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What is WGSR going to do with W18BG low power relay station?
- Thread starter rf_chaser
- Start date
Latest word is that TCT has taken W18BG dark. The sale is apparently going to happen this coming week, and Starnews Corporation will take ownership of the license, CP, equipment and tower lease on White Oak Mountain.
The current Construction Permit gives Starnews until September to construct new transmission facilities for digital on channel 23. I'm not sure how the FCC handles CP's in the middle of a sale these days. I'm thinking that the sale would reset the clock to a full two years for construction, but since the analog channel is now dark the new facilities would have to be built before June of 2010 or Starnews would lose the license.
Digital conversion brings interesting things to broadcasting.
Later . . . .
The current Construction Permit gives Starnews until September to construct new transmission facilities for digital on channel 23. I'm not sure how the FCC handles CP's in the middle of a sale these days. I'm thinking that the sale would reset the clock to a full two years for construction, but since the analog channel is now dark the new facilities would have to be built before June of 2010 or Starnews would lose the license.
Digital conversion brings interesting things to broadcasting.
Later . . . .
H
Hourly
Guest
Later....
Your true personality is showing. Looks ugly from here. You may want to check the cloaking device.CCAlumni said:
I think most do. It's not far from the trials and tribulations radio folks go through. There is something to learn from all the electronic medias.tripinva said:
Right on Matt!
Actually, both. As a low-power, we're not required to cease analog broadcasting while we're testing our digital signal. It's a good thing we didn't, because our digital went down yesterday due to equipment failure. We should be back up and running on it on Monday.
We're changing our on-air presentation from Star 39 to Star 47. Right now older imaging pieces still have 39 on them, but all of them should be changed in the next week or so.
We haven't turned off the analog on 39 yet. We're going to keep it on until we've kept the digital going for 30 days, just to make sure everything works well.
Later . . . .
We're changing our on-air presentation from Star 39 to Star 47. Right now older imaging pieces still have 39 on them, but all of them should be changed in the next week or so.
We haven't turned off the analog on 39 yet. We're going to keep it on until we've kept the digital going for 30 days, just to make sure everything works well.
Later . . . .
You've changed frequencies twice now, haven't you?Matt Smith said:
I had to buy an extra audio tape for something I wanted to record. I just went ahead and bought three, and that gives me an extra one should I figure out how to reproduce my tape of Earl Burton from the early 70s. Would you be interested if I could get that reproduced?
I haven't commented much on the Danville station in a while, mostly because things have been at a standstill while we worked out the problems with WGSR's digital system. It's about 95% there now. It still just quits for no identifiable cause every 2-3 days, and a reset of the data hub restores it. We've got a device coming that will take care of that, supposedly it will sense the loss of data and automatically do the reset in less than a second.
We are sure enough of things that we have now filed license to cover on the digital facilities on 47, which means the 39 analog transmitter will be shut down soon after the FCC gives final approval. That is anticipated in 4-6 weeks.
The Danville station, formerly W18BG, has new call letters. It is now WMDV-LP -- Wonderful Martinsville Danville Virginia. The Chambers of Commerce probably won't love us any better, but it does roll off the tongue well.
The antenna has arrived for our digital operation on Channel 23. Transmitter is on order, and should be here before Christmas. Studios are in the "big yellow building" on Piney Forest Road in Danville, but initially our studios in Martinsville and Reidsville will provide most of the programming . . . but not simulcast. We've committed to program locally for this station as we have done in Reidsville.
The station should do a good job of covering Danville and Martinsville, Virginia as well as Rockingham and Caswell counties in North Carolina. Sorry Greensboro, not quite enough power to get to you.
Be looking for tests of the new station (hopefully) in late December or early January, 2010.
Later . . . .
We are sure enough of things that we have now filed license to cover on the digital facilities on 47, which means the 39 analog transmitter will be shut down soon after the FCC gives final approval. That is anticipated in 4-6 weeks.
The Danville station, formerly W18BG, has new call letters. It is now WMDV-LP -- Wonderful Martinsville Danville Virginia. The Chambers of Commerce probably won't love us any better, but it does roll off the tongue well.
The antenna has arrived for our digital operation on Channel 23. Transmitter is on order, and should be here before Christmas. Studios are in the "big yellow building" on Piney Forest Road in Danville, but initially our studios in Martinsville and Reidsville will provide most of the programming . . . but not simulcast. We've committed to program locally for this station as we have done in Reidsville.
The station should do a good job of covering Danville and Martinsville, Virginia as well as Rockingham and Caswell counties in North Carolina. Sorry Greensboro, not quite enough power to get to you.
Be looking for tests of the new station (hopefully) in late December or early January, 2010.
Later . . . .
We've looked at lots of alternatives. The channels adjacent to us in that direction preclude us doing much to get a signal in that direction. The upside is that the antenna we've chosen has a "backfill" design that will reduce the sharpness of the nulls to the North.
I'll have some more information coming, hopefully in a week or so.
Later . . . .
I'll have some more information coming, hopefully in a week or so.
Later . . . .
Basically economics have locked us into the particular antenna we have. At this point, we have an antenna and a price we can live with.
That being said, we looked at the best use of the given antenna to cover the most people possible, and great improvements in that area were possible. The new pattern has an orientation of 235º rather than the original 190º That puts Grade A signal (51 dbu) over Reidsville, Eden, Ridgeway, Martinsville and Collinsville, while significantly reducing the signal over the less-populated areas of Caswell (NC) and Halifax (VA) Counties.
We won't know for sure until we're on the air, but it should give a reasonably good signal for folks with antennas in Rocky Mount, Ferrum and maybe Smith Mountain Lake. Who knows, you might get a viewable signal where you live.
I would LOVE to be able to answer that question. DirecTV is no longer even answering my e-mails about the subject. If you want to see our coverage map, you can view it here . . . . http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=LD1335534.html
As an alternative, let me recommend our internet webstream. It's live 24/7, or as much of that as I can keep it there. You can find that here . . . . http://www.wgsr47.tv
Granted, it's not the resolution of HDTV, but at least the internet stream doesn't depend on line-of-sight.
Later . . . .
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