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Fargo, ND - HDTV

382K views 2K replies 167 participants last post by  bm10k 
#1 · (Edited)
Check out http://brian.glaeske.name/ht/Fargo-HDTV/index.html for the latest information on current broadcast status in Fargo/Moorhead.


Note: This thread is also serving the Grand Forks, ND market as well. Please send me a private message for any specific updates you would like to see about the status of GF HD.

Update on 10/5/2020. The above-mentioned page has been taken down.

---


For all those lurking around the Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN area who are chomping at the bit for a little bit of HDTV, then I have good news and bad news.


The good news is that we have 3 of 5 stations broadcasting in DTV, the bad news is that only 1 of 3 is broadcasting true HDTV and the other two have no plans in the works for passing the HD signal from their respective networks. Somewhat good news is that the NBC and CBS stations are starting the transition but are still months away.


KFME (PBS), channel 23 is broadcasting PBS's 1080i from 7pm CT to 10pm CT, multi-casting the rest of the time. KVRR (Fox), channel 19 is broadcasting a standard definition signal, but not Fox's widescreen enhanced format. WDAY (ABC), channel 21 is broadcasting a standard definition signal and have no plans to show ABC's 720p broadcasts. It should also be noted that WDAY is not even passing a stereo signal with their broadcasts and instead are sending a mono.


The station managers of both WDAY and KVRR have been actually pretty rude to me regarding my inquiries. WDAY won't reply if they don't like the question and KVRR just doesn't care.


KVLY (NBC), channel 58 and KXJB (CBS), channel 38 are not currently broadcasting even a digital signal. According to the station manager (these stations are in a cost sharing agreement), the signals will be turned on sometime around Thanksgiving of this year and they intend to pass the 1080i signals from both NBC and CBS to us. This is sort of good news, but I wish it was in time for the Olympics and the fall season.


The only FM cable provider, CableONE, is providing a minimal set of HD programming in the form of HBO and Showtime HD with plans to add ESPN-HD and Discovery. However, the cost of these channels is pretty prohibitive in my book. It is nearly cheaper to just get VOOM and keep your CableONE connection.


My only request for those reading this in the FM area... Please call and e-mail the station managers of these stations asking them about HDTV. The only way that they will know what the demand for HDTV is, is if we let them know we exist.


Brian G.
 
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#1,328 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsav03 /forum/post/15470238


Does anyone know when Midco will have Fox on HD? They have all the other locals but Fox. So if anyone out there that knows anything about the progress of Fox and Midco or even other HD channels for Midco would be appreciated.

My guess is it won't happen anytime soon. Don't bother calling Midco about it, either. They've never been willing to give me a timetable on anything. I'm just happy we get more channels than a lot of other providers, such as CableOne.
 
#1,329 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsav03 /forum/post/15470238


Does anyone know when Midco will have Fox on HD? They have all the other locals but Fox. So if anyone out there that knows anything about the progress of Fox and Midco or even other HD channels for Midco would be appreciated.

Which Midco city are you in (west fargo, mayville, grand forks, crookston,...)?

If it is in the GF area, they may need to wait for there to be a digital fox signal in the area.
 
#1,330 ·
A bit off topic for this thread - but CableOne is offering 3 services (Cable, Digital Cable, Internet (5mbps)) for $75 a month if you sign a one year contract. This is also for current subscribers. I'm saving $37 a month. You can call in and verify that you qualify and they will have the contract ready for you to sign when you stop in to their office.
 
#1,331 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by egftechman /forum/post/15478078


Which Midco city are you in (west fargo, mayville, grand forks, crookston,...)?

If it is in the GF area, they may need to wait for there to be a digital fox signal in the area.

West Fargo, sorry forgot to add that yeah it would be nice to have for 24 and other sporting events, and my tv is downstairs so not sure if its worth getting those ears to get just 1 hd channel cuz they have have every other channel in hd for locals.
 
#1,332 ·
Anyone know what is going on with DirecTv and KXJB? I saw the banner go across the screen last night about losing signal on Thursday. What gives with KXJB and KVLY? I seem to remember problems between some cable company and them a while ago. Kinda sucks if I loose the channel cause I have no antenna and I love football!
 
