WTVY Dothan is (or was) operating at reduced power on their DTV transmitter. They go full power AND was supposed to switch DTV from ch 36(?) to their analog assigned frequency of channel 4 when the analog transmitter goes dark.

I was informed this morning, by Tom Johnson of WTVY, that they are transmitting full power on digital right now.

Grand,

Thanks for the update. It been a long time since I've contacted WTVY. Would try and see if they are reaching Fort Walton with DTV, but the rotor is frozen pointing at Mobile's antenna farm. Disuse or a broken wire, likely.

A question for our Pensacola members; my daughter move into an apartment in Pensacola. Funds are limited and she may forgo cable. I'll chip in for an antenna if that's agreed between her and me. I thinking of seeing if she can use a new CM 4228. What's the local sources in Pensacola for Channel Master?

The Channel Master authorized dealer for antennas in this area is Electronic Supply Company. They are a wholesale outlet but they do sell to the public. I doubt they would have a CM 4228 in stock. They normally have to order such items from their big store over in Mobile, AL. I assume you want to get the CM 4228 HD because your daughter will need to receive Fox on channel 9 to watch American Idol. :p


Electronic Supply Company
2614 W Fairfield Dr
Pensacola, FL 32505
(850) 432-6916

Electronic Supply Company
2614 W Fairfield Dr
Pensacola, FL 32505
(850) 432-6916

Thanks for the complete info. I'll be checking into what they do have.

Grand,

Thanks for the update. It been a long time since I've contacted WTVY. Would try and see if they are reaching Fort Walton with DTV, but the rotor is frozen pointing at Mobile's antenna farm. Disuse or a broken wire, likely.

A question for our Pensacola members; my daughter move into an apartment in Pensacola. Funds are limited and she may forgo cable. I'll chip in for an antenna if that's agreed between her and me. I thinking of seeing if she can use a new CM 4228. What's the local sources in Pensacola for Channel Master?

If the antenna doesn't work out, COX has an econo-cable package for like 12 bucks a month, but I refuse to pay for TV :D

It is a great antenna! Look at all the positive reviews and comparisons.

I believe that Lowe's carries Channel Master

This morning's paper (the Press-Register) had an article about the DTV transition delay, but it also said that APT (WEIQ), WEAR, and WKRG were planning to go ahead and cut off analog on the 17th. Has anyone heard about any of the other channels? I'm especially curious about WMPI, since they're flash-cutting from 47 to 15.

yeah also heard that as well. Also I read that WSRE was going to switch on the 17th. And that WXXV-Gulfport would shut down their analog as well so that should allow WBPG to turn on their transmitter at full power.
Also, how good can people in West Mobile pick up the Biloxi-Gulfport Market? I have a Terk HDTVa indoor antenna hooked up to a 42" Polaroid HDTV and recieve all of the Mobile channels but was just curoius to see if 13 & 25 in Mississippi are watchable here. I can recieve 13 on analog, but its snowy and that last time i did a channel search it picked up 25-1 but no signal.

I have a Terk HDTVa indoor antenna hooked up to a 42" Polaroid HDTV and recieve all of the Mobile channels but was just curoius to see if 13 & 25 in Mississippi are watchable here. I can recieve 13 on analog, but its snowy and that last time i did a channel search it picked up 25-1 but no signal.

My results mirror yours--I've got that same antenna. I'm in the Cottage Hill area of West Mobile. I'd like to get at least WLOX--at least for college football, more than once last fall they had a different game than WEAR. They will be flash-cutting their digital signal to channel 13 (it's on 39 now), so reception may change then. But for reliable reception it's probably going to take an outdoor antenna, at least from where I am.

My results mirror yours--I've got that same antenna. I'm in the Cottage Hill area of West Mobile. I'd like to get at least WLOX--at least for college football, more than once last fall they had a different game than WEAR. They will be flash-cutting their digital signal to channel 13 (it's on 39 now), so reception may change then. But for reliable reception it's probably going to take an outdoor antenna, at least from where I am.

Hmmm. I have a CM 4228 in my attic in Spanish Fort pointed due East. Wonder if I could get the Mississippi stations if I pulled the screen off the back of the antenna to try and pick them up? That antenna supposedly does great with high band VHF (even though it was designed for UHF reception), and Channel 13 is about as high- band as you can get. Don't want to FUBAR my antenna, though.

This morning's paper (the Press-Register) had an article about the DTV transition delay, but it also said that APT (WEIQ), WEAR, and WKRG were planning to go ahead and cut off analog on the 17th. Has anyone heard about any of the other channels? I'm especially curious about WMPI, since they're flash-cutting from 47 to 15.

I think you may find virtually every station flipping the switch early. Think about the tens of thousands of dollars they will save on their electric bills for not having to run the analog transmitter. Why do it if you don't have to? Yes, congress may have delayed manatory implementation, but I think you are going to see all the stations switch this month anyway. It is a basic economic decision, and not a very hard one.

I'm a bit out of the Pens/Mob area, basically watching this forum because of occasional tropo up here in south central Alabama about 50 miles south of Montgomery. Whatever the case, here's a couple of comments... :)

The old CM4228 is indeed a very good antenna.

The Electronic Supply in Montgomery carries the CM4228 so the Pensacola store may as well. but I believe that all that is now available is the new "HD" designated version. I belive Lowes dropped Channel Master and has been with Phillips brand antennas and hardware for a while now.

Taking the screen off of the CM4228 will indeed make it a bi-directional antenna. But, I think it's design is to use the screen not only for shielding the backside of the antenna from signals coming from the opposite direction but also to reflect some of the incoming signal back to the active elements. Thus, you may see a degrading of signal quality coming from the direction of it's present aim.

Here are a couple of ideas for using a CM4228 indoors in an apartment with no outside or attic installation possible: *Enclose the antenna in a "decorative" box built of non-metalic materials. *Hide the antenna in a closet. *Or, if looks don't matter you can simply stand it up against a wall. Inside installation will :) *Use your imagination. With all of these, experimenting with location/orientation is definitely neccessary. Beware of multi-path issues...yagi-type directional antennas tend to handle multi-path better but they are usually larger and more difficult to install indoors.

I think that most stations will convert over to digital on the 17th...there'll be a few that won't and that may cause some problems with overlapping channels. In the Montgomery Alabama dma WAKA turned it's analog signal off on 12/1/08....WNCF in Montgomery is indicating they'll be shutting down analog on the 17th as has Mobile channel 42. I think the 17th will be an interesting day for broadcasters all over the country.

Just some thoughts...
Take care,
Ed

The White House wants your opinion on The DTV Delay ACT Bill
President Obama wants to hear what the public has to say, you can comment here

http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/dtv_delay_act/

Greetings ....

A Destin FL station, WFBD-DT Channel 48, was picked up this morning Monday Feb 9th in Phenix City AL

Tuner: Channel Master CM-7000
Antenna: RCA ANT1050, mounted in Window, facing East-Southeast
Signal Strength: At first 20%-30% (8:00 am EST), now 40%-50% (8:32 am EST)

Also, WEAR 3 (17) in Pensacola FL, coming in at 15%-25% using same tuner/antenna setup.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video

Analog Cutoff-- All major stations in this market (3,5,10,15,23,44,55) have filed with the FCC their intent to shutdown analog transmission on 2/17/2009.

Once the analog feeds are turned off. Does anyone know?

Once the analog feeds are turned off. Does anyone know?
I don't know, but that does mean that I can't guess.

3 broadcasting on 17: no change
5 broadcasting on 27: they say they are removing the analog transmitter from the top of their tower in April and moving the digital transmitter from a side-mount up to the top. As this is only about 3-4 meters, I doubt there will be much change.
10 broadcasting on 9: no change
15 broadcasting on 15: WPMI will switch from broadcasting on 47 back to 15. There might be a small improvement from this.
23 broadcasting on 31: no change
44 broadcasting on 45: no change
55 broadcasting on 25: This might improve as they might increase their power as their license begins and analog 25 in Mississippi shuts down.

So, my guess is that there will no overall substantial change. But, it is only a guess.

5 broadcasting on 27: they say they are removing the analog transmitter from the top of their tower in April and moving the digital transmitter from a side-mount up to the top. As this is only about 3-4 meters, I doubt there will be much change.

