Spokane, WA - HDTV

[Scoot]

Is there any more dtv stations on the air besides ABS? If there is I can't find them.

[danm]

Nothing else in Spokane yet -- KHQ (NBC) and KREM (CBS) both got waivers but expect to be on by the end of the year (if you believe TitanTV, KHQ will on by 9/15, KREM by 10/1).

According to the letters sent requesting the waivers from the FCC, KHQ is basically ready to go but wants to turn on all of their DTV stations (Tri-Cities and Yakima - I think) at the same time (and why would the FCC allow this)? KREM has to re-configure their tower.

KSKN (UPN) is getting a new channel number - something about interference, don't expect them until July of next year.

KAYU (FOX) is the big question - no waivers were applied for, but they obviously missed the May 1 deadline. TitanTV says KAYU is "Awaiting FCC Permit" - whatever that's supposed to mean. My emails to KAYU go unanswered.

Rather disappointing, I must say... I'm thinking about "moving" to at least get some CBS-HD from DISH... or switch to DirecTV and get HD-NET. Kinda depends on what happens with Discovery-HD.

[Artemido]

antennaweb.org tells me:

Call Sign Channel Network City State Live Date Compass Orientation
KCDT-DT 45 PBS Coeur D'alene ID 10/1/2002 16°
KXLY-DT 13 ABC Spokane WA Now Live 319°
K18DT 18 NBC Coeur D'alene ID 16°
K20EM 20 ABC Coeur D'alene ID 16°
KCDT 26 PBS Coeur D'alene ID 16°
K31CS 31 CBS Coeur D'alene, Etc. ID 16°
K44EC 43 PBS Coeur D'alene ID 16°
K50DM 50 FOX Coeur D'alene ID 16°
KREM 2 CBS Spokane WA 261°
KXLY 4 ABC Spokane WA 319°
KSPS-DT 8 PBS Spokane WA 10/1/2002 258°
KHQ-DT 15 NBC Spokane WA 9/15/2002 259°
KREM-DT 20 CBS Spokane WA 11/1/2002 261°
KGPX-DT 34 PAX Spokane WA 5/1/2003 262°
K53FF 53 TBN Coeur D Alene ID 273°
KHQ 6 NBC Spokane WA 259°
KSPS 7 PBS Spokane WA 258°

Oddly I was just looking into this myself since I live in the humble berg of Coeur d'Alene...

[Deepsky4565]

Does anyone have any updates on Spokane area? Thanks!

[danm]

I sent queries to all of the Spokane stations today... so far, only Bob Wyatt from KHQ has responded with this very positive reply:

In response to your e-mail that reached me. KHQ will start testing its
newly installed DTV system in late August-early September. We will be
broadcasting on channel 15 with a relatively hefty 450 KW ERP signal. We
will be doing standard definition DTV for the present time as NBC has very
little true HD programming available. As NBC ramps up its selection of HD
programming KHQ will begin to pass-through the HD signal sometime this fall.
We do not plan on originating any HD programming ourselves for some time to
come.

[danm]

Received the following message this morning from Claude Kistler at KSPS - the local PBS station:

As of today, we are still sticking with a plan to have and HDTV signal on the air by October 1, 2002. We are running into some tower modification problems but hope to meet that schedule. What we do on a regular schedule beyond Oct. 1st is uncertain. Presently we are offered about 1 hour per week of typical PBS programming in HDTV. PBS also offers a 24 hour loop of "pretty picture" type programming that we can pass through. Our dilemma is the amount of extra dollars we need to spend to make changes in our control room to pass through the programming on a regular basis. We are just uncertain about funding and what we will be able to offer on an immediate basis. I wish I could be more specific at this time but presently I cannot.

I'd kind of like to see that "pretty picture" type programming myself...

[Bugs66]

Received this email from KREM2 today:

Due to circumstances beyond our control, KREM and KSKN won’t be broadcasting a HDTV signal until sometime around April of next year.
Our tower needs reinforcement to support the additional antennas and the manufacturer can’t get the steel to us until well into November.

[Bugs66]

Another update from KHQ (NBC) this time:

Final checkout of the KHQ DTV transmission system (transmitter and antenna) scheduled for September 3. We will begin to check out signal coverage shortly thereafter. We will be turning transmitter on and off during this time and will have no significant programming. We will begin to ramp up our digital transmissions as we get into the fall schedule. Please let me (KHQ engineering) know if you receive any or our testing broadcasts.

[Bugs66]

Update for KSPS (PBS) in Spokane:

We are scheduled to start the antenna installation on the 16th of September. We will be off the air for 3-4 days during construction. We will be transmitting on Channel 8. We will continue to be on channel 7 for probably the next 4 years. Possibly longer depending on the saturation of the market place with new digital televisions.

[Deepsky4565]

Just got my hipix working. Looks like KHQ NBC is testing their transmitter as of Friday 9/20. KSPS PBS is off the air, must be to integrate their HD transmitter. Too bad about KREM not going up until spring.

[Deepsky4565]

What happened to KHQ? They were supposed to be up by now, but I haven't seen anything yet.

[Bugs66]

Me neither. I keep checking channel 15 regularly and nothing. I also keep checking channel 8 for KSPS, nothing there too. Anyone have an update?

Bugs

[danm]

I just pinged Bob Wyatt at KHQ and Claude Kistler at KSPS for updates - hopefully I'll hear something in the next day or so... of course I'll post any updates here when I get them...

[danm]

From KSPS:

We are still working out the antenna problems that were experienced in late Sept. We will not be able to turn our digital transmitter on until approx. mid-November. The antenna problems and schedule conflicts with the company that will test the channel 8 transmitter have brought about this additional delay.

[danm]

Anyone else notice KHQ was broadcasting (intermittently it appears) on channel 15 now? Nothing in HD, though... not even Leno.

