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At the FCC


CircleSeven

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45 minutes ago, ColtFromGulfcoast said:

I thought Valdosta was Jax. Unless I'm thinking of Waycross. Both share a PBS signal, so. 

Waycross is Jacksonville, the Tallahassee/Thomasville DMA reaches all the way to Clinch County, GA.  It's oriented more eastward with Tallahassee on the western part. 

Time zones perhaps?  West of the market is Central Time. 

 

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On 6/3/2021 at 3:48 AM, CircleSeven said:

So an amendment regarding KCWX's PRM.

 

The station is now proposing to operate RF 8 as a DTS (distributed transmission system) facility, comprising of six SFNs (single frequency networks) in these following locations:

  • Fredricksburg (Main signal)
  • Austin
  • San Antonio
  • Mountain Home
  • D'Hanis
  • San Saba

 

I can understand the Austin transmitter because that's where their facilities are and the original concept when the station signed on was to serve both Austin and San Antonio, but the San Saba transmitter is strange to me. It's in the Temple-Waco-Bryan market and within 20 miles of counties in the San Angelo, Abilene, and DFW markets. I don't see much market for San Antonio-focused ads there, so I don't get the financial reasoning.

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This is interesting here.

 

Remember back in 2017 when former Chicago PBS outlet WYCC sold its spectrum in the auction, and ended up channel-sharing with WTTW after the latter bought the former's spectrum-less assets?

 

Now the parent of WTTW wants to dissolve the channel sharing arrangement & relinquish the license of WYCC so that WTTW can use its full 6mhz channel capacity. 

 

I have a feeling this is nothing more than a cost-cutting move. Why pay license fees for two commonly-owned, separately-licensed stations that's shared on the same spectrum? 

 

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6 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

This is interesting here.

 

Remember back in 2017 when former Chicago PBS outlet WYCC sold its spectrum in the auction, and ended up channel-sharing with WTTW after the latter bought the former's spectrum-less assets?

 

Now the parent of WTTW wants to dissolve the channel sharing arrangement & relinquish the license of WYCC so that WTTW can use its full 6mhz channel capacity. 

 

I have a feeling this is nothing more than a cost-cutting move. Why pay license fees for two commonly-owned, separately-licensed stations that's shared on the same spectrum? 

 

I guess. All WYCC has is FNX. They can easily just shift that over to WTTW

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Morgan Murphy is in the process of purchasing Magnum radio's three low-power stations in the La Crosse and Eau Claire area. It would seem likely the LP stations would simulcast WKBT, viewers in the northern half of the market and far east have struggled to pick up WKBT's VHF signal. The station is looking for sales people that would be based in Eau Claire, WKBT sales focus has mostly been La Crosse area and the southern half of the market.

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17 hours ago, Yankees4life said:

I guess. All WYCC has is FNX. They can easily just shift that over to WTTW

Makes sense, especially since WTTW bought the station's assets after the spectrum was sold.  This way, there's only one license. 

If WYCC was still a separate station,  they would have to find another station to share with, correct?

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On 6/12/2021 at 12:17 PM, tyrannical bastard said:

If WYCC was still a separate station,  they would have to find another station to share with, correct?

If the term of the channel sharing arrangement (CSA) expires and the parties decide not to renew, then the the spectrum-less station would be free to form a new CSA with a new station. 

______

What I forgot to mention yesterday was 12 years ago was the anniversary of the DTV transition of 2009. That was when all the full power analog signals had to be turned off. 

 

Today is the 13th. So next month on July 13, the remaining low-power and translator stations have to turn off their analog signals.

 

It shouldn't be any analog nothing at this point. But the FCC has made a list of about 300+ analog LP/TXs that have yet to file for a digital construction permit, and they're at risk of losing their license if they don't do so.

 

They have also reminded permittees of those unbuilt LP-permits to finish constructing its signals by the July 13 deadline, or ask for a waiver to file for an extension of time.