Try 80 meters. Should help quite a bit.

- Trip

To add to beachrez's list, WEIQ (RF 41) should be going from 199 kW to 1000 kW (at least according to TVFool). So that should help a bit too.

I sent an e-mail to Joe Smith at WEAR/WFGX - here is the time line for WFGX to be accessible to us Mobilians:

WFGX will indeed move to the tall tower location in central Baldwin county, the same tower where we have our WEAR-TV antenna. But there are many engineering steps that must be completed. First, we're getting a full-power transmitter from a station in Tampa ... so we have to wait for that station to take out their transmitter and ship it to us - that will take several weeks. We have to prepare the transmitter building in Baldwin county - several more steps and several weeks. We have to purchase a new broadcast antenna and transmission line, wait for the antenna to be built, and wait for the antenna and line to be shipped. We then have to hire a tower crew to take down the channel 3 analog antenna and transmission line, and put up the WFGX digital antenna and transmission line, while our engineers are installing the transmitter and associated equipment. We will then have a short period of testing the antenna, line, and transmitter, all to meet FCC regulations. We hope to be on air no later than September 2009, and earlier if at all possible.
We regret the inconvenience to our viewers, but this is as fast as we can get it done. And if the FCC decides that we MUST stay on-the-air until the new June 12th analog shutoff date, then all the above tasks will extend out by at least another four months...so we're hoping they do allow us to shut off our analog signals on February 17, as we've been planning (and telling our viewers) for the past year.
Thanks for your interest in WFGX-TV/DT, and have a very nice day!

Analog Cutoff-- All major stations in this market (3,5,10,15,23,44,55) have filed with the FCC their intent to shutdown analog transmission on 2/17/2009.As Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'till it's over". WEAR is not cutting off its analog signal until June 12th. To wit;

http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/fl/topstory/topstory4.shtml

WKRG 5 is also waiting till June.


http://www.wkrg.com/technology/article/wkrg_puts_the_dtv_switch_on_hold/23587/

WKRG 5 is also waiting till June.


http://www.wkrg.com/technology/article/wkrg_puts_the_dtv_switch_on_hold/23587/I'm not at all concerned with the low VHF channels (WEAR-3 and WKRG-5) putting their analog shutdown on hold. Those channels are out of the "real" TV signal spectrum now. I don't have an "old fashioned" TV antenna designed to receive low band VHF.

My concern is with WPMI and WSRE. WPMI needs to shutdown their analog signal on channel 15 so they can switch their digital signal from channel 47. Perhaps we'll see an improvement in their signal.

WSRE needs to shutdown their analog signal on channel 23 because their transmitter is right in the middle of a major urban area and their signal overloads any decent outdoor antenna within a 15 mile radius.

I haven't seen anything official, but it looks like WMPI is holding off as well. Their "DTV Countdown" clock went from 6 days yesterday to 119 days today. So I guess they're going to stay on analog (w/ digital on RF 47) until June.

Edit: WMPI mentioned on their 10pm news that they would continue analog until 6/12. So I guess they'll do the flash-cut at that time.

I haven't seen anything official, but it looks like WMPI is holding off as well. Their "DTV Countdown" clock went from 6 days yesterday to 119 days today. So I guess they're going to stay on analog (w/ digital on RF 47) until June.

Edit: WMPI mentioned on their 10pm news that they would continue analog until 6/12. So I guess they'll do the flash-cut at that time.Thanks for that information! I strongly suspected that WPMI would delay their analog shutdown and it could turn out to be for the best. Let’s hope they use the time wisely to perform systematic checks so that they might discover and resolve the problems with their troublesome transmitter and/or antenna.

WKRG 5 is also waiting till June.
http://www.wkrg.com/technology/article/wkrg_puts_the_dtv_switch_on_hold/23587/

That short article at www.wkrg.com doesn't really explain the reason the stations is agreeing to the delay. Remember, these stations are still having to pay the electric bill for two transmitters which isn't something they're relishing. Anyhow, looks like our new administration is flexing it's muscles to "convince" stations to keep their analog signals turned on....

FCC targets some TV stations shutting analog (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hlGcM0ZxYV5dDtZR_9xfCPZnkFaAD96AAU7O0)
By PETER SVENSSON – 14 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission has told 123 TV stations that were planning to stick to the Feb. 17 cutoff date for analog broadcasts that they will have to justify not extending their transmissions for four months.

Affected stations are in or near Santa Barbara and Bakersfield, Calif., Dayton, Ohio; Eugene, Ore.; La Crosse and Madison, Wis.; Billings, Mon.; Lincoln, Neb.; Sioux City, Iowa; Topeka and Wichita, Kan.; Waco, Texas; Mobile, Ala.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Providence, R.I., among others.

These are areas where all of the major-network stations have applied to turn off their signals on Feb. 17, the commission said in a statement late Wednesday.

Full-power TV stations have been planning for years to turn off analog signals on Feb. 17 to make room for more efficient digital broadcasting, two-way wireless data services and emergency communications.

But as the deadline loomed, funding ran out for the program that subsidized digital TV converter boxes for older sets. Concerned that households were not sufficiently prepared to tune in to digital broadcasts, Congress passed a bill giving stations the option of waiting until June 12 to turn off. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law this week.

That sent stations scrambling to figure out when to turn off, and 491 of the country's 1,796 stations applied to the FCC to keep the Feb. 17 date, partly thwarting the intent of the bill.

The FCC has asked the targeted stations to certify by Friday that at least one station in the market will continue to broadcast information about the transition and local news in analog for at least two months. They will also have to, individually or together with other stations, operate call centers and walk-in centers to help viewers tune in to the digital transmissions.

The commission will waive these requirements for stations that have other strong reasons to end analog broadcasts, like the loss of their antenna site.

Do you think WALA Fox 10's signal will get better once they shutdown their analog signal whenever that may be?

All network stations have announced a delay until June for analog shutdown except WALA, which has not made a decision yet.

From their 9pm news this evening--WALA is keeping their analog signal on until June. Their sister station, the CW, is cutting their analog signal on 2/17. So, for Mobile, it looks like the "Big 4" (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox) are all keeping analog until 6/12.

Think about how much this delay in implementation is going to cost the stations in bad economic times when they are laying off personnel and suffering from a slump in ad revenue, just to serve a very questionable political purpose.

I doubt there is an iota of a chance that many consumers, if any, will benefit from the delay. If anything, the delay may offer fewer viewing choices and poorer reception in this market.

Watch them delay it again as June approaches.

I was hoping to get a stronger signal once the analog shutdown happened. I guess no chance of that now.

I was hoping to get a stronger signal once the analog shutdown happened. I guess no chance of that now.

I was hoping too. I did pick up WXXV(analog) in Gulfport with good picture in West Mobile, but can't get a strong enough signal on their digital channel(48).

I hear WMBB has terminated their analog signal and is broadcasting in digital on channel 13. Has this had an effect on reception since they moved from UHF?

Has anyone in the Panama City area been able to pick up WDHN 18.1 in Dothan in the last few days? They upped their power to 500kw and will be full power in a few weeks with 1mw.

Now that Fox 25 is off the air, how long till WBPG goes full power?

Now that Fox 25 is off the air, how long till WBPG goes full power?
I think it is already, I have been checking it every few days for the last few weeks and getting nothing. I tried today and got a strong signal. I'm in West Mobile.

Same here - my reception of WBPG was very spotty before - I was lucky to be able to tune it in at all here in Chickasaw - checked it last night and it's coming in great - signal was around 92%.

For the past month the WSRE OTA signal has been messed up on the HR20-100 Dtv box. The HD ch 23-1 has been mapped to 23-2 , messing up the guide . Sometimes there is nothing at all,yet the signal shows in the upper 90's. Anyone else having these issues ?

Got it working , with no help from directv. Reset all my OTA settings. The CSR w/ dtv was no help at all, she had no advice other than resetting the receiver.

For the past month the WSRE OTA signal has been messed up on the HR20-100 Dtv box. The HD ch 23-1 has been mapped to 23-2 , messing up the guide . Sometimes there is nothing at all,yet the signal shows in the upper 90's. Anyone else having these issues ?

