[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:

Quote:
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:

Quote:
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:

Quote:
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:

Quote:
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:

Quote:
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:

Quote:
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.