Fargo, ND - HDTV - Page 61

It must be, I watch in the Alexandria, MN, area, and it's dropped out 3 times today for large periods of time. Of all the days you would NOT want to be working on your transmitter.

I trust that it will be back in time for the game. If not, perhaps it would be most effective to complain directly to FOX rather than KVRR.

It's back! Not quite in time for the start of the game, but what's a series and a half? it's only the Super Bowl...

you missed some >$100K/sec ads...
I'm sure the Fox network would like to know that their affiliate goes off the air routinely during major events - superbowl, american idol finale, etc

This is rediculous. KVRR Keeps dropping out both over-the-air and on DirecTV. I almost wish the transmitter would go offline entirely so DirecTV could open up the NY feed.

just when I thought they'd got their $#!^ together, cut to the SD feed.

granted, that's an improvement over the NO feed previously...

but ... truly, what are they thinking?

Now they keep bouncing between HD and windowboxed SD. God, why cant we get a decent FOX affiliate around here?

And you know, if they had their transmitter in the same direction as everyone else, I could put a reflector behind my antenna to improve reception, but nooooooooo, they have to transmit 180 degrees away from everyone else.

It's actually been perfect for me on Midco since soon after I posted my previous message.

So whats with all these Fargo ads on KBRR i thought that was the whole reason the couldnt broadcast KVRR?

In KVRR's defense, when their transmitter and tower was built in 1987/88, they were the ONLY UHF TV signal in Fargo (not even any LPTVs at that time), so it didn't matter where it was built, because it needed a different antenna that the other stations...

They had dualband antennas back then too.

Some of you may have noticed that I worked for them for a time in the late '80's. If I remember correctly, the transmitter location was chosen because of the coverage it would give to the south and east as we had KBRR and KNRR to cover areas to the north of Fargo, and I believe we had already applied for KJRR at that time. We also had some translators in Minnesota to feed (I think they were in Brainerd and Bemidji) at the time, and a transmitter in that location could provide a reliable signal to them. Plus, I think it's where we found someone who would rent/sell us land to put up a tower. I believe we made some inquiries to landowners near the other towers out by Casselton and were rebuffed.

Val

Now Kbrr viewers can watch nascar in letterboxed SD AND no audio....

You were able to eliminate a microwave feed to the Alexandria "community" translator at the time (they relayed Fargo stations back then)......plus, coverage to Fergus Falls and Detroit Lakes is more valuable than rural nd - also allowed easy feed to Brainerd, Park Rapids, Walker and bemidji translators ...

Also meant to add it is sad to see a well run, progressive operation fall apart, like they did. The company that owns Regis salons put lots of money into the operation in the mid 80s, but seems to be neglecting it now

Was there any investigation of sites other than the old KCND-TV site, which they ended up using, when Red River was preparing to launch KNRR? KNRR was supposed to be Red River's "Winnipeg" station, but could never have pushed its rabbit-ears quality Grade-A signal that far north by replicating what KCND had done (and which had threatened to put that station out of business for at least half of its 15 years on the air). Had KNRR run at maximum power and maximum height from the higher ground east of Pembina, though, they should have been able to push a Grade-A signal into Winnipeg.

Also, any insights into why KNRR was returned to air at a cost of somewhere over $1 million, given Red River's reputation for cost-cutting and their claims to the FCC that the station was neither profitable nor generating cash flow?

I think it was much less than $1M....They were able to re-use the same feedline and antenna on the tower - I don't know what type of transmitter they have, they are most likely using the same PA (assuming it was a linear amp), so it was just changing out the exciter...If the transmitter used high level modulation before, they might have found a secondhand "pre-transition" transmitter on the cheap, or a "souped up" LPTV transmitter...

I'm thinking some kind of semi-organized public boycott of KBRR might be the only way to get them to take action. They obviously don't care about the viewers. But, if the advertisers start to get cold feet maybe they'll be forced to upgrade.


AT

Well the next big thing on fox is the race im sure they would love us boycotting the super bowl of nascar.

I know this is slightly off topic, but I figured if anyone would know it would be the group here.