Got it working , with no help from directv. Reset all my OTA settings. The CSR w/ dtv was no help at all, she had no advice other than resetting the receiver.


I have been having problems with my OTA guide on my TIVO HD. I have two channels for WSRE-DT 23-1. The tivo has the guide data for one but it does not come in. The 23-1 that does come in does not have guide data. It is the same with WPMI-DT 15-1. Two channels, one with guide but no signal, the other with signal but no guide. I will call Tivo this afternoon to see what the problem is...

Same here - my reception of WBPG was very spotty before - I was lucky to be able to tune it in at all here in Chickasaw - checked it last night and it's coming in great - signal was around 92%.

+1 on that, I can actually watch that channel now!

Anybody with DirectTV or Dish having issues with Fox10 HD signal from satellite? Right around the top of the hour the audio makes a brrrp noise, the picture will freeze then go black and the audio will go silent, then the picture and sound will go back to normal. This issue doesn't occur with the Over the Air reception on my HDTuner on my HDTV.

Here's a link to thread on dbstalk.com discussing the problem.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=152754

I'm curious if the Dish users are having the same issue too? I'm hoping that if we get enough folks to email/call channel 10 that the problem will get corrected.

I contacted Channel 10 and they are aware of the issue and are working with Direct TV on the issue.

5-3 is on COX now! I'm getting it via ClearQAM. Now I'm just waiting for WBPG to show up...

Is anyone getting WBPG on ClearQAM via COX yet?

I’ve just recently returned from a business trip but I noticed tonight that WPMI-DT (15.1 & 15.2) has significantly improved and increased their signal strength. I observed that they’re still tweaking their system and trying to get the sound and picture right. All of these adjustments are welcomed and I really appreciate that they have acknowledged the problem(s) with their signal and that they are taking corrective steps to improve the quality and strength of their signal.

I had honestly almost given up hope that WPMI-DT was doing anything to improve their signal. I am now very encouraged by this recent change. They haven’t resolved their broadcast problems yet, but at least we’re getting to see some improvement. Keep up the good work WPMI-DT! :D

I hope that WPMI improves their audio too. I recorded "Chuck" this week and had to put it on closed captioning because the audio was so garbled.

I hope that WPMI improves their audio too. I recorded "Chuck" this week and had to put it on closed captioning because the audio was so garbled.


I’ve made simultaneous recordings of both the analog (channel 15) and digital (channel 47) broadcasts from WPMI and determined that the audio and video problems (breakups, garbling, etc.) are only occurring on the digital transmissions. We can only speculate as to what will happen when WPMI shuts down their analog transmitter and goes full digital in June.

For now, I only watch the analog broadcasts on WPMI since the digital broadcasts continue to be so inferior.

I did not cross check this issue by switching to my antenna, but I noticed a huge several- second lip sync lag in the last couple of sements of "24" last night.

Did anyone else notice this issue with either Fox, WALA or Directv? I also noticed it to a lesser extent in last week's broadcast.

I did not cross check this issue by switching to my antenna, but I noticed a huge several- second lip sync lag in the last couple of sements of "24" last night.

Did anyone else notice this issue with either Fox, WALA or Directv? I also noticed it to a lesser extent in last week's broadcast.

Of course I meant to say "... last couple of segments..."

Sorry about that.

What gives , ER not being shown in HD on their series finally !!!
What a Shame !!!!!

What gives , ER not being shown in HD on their series finally !!!
What a Shame !!!!!

Hard to figure. Thought WPMI might be having some technical problems, but I noticed that the network promos after the show were in high def. Must have been an intentional decision by the network to broadcast in standard format.

ER wasn't in High-Def last night because WPMI has not updated their overlay equipment. They had the little weather radar overlay going on in the corner, hence forcing the picture to SD in order to display the overlay. WALA has the same problem too - which is why American Idol was in SD on Tuesday . . .

And why I had to suffer through the CMA awards last night in glorious 4:3 SD on Channel 5. This is getting old.. It's time for these cheap channels to get into the 21st century and update their equipment.

Unless you're a channel 3 viewer, don't count on stations updating this equipment any time soon. A station engineer told me it could cost up to 15K just to key it over a HD signal. Most stations are just passing through the raw HD network feed and switching back to SD local content. WALA is an exception, since they have a local bug over FOX network programming. Still, they cut into the Simpsons on Sunday night with a SD weather watch...

With the state of the economy, don't count on this happening any time soon...

Unless you're a channel 3 viewer, don't count on stations updating this equipment any time soon. A station engineer told me it could cost up to 15K just to key it over a HD signal. Most stations are just passing through the raw HD network feed and switching back to SD local content. WALA is an exception, since they have a local bug over FOX network programming. Still, they cut into the Simpsons on Sunday night with a SD weather watch...

With the state of the economy, don't count on this happening any time soon...

The local bug on WALA is supplied via Fox. As a network policy, Fox does not allow their HD signal to be adulterated in any way at this time. Stations simply switch to the HD feed when HD content is available.

I noticed that Comcast Mobile has put WKRG-DT3 (RTN) on their system. It's mapped to 5.3 on my set, so I don't know the exact channel number. Have any other cable systems added this channel?

I noticed that Comcast Mobile has put WKRG-DT3 (RTN) on their system. It's mapped to 5.3 on my set, so I don't know the exact channel number. Have any other cable systems added this channel?

Interesting! I will have to pull up the tuner and check it out. Are you sure it's WKRG-DT3? If so, they did not add the channel to the box lineup. I do know that Comcast Mobile added WPBG (Digital 25 mapped to 55 - 235 on Comcast's box) to the lineup last week.

Interesting! I will have to pull up the tuner and check it out. Are you sure it's WKRG-DT3? If so, they did not add the channel to the box lineup. I do know that Comcast Mobile added WPBG (Digital 25 mapped to 55 - 235 on Comcast's box) to the lineup last week.

It is absolutely WKRG-DT3. I didn't even have to scan for it...it just showed up on my TV right after WKRG-DT 5.1.

I also noticed several channels that were picked up in a previous scan including 104.2, which has nothing on it, and 109.1 which appears to be the Daystar network. Could this be the new WDPM-DT?

According to the info guide on Cox WBPG will go HD on April 28th. Channel 716. Looks like they're finally moving all the weather radar stuff out of the HD block as well.

Is there anyone in the market receiving OTA with a Windows-based computer tuner? If so and you've got a few minutes to spare, please let me know, I could use your help.

EDIT: Thanks, SonicLogic!

- Trip

TVGOS TV Guide On Screen
Is anybody in the area receiving valid TVGOS listing information on their television from the PBS 42.1 digital channel OTA (not cable)? PBS was to start transmitting the data on 42.1 in late March, but I haven't been able to get listings yet. Thanks, Charlie

I did a scan on my converter box, and picked up WDPM-DT (broadcasting on channel 23...mapped to channel 4) in Midtown Mobile.

I know that WSRE still has the right to use channel 23 as their virtual channel, so does this mean that a new DT station that signs on a frequency that was occupied by an analog channel can pick any unused channel to map itself to in a particular market? I guess 4 is convenient seeing it's right between WEAR and WKRG....

I did a scan on my converter box, and picked up WDPM-DT (broadcasting on channel 23...mapped to channel 4) in Midtown Mobile.

I know that WSRE still has the right to use channel 23 as their virtual channel, so does this mean that a new DT station that signs on a frequency that was occupied by an analog channel can pick any unused channel to map itself to in a particular market? I guess 4 is convenient seeing it's right between WEAR and WKRG....

They shouldn't be using 4. They should be using either 18 or 31.

Perhaps their equipment defaulted to 4 out of the box. Or they just don't care.

The signal overlaps with WTVY-DT in Dothan; maybe they can complain and get WDPM fined by the FCC?

- Trip

Converter box is putting the signal out as Rf channel 4 (using Channel 3/4 selector)?

Converter box is putting the signal out as Rf channel 4 (using Channel 3/4 selector)?

No, he's saying that WDPM-DT is displaying on the converter box as 4-1. I just received data this afternoon (Thanks SonicLogic!) which confirms this.

http://www.rabbitears.info/screencaps/al-mob/83740-0_0.htm

It's not the only thing wrong with their signal...

- Trip

They shouldn't be using 4. They should be using either 18 or 31.

