WFXG 54 Augusta

[RadioOCD]

Ever since going digital, it seems people even only 30 miles within the contour have trouble receiving WFXG 54. I thought they were moving from real channel 51 to 31. Is this the case or did they change their minds?

 

[Witchlover]

I think this situation was designed into the ATSC system. The idea, as I understand it, is to have more stations operating on fewer channels with each station covering an essentially equal size area. I know I can no longer receive the ETV station operating in Beaufort, even though I am only about 30 air miles from Beaufort. As soon as the FCC begins to license new stations (there is a freeze on new licensees; no CP's are being granted for new signals) we should see more stations available throught most of the country.

 

[Louis_009]

What about seen more stations than your local area? I used to pick up WABW-TV 14 GPTV in Tallahassee. I know WABW is in Albany/Pelham when we used to have Analog TV then when everything went to Digital I cant pick up WABW anymore. I wish they start adding more digital power to get more stations. Right now WABW-DT runs 10.5kw transmitter power.

 

[Witchlover]

I used to regularly pick up stations from Charleston and Augusta, as well. When the FCC begins adding new stations to the system we will see a little overlap between markets, but as I said earlier, the new system is designed to limit station range so that more stations can be placed on the air while causing a minimum of interference with stations already operating. Adding more power to a given signal as you suggest would defeat the purpose. When the system has been fully implemented, a map of television station coverage will resemble a map of cellular coverage, in that each station will provide a usable signal to a fairly well-defined area and no more. Other stations will provide coverage to adjacent areas, and the properties of the digital signals will minimize signal intrusion into those adjacent areas from distant stations.

 

[upstate29651]

When the system has been fully implemented, a map of television station coverage will resemble a map of cellular coverage, in that each station will provide a usable signal to a fairly well-defined area and no more. Other stations will provide coverage to adjacent areas, and the properties of the digital signals will minimize signal intrusion into those adjacent areas from distant stations.

So who will own these "filler" stations? How will they operate? Advertising?

This will be a fiasco. Also, a link to back up your assertion above would be much appreciated, thanks.

G

 

[Witchlover]

I apologize for the confusion. There is no link to the assertion. This is my interpretation of all that I have read concerning the ATSC system: There are, in fact, fewer channels since the VHF-Low Channels have been assigned to other purposes by the FCC. The FCC has stated in a number of documents, public releases, etc. that the new standard will, among other things, increase the number of ownership opportunities for those interested in television broadcasting and increase both the number of homes capable of receiving television and the quality of the received signal.

When new licensing is opened up, I am given to understand that the usual hoops will be jumped for receiving licenses. Applicants will be judged by the FCC as to their qualifications and fitness to receive the channel assignments. I think we can expect multiple applicants for those channels which will open up in the most desirable markets, and not so many applicants for the smaller markets. In time, sales and transfers will occur and a few large broadcasters will control most of those new assignments. Of course, non-profit and smaller commercial broadcasters will still exist, just as they do now, but those larger companies will dominate the industry. Most of the stations will indeed operate through the sale of advertising and by selling blocks of time to program providers just as always.

As to my assertion about the DTV coverage map coming to resemble the national cellular map, this is going to occur because of the limits placed on broadcasters in terms of power, interference with adjacent and nearby stations, radiation patterns and other aspects which affect the design, construction and operation of individual stations. The FCC has decided that it wants more television stations on the air. The only way this can happen is if each station meets strict technical requirements. The FCC has decided that it wants near total television coverage in the U.S. The only way this can happen is if each of these stations is assigned a specified coverage area, and is designed to provide local-grade coverage to this coverage area taking into account conditions unique to its coverage area. When this system is fully up and running, I think it will indeed look very much like the national cellular network - except, of course, for one-way, studio to receiver communications.

http://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Notices/1996/fcc96207.txt


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