Charlotte, NC - OTA - Page 158

Are you talking about that Tony Plath (sp) character?

No, but he is another one often quoted by the news without question. I'm talking about http://charlotte.johnlocke.org/blog/?p=18126

This is my biggest complaint about what passes for news these days. They will take whatever expert, public official, etc. that is rolled out by the people running Charlotte and parrot whatever they say without question. I guess they do it because they are afraid of losing access, but the end result, is they have become mostly worthless in regards to any relevant news beyond high school sports scores and how hot it might get.

I see the FCC has granted the digital flash cut. So, is this treated the same as other CPs - they have 3 (or is it 2) years to do this?

Eric

It's 3+ years, the CP expires on September 1, 2015.

My antenna is pointed straight at them. Though I'm outside the contour map, will be interesting to see if I can get a picture.

The FCC has established September 1, 2015 date for the termination of all analog low power TV stations. After that date, analog TV will no longer exist in the United States

It's gotten quiet here so I will make a post.

I've noticed the PSIP for WCCB has gone to listing all the starting times for shows to be at XX:29 and XX:59 instead of XX:30 & XX:00. Seems to be the same for both the main channel & MeTV. Regular PSIP info from WBTV seems to be non-existent. They tend to let it stop on the weekends.

While on the subject of MeTV, I've noticed that this channel is obviously a 4:3 channel but it is transmitted as a 16:9 with bars added. Why is this? Is it because some of the programs benefit from a slightly larger ratio than what 4:3 allows? I've noticed it on Star Trek. (yes I'm a geek) I do appreciate the re-imaged Star Trek on MeTV being provide on WCCB, BTW so no complaints. My nephew and I have made this a weekly event to watch.

Has anyone heard anything about the status of ThisTV in CLT now that WBTV in CLT has dropped it or news on anything else? It's sure quiet compared to the last couple of years where the city got THIS, MeTV, AntennaTV & Tnn, and WHKY finished its upgradrs for RTV, Tuff & Family.

WMYT continues to transmit 55-2 with nothing on it. Curious that.

I still think that Charlotte in general is under served by OTA compared to cities its size elsewhere.

Anything else?

I would have rather seen WBTV keep This TV instead of Bounce. And 55.2 was supposed to be adding Soul of the South, but who knows when. But I mostly watch Antenna TV and Me TV, on 46.2 and 7.2.

This is due to presentation of HD material downconverted to 16:9 widescreen during alternate programming.
For WCCB, some NFL games. For WOLO, ESPN and ABC alternate sporting events.

Plus, we no longer produce HD programming (for both stations) with 4x3 protected. It was too limiting for our creative folks and photographers.

Since Charlotte is clearly the largest metro area anywhere in the Carolinas, I cannot make a direct comparison to my local market in terms of trying to justify why certain channel are offered (or not).......

But just pointing out the differences between the Charlotte market versus the Greensboro/W-S/H-P market, the following networks come to mind:

The Charlotte market has its own local PBS network, MeTV, Bounce TV, Live Well Network, RTV, TuffTV, My Family TV, and independent WAXN..... whereas none of these particular networks are offered in the Greensboro/W-S/H-P market.

The Greensboro/W-S market has ION TV, This TV, TheCoolTV, AMGTV, Estrella TV whereas none of these particular networks are offered in the Charlotte market.

From what I can recall (as I type this), the rest of the channels are essentially duplication of each other, to include all the major networks, as well as Antenna TV, and the County Network (offered in both markets).

I think MeTV in Charlotte is great. It is not offered in the Greensboro market and is one of my favorite subchannels. Also, the Greensboro market does not offer RTV, TuffTV, and My Family TV.

But Charlotte has some missing networks that we get here. They include This TV (since WBTV dropped it). Also, ION TV is not offered in Charlotte (has some good movies on the weekends).

At any rate, I am happy to just hold onto the over the air stations that we've got

I have begun installation of WSOC-TV2 in Statesville (channel 46). I hope to have it on the air by July 1st. Standard setup: WSOC-ST 9.9, WAXN-ST 64.9...Antenna will be at 1250' on the tower at Cool Springs, NC (10 miles east of Statesville...pattern will go due west) More information as we get closer to 7/1/12.

Cannot get Wlos in columbus, nc maybe we can get new WSOC.
I get:
3.1
3.2
4.1
4.2
7.1
7.2
21.1
21.2
33.1
33.2
33.3
46.1
46.2
46.3
55.1
55.2
55.3
62.1 poor
61.2 poor

I emailed WHNS about if they are going to get Retro TV, no reply. Hay there fox.

Your only hope for WSOC will be the main 9.1 signal on RF34 or the Crowders Mtn translator on RF30. You will need a dedicated high gain UHF antenna and low noise preamp. Consider Antennas Direct 91XG and Winegard AP4800 preamp. Then you may have a chance if your line of site is not blocked by mountains. And you should also be able to get WCNC 36.1 on RF22 unless their is some sort of cochannel interference with RF21. And sounds like you may need a better HiVHF antenna for WLOS on RF13. Consider a Winegard 7696 antenna for AVL/GSP channels and the 91XG for Charlotte. And an A/B switch. Here in Mauldin, I get WSOC 9.1 very good at night, and 9.5 most of the time during the day. And 3, 36, 46, and 55 all the time, and no problems with 13 or 62, although WSOC and WLOS required a bit of strategic effort. It would be nice if WSOC could just boost the power a bit on their Crowders translator, as ABC is a bit weak in the western Carolinas between Gaffney and Greenville, and Shelby and Asheville. Good luck.

