Fisher Plaza: Fire in the hole!

[swhyde1980]

How's KVI?

As of 6:16pm... KVI is still off the air (there's a carrier, but dead air)...  Guess all of Fisher's resources for that station are going to KOMO-AM/FM right now.

And indeed, as seen on KOMO-TV's newscast at 5pm... KPLZ Star 101.5, is just being fed, from a simple CD player (I hope an MP3-capable one, set to "random playback"), out of the KOMO-TV transmitter building.  The guys at KOMO AM/FM are doing a great job!  Kinda cramped quarters there in a little room.  I did notice some noise in the background not necessarialy sounding like static.  I assume in the background we are hearing KOMO-TV's transmitter humming along?

[Jumper]

KVI...They don't even have a "Best of" program to "loop" at the transmitter at Vashon?  Or someone to plug in an iPod? This is as grave as it gets...The (transmitter) carrier is off because they've lost "remote control" of the transmitter (from the studio), so the transmitter has to automatically shutoff (FCC rules). Unless a human can go to Vashon and "Babysit" it. I once slept on the floor of a transmitter bldg under such circumstances.

God Bless Consolidatian! (not really)...

When you go tour KOMO engineering, they like to show off all the centralized systems & robotics... oops!

[crainbebo]

Conditions as of 7:18PM

Ch. 4 DT: Off-air
Ch. 4 SD: Wheel of fortune, PSAs with KATU mention
Ch. 51: Green screen
101.5 FM: MP3s still, no ID
570: dead air
1000/97.7: Regluar programming from KOMO transmitter
4-2 (This TV): dead air, only a black screen

[swhyde1980]

Conditions as of 7:18PM

Ch. 4 DT: Off-air
Ch. 4 SD: Wheel of fortune, PSAs with KATU mention
Ch. 51: Green screen
101.5 FM: MP3s still, no ID
570: dead air
1000/97.7: Regluar programming from KOMO transmitter
4-2 (This TV): dead air, only a black screen

Have to congratulate the fine master control operators at KATU-2 in Portland, for keeping KOMO on the air for us!  I seriously hope Fisher considers keeping them around there, even though they might end up consolidating KVAL/KPIC/KCBY, and operating them out of KATU.  They should REALLY keep Portland as a backup hub...and today is just the example, of the reason why to do that, if central-casting is going to happen.  Need redundentcy!

Did learn one thing by watching....KOMO's satellite trucks and cameras are all built, to send stuff in 16:9 I guess, judging by the newscasts today, and the commercials/promos running.  I did see some glitches for a second or two, when they were sending signals via ENG to their transmitter on Queen Anne.  Hope they are back at their studio at 11pm tonight....

I still wonder about that background noise on KOMO 1000 AM.  Those anchors have gotta be getting a headache from the KOMO-TV transmitter assembly making noise in the background (if not the little bit of RF escaping out).

[101_9]

How are they doing that? (getting the signal)
Line of sight?
Actually to space and back?
Or a feed from comcast or fibre optics or something? (Direct t.v.)
 

[Seattleradiodude]

When you go tour KOMO engineering, they like to show off all the centralized systems & robotics... oops!

Fisher Engineering (Seattle) is a joke. KOMO [TV] is on a Up Converter (not even true HD!) so you have ugly electronic stretch happening in 16:9.
KPLZ sounds like garbage from a processing standpoint, KOMO-AM always has crap in the background, and KVI is always missing cue tones from the satellite.

Need i say more?

Oh! I think they pride themselves in having the oldest processors in the market! "20 years and it sounds fine!" haha

Have to congratulate the fine master control operators at KATU-2 in Portland, for keeping KOMO on the air for us! 

AGREED!

[TakeItFromMe]

Got to feel bad for the Fisher cowboys   Playing music wall to wall ain't a bad idea on KPLZ the audience probably loves it but I wonder if PPM meters are even working   What happens with that if a station loses its PPM signal   KOMO sounds like they are doing the best they can, can't pick up KVI

Could happen to anyone.  Least KOMO and KPLZ cowboys are making the best with what they have

[boiseengineer]

KBCI Boise 's had a double whammy with a local power outage this evening. Got to see numb3ers twice tonight and Ignite is being a bit cranky in the 10PM news.

[swhyde1980]

Got to feel bad for the Fisher cowboys   Playing music wall to wall ain't a bad idea on KPLZ the audience probably loves it but I wonder if PPM meters are even working   What happens with that if a station loses its PPM signal   KOMO sounds like they are doing the best they can, can't pick up KVI

Could happen to anyone.  Least KOMO and KPLZ cowboys are making the best with what they have

Well, I could dream up some "backup facilities" for all of the stations, but that doesn't mean it'll happen.  Yes, these PPM metering facilities should be where the transmitting facilities are at, for optimal performance.   But yea, KPLZ operating from the KOMO-TV transmitter building on Queen Anne Hill, probably not helping the PPM situation much, except for not running commercials....Coudld turn into a "Commercial-Free weekend" for them!  Even when they get back on at Fisher Plaza, they should keep in "commercial-free".  Seemless and easy, for them to work that in!  But that is up to Fisher of course...

KVI is off the air (Still has a blank carrier on 570 from KVI Beach, on Vashon Island....listened in...just dead air!)... I think KVI's crew has devoted their resources to KOMO 1000/97.7.  97.7 sounds like their AM counterpart right now (taking the straight AM 1000 feed and putting it into 97.7....static and all).  Congratgulations to them for at least keeping 97.7 on the air!  Sounds like someone went up to South Mountain and did something!??  The reletively new LMA'd property of KOMO... that did something to keep their FM counterpart on the air.... I think that's notible!

[swhyde1980]

KBCI Boise 's had a double whammy with a local power outage this evening. Got to see numb3ers twice tonight and Ignite is being a bit cranky in the 10PM news.

I saw online that KBCI was being called "CBS 2".  Like in Los Angeles and New York.  I'm glad Fisher is loosening up in on the branding of their stations.  Like in Portland, KATU is using the Fisher Flag, with the "2" in it.

The one I don't like, is KIMA and KEPR....marketing it as "KIMA-Keeper News" for KIMA-KEPR.  It just sounds dumb... If it was "KIMA-KEPR news".... probably better...or even labeled it as "Northwest News" like KVAL-KCBY-KPIC do in Oregon.

I do applaud KLEW... for keeping their news local.  Last I heard, Fisher keeps that station, as a "training" station for their newscasts.  I think Fisher should have kept their Master Control local as well....just to keep it, for new reporters, engineers, and master control operators, operating it, for training purposes...