 

Edited by CircleSeven
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It's been a long while since I've seen an analog TV station on the air, but several weeks ago, I picked up some of the "franken-fm" stations that broadcast on channel 6 and can be picked up on 87.7 FM.  Those are the most affected at this point, it seems.  Most cases, they are essentially programmed as FM stations with a video "slide" that makes them a TV station.  Back in the day, it was the added gift for a full-powered station on Channel 6 to let radio users tune in as well.

 

Since Low-VHF is the least desirable for DTV of any kind, why not keep channel 6 for analog use?  The dual-nature of the frequencies lining up for radio and TV would make it invaluable for emergency purposes.

Edited by tyrannical bastard
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1 hour ago, tyrannical bastard said:

It's been a long while since I've seen an analog TV station on the air, but several weeks ago, I picked up some of the "franken-fm" stations that broadcast on channel 6 and can be picked up on 87.7 FM.  Those are the most affected at this point, it seems.  Most cases, they are essentially programmed as FM stations with a video "slide" that makes them a TV station.  Back in the day, it was the added gift for a full-powered station on Channel 6 to let radio users tune in as well.

 

Since Low-VHF is the least desirable for DTV of any kind, why not keep channel 6 for analog use?  The dual-nature of the frequencies lining up for radio and TV would make it invaluable for emergency purposes.

The FCC approves event licenses for stadiums to broadcast radio audio on VHF channel 5, like the Packers do (they say you have to buy a 'special radio' but all you have to do is get a tuner like one that gets the Japanese band or an old Walkman with TV audio to listen to the 'stations' they air over the 6 MHz of channel 5).

 

I don't understand why the FCC just doesn't abandon 5 and 6 for TV and expand the FM band. Outside a few TV stations in limited regions, it's not a good frequency for digital TV, but it would create a new land rush for radio, be it analog or digital-only...and it would please radio manufacturers (or car dealers that would re-program radios to get the expanded band).

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2 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

It's been a long while since I've seen an analog TV station on the air, but several weeks ago, I picked up some of the "franken-fm" stations that broadcast on channel 6 and can be picked up on 87.7 FM.  Those are the most affected at this point, it seems.  Most cases, they are essentially programmed as FM stations with a video "slide" that makes them a TV station.  Back in the day, it was the added gift for a full-powered station on Channel 6 to let radio users tune in as well.

 

Since Low-VHF is the least desirable for DTV of any kind, why not keep channel 6 for analog use?  The dual-nature of the frequencies lining up for radio and TV would make it invaluable for emergency purposes.

 

An STA in San Jose might have changed the game a bit. Venture owns a bunch of 6s. They've been approved for now to run ATSC 3.0 in 5.5 MHz of the channel and then use the upper part for an audio carrier.

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On 6/1/2021 at 3:00 AM, CircleSeven said:

Welcome to June. And we have a new PRM. This is from a PBS outlet.

 

Staunton, VA's WVPT has petitioned to vacate VHF 11 for UHF 15.

........And two weeks later, it has advanced to NPRM.

 

And we have an R&O. 


FCC has approved WCYB's change from VHF-low 5 to UHF 35.

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One NPRM. Three R&Os.

 

NPRM:

KCWX (5 > 8.) - including amended DTS arrangement.

 

R&O:

WRGB (6 > 35)

WAOE (COL, Peoria > Oswego)

Channel 9 Freeport

 

Looks like Gray would have to apply and bid for the new allotment. On the bottom of the order it stated this:

Quote

7. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, That the newly allotted channel 9 at Freeport, Illinois, SHALL BE AUTHORIZED pursuant to the Commission competitive bidding rules, 47 CFR §§ 73.5000 et seq.

 

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5 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

One NPRM. Three R&Os.

 

NPRM:

KCWX (5 > 8.) - including amended DTS arrangement.