Check out MeTV on 7.2 and Antenna TV on 46.2. And Retro TV is on WHKY-14 out of Hickory, but I don't move my antenna to receive this one channel, as it is optimized for the main Clt channels.

WSOC is operating Crowder's Mtn at the most power allowed by the FCC. If I could run it at 15Kw ERP, I would.

Well, for the most part, WSOC can be received in a good portion of Spartanburg County, on both 9.1 and 9.5, or in some locations, one or the other. If you have a good UHF antenna and preamp. It's when you get past Greer and into Greenville County where it begins to drop off. But that is beyond the primary coverage area. The problem is that WLOS has a somewhat weak, sporadic signal in the Upstate, which should be a part of their main coverage area. But they have a limited, directional signal to avoid interference with RF13 in Florence.

Ted, on the topic of translators, I am just curious about something. Is the guide data for WAXN-CG 64-7 coming any time in the near future? I know it's not required, but it would be a nice feature.

I am able to receive 64-7 from your China Grove translator on a 24/7 basis. Main 64-1 is not reliable from this distance since you are required to protect WFMY on RF51.

I thought WLOS had a translator in Polk County.

Eric

I guess this is the old WFMX tower, Ted? Was WFMX the only (most recent) occupant or is there other RF on it? Are the old WFMX bays still on it? And, is it still owned by Clear Channel?

Sorry, for all the questions but I'm very nostalgic about WFMX - sure miss it.

Thanks,
Eric

Yes, it would be interesting to know who currently owns the old WFMX tower near Statesville. And also to confirm that this was the original site of the WFMX tower before the station moved the tower to one located in Rowan County?

As for WFMX itself, I understand it signed off from its license of Statesville and moved to Clemmons in 2006. And when WFMX went back on the air in the Triad (licensed to Clemmons), it changed its call sign to WMKS and also changed from a popular country station to a top 40 station.

But back to your questions, maybe Ted can confirm that this Statesville transmitter is indeed the old/original WFMX tower, who curently owns the tower, and whether there's any other RF on it.

Tower is the old WFMX tower. Owned by ATC. No other broadcast stations there. Some two-ways. Old FMX antenna still at the top.

Evan,

I'm rather certain WFMX never had a tower in Rowan County - I know WEND (106.5 FM) is in Rowan. Also 94.1 WWLV Lexington has been trying move its antenna to Rowan county to get into the Charlotte market. In the early WFMX days, their antenna was on its sister AM's tower (WSIC) on Radio Rd in Statesville. Around the mid 80s, WFMX moved to a newly-constructed tower in Cool Springs. That's where WFMX remained until Clear Channel moved the station to the Greensboro market in 2006. The WMKS (former WFMX) antenna is co-located with WTQR on Sauratown Mountain north of Winston-Salem. And thanks, Ted, for the Cool Springs tower update.

Eric

The cool spring tower is in Rowan county by about 1/2 miles technically

Golly - hate it when I'm wrong. I had always thought the tower was in Davie County, solely based on the "Davie county line sign" right at the Cool Springs exit off I-40.

Evan, sorry for my - what is now - a confusing post.

Eric

Everyone is wrong, at least sometimes No shame in that.

Rowan County does have a somewhat odd shape with the northwest corner of the county almost touching I-40 between Mocksville and Statesville.

Interesting that Clear Channel chose to make WFMX a Greensboro rather than Charlotte market station. Usually, when they move stations, it is to the larger market to gain more ad revenue. Perhaps they were at the max limit allowed by the FCC for stations in Charlotte. In a similar situation, WNOW 105.3 was moved from Gaffney, SC to become a Charlotte market Hispanic station, with their antenna now on the WBTV tower in Dallas. Although their is speculation that station may be up for sale. But it will no doubt remain a Charlotte channel rather than GSP.

Iredell Davie and Rowan all come together just north of the tower. I had to go to Salisbury to get an electrical permit so know its in Rowan. It does have Iredell EMS & Sheriff on the tower.

Yes, I agree that it is interesting. Now the former Statesville licensed WFMX is known as WMKS 105.7 Hit Music Now. It is reportedly ranked as the second top 40 station in the Greensboro/H-P/Winston-Salem market.

But we all know these markets are artificially created manmade borders. As much as some policy makers might want them to...RF signals certainly don't stop at county lines no more than listeners do. I understand the former WFMX had listeners in Charlotte, WS-Greensboro, and Raleigh. And that's how it should be when a station has a strong signal and a popular format.

Ah yes... back to the man-made borders talk I am glad radio isn't restrictive as TV. Can you imagine if stations just stopped coming in across a county border? Would "significantly listened" stations not be in stereo for the counties outside the official DMA?

105.7 is worthless in Alamance County, but we have G105 from Durham (which is 100 times better anyway.) Top-40 isn't really my thing, but G105 (105.1) is a decent station for what it is. Plus, they have alternative on their HD2. It's the same canned crap that's on the HD2 of 100.3 and 96.3, but if you only listen to it one day per week, you don't notice that it's the same songs over and over.
I wish 106.5 came in here. 106.7 is too strong here for my TV antenna to tune WEND in and it's not listenable in the car. The End (both HD1 and HD2), along with WRAL 101.5-HD2, and 94.7 WQDR Raleigh are NC's best commercial stations in my opinion.