It appears that North Texas Public Broadcasting has applied for a digital translator on channel 25 in Tyler, presumably for KERA-13. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=183447.
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Tyler - KERA Translator may be in your future
- Thread starter gbranch
- Start date
Greg Branch said:
Not presumably, definitely. If they are awarded the permit and build out, it will be a KERA translator.
https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...t=25&appn=101335324&formid=346&fac_num=183447
Scroll down to Section III - Engineering Data
This is huge news....if/when they can get this done and fired up, it will mark the first time that all active mainstream networks will have a local presence (without viewers resorting to cable or a dish) in the market (even though ownership of the translator won't be separate from Dallas). It'll also be the first instance of the use of a translator there to pick up a station in an adjoining/distant market.
This only leaves Univision (when the primary Spanish nets are included) with a cable/sat -only presence in the Tyler-Longview market.
This only leaves Univision (when the primary Spanish nets are included) with a cable/sat -only presence in the Tyler-Longview market.
It will be interesting to see if the Tyler translator is the start of a translator network for KERA to get PBS into some of the other unserved areas in north Texas, like Abilene, San Angelo, Sherm-Den, Longview, Texarkana, etc. Maybe they are starting to use the money they made off of the sale of KDTN several years back.
azumanga said:
The link must have been session-specific. Try this: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...324&Service=LD&Form_id=346&Facility_id=183447
Dumb question while we're on the subject..... Would N.T.P.B. have the capability (if they're even wanting to do it) to have locally-relevant (i.e., courses offered at Tyler Junior College if it's Tyler) telecourse programs from each translator, or would it be easier/better/whatever for all translators to be exact-same copies programming-wise?
Here's the proposed "service area" for the translator, which is quite directional: www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=LD1335324.html
easttxtv said:
That's not going to happen. KERA ditched the telecourses when it sold off KDTN a few years back. If they don't have the money to do Dallas Co. telecourses, they're not going to do something like that in Tyler. You can bet that the programming on all the translators will be identical to KERA.
Those interested in television history would like to read the Wikipedia entry for KERA. It gives a history of the Wichita Falls repeater, originally on channel 24, now on 44.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KERA-TV
I can remember in the 70's seeing a dual station id for KERA 13 and 24. IIRC, the calls of the WF repeater were KIDZ.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KERA-TV
I can remember in the 70's seeing a dual station id for KERA 13 and 24. IIRC, the calls of the WF repeater were KIDZ.
Greg Branch said:
That takes me back. In south Texas I remember dual IDs for KIII (ABC) Corpus Christi and KXIX Victoria and for KZTV (CBS) Corpus Christi and KVTV Laredo. In central Texas it used to be KLRN (PBS) San Antonio and KLRU Austin.
The only one that comes to mind today is KWES (NBC) Odessa and KWAB Big Springs. That's a holdover from the days when KWES was licensed to Monahan and the two covered Midland/Odessa from opposite ends of the market.
Maybe some of the co-owned Abilene and San Angelo stations are simulcasts? Anyone know?
txchipk said:
Translators can be converted to LPTVs with little or no notice.
Greg Branch said:
The Wichita Falls repeater was indeed originally KIDZ. It held a regular full-power license. (a "full power" station may run as little as 100 watts. As KIDZ it was protected from interference from full-power stations; could upon filing of a proper application increase power to as much as 5000kw; and could originate programming independent of KERA. As a translator, it could have been bumped from channel 24 by a new full-power station; was limited to 1kw transmitter output (probably about 30kw or so ERP); and could only relay KERA -- couldn't originate any programming in Wichita Falls.)
It later surrendered the KIDZ full-power license and took out a translator license as K24AA. (I'm not 100% certain the K24AA calls are correct. The Wikipedia article is my only source for those calls, and the article is flawed in some other ways.) That's the same license that was eventually modified to channel 44 and finally to digital.
The last channel 24 facility is still in the FCC database. It was 4.5kw on the KAUZ tower. My recollection (which is really pushing it...) is that it ran the same 4.5kw when it was KIDZ. Analog channel 44 was 3.3kw on the same tower, but when it went digital it moved to a different tower. (very roughly 5 miles south-southwest of the KAUZ tower. I don't see any other FM/TV stations on this tower.)
w9wi said:
The calls were K24AD, and I'd be surprised if the station has gone digital already, as they were just granted the flash cut CP last month. I've corrected both in the KERA article, but the section on the Wichita Falls translator service is very poorly researched and not reliable at all.
dhett said:
Now that you mention K24AD I remember the calls.....
I found a listing for KIDZ-TV in the 1975 Broadcasting Yearbook. At the time the power was 2.82kw at 530' HAAT. (though it's also listed as 1036' HAGL - 8 feet higher than KAUZ - which is listed as 1020' HAAT. My bet is the 530' HAAT figure was correct.) Signon date is listed as Nov. 15, 1973; the licensee is Wichita Falls Educational Translator Inc., 816 7th St./Box 5147, Wichita Falls 76307. Phone number is (817) 723-0981 and the only executive listed is President Ray Farabee.
I have changed the Wikipedia page accordingly, to mention the full-license station.
I would presume the full license was surrendered to drop the need to have an operator on duty - it was relatively late in the game that remote control of TV transmitters was permitted, but automatic control of translators has been legal much longer. But I can't cite dates (and not having been with KIDZ at the time, can't confirm that was the reason.)
Article in the Tyler paper:
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20091013/NEWS08/910130311
is entitled "PBS Working To Bring Channel To Tylerites Without Cable", even though we all know that headline could have been worded a *little* differently. Anyway, they do bring up funding, and the current effort to get KKXT 91.7 going as nearer-term issues, as well as the obvious wait for the FCC to say yes to the app.
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20091013/NEWS08/910130311
is entitled "PBS Working To Bring Channel To Tylerites Without Cable", even though we all know that headline could have been worded a *little* differently. Anyway, they do bring up funding, and the current effort to get KKXT 91.7 going as nearer-term issues, as well as the obvious wait for the FCC to say yes to the app.
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