Perhaps their equipment defaulted to 4 out of the box. Or they just don't care.

The signal overlaps with WTVY-DT in Dothan; maybe they can complain and get WDPM fined by the FCC?

- Trip
I was thinking this could be a problem.....even on the other side of the market where WWL could be picked up.

So what happens on the user's end when two different RF channels are trying to map to the same virtual channel?

So what happens on the user's end when two different RF channels are trying to map to the same virtual channel?

I've had this happen before when i've been DXing. One time, I picked up KALB-DT from Mobile (channel 35...virtual channel 5). Along with WKRG, both channels showed up as channel 5. As for the order they come up, I seem to recall that WKRG came before KALB because WKRG broadcasts on channel 27.

Presumably, if you live in Santa Rosa or Okaloosa County, and can pick up both WTVY and WDPM, WDPM will show up first because they broadcast on a lower channel number (23) than WTVY (36).

However, if both channels broadcast on the exact same frequency (WWL & WTVY both broadcast on Channel 36), then whatever frequency the box can pick up will be programmed.

On the DirecTV website, it shows that the 325** zipcodes for the Pensacola area should get 4 RSN's on channels 646 [FSN South], 649 [SportSouth], 653 [Sun Sports], and 654 [FSN Florida](all in HD). However, I'm getting the 721 message (channel not purchased) for 646 (FSN South). Anyone having a different experience?

On the DirecTV website, it shows that the 325** zipcodes for the Pensacola area should get 4 RSN's on channels 646 [FSN South], 649 [SportSouth], 653 [Sun Sports], and 654 [FSN Florida](all in HD). However, I'm getting the 721 message (channel not purchased) for 646 (FSN South). Anyone having a different experience?


I'm in 36582 Theodore,AL and I can get channels 646 [FSN South], 649 [SportSouth] and I can't get 653 [Sun Sports], and 654 [FSN Florida].

I live in 32514 Pensacola and do not get those channels.

Which RSN's are advertised as being available to you according to the DirecTV website?

I'm in 36582 Theodore,AL and I can get channels 646 [FSN South], 649 [SportSouth] and I can't get 653 [Sun Sports], and 654 [FSN Florida].

It seems that you are getting the channels that are advertised as being available for your zip code. Those of us in 32504, 32514, 32561 are getting three of the four channels that are specified as being available.

Surely, this isn't a case of false advertising!

It would appear that WPMI-DT has finally cured the frequent broadcast drop-out problems that they have had during the past several years. I’ve noticed that for the past two nights, the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams has been broadcast by WPMI without all the video and audio breakups that had become the norm. In short, the broadcasts have been flawless.

It took them a long time, but the engineers at WPMI-DT seem to have resolved the problems with their OTA broadcasts. Congratulations! Let’s hope it holds. :D

So this evening I'm getting no or very weak signal on WALA, WPMI, WSRE, and WEIQ (all OTA). I usually don't have much, if any, trouble with any of these--anyone else having issues with OTA reception this evening?

All 4 seem to be ok now. Weird.

So this evening I'm getting no or very weak signal on WALA, WPMI, WSRE, and WEIQ (all OTA). I usually don't have much, if any, trouble with any of these--anyone else having issues with OTA reception this evening?

A few nights ago, WPMI TV & DT, WSRE and WMPV were all off the air at the same time. Are their towers in close proximity?

A few nights ago, WPMI TV & DT, WSRE and WMPV were all off the air at the same time. Are their towers in close proximity?

The antennas for WPMI & WSRE are on the same tower. The WMPV antenna is on a nearby tower.

I don't know what's going on. It might be my Channel Master signal amp. That's why I'm asking here. I don't really know a good way to test it. Previously, I would pick up WEAR at 95-99% signal strength. Right now at 9:00 PM it's coming in at 75%. WKRG usually comes in at about 70-75% and is the first to die in bad weather. Right now, I can't get a consistent signal above 68% and the signal starts dropping out at anything below 70%. This has only been happening in the last several days maybe starting around April 12th or even after. It could be that my amp absorbed a lightning strike for me or it just bit the dust. It's about three years old next month. My OTA antenna is in the attic so I'm told lightning shouldn't be a likely problem. Has anyone else noticed a drop off in signal strength?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

After reading some of the previous posts, maybe it's the weather? Are there sun spots right now?

Jeff

I'm still have issues with some channels from time-to-time--I'm guessing there some tropo going on, causing interference. I just ran a channel scan and pickup up WFSU out of Tallahassee and WMAU out of Mississippi.

Interestingly, almost exactly 1 year ago (I posted about it on 4/25/08) I managed to grab stations out of Tampa, Ft. Myers, and New Orleans. So maybe it's a time of the year thing.

I was able to put my same-channel theory to the test....and got some different results on my HD set.

I was able to pick up WWL on my Insignia converter box...along with WDPM.
Both showed up as Channel 4...but WDPM was first, followed by WWL, because WDPM (23) comes before WWL (36).

HOWEVER....
on my Vizio set, I did a channel scan, and picked up two sets of Channel 33s. One of which was WHBR-DT, and the other was a mystery station with a subchannel. 33-1 came first, followed by WHBR-DT, then came 33-2.
What could have the other "33" have been? I'm thinking it was either KDAF in Dallas (broadcasting on 32), or WCFT from Tuscaloosa (which happens to broadcast on Channel 5...could it have overridden WKRG's signal?)

WBPG is now pumped in HD through COX. I ran a channel scan and it remapped all my channels.

I was able to put my same-channel theory to the test....and got some different results on my HD set.

I was able to pick up WWL on my Insignia converter box...along with WDPM.
Both showed up as Channel 4...but WDPM was first, followed by WWL, because WDPM (23) comes before WWL (36).

HOWEVER....
on my Vizio set, I did a channel scan, and picked up two sets of Channel 33s. One of which was WHBR-DT, and the other was a mystery station with a subchannel. 33-1 came first, followed by WHBR-DT, then came 33-2.
What could have the other "33" have been? I'm thinking it was either KDAF in Dallas (broadcasting on 32), or WCFT from Tuscaloosa (which happens to broadcast on Channel 5...could it have overridden WKRG's signal?)

If it was an NBC affiliate, then it possibly could have been WVLA channel 33 out of Baton Rouge.

Does anyone know what times the Analog stations shut down on Friday? I know WJHG is pulling the plug at 1pm, WALA at 8am, and WKRG at 11:59PM.

WJHG and WPMI should be interesting, since both channels are moving digital to their analog frequencies...

Does anyone know what times the Analog stations shut down on Friday? I know WJHG is pulling the plug at 1pm, WALA at 8am, and WKRG at 11:59PM.

WJHG and WPMI should be interesting, since both channels are moving digital to their analog frequencies...My information is different;

WPMI @ Midnight (and they will swtich their digital from 47 to 15)

WEAR @ 10AM (analog shutdown of 3)

WALA @ 8 AM (Channel 10 will still broadcast an image showing FCC phone numbers?)

WKRG @ Noon (analog shutdown of 5)

UPDATE:

WEAR-TV is history as of 10am.

WKRG-TV dumped programming at 9am to air a loop of a DTV special...they will be pulling the plug at 11:59 tonight.

WALA-TV dumped programming at 8am to air an information slide...they will be pulling the plug tonight at 11:59.

WPMI-TV is keeping programming as it is and pulling the plug at 11:59pm...and should be up and running on DT 15 soon thereafter!

Does anyone know if WLOX has flash-cut to 13 yet? Because I can pick up WXXV 25-1 & 25-2 here in Mobile just fine now, I would guess that they cranked up to full power this morning. Hopefully when WALA shuts off at 11:59 I can pick up their DT without any dropouts :) All of the other stations are fine for me now just some occassional dropouts with WBPG at times.

WLOX changed over to 13 last night.

Did WKRG do anything to their digital signal? It's like 30% weaker then it was a few days ago.:confused:

I believe WKRG-DT is now operating from a temporary antenna. Now that TV 5 is off the air, they are going to take the side-mounted digital antenna and put it where the analog antenna is now on the transmitter.

BTW, did anyone catch their final sign-off? They were the only station in the market (except for WSRE back in February) to put something together for it.