Does anyone know or have any knowledge of HD (Hybrid Digital) radio in Fargo Moorhead? My new truck radio has HD capability, but I can't find any good info on wether Radio Fargo Moorhead or Triad is or has plans of Hybrid Digital broadcasting.

I don't think you'l find anything other than pubic radio right now using IBOC (HD), since the technology that the FCC allows is proprietary and requires large payments to iBiquity (a $100K+ initial investment) - although there are a few "compatible" systems that are making an appearance, but not on a large scale. Also there are very few receivers in the area right now, so there is no return for the investment. In addition, IBOC experience has shown very limited range compared to the analog broadcast, making it not very suitable for rural areas where a station needs to cover a large area.

The only HD radio stations in North Dakota are public radio, with one exception...KDIX 1230 in Dickinson.

I've kinda given up on fox in hd but i do have an interesting side bet, Fox in HD will be available before the new terminal in Grand Forks is finished and the alltel transition to at&t is complete.

I'll be happy if it is here by the start of the next football season (whenever that is!)

So the minnesota state hockey tournament is coming up soon, is it still on KCPM, which I dont get cause its not available over the air in fargo, and its not on DirecTV?

hxxp://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/cdbs_docs/pa/dtvsearch/dtv_search.cfm
searched criteria: fargo nd, included: LPTV
KVNJ-LP Ch 2 analog shown as operating??
Maybe some deeper digging would expose why they're off the air(??)

hxxp://www.kcpm.tv shows them on ch 33, but no 33 on the FCC's site (???)

KCPM-DT, near GF,ND. is on the air, since July 2010, but hasn't had usable audio since Oct/Nov of 2010. Have emailed them a few times and the one response I got was "Waiting on some equipment"
Avder, According to the website: hxxp://www.kcpm.tv the Minn. St. Boys Hockey is on their channel. Also on the site hxxp://www.kcpo.tv/

As far as the FCC is aware, KVNJ-LP is on the air as an analog translator on channel 2. When the station's license was subject to a routine renewal in 2008, the owner checked yes to the statement "licensee certifies that the station is currently on the air." No new filings have been made to the FCC since then.

With regard to channel 33, it appears there was a plan at one point to have the analog Fargo translator on that channel instead of or in addition to channel 2. There are two records of a facility on channel 33 in the FCC database. One looks to be a license or temporary authority that expired in either 2004 or 2005 for a 1.4 kW analog translator while the other is an application for a 150 kW analog translator that was returned to the owner in 2001 and never taken out of the database.

In any event, if you asked the FCC, they would tell you KVNJ-LP is on the air on channel 2 in Fargo at this very moment.

KVNJ-LP is licensed to operate on channel 2. The FCC did grant them Special Temporary Authorization to broadcast on channel 33 while they awaited approval of their application to move to ch 33, but that was back in January 2004; the authorization ran out in July 2004. Sounds like what I call a "phantom" station. Quite common for LPTV stations, as the FCC usually doesn't investigate them unless they receive a complaint.

The STA signal was puny; no more than a 6-mile radius from downtown Fargo, but if it's still operating, it's doing so without FCC authorization.

I wonder how much Parker/Hoak would want to carry KCPM as a RF channel 38 subchannel (mapped to virtual channel 27) on KXJB? I would be very little extra expense for KXJB..That could be a cheaper and more effective solution than translators all over the place, cover the whole market, and less expensive than tower rent for wide coverage location. Keep the micro power transmitter in GF to keep the license active (I think the old TBN LPTV on K49FF had a larger coverage area than the "full" power KCPM).

I dont think theyd be able to virtual map it to 27.1. It would have to be 4.2 I think.

I'd be happy with it that way tho.

Registered just to ask a question.

Anyone else having issues with KVRR since the weekend storm? I have a rooftop antenna, never any major issues picking Fox up before this, but since the storm on Saturday, I can't get any reception at all. And MidCo just got rid of the in-the-clear QAM stations(well, mostly, I can get in a sports station and the PPV preview channel), so I can't go back to using those.

I am about 20 miles west of Fargo.