#1,333 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by joendsu /forum/post/15478697


A bit off topic for this thread - but CableOne is offering 3 services (Cable, Digital Cable, Internet (5mbps)) for $75 a month if you sign a one year contract. This is also for current subscribers. I'm saving $37 a month. You can call in and verify that you qualify and they will have the contract ready for you to sign when you stop in to their office.

I got the flyer for this in the mail today and it says it's for new customers only. However I have noticed that sometimes the people you get on the phone either don't know, don't care, or are too incompetent to notice this and sometimes give existing subscribers deals that are supposed to only be for new customers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dzemcik /forum/post/15490931


Anyone know what is going on with DirecTv and KXJB? I saw the banner go across the screen last night about losing signal on Thursday. What gives with KXJB and KVLY? I seem to remember problems between some cable company and them a while ago. Kinda sucks if I loose the channel cause I have no antenna and I love football!

There was an article in the paper about it, as well as on valleynewslive.com ( http://www.valleynewslive.tv/info/directv.shtml):


Unless a new carriage agreement is reached by 5:00pm, January 8, 2009, customers of satellite provider DirecTV in the Fargo viewing area may no longer receive the programming of television station KXJB & the CBS Network.


KXJB's retransmission agreement with DirecTV expired at midnight on December 31, 2008, and the station has so far been unable to reach a new agreement with DirecTV for the right to continue carrying KXJB programming.


It looks like there will be a manager's mailbag segment on it tonight too. Basically they're asking for more money and DirecTV wants to pay less. Well it doesn't say that but you can assume. Kind of strange it's only KXJB and not KVLY this time, since it's the same ownership, but their contracts probably just run out at different times since they were likely first negotiated before they were under the same ownership.
 
#1,334 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by puck71 /forum/post/15491366


I got the flyer for this in the mail today and it says it's for new customers only. However I have noticed that sometimes the people you get on the phone either don't know, don't care, or are too incompetent to notice this and sometimes give existing subscribers deals that are supposed to only be for new customers.

Yeah, I just saw that in the mailer today also - but myself and three other coworkers all called in and they said we qualified even though we are already customers. All I had to do was go in and sign the contract.
 
#1,335 ·
The rebroadcasters of Fox affiliate KVRR 15/Fargo will be flash-cutting (turning off analog and switching over) to digital on 2/1/2009. This includes KJRR 7/Jamestown, KBRR 10/Thief River Falls-Grand Forks, and KNRR 12/Pembina-Winnipeg. KNRR is waiting for FCC action to move to channel 12, so it may continue broadcasting at reduced power on channel 15. Fox network programming will be available in HDTV on the KVRR rebroadcasters.
 
#1,336 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by hotdogs /forum/post/15504669


The rebroadcasters of Fox affiliate KVRR 15/Fargo will be flash-cutting (turning off analog and switching over) to digital on 2/1/2009. This includes KJRR 7/Jamestown, KBRR 10/Thief River Falls-Grand Forks, and KNRR 12/Pembina-Winnipeg. KNRR is waiting for FCC action to move to channel 12, so it may continue broadcasting at reduced power on channel 15. Fox network programming will be available in HDTV on the KVRR rebroadcasters.


hotdogs, do you know who which stations receive KVRR rebroadcasts? Just wondering what this means for people in Grand Forks who get KBRR over-the-air or through Midco.
 
#1,337 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by corman /forum/post/15506330


hotdogs, do you know who which stations receive KVRR rebroadcasts? Just wondering what this means for people in Grand Forks who get KBRR over-the-air or through Midco.

Full Power stations:

KBRR - Thief River Falls

KNRR - Pembina

KJRR - Jamestown


Also many translators around the area that are not on a specific schedule to be converted.
 
#1,338 ·
yeah, what egftechman said.


KJRR 7/Jamestown, KBRR 10/Thief River Falls-Grand Forks and KNRR 12/Pembina-Winnipeg simulcast all of KVRR 15/Fargo's programming, but air some of their own local spots (commericals).


I believe the Devils Lake (rebroadcasts KNRR) and Park Rapids (rebroadcasts KVRR) translators (low-powered rebroadcasters) will be going digital by this summer, since they are owned by Red River Broadcasting (KVRR's parent company). The other scattered translators are owned by local governments or privately owned and have their own schedules to switch to digital.
 