 

R&O:

WRGB (6 > 35)

WAOE (COL, Peoria > Oswego)

Channel 9 Freeport

 

Looks like Gray would have to apply and bid for the new allotment. On the bottom of the order it stated this:

 

Imagine if Gray were to lose the ability to build on RF9 in Freeport, IL.

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5 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

 

WRGB (6 > 35)

 

That Freedom stayed on 6 in the name of tradition was always a frustrating move as you ended up with a signal that had better coverage of Rutland, Brattleboro, and Poughkeepsie more than much of Albany and Troy. The 720p simulcast on WCWN's .3 only could do so much.

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46 minutes ago, scrabbleship said:

 

That Freedom stayed on 6 in the name of tradition was always a frustrating move as you ended up with a signal that had better coverage of Rutland, Brattleboro, and Poughkeepsie more than much of Albany and Troy.

It didn't help they were oddly concerned about wanting to keep their 87.7 FrankenFM signal and the FCC kept having to tell them that they couldn't transmit digital with an unlicensed analog subcarrier at 87.9. 

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1 hour ago, mrschimpf said:

It didn't help they were oddly concerned about wanting to keep their 87.7 FrankenFM signal and the FCC kept having to tell them that they couldn't transmit digital with an unlicensed analog subcarrier at 87.9. 

Not that it matters anymore; Sinclair bought Fisher, and Sinclair only cares about TV; hell, they just announced they'd sell off their only radio assets. Hence why this application's been made.

Edited by Adam MadMan
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So Rural Alaska will get a reprieve past the July 13 cutoff date.

 

The FCC has granted the State of Alaska a waiver to keep the analog signals of its 15 translator stations operating until January 10, 2022.

 

Many of its translators are in extreme rural parts of the state where that one translator is their only OTA source. 

 

Edited by CircleSeven
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On 6/11/2021 at 1:00 PM, CircleSeven said:

This is interesting here.

 

Remember back in 2017 when former Chicago PBS outlet WYCC sold its spectrum in the auction, and ended up channel-sharing with WTTW after the latter bought the former's spectrum-less assets?

 

Now the parent of WTTW wants to dissolve the channel sharing arrangement & relinquish the license of WYCC so that WTTW can use its full 6mhz channel capacity. 

 

I have a feeling this is nothing more than a cost-cutting move. Why pay license fees for two commonly-owned, separately-licensed stations that's shared on the same spectrum? 

 

So follow up.

 

WTTW has withdrawn the application. 

 

It stated on the notice that "The applicant needs to withdraw the application and revisit its business plans."

 

Whatever that means.......

__________

Small M&A.

 

Weigel is getting two more permits from HC2 for $50K.

 

  • W34ER-D Clarksdale, MS
  • KEOF-LD Fort Dodge, IA
Edited by CircleSeven
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12 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

So follow up.

 

WTTW has withdrawn the application. 

 

It stated on the notice that "The applicant needs to withdraw the application and revisit its business plans."

 

Whatever that means.......

__________

Small M&A.

 

Weigel is getting two more permits from HC2 for $50K.

 

  • W34ER-D Clarksdale, MS
  • KEOF-LD Fort Dodge, IA

Probably thought it was a good idea to keep an extra channel for ratings or we got some dysfunction at the junction in WTTW? 🤣😂

 

------

That LD will be in good use in Clarksdale since MeTV does not any presence there but the other LD is an odd buy as KCCI already shows MeTV. Maybe a plan to put MeTV Plus on its own?

Edited by Yankees4life
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That's the third Vegas station that wants to get off VHF.

 

One has advanced to NPRM (KTNV), while the other (which filed their petition during that Black Friday dump) is still waiting for an NPRM (KHSV).

_______________

Anyway. A small M&A. Weigel has scored a station in the Big Apple.

 

Weigel is acquiring NRJ's sole outlet WZME Bridgeport, CT for $35M.

 

Edited by CircleSeven
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