stay on their new DTV channel as it was a N+1...those that went higher (like KBMT in TX whose analog is 12 and DTV is 50) will elect to go back to their VHF channel. MOST lowband (2-6) analog went UHF and will stay (thank goodness......VHF Lowband DTV is a MISTAKE! Those staying or going back to lowband will regret it)..I dont know any of those going from analog to DTV on the same channel but I guess it could happen!

 

[anotherguyTN]

WMC NBC 5 in Memphis has chosen to go back to 5 after the transition. This sounds like a dumb move to me.

By the way, hs "transition night" even be set?

Yes. February 17, 2009.

I never really checked until just now, but WHY did the FCC decide to make the transition date on a Tuesday??? It looks like a weekend, and at the beginning or end of the month would have made more sense. But when does the FCC do anything that makes sense??? :

 

[rageradio]

Anyone wonder how some stations will sign off their analog signals? Some kind of retrospective programming or images or just shut it down without a thought.

 

[KML0224]

The only thing I can think of as it relates to the date: The day before is President's Day. Fair enough. However, it should be done on a Sunday morning like Daylight Saving Time is. To go one further, could it have been done in MARCH 2009, the same morning as the clocks?

 

[jal41]

Re: The Last Day of Analog TV

Anyone wonder how some stations will sign off their analog signals? Some kind of retrospective programming or images or just shut it down without a thought.

A smart station (most likely a big 3 heritage VHF) would produce a special that would air at 11:30 PM, with both analog and digital stations signing off at midnight (and the digital signal signing back on at 5 AM, after the engineers get done with whatever they need to do). I would suspect any special produced by local stations or the networks would air during primetime, followed by local news, and then signoff.

Most stations (smaller stations and small markets) will turn off their analog signals that night without a whimper.

"That night" could be any day before 2/17/09. That day came out because it was after the Super Bowl. Any station can shut down their analog signal at any time from right now until then (a few stations already have). Whether there is any mass coordination between station groups and networks remains to be seen.

 

[w9wi]

WMC NBC 5 in Memphis has chosen to go back to 5 after the transition. This sounds like a dumb move to me.

Agreed. Our main competition (WTVF Nashville) has made the same election, and I really don't understand why.

Both WTVF and WMC did draw "outside core" DTV channels. (56 and 52 respectively) But they certainly could have done a Negotiated Channel Agreement with Sinclair - for channel 24 or 30 (or Ion's 50) in Memphis; for channel 17 or 30 (or WNPT's 46 or TBN's 50) here.

There is some speculation there will be additional channel shifts after transition - certainly the rules will permit it but I'd think the FCC will be VERY SLOW about approving such belated shifts. They're going to be REALLY BUSY handling the stations that are shifting on time, the ones that decide to shift later are going to be rotting in line...

I never really checked until just now, but WHY did the FCC decide to make the transition date on a Tuesday??? It looks like a weekend, and at the beginning or end of the month would have made more sense. But when does the FCC do anything that makes sense??? :

It wasn't the FCC's decision - that date was imposed by Congress.

My understanding is that one house of Congress specified Jan. 1, 2009. The other house insisted the transition not happen until after the NCAA basketball tournament was over. (seriously.) So the conference committee reconciling the differences in the two house's versions of the bill decided to comprimise - by picking the date midway between the two. No, it doesn't make much sense...

 

[w9wi]

It is my understanding the final election for stations has already been done.

This is true. The assignments are on my website http://www.w9wi.com .

I dont know any of those going from analog to DTV on the same channel but I guess it could happen!

Overall there are 517 stations whose permanent DTV assignment is the same as their current analog assignment.

If you mean only among low-band VHF stations, there are 24 such assignments. In four of these cases, the stations are relatively new and didn't receive a second interim channel for DTV.

 

[pabsungenis]

I never really checked until just now, but WHY did the FCC decide to make the transition date on a Tuesday??? It looks like a weekend, and at the beginning or end of the month would have made more sense. But when does the FCC do anything that makes sense??? :

Because that's the first full day after the Superbowl.

They didn't want to foul up Superbowl broadcasts, and broadcasters can take Monday to play around and make adjustments if need be before the big switch-off.

 

[arnoldevns]

Several points of clarification:

1. LPTV and translator stations also have to sign off their analog transmitters by the same day. Many in the DFW area already have construction permits for their new digital channel assignments.

2. The cut-off day will be very uneventful for many stations. Many stations are already broadcasting a full power signal on their assigned DTV frequency. The only big deal will be to make sure the cable companies start putting their DTV signal in the current analog spot on the dial. That shouldn't be a big problem.

3. Most viewers will not notice the transition since they get their TV by cable or satellite. 75%+ of the country will still tune in the same channels in the same place they always have. They'll wonder what all the fuss is really about. The 25% that get TV "over the air" (or OTA) will be the most inconvenienced. However, I suspect a good portion of those folks will have bought sets with DTV tuners already and will just switch to using that tuner instead. (a friend of mine swapped his old kitchen TV for a new samsung HDTV model that gets a great picture with just rabbit ears)

4. The penetration of DTV receivers is higher than you might think. A recent estimate shows that by the end of this year, 36% of homes will have HDTV sets. The downside is that only 44% of the folks with HDTV sets are getting HDTV programming. There is still massive consumer confusion over how to get HDTV. However, like I said earlier, for most folks it just won't matter much since they get TV from cable and satellite.