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WBTS - Home of NBC Boston?


The Frog

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Do you predict NBC Boston will keep the WYCN calls letters? How soon would you guess the switch will occur?

I predict that NBCU will change the WYCN calls to WBTS while the current WBTS take a new call sign. As for when the switch will occur, my guess would be on or before February 4, 2018, which is Super Bowl LII with the Winter Olympics beginning the following weekend.

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Here's my prediction of what the line up will be when the dust settles:

 

Broadcasting from RF 43 > 32

WYCN

13.1: NBC Boston 1080i HD

13.2: COZI TV (SD)

WGBX:

44.1: Create

44.2: PBS Kids

 

Broadcasting from RF 19 > 5

WGBH

2.1: PBS

2.2: World Channel

WFXZ:

24.1: WGBX HD (Moved from 44.1)

 

The Current WBTS-LD on RF 46

60.1 Telemundo Boston

60.2 Telexitos

Becoming a repeater of WNEU

 

Please remember, this is only a prediction my me. Thank you

 

I think you’re on the right track, although the WBTS calls should be transferable to WYCN without much issue. Although that does raise two questions WRT low-power stations:

 

1) Can a low-power station share the same call sign of its full-power parent? That is to say, could WBTS-LD become WNEU-LD alongside WNEU (DT)? Moreover, could a -CD signal share the same callsign as a -LD signal?

 

2) Can a LD repeater of a full-power signal use the same subchannel numbers as it’s parent station without overlap or interference? Booster signals are definitely a thing in analog radio (WXRV and WXLO in Boston alone have several in-channel boosters within the Boston city limits), but digital television is a whole other ball of wax.

 

It’s possible that Comcast keeps the PSIP 8 number for the current WBTS-LD... 8.1 and 8.2 could become the new Telemundo Boston and Telexitos. Same channel order on WNEU 60, while 60.3 and 60.4 becoming NBC Boston and Cozi, respectively (if not to ensure must-carry for all four program sources; it’s not really that necessary because Comcast does owns both the content and the majority of CATV distribution).

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Do you predict NBC Boston will keep the WYCN calls letters? How soon would you guess the switch will occur?

The channel sharing agreement can begin as soon as Comcast completes the purchase of WYCN. That might be concurrent with doing whatever engineering work is needed on the Needham tower.

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I think you’re on the right track, although the WBTS calls should be transferable to WYCN without much issue. Although that does raise two questions WRT low-power stations:

 

1) Can a low-power station share the same call sign of its full-power parent? That is to say, could WBTS-LD become WNEU-LD alongside WNEU (DT)? Moreover, could a -CD signal share the same callsign as a -LD signal?

 

2) Can a LD repeater of a full-power signal use the same subchannel numbers as it’s parent station without overlap or interference? Booster signals are definitely a thing in analog radio (WXRV and WXLO in Boston alone have several in-channel boosters within the Boston city limits), but digital television is a whole other ball of wax.

 

It’s possible that Comcast keeps the PSIP 8 number for the current WBTS-LD... 8.1 and 8.2 could become the new Telemundo Boston and Telexitos. Same channel order on WNEU 60, while 60.3 and 60.4 becoming NBC Boston and Cozi, respectively (if not to ensure must-carry for all four program sources; it’s not really that necessary because Comcast does owns both the content and the majority of CATV distribution).

 

I believe they can have the same subchannel numbers. I’m having trouble finding a more detailed article from the old Broadcast Engineering but if you look at the last bullet point on page two you can see that it’s possible. The only issue is that both the transmitters have to have the same call sign and data stream. So if they set up or buy a low power station and it isn’t channel shared it is possible provided everything’s the same. But I don’t believe it would be possible in a channel sharing enviroment.

 

Also can someone sum up the plans for WBTS.