[Bugs66]

I tried today to add channel 15 to my Dish 6000 and nothing registered on the sig meter. Is it working right now?

Bugs

[danm]

It's been up and down since Thursday. I didn't try last night, but it was down yesterday about 1pm.

All of NBC's primetime shows tonight are supposed to be HD - hopefully KHQ will have their act together... (although it'd be tough to pull me away from Alias and The Practice on KXLY).

[Deepsky4565]

What's going on? KHQ is still a no-show. They sometimes seem to have a really weak signal I can't lock onto. KSPS is still nowhere. Any news???

[danm]

The last two messages I sent to Bob Wyatt at KHQ went unanswered... I haven't sent anything to KSPS in awhile.

I get a pretty good signal from KHQ, but they only seem to be broadcasting a digital signal during primetime hours... still no HD, though...

[Bugs66]

Is that on channel 15 for KHQ? I'm getting nothing as of the time of this post. I'm in Liberty Lake. Wonder if that is why? I get 90+ signal for KXLY.

[rondi]

This from Bob on 11/29.

"We are pretty much at full power with the DTV. Channel 13 comes in well
because of their location on Mt. Spokane which we've discussed. You are
definitely in a hole and any chance of receiving channel 15 would have your
antenna pointed south and slightly west. Channel 28 is closest to our
tower. "


I have also heard KHQ is upconverting SD during their testing phase, rather than "real" HD.

Bugs 66: Bob mentioned to me about CH28 so i could get my antenna pointed a close to ch6 as possible. IF you get ch28, you should get 6-1.

I live in Laclede and can't get even a watchable analog pix on 2 or 6. 4 comes in pretty good and 4-1 comes in @100% on my Sammy 160.

I do have some pixelation problems during MNF from KXLY though. I'm wondering whether others have this problem too. No one in the Hardware forum said they did, so i'm guessing it's either KXLY or my sammy 160.

The problem is: When ABC switches from the game to go to a reply and they show the grapic of 2 stars coming at you and basically fill the screen with pretty saturated colors, i get pixelation. I never see any pixelation during any other programming. BUT it concerns me with the other problems i am having with the sammy...

If you could pay a closer bit of attention during MNF and look for the pixelations on your gear, and then post if you see it or not, it would help me make a decision to return my sammy 160....

tia,
ron

[Scoot]

Any news from KSPS? The last I heard they had a tower fire sometime in the latter part of last year which was going to cause some delays. I'm now receiving KHQ in primetime on a regular basis, no HD of course. Any timeline on when they expect to pass through HD? Liberty Lake shouldn't be a problem for KHQ. I live on the Rathdrum prairie off Hwy 41 and pick it up with a RS antenna pointed half way between the mountain that KHQ's tower is on and Mt. Spokane.

[Bugs66]

I am still not able to receive KAYU 28 or KHQ digital with my RS UHF antenna. I've never been able to get 7, 22, or 28 in Liberty Lake. I think Liberty Lake is in a shadow or something. I might go with a amplified Stealthtenna and see how that goes.

I just upgraded my Dish Network to the distant locals package for Spokane so I now receive 7, 22, and 28 that way. I'll keep monitoring the HD situation.

Bugs

[rondi]

Give the stations a call or shoot them an email. Tell em where you are located. They have coverage maps that can tell you if you will be able to get any signal, and how strong.

I have talked to all the engineering departments and they are helpful.

From what i know---IF you can't get CH28, you won't get KHQ DT. Likewise, if you can't get KXLY on CH7, you won't get KXLY DT. You will of coarse need a HDTV receiver to get the DT channels--your current TV won't even see em.

Remember though, KXLY is on Mt Spokane, so you antenna needs to be pointed that way.

AND with DSS local-- you'll never get HDTV from them--like you will OTA.

hth,
ron

[Scoot]

I picked up KCDT out of CDA on Friday for anyone interested. Channel 45 public television. They don't seem to be at full power yet but I was able to watch Over Alaska in HD with minimal breakups.

[danm]

Yeah - I've been checking the PBS stations for awhile... I can't lock into KCDT (45) - the signal will jump to the mid-50's for a second then drop back off, never long enough to lock-in.

The KSPS website (The Manager's Message) refers to the digital signal being up, but I'm not seeing any signal on channel 8.

Anyone heard anything from KHQ as to when they're going to start passing through NBC's HD feed?

[Jbrolfe]

I live in Coeur d'Alene and get my local channels (other than KXLY-DT) OTA from translators on Canfield Butte. I did a digital search for new stations and did not pick up 45, but now have four different PBS stations on channels 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 and 26.4. I have a standard UHF antenna pointed a Canfield and a bowtie for KXLY-DT. I think I need a better UHF to pick up the other Spokane DT channels.

[Jbrolfe]

I failed to mention that all 26.X channels are coming in at 100% signal.

[Scoot]

KCDT

45 is the digital channel of 26. I used the "add digital channel" feature in my Dish 6000 receiver and put it in manually. I picked up 5 channels, (sub channels of 26) the ones you mentioned and 26.5. 26.5 has some very nice HD programming on for 2-3 hours each evening. They seem to alternate between channels depending on the time of day. Some channels will be on while others are not, it must be a money thing. I also receive KXLY from Spokane. KHQ also broadcasts digitally but only during prime time and no HD. I have not received any other digital channels.

[Bugs66]

Ok I hooked up a new powered VHF/UHF antenna and I now can receive 7, 22, and 28 in Liberty Lake. This tells me I have a good chance of getting the HD channels.

Unfortunately I was not able to pickup KHQ 15 or KSPS 8 over the weekend. I thought I would at least get KHQ 15. No luck. Anyone else receiving 15?

Bugs