If WIS applied to the FCC for permission to raise the height of their signal radiating elements, they undoubtedly would be allowed to do so. Unfortunately, they would be required to reduce their signal power commensurately so as to keep their signal coverage area unchanged. That would seem actually to be disadvantageous to all in their core viewing market (Columbia, Lexington, Cayce, Irmo, etc) who use an indoor antenna, as the increase in height would yield very little if any more of a clear path between the signal radiating elements and the receiving antenna, but the signal power reduction would mean the signal would have less window- and wall-penetrating muscle than before. They transmit from the very top of their tower anyway, so there is no room to go higher. Before June 12, 2009, when WIS-DT was on channel 41, at a power of approximately 840,000 watts, and transmitting from a few dozen feet lower than they do on channel 10, I rarely got their signal here in the southeastern tip of Dorchester County, right beside the Charleston County line. And that despite using an enhanced Winegard 7698 with five director elements added by me to the end of the UHF section of the antenna. From the perspective of my reception, WIS-DT (10) is far and away better than WIS-DT (41) was. But then, I depend on tropospheric reflection for the Columbia stations, and the longer wavelength of a lower frequency tends to be helpful for that. On the other hand, my reception of WLTX-17 (1 million watts) is as reliable as that of WIS, and I often get WACH-48 at 27db or higher.
One thing I do not understand is why these stations do not all share the tallest tower (WOLO), placing their signal radiating elements at whatever height, and thus collectively reduce their operating costs.