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Here's my prediction of what the line up will be when the dust settles:

 

Broadcasting from RF 43 > 32

WYCN

13.1: NBC Boston 1080i HD

13.2: COZI TV (SD)

WGBX:

44.1: Create

44.2: PBS Kids

 

Broadcasting from RF 19 > 5

WGBH

2.1: PBS

2.2: World Channel

WFXZ:

24.1: WGBX HD (Moved from 44.1)

 

The Current WBTS-LD on RF 46

60.1 Telemundo Boston

60.2 Telexitos

Becoming a repeater of WNEU

 

Please remember, this is only a prediction my me. Thank you

 

That prediction looks good. I would suggest that they will want to keep the primary channel "PBS" on the transmitter remaining on UHF, rather than on what will be the coverage-challenged low-VHF signal. Therefore PBS on 44.1 and Create on 2.1.

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It is, and also in standard def on WMFP 60.5. (WBTS 8.2 also runs WNEU's Telemundo Boston programming.) WBTS and WNEU run the same subchannels, just in a different order.

 

In theory, PSIP 60 is available to cover the entire Boston market. That WNEU hasn't been moved in to Needham (or close to Needham) has to be a more a case of aftereffects from the spectrum auction and repack than anything else. But the WMFP subchannel proved it could be a thing.

 

WBTS on 60.5 (sharing on WMFP) is actually broadcasting in 720p 16x9. WBTS-LD 8.1 is 1080i 16x9.

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I believe they can have the same subchannel numbers. I’m having trouble finding a more detailed article from the old Broadcast Engineering but if you look at the last bullet point on page two you can see that it’s possible. The only issue is that both the transmitters have to have the same call sign and data stream. So if they set up or buy a low power station and it isn’t channel shared it is possible provided everything’s the same.

 

That would explain the network of translators for WNYT 13 Albany... all of which are mapped the same exact way with 13.X PSIP. And it's not just them... it looks to be pretty commonplace.

But I don’t believe it would be possible in a channel sharing enviroment.

Neither WNEU or the current WBTS-LD are channel sharing. WYCN-CD obviously will be, and WMFP currently is.

 

So, in theory, WNEU and the current WBTS-LD could map with the 60.X PSIP and solve Telemundo Boston’s OTA coverage issues... at the same time NBC Boston's OTA coverage issues are resolved via transferring (what is now) WYCN-CD.

 

For those who whom I disagreed with re: Comcast's ability to engineer a resolution to this without being able to buy an existing full-power signal ... I was wrong. But really, did anyone foresee this happening?

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That would explain the network of translators for WNYT 13 Albany... all of which are mapped the same exact way with 13.X PSIP. And it's not just them... it looks to be pretty commonplace.

 

Neither WNEU or the current WBTS-LD are channel sharing. WYCN-CD obviously will be, and WMFP currently is.

 

So, in theory, WNEU and the current WBTS-LD could map with the 60.X PSIP and solve Telemundo Boston’s OTA coverage issues... at the same time NBC Boston's OTA coverage issues are resolved via transferring (what is now) WYCN-CD.

 

For those who whom I disagreed with re: Comcast's ability to engineer a resolution to this without being able to buy an existing full-power signal ... I was wrong. But really, did anyone foresee this happening?

 

Other than the shark obviously, no. Lol.

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That would explain the network of translators for WNYT 13 Albany... all of which are mapped the same exact way with 13.X PSIP. And it's not just them... it looks to be pretty commonplace.

 

Neither WNEU or the current WBTS-LD are channel sharing. WYCN-CD obviously will be, and WMFP currently is.

 

So, in theory, WNEU and the current WBTS-LD could map with the 60.X PSIP and solve Telemundo Boston’s OTA coverage issues... at the same time NBC Boston's OTA coverage issues are resolved via transferring (what is now) WYCN-CD.

 

For those who whom I disagreed with re: Comcast's ability to engineer a resolution to this without being able to buy an existing full-power signal ... I was wrong. But really, did anyone foresee this happening?

 

I didn't expect WGBH would give up bandwidth on what will be their only UHF signal (WGBX), though it's not surprising for the soon to be low VHF WGBH, to be shared with WFXZ-CD.

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Just when everyone thought this was settled - last night NBCU filed yet another change. They want to move the full power WNEU (WBTS, Cozi, Univision, TeleXitos) from the current location in Merrimac, NH, to the "CBS" tower in Needham MA, where WBTS-LD, WBZ, WCVB, etc. broadcast from. This would be 650 KW ERP at 1300+ feet.

