[Trip in VA]

Low-power TV stations do not have community coverage requirements. All they would have to do is write a letter to the FCC and they could change their community of license to something different if they wanted.

- Trip

 

[grich]

Sadly, a tower worker attempting to work on the KDSM issue fell to his death this morning.

 

[grich]

KDSM 17.1 programming is being aired on WHO 13.3, temporarily bumping off Antenna TV. ThisTV on 13.4 has been replaced with a low bit-rate static slide explaining what's going on...the bandwidth that would have been used for 13.4 is being shoveled toward 13.3 for the 720p KDSM video.

 

[tanglecord]

Channel 17 (point one thru four) is back! But (as of 6pm, Sun, 6/30) 13.3 is still carrying Fox 17 and 13.4 still has the static slide.

New Channel! Court TV is available as an over-the-air network and can be streamed for free online and via Fire Tv, Apple TV and Roku.

https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/the-new-court-tv-is-now-streaming-for-free-on-the-apple-tv/

Des Moines won't get Court TV until November, on channel 13.4.

https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/her...-in-as-a-free-ota-tv-network-on-may-8th-2019/

I emailed WHO and asked, with Court TV going to 13.4, what would happen to This TV. Dave Peterson, WHO's Viewer representative, responded:

This TV will have to see if any other broadcaster will pick it up. I suspect it will not be available in this market.

We will always monitor these choices and keep our options open.

 

[grich]

13.3 and 13.4 are back to normal this morning...we didn't switch back over the weekend to let the KDSM repairs cook in, and to give Dish and Direct time to retune their receivers (unlike Mediacom, Dish and Direct take KDSM (and most if not all the locals) over-the-air rather than a direct fiber feed). KDSM completely rebuilt all 2000 feet of transmission line to the antenna, which is why they stayed off the air as long as they did.

 

[grich]

Here we go again...

KDMI channel 19 is now off the air, apparently another transmission line burnout. Same Alleman tower occupied by KDSM.

 

[grich]

Forgot to mention, KDMI was back on the air last week at low power. They are using the old never-used Mediaflo line that was still on the tower, to feed the antenna while they deal with their line issue.

 

[doswonk1]

@grich : You seem to be pretty plugged in to what's going on with DSM OTA TV. Thanks for keeping us updated!

Well, the Fox KDSM situation with the worker dying was general news (and very sad), but sometimes one wonders if a station has disappeared because (a) it moved, (b) it shut down, or (c) I just need to do a tuner re-scan.

I'm tuning in from the Newton Greater Metropolitan Area, BTW, so well east of the Metro, but not quite east enough to get Iowa City/Cedar Rapids stations, except during the occasional atmospheric fluke. (Sometimes, a tuner scan will latch onto them, but their signals aren't strong enough to watch programming.) And yes, like everybody, the trickiest station to pull in is WOI. I am using an indoor antenna, so sometimes I have to aim it just right to get my "We Are Iowa" news fix.

I continue to expect "free" OTA TV as my god-given right as a freedom-loving American, even as I mute the commercials Best Regards!

 

[Shawn Latimer]

anyone have info on when the repack might affect our DSM stations? Hopefully for the better for WOI

 

[Trip in VA]

Repack already happened in Des Moines, last year. KFPX moved, and that was basically it.

- Trip

 

[grich]

Repack already happened in Des Moines, last year. KFPX moved, and that was basically it.

- Trip

One piece of repack is still undone...WOI-TV's channel 50 translator downtown is still operating. The CP to move it to Channel 33 was approved July 9.



The only other really fun stuff right now is the pending ownership changes for WHO-TV and WOI-TV, as Nexstar prepares to take over Tribune-owned WHO and WOI goes to Tegna or whoever.

 

[grich]

A 5.5 has appeared on my TV, carrying the WOI-TV 5.1 program stream. It's on 23's carrier. This gives wide UHF coverage of 5.1. Makes me wonder if Tegna will bother with following through on the channel 50 translator relocation.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

A 5.5 has appeared on my TV, carrying the WOI-TV 5.1 program stream. It's on 23's carrier. This gives wide UHF coverage of 5.1. Makes me wonder if Tegna will bother with following through on the channel 50 translator relocation.

Is it in HD?

 

[grich]

Is it in HD?

Yes, in 720p.


WOI is actively promoting this stream's existence and how to tune to it. I would not be surprised if they cancel the translator CP. Meanwhile, as of this moment, the channel 50 TX is still on the air.

 

[Draden1]

Well, with ABC now on 5-5 I’m getting a signal strength of 100 (60’s - 70’s on 5-1). Hopefully this isn’t a trial or something that is taken away down the road.

Next up, get Fox to bump their signal. Ever since the tower lightning strike a while back my signal strength bounces from the 60’s - 80’s, whereas it was consistently 100 prior to the incident.

For reference, I am in Indianola.

 

[mofford]

Haven't checked in for a while, just wanted to say I'm very pleased last year they finally got 39.1 up to full power so I can view it on the south side now, it shows up as channel 36.3 on my old Sony Bravia 2008 model, the old Sony never dies, sure has been a good TV. Was very disappointed when This TV movie network got revamped by the owners and turned into 13.4 Court TV, which I hate. Good to see the bump for channel 5, my old TV picks it up on 23.7 while my DVR's show the repeater on 5.5, good signal strength now for the UHF twin. I really enjoy the GRIT western movie channel on 5.3 and it helps fill the void after This TV got dumped. ME TV has pleased me this month, bringing back the classic WB & MGM cartoons on saturday mornings, and last years rollout of The Flintstones.

My channel guide (TvTv) keeps showing me listings for a low power station up by Ft Dodge, KAJR 36.1, a movie channel which contains sub networks of Get TV and BUZZR, which has a ton of old game shows and good stuff I want to watch. I wish we could get those channels in DSM.