#1,339 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by dzemcik /forum/post/15490931


Anyone know what is going on with DirecTv and KXJB? I saw the banner go across the screen last night about losing signal on Thursday. What gives with KXJB and KVLY? I seem to remember problems between some cable company and them a while ago. Kinda sucks if I loose the channel cause I have no antenna and I love football!

It's official: we lost the KXJB standard-def channel on DirecTV sometime yesterday. This is somewhat relevant to this board since it probably doesn't bode well for HD locals (at least KXJB and KVLY) on DirecTV anytime soon...


Relevant link on DBSTalk here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=149396


I guess I'll have to get off my butt and order that AM-21 box from DirecTV and see if my antenna on the roof is positioned to pick up KXJB (god knows there will be no repositioning of that thing until April or May...).
 
#1,340 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by hotdogs /forum/post/15509743


yeah, what egftechman said.


KJRR 7/Jamestown, KBRR 10/Thief River Falls-Grand Forks and KNRR 12/Pembina-Winnipeg simulcast all of KVRR 15/Fargo's programming, but air some of their own local spots (commericals).


I believe the Devils Lake (rebroadcasts KNRR) and Park Rapids (rebroadcasts KVRR) translators (low-powered rebroadcasters) will be going digital by this summer, since they are owned by Red River Broadcasting (KVRR's parent company). The other scattered translators are owned by local governments or privately owned and have their own schedules to switch to digital.

Jamestown, and Thief River, KJRR and KBRR are going digital on Feb. 1. Devils Lake is doing nothing, since the tower fell over, and no one has called there to complain, so Devils Lake will probably be without, unless you have cable. Pembina, KNRR is a low power translator for digital, and unless the FCC gives them a low power license, it will be gone.
 
#1,341 ·
thx for correcting speedcrew.


KNRR/Pembina has an STA to be low power on channel 15 (currently on air), along with a CP to go full power on channel 15, and an application to move to channel 12. They can't stay on channel 15 if PPTV chooses to turn on KGFE-DT 15/Grand Forks, which may not happen since PPTV (PBS member) served by KCGE-DT 16/Crookston-Grand Forks and KMDE-DT 25/Devils Lake in most of the area, and the FCC hasn't acted on the application to move to channel 12 yet. The FCC also hasn't acted on KGFE's application to move from the WDAZ tower near Petersburg (between Devils Lake and Grand Forks) to the KCGE/KBRR-DT tower near Crookston, and if KGFE-DT moves to Crookston, KCGE will be shutting off since it'll be duplicating programming in the same area. If they don't get the CP to move to Crookston, KGFE-DT will not be built, so it goes poof (KGFE is on low-power via STA in Grand Forks since equipment was damaged at the shared WDAZ tower).
 
#1,342 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by dandeson83 /forum/post/15459677


Yes, I received a letter in the mail from CableONE stating that the $5 HD Tier was being removed from my bill, as HGTV / Food HD were being moved to just the regular HD. The letter also stated that Animal Planet HD is being added on January 19th. Searching on the internet, it also sounds like FSN HD is not too far away either.


I've been patiently waiting for some time for FSN HD, so I hope that one is true.

Oh man please be right about FSN.


Also get a lil big 10 network and a lil NFL network and thered be no reason to goto Direct in town here
 
#1,343 ·
The forums on valleynewslive.tv are now gone. They were filling up with some pretty heated complaints about KXJB over the last few days...The Google caches of the forum are even gone!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpedInFargo /forum/post/15510122


It's official: we lost the KXJB standard-def channel on DirecTV sometime yesterday. This is somewhat relevant to this board since it probably doesn't bode well for HD locals (at least KXJB and KVLY) on DirecTV anytime soon...


Relevant link on DBSTalk here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=149396


I guess I'll have to get off my butt and order that AM-21 box from DirecTV and see if my antenna on the roof is positioned to pick up KXJB (god knows there will be no repositioning of that thing until April or May...).
 
#1,344 ·
Midcontinent put up a press release on their site this week, saying service in Moorhead may be available by June. The relevant quote: "Currently serving over 200 communities throughout the Dakotas and Western Minnesota, Midcontinent Communications received a franchise agreement for the City of Moorhead on December 18, 2008. With plans to extend the network now in place, Midcontinent's cable, phone, Internet, and cable advertising services could be available as early as June 2009 to Moorhead residents and businesses."