Here it is on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqlpPVfG58Q

well DTV has happened in Mobile, now waiting to see when WPMI will be on DT 15, they are still on 47 right now. WALA comes in much better now that Analog is off the air, I have seen about a 10 point increase in signal strength. Hopefully WFGX will get to sign-on in Baldwin County this fall, but with gaining WXXV's MNT today, no rush.

NOTE: @ 1:22 AM WPMI is now on 2 channels 47 and 15, so 47 should be gone soon

WLOX has asked to kill 13 and light up 39 permanently, if DT-39 fixes the problems they're having with 13.

- Trip

I am getting o signal strength on WPMI 15-01. Is anyone receiving it or are they off air.

WLOX has asked to kill 13 and light up 39 permanently, if DT-39 fixes the problems they're having with 13.

- Trip

We are switching back to UHF channel 39 at 9 am Monday (6/29)

I am getting o signal strength on WPMI 15-01. Is anyone receiving it or are they off air.WPMI-DT (15.1) is coming in 100% here in Gulf Breeze. I assume that you know they switched from real channel 47 back to 15 after they shut down the analog signal.

We are switching back to UHF channel 39 at 9 am Monday (6/29)

Are you planning to permanently remain on 39, or go back to 13 at some point in the future?

Their filing with the FCC said they wanted to light up 39 in order to see if it corrects the reception issue, and that if it's successful, they will file to make it permanent.

I'll let WLOX comment though. :)

- Trip

Their filing with the FCC said they wanted to light up 39 in order to see if it corrects the reception issue, and that if it's successful, they will file to make it permanent.

I'll let WLOX comment though. :)

- Trip

Pretty short spaced to WFSG ch 38 in Panama City Beach

Pretty short spaced to WFSG ch 38 in Panama City Beach

?

WLOX is more than 140 miles from WFSG. Adjacent channels shouldn't cause that big of a problem over that large of a distance.

- Trip

I need some help.

I wondering if anyone possible has a list of clear QAM channels for Mediacom in the Santa Rosa Beach area? For some reason, CBS (114-2) and PBS (114-1) have completely disappeared from my channel list. As of right now I can only pick up:

NBC - 100-1
ABC - 106-1
FOX - 106-2

Thanks for any help.

?

WLOX is more than 140 miles from WFSG. Adjacent channels shouldn't cause that big of a problem over that large of a distance.

- Trip

I never understood why WALA and WPGX both broadcast on Channel 9. It seems like doesn't make a lot of sense to have both FOX affiliates from adjacent markets on the same frequency. Somebody in the middle is bound to lose out.

I never understood why WALA and WPGX both broadcast on Channel 9. It seems like doesn't make a lot of sense to have both FOX affiliates from adjacent markets on the same frequency. Somebody in the middle is bound to lose out.

WPGX was originally allotted channel 29. The owner petitioned the FCC to get themselves moved to channel 9. As far as I can tell, it was a purely money-oriented move. They owned WFXL in Albany GA as well, and that station also relocated from UHF to VHF.

- Trip

Has any one in west Mobile lost their ota signals?
I have a winegard 7084 antenna with uhf preamp and have lost all my ota channels except fox 10.1 but signal level is low. I have 2 zenith converter boxes and 3 H20 receivers. Everything was ok this morning but this evening things are not working.

WPGX was originally allotted channel 29. The owner petitioned the FCC to get themselves moved to channel 9. As far as I can tell, it was a purely money-oriented move. They owned WFXL in Albany GA as well, and that station also relocated from UHF to VHF.

- Trip

Wasn't WJHG originally alloted a UHF channel for DTV as well?

Channel 42.

- Trip

WKRG-DT

Do we know if WKRG-DT has completed movement of their digital transmitter to the top of the tower as a replacement for the analog transmitter? Their announcement was that the job was to be finished by late June.

I was scanning my converter box and bumped across 3 new channels.
WLOX now comes in just fine with no dropouts, so hopefully they will stay on 39.I would also guess that there is a temperature inversion tonight cause WAKA from Montgomery come in at a 40-45% signal, and probably will last until morning. But the box also scanned a 40.1, I have no idea what it came from, they were showing paid programming so channel 40 in Tallahassee is out. Does anyone know what this may be? I think WKRG is also done with their transmitter upgrade cause its locked at 86-90% up from the mid 60's that I was recieving.

I was scanning my converter box and bumped across 3 new channels.
WLOX now comes in just fine with no dropouts, so hopefully they will stay on 39.I would also guess that there is a temperature inversion tonight cause WAKA from Montgomery come in at a 40-45% signal, and probably will last until morning. But the box also scanned a 40.1, I have no idea what it came from, they were showing paid programming so channel 40 in Tallahassee is out. Does anyone know what this may be? I think WKRG is also done with their transmitter upgrade cause its locked at 86-90% up from the mid 60's that I was recieving.

Channel 40 is likely WPAN out of Fort Walton Beach (transmitter in Gulf Breeze)...looks like they abandoned their PSIP from their former analog home on 53.

From a crawl I've seen on WKRG....it says their transmitter upgrades are supposed to be completed by the end of July. Perhaps the atmospheric conditons have made their signal more desirable for those who have trouble receiving it. From Mobile, I've never had a problem with their signal. Could it be that the transmitter is mounted on the west side of their tower?

Perhaps the atmospheric conditons have made their signal more desirable for those who have trouble receiving it.

Believe so. The weather was allowing me to pick up Panama City channels last night.:cool:

Last capture I saw of WPAN didn't even have PSIP.

- Trip

I am in the Theodore, AL, area, I just scanned both of my TV's and I am not getting WLOX, but I am getting KALB NBC out of Alexandria, Louisiana (?). Still getting WEAR, WSRE, WXXV, and the others. I am going to rescan in a couple of hours and see if the skip is getting me anything else.
Anyone else?

Dave T

I just realized that in order for WFGX to finally reach the Mobile area when their new digital facility is activated on WEAR's tower, a low power analog station (W50CF) is currently broadcasting a signal on channel 50, WFGX's frequency.

Are there any plans for this signal to move to another channel?

I just realized that in order for WFGX to finally reach the Mobile area when their new digital facility is activated on WEAR's tower, a low power analog station (W50CF) is currently broadcasting a signal on channel 50, WFGX's frequency.


Is channel 50 still rebroadcasting WPAN in Mobile? The WPAN station ID slide still list W50CF... I think.

Is channel 50 still rebroadcasting WPAN in Mobile? The WPAN station ID slide still list W50CF... I think.

Not since I've been here for the past two years. It's some religious station now rebroadcasting "The Word" network and other local things.
Their website is http://wolcc-online.info/wol/w50cf.htm
That being said, with the local content, wouldn't this classify them as a class A station rather than as a translator?

That being said, with the local content, wouldn't this classify them as a class A station rather than as a translator?

Class A stations have to meet certain local programming requirements.

W50CF would be an LPTV station, rather than a translator or Class A station.

- Trip

Class A stations have to meet certain local programming requirements.

W50CF would be an LPTV station, rather than a translator or Class A station.

- Trip

The FCC lists W50CF as a translator station...unless this listing is out of date.
Didn't the FCC stop issuing LPTV licenses in favor of Class A licenses a few years back?

The FCC lists W50CF as a translator station...unless this listing is out of date.
Didn't the FCC stop issuing LPTV licenses in favor of Class A licenses a few years back?

It's most likely out of date. Translators can be converted into LP stations, I believe.

No, LPTV licenses are still issued. Class A stations are a subset of LPTV stations that meet certain public service obligations and thus receive protection from being "bumped" by a full-service station. I'm pretty sure it's difficult to get a Class A license, but don't quote me on that one.

- Trip

And aren't class A stations protected from interference from other broadcasters much like full power stations are?

It is interesting to note that the filing window that opens in August for digital low power, translator, and digital companion channels states that Class A stations filing for a digital companion channel will not be classified as a Class A station as is the primary station. They do have the choice to flash cut to digital on channel though.

And aren't class A stations protected from interference from other broadcasters much like full power stations are?

Yes, that's what I meant when I said they can't be "bumped."

- Trip

I can tell you, reception in Panama City for ota is not very good unless you have a good outside antenna... I have been experimenting with the problem.