 

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076f915f5883d0015f79e8eab712a5

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Just when everyone thought this was settled - last night NBCU filed yet another change. They want to move the full power WNEU (WBTS, Cozi, Univision, TeleXitos) from the current location in Merrimac, NH, to the "CBS" tower in Needham MA, where WBTS-LD, WBZ, WCVB, etc. broadcast from. This would be 650 KW ERP at 1300+ feet.

 

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076f915f5883d0015f79e8eab712a5

This confirms that WNEU was movable into the market, but couldn’t until the spectrum auction and repack could be finished.

 

Will WBTS-8 even be necessary now?

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This confirms that WNEU was movable into the market, but couldn’t until the spectrum auction and repack could be finished.

 

Will WBTS-8 even be necessary now?

 

WBTS-LD is on an out-of-core post-auction channel (46), and there's no gaurantee they'll find an available channel for a little LP post-repack. Since NBC recently bought a spectrum-less channel, it'll likely move NBC to WYCN, because its going to be a while until WNEU moves to Needham, and of course this move has to get FCC approval.

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Just when everyone thought this was settled - last night NBCU filed yet another change. They want to move the full power WNEU (WBTS, Cozi, Univision, TeleXitos) from the current location in Merrimac, NH, to the "CBS" tower in Needham MA, where WBTS-LD, WBZ, WCVB, etc. broadcast from. This would be 650 KW ERP at 1300+ feet.

 

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076f915f5883d0015f79e8eab712a5

This makes more sense. At the moment, it appears NBCU's plan is to move NBC to WYCN, until WNEU is able to move to Needham at which time, WBTS-LD can leave the air as it will no longer be needed. The only questions I would have would be whether WNEU on RF 29 would be able to move its license to Boston and use PSIP 8 for all their streams.

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This confirms that WNEU was movable into the market, but couldn’t until the spectrum auction and repack could be finished.

 

Will WBTS-8 even be necessary now?

 

It won't be after the repack is finished. Also, they will need WYCN, shared on the current WGBX signal, soon, and keep that also until the repack is finished, since WMFP which carries the full power ch 60-5 will be shutting down within a few months.

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This makes more sense. At the moment, it appears NBCU's plan is to move NBC to WYCN, until WNEU is able to move to Needham at which time, WBTS-LD can leave the air as it will no longer be needed. The only questions I would have would be whether WNEU on RF 29 would be able to move its license to Boston and use PSIP 8 for all their streams.

8's still not possible, the overlap extends down to WNEU's COL of Manchester NH.

 

But they could swap PSIPs with WYCN 13. There’s minimal overlap with this new WNEU coverage map and WGME. I don't think it's necessary as WYCN 13 will soon enjoy a de facto full-power signal despite holding a class A license, and again, timing and whatnot for this move.

 

In any event, Comcast will soon have a straightforward duopoly with NBC on 13 and Telemundo on 60, with both signals covering the entire market.

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Slightly more juggling in Boston - WUNI has just applied to relocate their transmitter from Boylston (west of Boston, near Worcester) to one of the Needham towers. Right now they carry just Univision and LATV - so there's room for more...

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  • 4 weeks later...
Slightly more juggling in Boston - WUNI has just applied to relocate their transmitter from Boylston (west of Boston, near Worcester) to one of the Needham towers. Right now they carry just Univision and LATV - so there's room for more...

And today WUTF filed to move their transmitter from Hudson to Needham. This appears to be the "candelabra" tower, not the "CBS" tower.

 

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076f915fd11ef0015fffb72500398e

 

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f915f98d3db015fbb599a02272e&id=25076f915f98d3db015fbb599a02272e&goBack=N

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  • 4 weeks later...
Wikipedia is showing that WYCN 13 (rf 36) will shutdown on 1/16/18 and commence broadcasting NBC Boston on rf 15.

To me it appears that January 16 will be when WYCN's license moves to WGBX's stick at RF 43 > 32 and will use PSIP 15. My best educated guess is that they chose PSIP 15 as to not interfere with WGME, Sinclair, also, RF 15 will be WGME's home once the repack is complete. I also wonder if this will be the date, January 16, when WMFP moves to WWDP's stick.

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