I'll believe it when I see it!
 
#1,345 ·
I`m currently a D****TV subscriber. With the recent loss of KXJB, I m now thinking of putting up outdoor antenna to receive the local HD channels in GF. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to get and/or if anything is even possible to receive a signal? I currently get channels 4 and 11 thru an indoor antenna, but would like to get ABC and Fox. Thanks for any help.
 
#1,346 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by phate71 /forum/post/15595374


I`m currently a D****TV subscriber. With the recent loss of KXJB, I m now thinking of putting up outdoor antenna to receive the local HD channels in GF. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to get and/or if anything is even possible to receive a signal? I currently get channels 4 and 11 thru an indoor antenna, but would like to get ABC and Fox. Thanks for any help.

You won't get ABC or FOX until WDAZ andKBRR do their flash-cut to digital...KBRR says they are going to do it on February 1st, WDAZ is waiting until the last minute. If you put a UHF directional antenna up outside and aim it just NW of Fargo (about 186 degrees from downtown GF), you may get WDAY-DT on channel 21 (it'll be labeled 6-1 ABC, 6-2 CW, 6-3 weather).


Right now with an indoor antenna, here is what you can expect in GF

4(analog) KXJB-CBS

8(analog) WDAZ-ABC

10(analog) KBRR-Fox

11(analog) KVLY-NBC

16-1(digital 16.1) KCGE-PBS-HD

16-2(digital 16.2) KCGE-PBS

16-3(digital 16.3) KCGE-MN Channel

17(analog) 3ABN

38-1(digital 4.1) KXJB CBS

44-1(digital 11.1) KVLY NBC

49(analog) TBN
 
#1,347 ·
If you're into DIY, you can build an exceptional directional UHF antenna, tuned to the 14-51 channel range of the post-transition era for about $20 in parts from Menards/HomeDepot/Lowes.


The DIY antenna offers, on average, 5 db greater strength (in other words, 4x the signal gathering level) of commercially availalble UHF-only antennas.


Here's a link with more info: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=96483


And: http://www.jedsoft.org/fun/antennas/dtv/gh.html


They're called "Gray-Hoverman" antennas, and that Canadian forum contains avid antenna geeks modelling every variation of the antenna with software to come up with the best possible signal level across all UHF frequencies.


The copper for the active elements cost about $10, and the PVC for the frame costs about $5, and then some screws and washers and coat hangers (for reflector array) will bring you to about $20.


I've built the older version of this (with about 2.5db less strength, or 1/2 the maximum level that this new one can do) and it definitely blows away the ~$40 UHF/VHF combo antenna that you find at Menards/Fleet Farm, for the UHF band. Even inside the house through a wall, it gets a ~95% signal lock on locals in Fargo vs. about 65-85% for a simple bowtie antenna. (Though it's not the nicest looking thing to have next to your TV of course
)
 
#1,349 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by phate71 /forum/post/15602828


Thanks for the suggestions. I wouldn`t have a problem making something, as long as it doesn`t get too crazy. My wife might not care for it! Does anyone know if these omni directional units are any good, ex. Winegard MS-2000? I live on the southend of GF. Thanks for any help.

If you live on the south end of GF, the omni may work well, you should have a good line of sight to Blanchard, Galesburg (where KVLY and KXJB are), if you go above the tree/roof line in your area, you should be able to get the Amenia transmitters (WDAY and KFME) also. I also would expect no problems receiving KCGE out of Crookston, KBRR's post-transition facility from the same tower as KCGE, WDAZ from Petersberg, and KCPM north of East Grand Forks. THe biggest problem is WDAZ, KBRR, and KFME will be VHF-hi instead of UHF like the rest, and there are transmitters in 4 directions from GF. Here are FCC calculated coverage for the stations, if you are inside the contours, you should be able to receive the signal w/o too much of an antenna:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...DT1249337.html
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...DT1165361.html
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...=DT695326.html
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...DT1236441.html
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...DT1171831.html
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...DT1144130.html
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...DT1232261.html
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...=DS628222.html
 
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