WFGX-TV is not really worth making available to the entire designated market area just because of its network affiliation at the moment (MyNetworkTV will be a programming service in the fall). WEAR-TV can easily air some of the syndicated programming such as "Inside Edition" and "The Jerry Springer Show" and "The Daily Buzz" might return to WBPG-TV. WFGX-TV also simulcasts WEAR-TV's 10:00 PM newscast, which continues the latter station's tradition of tape-delaying "Nightline" after 25 years.

If it were not for the ownership shared with WEAR-TV, WFGX-TV could have been put to good use as a truly independent station serving Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Speaking of WFGX, they filed paperwork with the FCC yesterday. They hope to be operating their big full-market channel 50 signal by December 1. We'll see if that actually happens or not.

- Trip

Speaking of WFGX, they filed paperwork with the FCC yesterday. They hope to be operating their big full-market channel 50 signal by December 1. We'll see if that actually happens or not.

- TripThis past Sunday, I observed a large crane lifting a bucket cage (with a worker inside) to the upper levels of the WFGX tower. They are in the process of working on the antenna (removing it?).

DirectTV is now carrying WSRE 23 PBS in HD.

Last night, WPMI-TV and WJTC-TV simulcast a football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Cincinnati Bengals provided by Cox Sports Television (CST). In the previous football season, Comcast Cablevision of Mobile presented the games from CST to local cable TV viewers.

Even though WJTC-TV is an independent station serving the Mobile-Pensacola TV market, WPMI-TV, an NBC station serving the same market, decided to pre-empt network programming and simulcast the game with the co-owned station. This is one example of why allowing people to own two TV stations in the same broadcast area is not necessarily good for the viewers or the stations.

WPMI-TV did not air the game in high definition and the local commercial advertisements on both stations were different. The delay between the games broadcast on both stations was about one second.

I agree with you on 2 local channels showing the same football game. I was even more disappointed that the game wasn't rebroadcasted in HD, despite the scoreboard banner from CSN??? HD. I'm not that suprised either, only channel 3 has their news in HD.

According to Zap2it, WPMI-TV and WJTC-TV will be simulcasting this Saturday's football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Texans provided by Cox Sports Television.

DirectTV is now carrying WSRE 23 PBS in HD.

That is good to hear. I had not noticed.

HD carriage seems to be quite limited by Alabama Public TV.

According to Zap2it, WPMI-TV and WJTC-TV will be simulcasting this Saturday's football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Oakland Raiders after the "New Orleans Saints Pregame Show" at 2:30 PM. This Saturday's network broadcasts of volleyball and golf were scheduled for 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM respectively. NBC also has news broadcasts scheduled for 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM. I cannot any information regarding qubo, the Saturday morning programming block on NBC used to help stations fulfill the educational and informative (E/I) programming rules by the Federal Communications Commission.

WPMI-TV should let WJTC-TV be the only station in the area broadcasting the football games provided by Cox Sports Television. It makes more sense to let an independent station broadcast the game than a network station that must deal with unexpected network plans (news) and network programs (sports) other folks want to see.

After the NBC News programming ended shortly after 12:00 PM on Saturday, WPMI-TV began showing qubo programming all ready in progress. At 1:30 PM, the station showed paid programming instead of the network sports programming until the "New Orleans Saints Pregame Show" at 2:30 PM and the simulcast of the football game with WJTC-TV at 3:00 PM.

WPMI-TV did not show NBC News programming between 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM. After the football game ended shortly after 6:00 PM, WPMI-TV returned to regular programming beginning with paid programming all ready in progress instead of the weekend edition of "Entertainment Tonight" (not broadcast in high definition), which used to air at 6:00 PM on Saturdays. WPMI-TV still airs this edition of "Entertainment Tonight" at about 2:00 AM on Mondays. WJTC-TV also showed paid programming all ready in progress until 7:00 PM.

"The CBS Evening News" on WKRG-TV was the only network newscast at 5:30 PM on Saturday, since WEAR-TV doesn't air ABC's "World News Saturday" (or "World News Sunday"), but aired ABC News programming beginning at 6:00 PM.

I wish WPMI would show Entertainment Tonight in High Def(I know New Orleans does), I just don't think none of locals channels can show anything but live shows in High Def. So anytime a show gets tape delayed, it will be Standard Definition.

I wish WPMI would show Entertainment Tonight in High Def(I know New Orleans does), I just don't think none of locals channels can show anything but live shows in High Def. So anytime a show gets tape delayed, it will be Standard Definition.

If the show is not live over the network, it will not be seen in high def. I equate this situation with what I remember as a small boy in the mid sixties.

WCOV- TV was the CBS affliate in Montgomery. It bought a single RCA TK 41 color camera, an RCA TK 26 film chain and and an RCA quad color video tape recorder. Alabama's first full color station, c. 1964- 1965. Other Alabama stations followed, but the progress was slow.

I hope HD will be implimented a little faster. The economic downturn surely has an effect. Still, it surprises me that channels 5 and 10 are content to be outrun by WEAR in HD implimentation for local broadcasts. I hope that changes soon. I need to see Devon Walsh in HD. Only then will I be fulfilled.

Channel 15 probably won't follow with local HD origination until after the bigger boys impliment. Maybe they will prove me wrong.

If the show is not live over the network, it will not be seen in high def. I equate this situation with what I remember as a small boy in the mid sixties.

WCOV- TV was the CBS affliate in Montgomery. It bought a single RCA TK 41 color camera, an RCA TK 26 film chain and and an RCA quad color video tape recorder. Alabama's first full color station, c. 1964- 1965. Other Alabama stations followed, but the progress was slow.

I hope HD will be implimented a little faster. The economic downturn surely has an effect. Still, it surprises me that channels 5 and 10 are content to be outrun by WEAR in HD implimentation for local broadcasts. I hope that changes soon. I need to see Devon Walsh in HD. Only then will I be fulfilled.

Channel 15 probably won't follow with local HD origination until after the bigger boys impliment. Maybe they will prove me wrong.

I imagine the HD upgrades will be done in phases. WEAR was unique in that it upgraded everything at the same time, giving it the rare capability of airing not only news and programming, but also local commercials in HD.

First will come the control rooms (or automated production systems) for newscasts, then syndicated programming. Sometimes, syndicated programming can be distributed directly to a station in HD, but only if the show airs live from the satellite and is not ingested locally into the station's playback system in SD. If the show sucks in the ratings (or the owners are cheap) don't count on it happening any time soon. I'm surprised WALA hasn't done these upgrades since they carry all of the top syndicated shows.

To go fully HD, a station would have to rebuild its master control to handle playback and recording of HD material. Again, $$$$ is the issue.

I predict that either WALA or WKRG will be next to have HD newscasts, then either WPMI will cave in or cease to exist (having their news done by WALA or WKRG)

When I look at the D* website it says for my zip code that I should be getting FSN FL HD, FSN South HD, SportsSouth HD and Sun Sports HD. However I'm only getting FSN FL HD and Sun Sports HD. Is the website incorrect or are the rest of the D* subscribers getting the other channels?

Thanks,
Chris

Near the end of WPMI-TV's 6:00 PM newscast, Kym Thurman told viewers "Entertainment Tonight" was next on Channel 15, but instead they got the "New Orleans Saints Pregame Show" from Cox Sports Television. WPMI-TV and WJTC-TV are simulcasting tonight's game between the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dauphins. "Entertainment Tonight" should air after "Last Call with Carson Daly" as usual close to 1:05 AM.

WJTC-TV aired a football game between West Kentucky University and the University of Tennessee in high definition shortly after 11:00 AM today. The game was provided by the Southeastern Conference Network. Customers of Comcast Cablevision of Mobile got to see the game in the 16:9 aspect ratio.

Due to CBS providing the United States Open tennis matches between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM today, WKRG-TV aired only the first hour of “The Saturday Early Show” at 6:00 AM before airing all three hours of KEWLopolis programming in order to comply with the requirement in the Children’s Television Act to broadcast at least three hours of educational and informative programming per week. As TV5 showed tennis in high definition this morning, I noticed C-SPAN was presenting an event from July concerning the Children’s Television Act. The hearing before the United States Senate was about law's role in a digital age rather than whether the regulations should be repealed or not.

