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WLS's dual-frequency OTA ops. end March 18.


CircleSeven

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WLS-TV, one of the last big stations to continue to operate two over-the-air digital signals, will end the dual-frequency operations on Monday, March 18. This comes after the station installed a new UHF antenna, which is operating the full 1 million watts on its UHF frequency facility back last October.

 

After the digital transition was completed on June 12, 2009, many viewers were complaining about not receiving channel 7 because of its low-power VHF signal. Many complaints came from viewers who lived within a few mile radius from the Sears Tower. So on Halloween 2009, the station turned on its UHF 44 frequency. But afterwards the station had to replace its old VHF antenna on top of the Sears Tower on the East antenna, and replace it with a new UHF Antenna. Dual frequency causes digital tuners to show 7.1/7.2/7.3 twice, while tuning sequentially.

 

Now as of 5pm yesterday (2/28), the low-power VHF RF 7 translator (and not on full-power UHF RF 44) is airing a crawl at the start of every program that 'if you see this crawl, you have to rescan your television or your converter box on March 18.' After that WLS will cease operations on VHF 7 and keep UHF 44 on, permanently.

 

WLS was one of several stations across the country that had to either re-adjust their digital signal or move its frequency to a UHF channel after the 2009 digital transition because of the problematic VHF frequency. KTVT 11 in Dallas dropped its VHF frequency back in November after viewer complained about its signal, which prompted them to move back to its UHF frequency. Other stations that had dual-frequencies during that same period were KTVT, KWTV, WTVF, WGHP, WHDH & WPBN.

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