Why Doesn't Sunbeam Put WLVI-DT On 42?

[Laurence Glavin]

According to the various DTV websites, WHDH-DT will return to channel 7 after the transition FINALLY occurs, after years of broadcasting on channel 42. This will happen on the self-supporting tower they own already. Co-owned WLVI-DT is supposed to remain on channel 41 on the candelabra tower behind the Sheraton, Needham. Is there any reason why Sunbeam can't apply to move WLVI-DT to the vacated channel 42 antenna on their own tower, and save the rental they pay for space on the candelabra?

 

[pqgeorge]

It would make sense to move WLVI-DT to Channel 42. But one problem with 42, though, is that it is side-mounted on the Channel 7 tower, thus it is somewhat directional and is not as high as the candelabra. Once Channel 56 (analog) is off-the-air, Channel 41 can mount their DT antenna on the existing Channel 56 arm of the tower. I believe that WTMU-LD (//WNEU-34) is already planning to occupy Channel 42 once WHDH-DT leaves the air on 42. Since WLVI already has a well installed DT system, Channel 41 will do just fine as is.

It would be interesting to see if totally NEW stations come to the air after the transition. Since the UHF taboos are all gone, new channels in the market could be activated. I could see some LPTV's could get substantial power increases equal to that of full-powered stations. We shall see.

 

[Skynet74]

It would make sense to move WLVI-DT to Channel 42. But one problem with 42, though, is that it is side-mounted on the Channel 7 tower, thus it is somewhat directional and is not as high as the candelabra. Once Channel 56 (analog) is off-the-air, Channel 41 can mount their DT antenna on the existing Channel 56 arm of the tower. I believe that WTMU-LD (//WNEU-34) is already planning to occupy Channel 42 once WHDH-DT leaves the air on 42. Since WLVI already has a well installed DT system, Channel 41 will do just fine as is.

It would be interesting to see if totally NEW stations come to the air after the transition. Since the UHF taboos are all gone, new channels in the market could be activated. I could see some LPTV's could get substantial power increases equal to that of full-powered stations. We shall see.

It was just plain dumb to delay the date again. If all the warnings, announcements, news stories and specials haven't made people get their digital converter box, than what are the chances that those poeple will be doing it by June? Just shut off all the analoges already. Then went Aunt Matilda can't even get television reception anymore, she'll finally go out and do what she should have done in the first place. Buy the damn box!

 

[necrat123]

According to the various DTV websites, WHDH-DT will return to channel 7 after the transition FINALLY occurs, after years of broadcasting on channel 42. This will happen on the self-supporting tower they own already. Co-owned WLVI-DT is supposed to remain on channel 41 on the candelabra tower behind the Sheraton, Needham. Is there any reason why Sunbeam can't apply to move WLVI-DT to the vacated channel 42 antenna on their own tower, and save the rental they pay for space on the candelabra?

This is a bad scenario, because you create the "all eggs in one basket" scenario. Lets say a major failure were to occur at WHDH's tower (i.e. generator fails, tower collapses, etc), WHDH can sign on, rather quickly using a sub channel of the WLVI-DT stream from the candleabra. This gives WHDH the only major station in Boston to have a full fledged seperate site redundancy backup. Same goes true for WLVI with respect to the candelabra.

It would make sense to move WLVI-DT to Channel 42. But one problem with 42, though, is that it is side-mounted on the Channel 7 tower.

Peter, WHDH-DT is actually "stacked" on the tower below WHDH's analog 7 antenna. The side mounted antenna on the WHDH tower is a backup for WHDH 7. But the height difference is signifigant (WHDH-DT @ 288m AAT, versus WLVI-DT @ 346m AAT). However WLVI is directional versus WHDH's which is omni. The probability is, its 6 to one, half a dozen to the other between these two signal wise.

What hasn't been mentioned here is who will take the 3rd tine of the candelabra after everything is all said and done. With WSBK leaving the candleabra for good in June, WBPX-DT 32 has applied to go to the top of the Candleabra. So the tower would have WLVI-DT 41, WFXT-DT 31 and WBPX-DT 32., leaving WMFP-DT 18 as the lone full power TV tennant on the "FM128" (Former channel 5 tower) @ 1165 Chestnut St.