Last night, WALA-TV, WKRG-TV, and WPMI-TV dedicated the rest of their late newscasts to local high school football. WEAR-TV, which has been airing “Nightline” on a half-hour delay or a one-hour delay since about 1984, delayed the network news program for a local high school football program following the station’s one-hour newscast, which could have been used for the football reports.

WJTC-TV aired a football game between West Kentucky University and the University of Tennessee in high definition shortly after 11:00 AM today. The game was provided by the Southeastern Conference Network. Customers of Comcast Cablevision of Mobile got to see the game in the 16:9 aspect ratio.

Due to CBS providing the United States Open tennis matches between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM today, WKRG-TV aired only the first hour of “The Saturday Early Show” at 6:00 AM before airing all three hours of KEWLopolis programming in order to comply with the requirement in the Children’s Television Act to broadcast at least three hours of educational and informative programming per week. As TV5 showed tennis in high definition this morning, I noticed C-SPAN was presenting an event from July concerning the Children’s Television Act. The hearing before the United States Senate was about law's role in a digital age rather than whether the regulations should be repealed or not.

Last night, WALA-TV, WKRG-TV, and WPMI-TV dedicated the rest of their late newscasts to local high school football. WEAR-TV, which has been airing “Nightline” on a half-hour delay or a one-hour delay since about 1984, delayed the network news program for a local high school football program following the station’s one-hour newscast, which could have been used for the football reports.

Comcast was not the only one to have the Tennessee game in HD,I watched it in HD on Foleys cable.

According to the most recent wiki for WFGX, their move to the new tower has been pushed back to sometime during the 1st quarter of 2010;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WFGX


Yet, the last FCC application that I’ve seen for WFGX still asserts that they will be operational on their new tower by 12/01/09;

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_list.pl

Does anyone know the real story? Have you heard anything Trip?

I know only what the FCC knows, which is December 1. The person who made that Wikipedia edit does not look like the most reliable source of info, so I wouldn't trust it.

- Trip

I know only what the FCC knows, which is December 1. The person who made that Wikipedia edit does not look like the most reliable source of info, so I wouldn't trust it.

- Trip

Thanks for the follow up. I think I'll send WFGX an email and ask them myself. I'll report back.

This service appears to be available in parts of Mobile and the Eastern Shore. Curious to know if anyone has tried it, and what kind of picture and programming quality is available.

Seems to be bundled with internet, but perhaps the two can be seperated.

This service appears to be available in parts of Mobile and the Eastern Shore. Curious to know if anyone has tried it, and what kind of picture and programming quality is available.

Seems to be bundled with internet, but perhaps the two can be seperated.

U-Verse is offering WSRE, WFGX and WPAN to the entire market, as well as the other local channels. WSRE and WFGX are also available in HD, but WJTC and WBPG aren't.

It looks like WFGX has also picked up ThisTV and is running it during the day.

12 new HD channels effective 9/12

Spike, TLC, Lifetime, MTV, VH1, AMC, Comedy Central, E!, NBA, Nick and 2 more which were obviously so overwhelming, I forgot them.

Here is what they show for now
202 ESPN HD
203 ESPN2 HD
204 TNT HD
205 HD Theatre
206 Versus HD
207 Golf HD
208 Universal HD
209 Palladia HD
210 Fox Sport-Net South HD
211 A&E HD
213 National Geographic HD
214 HGTV HD
215 Food Network
216 TBS HD
217 USA HD
218 NFL Network HD**
219 CNN HD
220 ABC Family HD
221 Disney HD
222 History Channel HD
224 Discovery HD
225 Science Channel
226 Animal Planet HD
227 Sci Fi HD
231 WEAR (ABC) HD
232 WPMI (NBC) HD
233 WKRG (CBS) HD
234 WALA (Fox) HD
235 WBPG (CW) HD
240 WEIQ (PBS) HD

I got wind that I may be relocating to around Foley in a year or two. Out of curiosity, what HD is available on the cable down there? What about high speed internet options?

I currently have DirecTV but if the cable offers a good selection I might go with them instead. I imagine in Foley a set of rabbit ears will get me plenty of OTA. :D

i emailed jon about the move of wfgx and it did get pushed back till 2010

i emailed jon about the move of wfgx and it did get pushed back till 2010

Thanks for that information. My email to WFGX-TV went unanswered.

what i dont understand is how is at&t able to carrying wfgx when no orther cable will carry them mediacom said they cant carry them over here in gulf shores becoues they cant pick them up

Does anyone think WFGX-TV is worth bringing to the rest of the TV market since it has always served mainly Fort Walton Beach, Florida and most of its programs could be provided by other market stations if they were willing to do so? If it were not for the dual ownership with WEAR-TV, WFGX-TV would do better serving its city of license with local programs and syndicated programs that would not interfere with the programming of the stations in Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida.

I don't know anything about MyNetworkTV, but why not have another station to watch? Maybe we will be pleasantly surprised! If not, we'll ignore it.

I don't know anything about MyNetworkTV, but why not have another station to watch? Maybe we will be pleasantly surprised! If not, we'll ignore it.

For those of you with Jerry Springer and Maury Povich withdrawl, your prayers are about to be answered!
not that I would watch either show;)

I need to find someone that could help me align my DirecTV HD Dish. Could anyone help me find someone in the local area of Daphne?

I received a reply to my email concerning WFGX-TV. Mr. David L. Brown (Chief Engineer) responded and said that their move to the new tower was delayed due to a delay in getting the lease agreement finalized.

He advised that the lease agreement is now in place and that transmitting equipment is on order. He also said that the new antenna will be at 1,800 feet and they’ll have the same digital power as WEAR-TV. That’s good to hear since the signal from WEAR-TV is like a blow torch in the greater Mobile/Pensacola area!

His best guess is that the “new” station should be operational sometime during the first quarter of 2010. Naturally, he can’t really give an exact date since various technical challenges associated with equipment installation could cause unforeseen delays. I’m pleased to know that they’re moving along with the upgrade and I appreciate Mr. Brown taking time from his schedule to answer my inquiry.

So, it looks like we’ll have another high quality OTA digital TV station in our area shortly! :D

I checked, and it is not yet available in my zip code in Spanish Fort, but I see lots of AT&T trucks and horizontal drilling equipment in operation on both sides of the bay, so it looks like they are building the system out.

It would be difficult to lure me away from Directv right now, epecially considering all the sports channels I might lose.

Still, competition is good. Bring it on!

am moveing to pensacola do u thank i be able to pick up wfgx 35

FYI weather permitting WKRG will be moving the antenna to the top of the tower begining today. They will be operating from the low power back up during the process.

I'm going to Mobile this weekend and while I'm there, I plan on watching Georgia Tech play at Virginia at 11AM CDT on WBPG, the local distributor of Raycom Sports football games.

I know that Raycom will have the game in HD, but will WBPG be able to retransmit the game in HD?

The reason I ask that the Fox49 in Tallahassee has HD equipment but is only allowed to use it for Fox Network sources, so they retransmit Raycom HD games in SD. Sad I know.

Mobile native, been gone for 4 years and moving back, subbing to thread.

When I was in town I had Dish and then Comcast, will be one of the two when I get back.

How is the local Comcast HD selection compared to Sat now (Cox in Va here SUCKS)?

Also, what model DVR is Comcast giving out now and will it support an EHD?

Thanks.

How does the TivoHD work with Comcast? CCards more reliable now? Is SDV a problem in not getting certain channels?

Trying to decide on Tivo vs Moxi.

TIA

My HD TiVo works great with Comcast in Tallahassee. Cards weren't a problem until they changed something and it took them a week to get that working (lost premium channels), but that got fixed and no problems since. Your mileage may vary in Mobile or PC.

Thanks!

Are you have to use the tuning adapter for SDV yet?

I have cable into one input and an antenna on the roof into the air input. Works pretty good, but I usually watch from cable because the reception off-air tends to deteriorate with weather, sunspots, squirrels, phase of the moon, etc.

Gotcha.

I have Dish now, but sat can be a pain to setup at times. May just go with Comcast, A TivoHD XL and two CCards.

I'm going to Mobile this weekend and while I'm there, I plan on watching Georgia Tech play at Virginia at 11AM CDT on WBPG, the local distributor of Raycom Sports football games.

