Changes in DFW's LPTV market

[JHBrandt]

No big loss, but KODF has dropped 26-2 and 26-3 from their lineup.

BTW, RTV was off the air yet again this Saturday, but this time, 31-4 got it back by Sunday.

[JHBrandt]

KNAV just filed to amend their CP, so perhaps they're getting ready to go back on the air in a few months. Now they're going for the full 15kW instead of just 10. The whopping 2dB increase would push their service out a bit further into the 'burbs.

The FCC approved the modification. Watch for more color bars to appear on RF 22 soon.

As of Sunday 31-2 and 47-3 were the same. It looks like K31GL will soon be looking for something to fill 31-2 as well as 31-1.

I mentioned this on another thread, but K31GL put 31-1 back on their PSIP (after dropping it for awhile), still w/o programming. Reminds me of 31-5, which got added many weeks before any actual programming appeared, resulting in much hopeful speculation until the slot was actually filled - with infomercials

[Bob E. Nelson]

The FCC approved the [KNAV 15 kW] modification. Watch for more color bars to appear on RF 22 soon.

...and after they do light it up, then what? Color bars for weeks (like KHPK)? Maybe months? I think we both agree that this market has long ago reached a saturation point as far as actually programming these super-abundant LPTV streams.

Maybe Trip can answer this: Is there a financial benefit to have a constructed facility when the time comes for spectrum reallocation or is just a CP sufficient?

[JHBrandt]

Good questions. Are KHPK, KLEG, and soon possibly KNAV just beaming something out in hopes of selling off their transmitters if/when incentive auctions happen? (You'd think they'd at least put up an ad page: "This channel for lease - call xxx-xxx-xxxx.")

Of the three, I'd most hate to see KLEG go. Their downtown-Dallas transmitter should let almost everyone inside Loop 12 get them with an indoor antenna, and areas north and/or east will likely have better antennas anyhow. But they apparently haven't figured out how to market their theoretical advantage to potentially profitable networks like MeTV, TheCoolTV, etc.

[tripinva]

Maybe Trip can answer this: Is there a financial benefit to have a constructed facility when the time comes for spectrum reallocation or is just a CP sufficient?

There's no telling if any LPTV station will benefit.

- Trip

[eskipper411]

What I am waiting to see is what Tropo DX does to KNAV..... KAUZ in Wichita Falls will shatter that signal to pieces on my antenna.

[JHBrandt]

What I am waiting to see is what Tropo DX does to KNAV..... KAUZ in Wichita Falls will shatter that signal to pieces on my antenna.

You may be OK. You probably have an antenna with a high F/B ratio, which should attenuate the weaker signal from behind more than 15 dB below the stronger one. But 'burbs SE of Dallas (e.g., Ferris) may see the interference you're talking about, since there'd only be about 60 degrees separation between the signals.

[DToTheJ]

Good questions. Are KHPK, KLEG, and soon possibly KNAV just beaming something out in hopes of selling off their transmitters if/when incentive auctions happen? ... Of the three, I'd most hate to see KLEG go...

Or, in their case, "hop along". 

[JHBrandt]

Looks like 34.1 is no longer simulcasting 47.2. Last time I checked it was showing infomercials

What I am waiting to see is what Tropo DX does to KNAV..... KAUZ in Wichita Falls will shatter that signal to pieces on my antenna.

You may be OK. You probably have an antenna with a high F/B ratio, which should attenuate the weaker signal from behind more than 15 dB below the stronger one. But 'burbs SE of Dallas (e.g., Ferris) may see the interference you're talking about, since there'd only be about 60 degrees separation between the signals.

Silly me. That assumed you'd rather watch KNAV than KAUZ. Even though KNAV isn't on the air yet, that seems unlikely. If you're more interested in KAUZ during tropo episodes, interference from KNAV is a bigger problem: it'd probably be the stronger signal, which means you'd need a F/B ratio well above 15 dB. You may need to gang together two antennas with a 1/4 wavelength (just under 6 inches at RF 22) N/S separation and a 1/4 wavelength delay line to null out KNAV.

[JHBrandt]

Looks like 34.1 is no longer simulcasting 47.2. Last time I checked it was showing infomercials

Last night it looked like 34.1 was broadcasting UAN again, but it was no longer simulcast with 47.2.

That makes some sense. If you're going to broadcast programming that's available on another channel, you can always delay it a few hours rather than merely showing a simulcast. Someone who likes the channel but doesn't happen to like what's on now might find a repeat of an earlier show more appealing. It's an idea KSTR & KFWD could adopt for 49.2 & 52.2 respectively.

Also, it looks like KBOP/20.2 has gone dark. These are tough times for the videospammers....