I know that Raycom will have the game in HD, but will WBPG be able to retransmit the game in HD?

The reason I ask that the Fox49 in Tallahassee has HD equipment but is only allowed to use it for Fox Network sources, so they retransmit Raycom HD games in SD. Sad I know.

Just saw your post. The email notifciation on this board is not very reliable. I am supposed to be subscribed, but usually it does not work.

Hope you enjoyed the game. Channel 55 certainly has the ability to carry the game in high def, but I cannot remember whehter they cleared it for HD on Saturday. Seems like I remember seeing some rather nasty playing conditions for that game, but cannot remember if it was telecast in HD.

So, there you go. I have not answered your question, even after the fact!

A few weeks back, I did remember seeing an HD Raycom Sports game on WBPG, so they should be set up for it. I remember last year when WJTC aired the Raycom SEC games in HD.

To pull this off, Raycom provides the station a dedicated HD receiver for the game. The station feeds the HD game signal straight to the transmitter and switches back to the SD master control when they go to a local break. This is how most network affiliates handle HD.

Six more HD channels coming in November. . . FX, Speed, BET, Fox News, Weather and Lifetime Movie

I'm done with Comcast. U-Verse is looking pretty damned good.

Glad to see FXHD coming if I have to go to Comcast in Jan. I really like that show on Sat.

How is the Uverse PQ??

Their packages are nice, and the dvr looks pretty sweet.

WKRG-DT is now in their low power mode as they move their antenna to a higher spot on the mast. I'm 50 miles away from the tower and their signal is now very weak.

WKRG-DT is back up to full power.

The WKRG-DT signal is now weak again. I expect the signal will be variable until they get the antenna work completed.

WEAR-TV's sub-channel 3-2 for standard definition programming is gone.

So, any word on why WBPG changed their calls to WFNA?

I live in Mobile(Mid-town) and just had Uverse installed. I got the U300 w/ HD and 18mbps internet. I also added another HD receiver box for the bedroom.I didn't get the phone because I use my cell phone.

First and foremost, the HD picture quality is fantastic. The SD picture quality in my opinion is not as great as Comcast, but definitely not a deal breaker. I counted up the HD channels I am receiving and it's about 75 or so. There are many features that you get with Uverse. One of the first things that sold me on Uverse is the ability to view any recording in any room. I have already realized the importance of this when my wife and I want to watch two different recorded shows at the same time. There is a very useful weather on demand feature which gives you today's weather, 6 day outlook, radar picture, and some other weather options. The Multiview feature is pretty cool. When you are viewing sports, you can watch one show and scan through all other sports broadcasting at that time. One downside is the Multiview only allows SD channels to be viewed. The Media Share feature is a great feature with alot of wishes. Uverse could of gone the extra mile to make this feature much more dynamic but for what it is now, it'll do. The Media Share allows you to tap into your pictures and music on your computer over the wifi network in you home so you can view pictures and play music on you tv. At a bare minimum, a shuffle option would be fantastic to add to Media Share.

So far, I'm very pleased with my decision to leave Comcast. My service with Comcast was good but I felt like I wasn't getting alot of bang for my buck.

Do you feel the HD pic is better than Comcast? This is interesting for me.

What size tv are you viewing the HD on?

Thanks.

I noticed the call letters WFNA-TV last night in the form of an on-screen graphic on the bottom-right corner of the screen (WALA-TV, a co-owned station, has a similar graphic with the call letters), but the station was still using promotional advertisements mentioning WBPG-TV.

I noticed the call letters WFNA-TV last night in the form of an on-screen graphic on the bottom-right corner of the screen (WALA-TV, a co-owned station, has a similar graphic with the call letters), but the station was still using promotional advertisements mentioning WBPG-TV.

FCC records show that the change in call sign was effective on 10-29-2009. No change in station ownership. I imagine there will be amedia blitz announcing the change once they have all their ducks in order. So far, they have only changed the video (the on-screen bug).

WKRG-TV was doing some more work on their antenna today. Transmit power was reduced from about 1500 hours until 1630 hours CST.

They're back at it again today (11/13/2009) in low power mode @ 1330 hours CST.

WFNA-TV is now identified by one of my home's digital tuners as "WFNA-TV" instead of "The CW". WALA-TV is still identified as "FOX 10", even though both stations share the same owner and have their call letters as part of their on-screen logos.

WFNA-TV is now identified by one of my home's digital tuners as "WFNA-TV" instead of "The CW". WALA-TV is still identified as "FOX 10", even though both stations share the same owner and have their call letters as part of their on-screen logos.

I wonder if LIN has plans to either dump or de-emphasize the CW on WFNA. Tribune has de-branded most of their CW affiliates by giving them names like "Nola 38" (WNOL New Orleans) "DC20" (WDCA Washington D.C.) "SFL" (WSFL Miami) & "Indiana's 4" (WTTV Indianapolis). With the CW's ratings, LIN may be considering this.

During today's 6:00 PM newscast, WKRG-TV aired a report about the work being done at the station's broadcast site, including the removal of a large part of the broadcast tower, the temporary transmitter, and the placement a digital antenna on top of the tower. Bill Riales, a reporter during the segment, made a remark about the language of the broadcast engineers ("I told you" they talk like that) near the end of his report and previously referred to the transmitter's power as "a gazillion gigawatts" before accuracy saying a million watts of effective radiated power or one megawatt.

During today's 6:00 PM newscast, WKRG-TV aired a report about the work being done at the station's broadcast site, including the removal of a large part of the broadcast tower, the temporary transmitter, and the placement a digital antenna on top of the tower. Bill Riales, a reporter during the segment, made a remark about the language of the broadcast engineers ("I told you" they talk like that) near the end of his report and previously referred to the transmitter's power as "a gazillion gigawatts" before accuracy saying a million megawatts of effective radiated power.

Actually, it is either 1 million watts (1 Mega watt) or 1,000 KW ERP... Not a million mega watts...

I meant to type one megawatt and the two (one million watts and one megawatt) got mixed together.

I meant to type one megawatt and the two (one million watts and one megawatt) got mixed together.

Would have made one heck of a signal though! :D

Accoring to tvfool.com, WALA should be strong enough for my antenna to pick up, but I'm still not getting anything. I'm using a TERK FDTV 1a indoor antenna that CLAIMS to be useful for both UHF and VHF. I asked the chief engineer at WALA if there were any upcoming changes that would allow me (and pretty much everyone I know who doesn't have cable or satellite) to watch FOX, and he told me I was SOL. The building in which I live doesn't allow for any cable access or high speed internet, so the antenna is the only way for me to get TV.

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting WALA? I live in the third floor of a steel/brick apartment complex with a NE facing window.

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

Please provide a zip code, or brief description of your location for comments on WALA reception.

Just noted the 32503 in your "name". I can get virtual channel 10-1 (broadcasting on 9-1) with an outdoor antenna in 32504 but not with an indoor antenna. Occasionally, I can get it on an indoor in 32561.

Accoring to tvfool.com, WALA should be strong enough for my antenna to pick up, but I'm still not getting anything. I'm using a TERK FDTV 1a indoor antenna that CLAIMS to be useful for both UHF and VHF. I asked the chief engineer at WALA if there were any upcoming changes that would allow me (and pretty much everyone I know who doesn't have cable or satellite) to watch FOX, and he told me I was SOL. The building in which I live doesn't allow for any cable access or high speed internet, so the antenna is the only way for me to get TV.

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting WALA? I live in the third floor of a steel/brick apartment complex with a NE facing window.

Thanks, in advance, for your help.I'm in Gulf Breeze 47 miles away from the WALA tower and this is the indoor antenna I use:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn318/senorbagofcrap_photos/IMG_1852.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn318/senorbagofcrap_photos/IMG_1853.jpg

It's a commercail 4 Bay with a reflector that I bought off ebay. It's called a "Tune-A-Tenna" and it works for all the stations in the Mobile/Pensacola market.

If you're handy, you can also build your own antenna. I built and use several other 4 Bay antennas before I purchased the commercial antenna. WALA is on real channel 9 so you need VHF high reception and that requires bowtie whiskers of about 9.5 to 9.75 inches long.

Your TV Fool report would help. You're going to need a clear reception path to the west to pick up WALA.